Reading the Woods

If you're going to learn about the woods and the animals you need two things, a good pair of binoculars and a lot of patience. If you went into the woods and walked constantly your learning curve would be slow. To learn more you could walk into the woods for 100 yards then sit down for 15 minutes and watch, and then repeat the procedure by changing your vantage point. Just sit with your back against a tree or fence posts and listen to the sounds and watch for action. You'll begin to see more animals and birds than you can imagine. Prime times to do this is the two hours after dawn in the morning and the two hours before dark in the evening. As a deer hunter I would rather spend two days with my binoculars and one day hunting than to spend 3 days hunting without using a pair of binoculars. Most hunters don't know this but if you are hunting 160 acres there is one sitting place on the property that you can go and see every deer on the property without changing vantage points. By doing a good job scouting you can find that spot. Remember to always sit in the shadows and keep the wind in your face.

The more time you can spend out in the woods, the better. Books with pictures of animal tracks can be helpful, although many tracks should be fairly obvious. Soft, wet soil along creek banks or around ponds would be good locales for looking.

Turkeys generally roost in trees, so there should be a lot of droppings below a roost tree. They go for water and then for food. They eat acorns, bugs and grass. (Well, my grandmother's turkeys did.)

Bucks rub the velvet off on a small tree. The bark will be gone between knee-high and waist-high. That just means there's a buck in the area; it's not a re-visit site. Hoof marks at a scrape, and some urine smell. Those could be a point of return or even exploration by another buck.

Sitting and watching from very early morning before sun-up to maybe an hour afterward is a movement time. Same in the late afternoon from an hour before sundown.

My hunting during daylight hours was mostly "sneaky-snaking", easing along quietly and pausing every few steps to look around--including my back trail. The trick there is to be smooth and don't march along as though you're on a sidewalk. Critters don't move that way. Step, pause; step-step, pause, etc.

I can't name anything specific, but I'd suggest a trip to the local library. FWIW I started much like you. My dad was a very casual hunter, mostly just walking fields and woods for rabbit and squirrel. And not often at that. Most of what I've learned was self taught. I did have one high school teacher that took me hunting a few times and most of my friends are hunters. Just hanging around and discussing things with them can be educational. There is nothing like just spending a lot of time outdoors.

Years ago publications such as Outdoor Life, Sports Afield, and Field and Stream were very informative. Much less so today, but probably better than nothing for a novice. Most of those would be available in a library and you could sort through years worth of older magazines to read.

I learned by reading everything I could with the word "Deer" in it. Some publications were good and some were garbage .. just as the internet is today. It still took me 6 or 7 years to kill my first deer.

Now there are many more deer in the area where I grew up so it's easier but it's still not easy when hunting public land. Watch your wind and walk slowly and you will learn a lot if you're perceptive.

lots of great how to hunting books out there, If you are interested in Turkey Hunting the "Tenth Legion "by Tom Kelley is a classic and a humorous but informative book. You have got the correct idea read all you can and be observant in the woods. Learn navigation with a compass and map, get a good GPS. Try to find areas that are less traveled by the public land hunters, Learn areas thoroughly, if no luck learn another area thoroughly. after a while you will determine the best areas and you will be able to concentrate on them and you will become successful.

Good Luck.

Bull

heavydluxe said:

Here's an example... I went into the woods with my boy last fall before deer season and found what we thought was a deer scrape. When talking to one local hunter, we showed him a picture of what we found and he guffawed at us. "That's from a turkey." But he wouldn't really help us understand why that was so patently obvious.

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Without seeing the pic, it's impossible for me to tell you what the obvious difference was. Turkey scratchings and a small deerscrape can look similar and depending where they are and how fresh they are, it can be hard to tell. The local hunter may not have had a clue either, just was trying to act like a know it all. Generally tho, a turkey scratches with three toes, a deer with two. Turkey generally make more than one scratch and one can many times tell which direction they were walking when making them. Try your local DNR/F&G office, many have pamphlets and guide books that pertain to local game and their sign. Many local sportsmen clubs have first time hunter/new hunter mentoring, especially your local NWTF club. Still, reading sign takes time in the woods. When scouting looking for sign, I move fast. I'm not looking for game, but their sign and reading the terrain. In new areas, I'm trying to cover the most area I can to determine where the best spots are. In an area I'm familiar with, I first go back to spots that were good in the past to see if anything has changed. Many times it takes a major change in the habitat(like clear cutting or change of crops) to change game patterns. Animals generally do not get alarmed when folks move steadily thru their areas. They are used to farmers checking their fence lines, folks cutting wood, etc. Once I have determined where and if there are animals in the area, I slow down and start looking for game. Knowing where to look for sign takes experience also. Take your time learning the woods and observe. Every trip you take should teach you something else about the area. Don;t just look for tracks and scrapes, but worn trails and signs of eating. Browse nibbled off, turkey scratchings, fungi and fruits half eaten and droppings. Take notes and make a journal of what you find and where. We don;t always remember as well as we think.

