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Spring scout for whitetails and reap the benefits in the fall

The author, Eric Morken, shot this buck on the opening weekend of the 2020 Minnesota archery season. It came during his first sit over a creek bottom in a setup that was found and prepared during a day of scouting the prior spring. (Photo courtesy of Eric Morken)

It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about does or bucks, the majority of the deer I put a bow tag on stem in some way from scouting. Ahead of spring green-up, the forest floor is an open book giving away a whitetail’s secrets. Trails and rut sign from the prior fall jump off the page. Here are a few of the things I focus on when in the woods this time of year.

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