Post season scouting

[<cascadehunter>]

Calling all blacktail obsessed weirdos!
What is everyone doing post season to gather intel for the next season? Particularly in December-January-February
Primarily speaking to WA/OR timber country around 1-3.5k-ish elevation.
Read Scott Haugen’s book before the season and my understanding is that bucks post-rut will often return to the core zones they inhabited in the summer months.
Are you glassing or relying on cameras more heavily? Are you looking in the same areas or moving camera sets? Are you finding the same deer in the same places? I would think that some snow on the ground (if we ever get it) is a secret weapon for revealing high traffic areas.
Hopefully some of the killers I see frequenting the blacktail sub can chime in. Thanks all

 

[FairWeatherFisher]

I can’t speak too much about it, as in still figuring it out myself. What I have found is that during those winter months, not only does snow help, but trails in general are easier to find and follow. The leaves/vegetation have died off as much as they’re going to, and the soft muddy ground makes it easier to tell which trails have been used recently and heavily.

I’m not particularly good about getting out to scout, though, so really most of my scouting is done in April-May while I’m turkey hunting. I like that time of year because the foliage hasn’t grown back so lunch as to conceal trails yet, but you can start IDing food sources that will be there through the summer/fall.