What should I be doing right now???

[Cheif]

This is my first off season, so help me out fellas. what should i be doing in preparation as I count down the days till the season begins. Spring Scouting???, practice shooting, any all ideas please leave them here!!!

[mrbb]

well right now is a great time to do everything but hunt deer qith a weapon trying to kill em ?
shed hunting is great way to see whats about, scout where they been, and learn the lay of your hunting grounds better, or scout new one's

now is about the only time I would go into bedding areas on purpose
shooting is always good to do, good time to join a shooting team at a local range too
looking for old rubs and
all the better if you can, time to start preping stand sites, trimming lanes can be done now, making some funnels
and lts not forget if you have the land and means, Food plots
adding mineral sites too , now is as good as any
to me there is no down season, to deer hunting/planning hunts
so take your pick and get out there and have fun

and last, NOW is teh time to be asking for permission to hunt new private lands, not right before deer season,. the up coming months will be the BUSY time for farmers, so now before they get busy is time to ask, and asking to just look for sheds is a great foot in the door too!

[Seeker Bp]

Trying to door knock for hunting ground, I try and start off by asking to shed hunt a property first, just to break the ice. Definatly scouting, and plenty of shooting. 3D has totally helped in my confidence and shooting ability. Checking out the gear, adding to the gear, etc etc.... anything to pass the time so hunting season comes faster,,,lol

[hortontoter]

Good ideas from Seeker and mrbb. I use spring as a time to sow seeds in my food plot and make adjustments to my hunting plans based on last seasons results. Adjustments usually have somthing to do with stand locations or trying to create man made funnels. Also watching antler development on my trail cameras is always interesting and fuels the fire for fall.

But, being a true hunter at heart there is always somthing in season to pursue. Most times if I'm in the woods some kind of hunting implement is over my shoulder.

[00buck]

practice shooting , i still have trail cameras out ,ordered seed from invite food plots

[Big_Holla]

Great post Cheif, there are all kinds of things you can do this time of year to pass the time AND be productive for next season. I'll list a bunch, not in any specific order:

1. Scout- Look for bedding areas, old rubs and scrapes, trails you didn't know were there, potential pinch points that will help you narrow down your quarry, etc.. This time of year is a perfect "picture" of what happened last fall. Once green-up comes the scrapes will be harder to see and even the trails will be more difficult to find.

2. Get minerals out! If you are allowed to, now is the time to get your minerals out for the deer. There are cheap things you can do up to buying minerals that are made just for this purpose. Get them out, the bucks will be growing new antlers in a couple months and it's best to have it there for them.

3. Scout some more......

4. If you are thinking of setting up mock scrapes, this is actually the best time to do it. Maybe you have a scrape you have found but it's not in a good location near your stand, that's where doing some work on your own can get sites ready and maybe bucks will take them over...exactly what you want. Pulling branches down to shoulder height and tying them off, clearing the ground of all debris under an over hanging limb, etc..

5. Scout a lil bit more......

6. Trail cameras if you have them are very valuable on telling you what you have lurking around. Don't base your deer herd on what passes through that small window to trigger your camera though, there are likely others out there waiting to be discovered.

7. Might want to spend a lil time scouting......

8. Food plots if you have the space and equipment.

9. If I haven't mentioned it....maybe a bit of scouting is in order!!

10. Shoot your bow! This time of year it's easy to let the dust settle on your shooting equipment, I know because that's the situation I am in right now. To get ready for season it is a great idea to start looking for 3D shoots you can attend. It is an excellent way to put yourself in as close to the actual situation you might encounter. And if your heart rate doesn't go up a little shooting at your first few targets while your buddies watch I would be surprised.

11. While turkey hunting it's also good to SCOUT for deer!! In case I didn't mention it!!

12. Spend some time looking over aerial photo's and topographic maps of your hunting area. You'll be surprised what potential funnels or hidden hideyholes you may find.

13. After looking at those aerial photo's and topo maps.....scout those locations you want to check out!!

[hortontoter]

Good point on the aerial maps Chuck. I find google earth to be a very valuable tool. I've spent enough time on it to have a pilots license.

[Big_Holla]

Good point on the aerial maps Chuck. I find google earth to be a very valuable tool. I've spent enough time on it to have a pilots license.

LMAO yep, if the deer only knew how addicted we were just to figure them out!!

[mrbb]

as for aerial sites, any one use the Birdseye option on many of them??
super clear close up on many many places now, way better than google earth!

[MICH]

ALOT OF GREAT IDEA'S. ALSO, I'M COMING DOWN MID APRIL TO MAKE SOME BIG BRUSH PILES OR HINGE CUT A BUNCH OF JUNK TREES.......MORE BRIARS THE BETTER, ALSO DUMP MINERALS

[blackbeard]

Scout.....scout....and scout some more. And if you get bored with that: scout more. Or you can always get permission to hunt more places, shoot your bow, replace straps and bolts on your treestands, and shed hunt. I much prefer scouting in the winter/early spring though compared to late spring and summer when the ticks, mosquitoes, and chiggers come out. And it's easier to get a feel for the woods and see things before the leaves get on the trees. But you also gotta take what you see with a grain of salt because some of the sign you see now is winter sign and come fall the deer are gonna have different patterns.

[Greybeard11]

I'm with these guys ...shed hunt, scout, scout, and also a great time to pull your stands and check cables, bolts, straps, and repaint if needed.

[Cheif]

I just want to say thanks to everyone that has left a comment on the thread. I will put your advice to use. Thanks again.