Few things are more exciting to hunters than scouting new land they plan to hunt and this is the time of year when many hunters are exploring the land they plan to hunt this fall.  Depending upon the size of the property, this can be a daunting task, I know. I spent many years as a surveyor and remember well doing things ‘old school’ using a metal tape (chain) and transit with a plumb bob! Granted, surveying and scouting hunting land is two different endeavors but with each the goal is the same, to learn the lay of the land, the boundaries and geographical features.

This past week, my good friend Jeff Rice and I got up really early and were at the gate of a new hunting least just after sunrise. The tract was not huge, a bit less than  200 acres but with heavy cover and a deep creek bottom that shows great promise as a hotspot for hunting deer and hogs. I had previously found the tract on Hunt Stand, an app that I’ve found very useful while hunting.

The app overlays Google Earth and also offers a land ownership option which shows not only who owns the land but also marks the perimeter. At home on my PC I had set icons to mark the boundaries and features such as remote ponds, feeders and a couple of old hunting stands.

As Jeff launched the little drone, we watched it gain altitude until it almost disappeared from sight then he used the controls to direct it to one of the very remote little ponds that appeared on the screen. I remember the owner of the place telling me about a little pond he called the “wood duck hole” that was tucked away in some heavy timber. Here he had enjoyed some red-hot duck hunting the past season. 

On Google Earth, it appeared to be the perfect remote roost site for wood ducks. Jeff lowered the drone down to within a few feet of the surface and we got a bird’s eye view of the pond and surrounding timber. Without GPS and the drone, it would have taken a lot of exploring to find this hidden little gem. Several trails led to the little water hole and I envisioned a ladder stand set against a big oak adjacent one of the trails. This spot would be a prime area to target the mossy horned old bucks the area is known for.

Success on harvesting a big buck like this depends largely upon proper scouting of your hunting land; modern technology makes it much easier. Luke and his buddy Jeff Rice put technology to good use this past week on a tract of very remote land. (photo by Luke Clayton)

We located an old foot bridge that had been built across the creek and noted several deep holes where we spooked some good size sunfish and even a bass or two. Here I watched a master drone man at work. As Jeff launched his little ‘bird’ from the bridge, I wondered how he was going to fly it down the streambed without wrecking on the heavy growth of shoreline brush along either side of the creek. Jeff kept the drone in the center of the creek and shot some excellent video that will become part of the finished product he will supply to the owner. The drone was so low that its shadow spooked fish to the surface in some of the deeper holes. The aerial footage was excellent for the overall view of the land but the up close footage achieved by actually flying the drone in tight quarters was stellar.

Before mid morning, it was beginning to get hot and we were making our way back to the truck. I am very anxious to see the finished product that will give not only a good overview of the entire property but potential hunting hot spots as well. From the overhead view, it will be easy to locate what we hunters call ‘pinch points’, or thin strips of cover connecting larger areas of timber. I will no doubt spend a good bit of time studying the video and later marking spots that I wish to scout more thoroughly from the ground. Technology is great but I don’t think anything will ever take the place of boots on the ground. Without the drone and GPS what we accomplished in 3 hours would have taken much longer with just a compass and scouting on foot.

Well before the opener of bow season, I plan to spend a lot more time scouting the areas we identified. I noted a very well used deer trail parallel to the creek and thanks to an abrupt rise in elevation, it will be pretty easy to construct a ground blind that will be above the trail but also within bow range. On the next scouting trip, I will pack my ultralight spinning rig and a few downsided spinnerbaits. Those big sunfish and smallish bass got my attention. A creek side midday impromptu fish fry might just be in order!

COME VISIT ME IN TERRELL, TEXAS SATURDAY AUG 2 at a free Hunting Program beginning at 3:30 at the Terrell Airport at the British Flight Training School Museum 119 Silent Wings Blvd. Terrell, Tx. I’ll be there to talk about the outdoors with everyone and sign books that I co authored with Larry Weishuhn. Jeff Rice, the producer of our TV show, “A Sportsmans Life” will be on hand to discuss filming your hunts and Hunter Barber will be discussing shooting. Steven Travis will discuss hunting hogs at night with thermal scopes. Refreshments will be served as well as door prizes. Hope to see you there!  

Email outdoors writer Luke Clayton through his website www.catfishradio.org. Listen to Luke’s  weekly podcast “Catfish Radio with Luke Clayton and Friends” about everywhere podcasts are hosted.