Scouting Deer More Effectively from Your Truck

Covering a lot of ground with a truck can make for a better season

   08.16.21

Scouting Deer More Effectively from Your Truck

For hardcore deer hunters, the season never really ends. Yes, the time will come when you put away the hunting gear, but that just means you switch to habitat and scouting mode. Everything has the goal of producing a better hunt the following season. Scouting in the later months of summer and early fall is extremely valuable and is something that many hunters look forward to. By then, you can get a good idea of antler development and you’ll start seeing some of the basic deer travel corridors. The importance of mobility when scouting whitetails and other deer cannot be overlooked. Luckily Chevy has a truck tailor made for this – the Silverado Realtree Edition that is perfect when scouting deer more effectively from your truck.

The right time of day

If you have multiple properties you hunt, or if you are a public land hunter, you know that there is that sweet time of day when the deer are very active and more apt to be out in the open. The trouble is, that time of day doesn’t last long. You can beat that by having a mobile scouting platform that you can use to maximize your time.

I have a theory that so far seems to hold up quite well. Deer tend to be less afraid of vehicles than they are by humans. I’ve tested this a few times by walking out into a field with deer out. I couldn’t get very far before the deer spooked and ran. Yet, I can drive a vehicle like an ATV or your truck twice as close to the same deer and even stop without spooking them. I feel that in many areas, deer are so used to vehicles as part of the landscape that they don’t pay as much attention to the truck, but should you walk out, or get out of the truck, that’s another story.

Dash
There isn’t much that beats a nice summer eventing, watching deer doing deer things.

One thing I really like about the Chevy Silverado Realtree truck is that it’s based on the company’s Trail Boss edition. This gives you a boost in ground clearance and a better ride off road thanks to the Rancho suspension system and the 2-inch factory lift. The Goodyear Wrangler Territory mud tires grip well, too. That’s a big deal for me and the fields I hunt near. There is a heavy clay base to the soil, so it holds moisture. It makes for great farmland, but the chances of encountering mud are pretty high. The 355hp 5.3 liter V8 engine has enough grunt to help should you need it. That also helps scoot you to the next scouting location so you can catch more of the magic hour. And I know this doesn’t really help with scouting, but the Realtree Timber camo accents on the truck just flat-out look sweet. There’s just something about a Chevy truck and some Realtree camo that makes me want to go hunting right now. OK, I have that feeling all the time, but the truck helps!

Mobility doesn’t have to be limited to your truck. UTVs, like the Polaris Ranger Northstar Ultimate, make for great hunting machines year round. These are heavy machines to tow around, though, still not a problem for the Silverado’s 11,500-pound towing capacity. And the back-up camera is ideal for hooking up a trailer.

Realtree silverado
The towing capabilities mixed with the ease of hooking up the trailer with the camera system, makes the Realtree truck easy for hauling the Ranger.

 

1. Vortex Diamondback HD Binoculars - Editor's Pick

SALE
Vortex Diamondback HD Binoculars - Editor's Pick

A good pair of binoculars are essential to scouting

For starters, a good pair of “truck binoculars” are essential equipment. A truck bino is one that has great magnification and clear vision, but doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. There is simply no better binocular for this than the Vortex Diamondback HD in 10×42. You can grab a pair for well under $250, yet they will have the clarity of binoculars that cost way more. They are tough, which is good because a truck bino is going to get bumped and slid around a bunch. And at the price, should someone steal them, you’ll be mad, but you won’t be crying for days like you would with a $1,500 pair. They are water, shock and fog proof and are fully multi-coated for light gathering and clarity. 10x42s are perfect for most scouting applications. You can also get a 12x or even a 15x pair, should you hunt more wide-open territory and need a little extra magnification.

Pros/Great value for the money, clear and durable
Cons/None, really
Bottom Line/If you want binoculars with great quality and clarity for a price that isn't hard to swallow, this is the one

3. Garmin Tread GPS

SALE
Garmin Tread GPS

GPS is another handy tool to have, and the standard Realtree Ed. Chevy Silverado doesn’t come standard with navigation. That’s fine, however, as you can’t take your truck’s navigation with you when you leave. If you want to add navigation into your hunting truck, I’d suggest the Garmin Tread system. Not necessarily designed as a truck and hunting GPS, the Tread does some things that are extremely helpful when scouting and hunting. It has full topographic mapping and imaging, so you can use satellite photos to see where you are and where you have been. It has built-in plat information, so you know who your neighbors are and you can be sure to be on the right property at all times. The Tread also perfectly maps your routes so you can easily navigate your way back to your stand. The system also has a built-in radio communication system with a handset. This is very cool if you’re hunting with buddies and they have the same setup. “You seeing anything?” “Nope, nothing here at all,” as you’re looking at a massive 10-pointer sparing with a nice 8.