I'm not going to give any suggestions on reading materials. Not because I'm a jerk, but because I honestly believe that there is no substitute for first hand knowledge by time in the woods. And honestly, a quick Google search will show you all you need to see as far as tracks, trails, browsing, bedding, wallows, roosts and the like. I'm a self taught hunter. No one showed me. And because of that, I honestly feel that I am a better hunter than most. Had lots of "failure" in the woods when I first started. But I was discouraged. I was determined.

As an example, yesterday I spent over 5 hours walking/hiking with my dog. Walked 14 miles according to my GPS tracker. Found fresh rubs and scrapes (in April!), some turkey scratches, fresh hog sign, tons of armadillo diggings, and not one morel. I found some heavily used trails (both pig and deer), 5 deer, ~25 turkeys, and no pigs.

Now if you want to read about it, I'll tell you it won't hurt. But sometimes it focuses your attention on what to look for rather than taking in the totality of area and then breaking it down. Ever heard "Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees"? That's a very true statement. Look for a rub, miss the scrape, look for a trail, miss the turkey roost.

People that read sign spend a lot of time in the woods memorizing what they see each day. The next day in the woods if they see something different, no matter how small, it will catch their eye. It doesn't have to be large like a scrape or a rub but rather small things like matted grass, overturned leaves, a single track, saplings that have been nibbled on, etc. It's not the one big thing that one sees in the woods that tells the story when walking through but rather the accumulation of hundreds of little things that one sees. Learning to read sign makes a walk in the woods much more enjoyable. You can visualize the animals that have been there even though they have been gone for many hours.

In my opinion you need three books as a foundation for woods running and hunting. Tracks and Tracking by Josef Bruner https://www.amazon.com/Tracks-Tracking-Josef-Brunner-Illustrated-ebook/dp/B00K4IFG70, The Still Hunter https://www.amazon.com/Still-Hunter-Theodore-Van-Dyke/dp/1612037240 by Van Dyke, and Camping and Woodcraft Volumes 1&2 [all in one book] https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Woodcraft-Handbook-Travelers-Wilderness/dp/0870495569 by Horace Kephart. Yes they are old books. They were written before the industry developed to produce gadgets and doodads to separate the hunter from the ca$h, while not really helping the hunt. They were written when there was less urban areas, and a lot less suburban areas, so no chance the deer had become accustomed to people. I think they will give a person who studies them an excellent foundation for deer hunting and wilderness skills, especially when there isn't an experienced person to give one hands-on instruction.

LD

I would say to keep reading, spend more time in the woods, and maybe see if there is a way you could hang out with a game warden on the job- like one of those police "ride along" things.

Then you get to learn how to find the blood trail. Animals stay near but not always IN the woods. Unless you are stalking, the trick is to find the location to hunt from. Find possible/probably 'routes', then look for sign. Larger game like paths, to-from food, water & bedding area. Do NOT disturb the bedding areas. Like said earlier, find a 'good' location, sit and watch. Google earth gives a pretty good aerial version of the terrain, looking for 'choke' points.

I'll agree with everybody else here. Do a quick google search for animal tracks and scat and you'll find everything you need as far as identifying things. That's the easy part. Having a keen eye, ears and nose takes lots of practice! I've literally been able to find a group of deer that were bedded down just because I was down wind and could smell them. It will take time, but you'll learn and remember these things as you spend more time in the outdoors. It took scaring off a LOT of deer before I knew the smell and was aware of it before they scattered.
Just give it time. You'll learn it just like all the other men before us that spent a lot of time outside.

