Hunting a new place without previous scouting

[CJ_BG]

A large piece of private I hunt in central PA that has been open to hunters for years must have had either a change in ownership or the owner had something happen, as it's now posted with a gate on the access road. I didn't find this out until 6 this morning and am now looking at new places to try. What are you doing in this situation with the rut just around the corner? Mostly E-Scouting, mostly boots on ground, a 50/50 mix? Anything you would be looking for in particular to get in the game quick?

Not looking for a monster, just a solid 2 or 3 year old, I've just never had to scout in season in a new area before.

 

[cgavason]

Download OnX


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Felix40]

I like to hunt pinch points in thicker brush. Also look for ridges with acorns falling. Go out after it rains and look for tracks. Walk creek bottoms and look for crossings. Look for different colored stands of trees or vegetation transitions on google earth, then walk those.

I don’t know anything about PA though.

 

[Wheels]

Pinch points and access without letting them know you are there.

 

[brancher147]

E scout for potential spots. Boots on the ground looking for foe bedding and fresh buck sign this time of year. I just walked 11 miles on s new piece this week. Get out there get the info you need then come back ready to kill

 

[timekiller13]

Just wing it.

Walk in and find a spot that “feels right.” And then hunt.

It’s how I killed my largest public land buck.

 

[Ferrulewax]

Just wing it.

Walk in and find a spot that “feels right.” And then hunt.

It’s how I killed my largest public land buck.

And it’s fun

 

[knale87]

Identify an area on the map. Get the wind right and still hunt while you scout it until you find something good to set up on.

 

[ElkArcher918]

A large piece of private I hunt in central PA that has been open to hunters for years must have had either a change in ownership or the owner had something happen, as it's now posted with a gate on the access road. I didn't find this out until 6 this morning and am now looking at new places to try. What are you doing in this situation with the rut just around the corner? Mostly E-Scouting, mostly boots on ground, a 50/50 mix? Anything you would be looking for in particular to get in the game quick?

Not looking for a monster, just a solid 2 or 3 year old, I've just never had to scout in season in a new area before.

First thing, I would do is try to contact previous/current owner and get an update on current land ownership. The fact that you responsibly hunted the land for many years may give you an edge on gaining permission going forward. Try to re-establish a relationship with the new owner, possibly volunteer to help the new owner with chores around the property. Don't give up on this piece of land.

PA has a ton of good public land. Start researching this and download onX. I would focus on overlooked smaller parcels with good natural browse or adjacent to ag fields. The further away from significant population centers the better, less hunter pressure. You can always hunt as you scout new places.

Always pays to have multiple private/public hunting spots in case of ownership changes or too much hunter pressure. Good luck.

 

[30338]

I sat a new spot a couple years back. Hiked in with a light lawn chair and a pair of branch loppers. Found a spot about 10 yards south of a scrape line. Cut a 3' wide shooting lane through some sumac, sat the chair next to a cedar and pulled up my face mask. Right at dark a nice 145" buck walked by and took an arrow.

Those loppers are pretty handy and very quiet.

 

[jrockne]

Just wing it.

Walk in and find a spot that “feels right.” And then hunt.

It’s how I killed my largest public land buck.

This is a great way to do it and is extremely rewarding when you're successful! Google maps/onX is great to give you a general idea of where you want to go, but that 'feeling' is all you really need.

 

[Wworker]

I'm in PA also and in a similar situation.

As others have said, ONX is a great tool. Boots on the ground and trail cams will do the rest.

If you are looking for places to hunt, I would find some properties that look promising, knock on some doors and ask for permission to hunt. You may be surprised how often they say yes.

 

[JDZ3]

I do this all the time. I go with a mix of OnX to find areas that will hold deer and then boots on the ground. I love wet or rainy days for doing a speed scout.