How Do You E-Scout for Whitetail Deer?

Scouting for whitetail deer can be daunting, especially when time is a luxury. Whether you're balancing a 9-5 job or tackling long hours in a blue-collar profession, finding the right time to hit the field can be a challenge. That's where E-Scouting comes in—a game-changer for hunters looking to maximize their efforts efficiently.

Getting Started with E-Scouting

E-Scouting leverages online land maps like OnX or HuntStand to help you pinpoint prime hunting spots from the comfort of your home. It's all about using technology to scout smarter, not harder.

Key Elements to Focus On

Terrain: Start by identifying terrain that suits whitetail deer habitats. Look for rugged landscapes, creek bottoms, or gentle slopes—areas where deer feel safe and find shelter. Notice below all the different draws and fingers leading to water. Deer will use these to travel to and from their water source, food source, or bedding area. Identifying terrain features for where you are hunting is key to success. 

Food Sources: Locate potential food sources such as open fields or agricultural areas where deer graze. These spots are crucial for planning your hunting strategy. For this particular area, you would want to look in the creek bottoms, banks, and areas in the draws. Most likely deer will graze through as they travel. 

Water: Deer need access to water. Identify streams, ponds, or watering holes near food sources—they often form natural funnels or pinch points where deer congregate. Notice in the picture below how the terrain features we identified above such as the draws and fingers lead straight to the water. 

Pinch Points and Funnels: Once you've mapped out terrain, food, and water sources, focus on pinch points or funnels—narrow passages where deer naturally pass through. These spots are ideal for setting up stands or blinds.

Bedding Areas: Search for thick cover or low-lying areas nearby where deer might bed down during the day. These areas provide security and safety for the deer, making them critical to your scouting efforts. Most of the deer we glass during mid-day are in trees like the ones circled below. 

The Benefits of E-Scouting

One of the biggest advantages of E-Scouting is its versatility. You can scout potential hunting grounds outside your immediate area, giving you a broader range of options and increasing your chances of success. At The Outdoorsman's Oath, we swear by E-Scouting as a prelude to on-ground scouting. By identifying promising locations online, we streamline our physical scouting trips, focusing on key areas where we've already identified potential deer signs like scrapes and game trails.

To get a hands-on look at how this process works, check out our solo scouting trip video, where Tyler showcases first-hand field scouting techniques. In the video, he walks through the exact things he looks for while scouting, demonstrates the trail cameras he sets up and runs, and ends with a detailed tutorial on E-Scouting using OnX. This video is a must-watch for anyone wanting to see E-Scouting in action before heading into the field.

Conclusion