“The early bird gets the worm” couldn’t be more true for public land bowhunters. In recent years, as my buddies and I have spent more time chasing whitetails on public ground, we’ve learned the hard way that timing is everything. Scouting early in the summer and being in the woods before first light on opening morning isn’t just a good idea, it’s essential. Last season, we showed up at a promising spot we had carefully scouted weeks earlier, only to find a group of hunters packing up after a whole week in the area. Several of their stands were set exactly where we had planned to hunt. Unsurprisingly, deer sightings were few and far between. That experience drove home a lesson: success on public land often goes to those who prepare earliest and move fastest.
Scouting whitetails on public land during the summer can be one of the most valuable steps in preparing for the fall hunting season. With bucks grouped up in bachelor herds, consistent food sources, and green cover revealing well-used trails, summer offers a rare glimpse into early-season deer behavior. But it’s not without its challenges. Thick vegetation, shifting patterns, and increased pressure can make things tricky. Over the years, my buddies and I have learned to adjust our approach, using both past successes and hard-earned lessons to refine our summer game plan. Here’s how to make your time in the woods count when the season is still months away.
Start with a Digital Game Plan
One of the most common excuses hunters give for not scouting earlier in the summer is the heat. Let’s face it, hiking through thick vegetation while battling mosquitoes, gnats, and relentless sweat isn’t exactly a good time. But here’s the good news: You can start your scouting from the comfort of your air conditioning. Before you lace up your boots, take advantage of digital mapping tools like the HuntStand app to break down terrain features, food sources, access routes, and likely bedding areas.
Whether you’re on a lunch break or winding down in the evening, use that time to identify overlooked or hard-to-reach areas, like remote ridges, creek crossings, or hidden pockets that most hunters won’t bother with come fall. For serious bowhunters chasing success on public land, the edge often comes from going where others won’t. And that journey can start well before you ever step foot in the woods.
Scout from a Distance
E-scouting is effective and successful, but remote scouting is only part of the process. Physically traveling to potential hunting spots is necessary for maximizing your scouting efforts. In summer, bucks are more visible, especially during the last hour of daylight. Use this to your advantage by glassing fields, meadows, and clear cuts from a distance. Observation stands or long-range glassing from elevated points can help you pattern bucks without alerting them. As a small-town kid from a rural area, we even had date nights that involved going to a field or high lookout point with our girlfriends to watch for a mature buck in the cooler summer evenings.
Remember, public land deer are quick to react to human pressure. Limit your scouting trips to one or two visits in a specific area. Rotate areas and access points to stay low impact and avoid pushing deer away from their habitats.
Use Trail Cameras Wisely
Trail cameras are invaluable, but first, ensure that game camera use is permitted in your area by checking local state regulations. If it’s legal, it’s imperative to use them carefully on public land. Select discreet models, such as the Stealth Cam Fusion X or DS4K Transmit, that blend into their environment and are cellular-enabled to send images directly to your phone. Place cameras at field edges, mineral sites (where allowed), or hidden trails near likely bedding areas. Cellular models can send real-time updates and reduce your impact, making them ideal for scouting public land.
Focus on Fresh Sign
So far, most of your summer scouting has been done remotely or from a distance in a vehicle. Now, it’s time to put your feet on the ground. Yes, it will be hot, but the benefits of having more information before hunting are worth it; you can’t skip this step.
Deer leave clues even in summer. Fresh tracks in soft dirt, trail crossings on overgrown logging roads, and browse lines in soybean or alfalfa fields all show current activity. Don’t ignore rubs from last year; these historical signs can point to core areas that bucks may return to once fall patterns change. Combine all your findings with trail camera data to identify which signs are linked to consistent buck movement, then refine your potential hunting spots.
Find the Beds Before the Pressure
Identifying bedding areas is similar to finding tracks, trails, and other signs when walking and scouting. Summer can be challenging when locating bedding areas, but it can also be a rewarding experience. Bucks often bed in thick cover near food sources, especially on north-facing slopes or areas with consistent shade. Look for subtle depressions, isolated cedar thickets, or pockets of tall grass and saplings. Knowing where deer feel safe now can help you predict their future travel spots when pressure increases in September or October.
Note the Changes Coming
It’s important to remember that summer patterns differ from fall patterns. Beans will turn yellow, acorns will fall, and hunting pressure will rise. Use summer intel to establish a baseline understanding of the local herd, where they feed, bed, and travel when unpressured. Then, plan two steps ahead to anticipate how they will respond if conditions change. Often, summer trail cam bucks will disappear, only to reappear in late October near their summer range.
Summer scouting on public land focuses more on gathering clues, understanding the landscape, and preparing for the inevitable changes in deer behavior than on locking in a single spot. By scouting wisely, keeping pressure low, and documenting deer patterns now, you’ll craft a clearer game plan for hunting in the fall.