Reading sign, sign-reading, and tracking is an art that really needs time to learn. Start with a book about tracks and feces.
"...hang out with a game warden..." Most of 'em don't know anything not taught in a university lecture hall.
"...they are old books..." Yep, but so's hunting. Rummage around Amazon. Doesn't have to be rifle hunting only either. Same techniques practiced by archers work for rifle hunters.

The one group of outdoorsmen who know how to read sign are the traditional archery hunters and I would encourage you to read their information.

The post above would scare me off hunting.

Sunray said:

"...hang out with a game warden..." Most of 'em don't know anything not taught in a university lecture hall.

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From my experience, most Game Wardens I have met knew not only their territory very well, but the fin, fauna and flora within it. Many tho, don't have the time or inclination to teach. Sometimes it's just their persona, sometimes it's because between regular work, being on call 24/7/365 or helping out other LEAs, they are just too busy. Most have an office tho, and most of the time that office is within a building that has pamphlets and brochures, many showing types of animal tracks and other sign they may leave. Many times our local state parks have a collection of similar publications showing how to read the sign of local animals. Many times they host workshops of the same. As I said before, NWTF is a great resource, not only to learn, but to have the opportunity to be mentored by an very experienced Turkey Hunter. Our local chapter mentors and takes a coupla dozen new hunters turkey hunting every spring. Last weekend was the 2-day mentored hunt for new hunters(any age). Two weeks before the regular season and one week before the youth hunt(10-15).

I give the OP credit. He did not come here and ask how to hunt. Nor did he come here and ask how to observe game animals. He asked how to read the woods and identify sign. He's starting at the basics and not putting the horse in front of the wagon. Reading the woods is different than actual hunting and it's different that observing game. It's looking at a woods and figuring out where the game will be before you attempt to observe and hunt them. It's reading the sign left by game animals and determining whether or not there are not only enough to attempt to observe/hunt, but that they may be of the sex/size you desire to hunt. Good hunters can enter a new woods and be successful because they can read the woods. They know what a makes for a good funnel or crossing, what ravine a animal trying to escape or get to the top of the ridge will use. What a typical bedding/sanctuary area looks like or whether the woods had good roost trees. They know what native plants attract and hold game animals if and when ag crops are not available or preferred. They know what type of mast the local deer herd/turkey flock prefers and which are available and at what time of year. They know what constitutes a good strut area and what makes for a good lounge area. All of this by observing, without seeing a single animal. They still end up at the right place at the right time, before the game does...because they read the woods.

I find that one of the biggest no-no's is to actually walk thru the woods, at least close to or during season. Remember that the deer's hearing and sense of smell is far superior to yours, and eyesight is at least as good. Unless there is snow or heavy rain, your chances of sneaking up on a bedded deer is close to zero. I've had better success staying outside the woods.

Hunters move way too much and stay still way too little.

As for the scrape deal, that's pretty easy. Any scrape I've ever seen is always under an overhanging branch. One of the twig ends will be broken where the deer has grabbed and broken it. They rub the scent glands around their eyes against the branch to mark their territory. Does in heat will lay off to the side of the scrapes. The bucks come thru any time of the day or night to find the does. Scrapes on the outside of the woods usually get checked at night. Scrapes in heavy cover are more likely to get checked during daylight.

Big bucks will rub either small or big trees, but usually only big bucks rib big trees, 4" or bigger. Rubs mark travel routes.

redneck2 said:

I find that one of the biggest no-no's is to actually walk thru the woods, at least close to or during season. Remember that the deer's hearing and sense of smell is far superior to yours, and eyesight is at least as good. Unless there is snow or heavy rain, your chances of sneaking up on a bedded deer is close to zero.

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Unless you're me....It seems like every time I'm NOT trying to be quiet I almost end up stepping on a deer that's bedded down. I mean not literally of course, but last year I got within 20 feet or so of 3 deer that were bedded down in tall grass. I wasn't even alone and we were talking, which is what was weird.

There's actually a reason for that. Saw it on a YouTube segment about deer habitat management.

If you really spook a deer, as in get within 20 feet and all of a sudden they see you, they get super spooked. A mature buck will usually not bed in an area the second time if someone sneaks up on him there once. If they know you're coming well in advance (talking, etc.) they are not so prone to abandon an area. Sometimes they just lay there and watch you walk past.

One time I kicked up a big buck right behind a house. Maybe 75-100 feet away. House had kids screaming, dogs barking.