Pros/Plat info, off-road navigation
Cons/Not very portable away from the truck
Bottom Line/Advanced GPS to get you right back to where you want to be

4. WeatherTech Floormats

SALE
WeatherTech Floormats

Heavy duty floor mats are a must for any hunting truck. You’re going to track all kinds of nastiness in with you when you’re hunting or scouting. Remember those fields I was talking about. The Realtree Silverado comes standard with all-weather floor mats all around. That’s awesome, especially when the dog gets in with muddy paws. If your truck or SUV doesn’t have good liners, get a set from WeatherTech. These are crazy-good floor mats. So good that they can increase the value of your truck. WeatherTech uses laser measurement tools to completely map out the floor space for every model they sell for, ensuring that you get the best fit and the most coverage. The mats are made from super high-density materials and last pretty-much as long as your truck will.

Pros/Precise fit and extremely durable
Cons/Make sure you get the right model as they aren't universal
Bottom Line/Save your floors and sanity with the best protection going

5. Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT

SALE
Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT

One of the things that is a hard balancing act when picking tires, at least for most of us, is finding the right mix of aggressive traction for off-road use and good manners and reduced noise on pavement. Goodyear came up with a tire that does a good job at this. The Territory MT (Maximum Traction) tire is a little confusing. When I see an MT designation on a tire, I think of “mud terrain.”These are not mud tires by any means, but for an all-terrain, they hold their own. They also have a lot of siping, so traction on icy roads should be pretty good, although it’s summer, so I didn’t get to try it out.

Pros/Good, all-terrain performance
Cons/A little noisier than expected, but still good
Bottom Line/If you're looking for a solid replacement tire, these are worth a look

Other scouting tips

Have you ever found a spot and you just know immediately that you need to have a stand there? It doesn’t always happen, but every now and then I come across a location that screams “deer.” If I see deer there, always a plus, it’s a safe bet I need to be there at some point. I’ve gotten into the habit of carrying either a treestand or a ground blind in the truck with me when I’m out scouting at times other than the magic hour. When I saw the Multi-Flex Tailgate on the Realtree Silverado for the first time, I didn’t think it’d be a big deal, but it sure is. It makes climbing up into the bed to get my stands out much easier. It’s also great for hanging out and sitting around with buddies.

Realtree Silverado
The Flexgate is a cool feature that once you try, you’ll want it on every truck you’ve ever had.

I also appreciated the multiple tie-down points throughout the bed. I often haul an ATV with me, and the points are great for securing one, or anything else I haul. The bed is fully coated for protection and grip, too. Nice stuff. When you’re out checking as much land as possible, not having to worry about small things makes it more enjoyable.

The process of scouting locations is more fun when you have people to share it with and the extra sets of eyes doesn’t hurt either.. I’m lucky that I have two teenage sons who love to hunt, so they often go on scouting missions with me. Since both of them are burly football players, we dig the amount of room in the backseat of the crew cab. It helps make them comfortable, and it helps me to have a couple sets of young eyes to help look for deer. Another plus? I can make them do all the heavy lifting when it comes to placing stands.

Physical presence

It’s one thing to scout from a distance, but eventually you’re going to have to get closer. I’ll sit in the truck for as long as I can, but eventually, you just have to get out into the woods and see what’s going on. There are guys that say they leave zero trace of human activity when they enter the woods. Honestly, that’s impossible. Anywhere you go, you leave some trace that you were there. Let’s shoot for minimal trace. That we can achieve.

I use a scent-killer spray like Dead Down Wind when I go into the woods. I spray my rubber boots with it and try to not touch much. If I put up a trail camera, I will spray the strap down, and I do the same with stands and blinds. I also spray down the seats in the truck. I don’t know if it helps, but when you swing through a drive-thru and get a couple beef and bean burritos for lunch, well, that winds up creating a scent you need to eliminate, both for hunting and for general principle.

Again, here comes another theory based on my time in the field, and FYI – I studied wildlife biology and management in college, so I’m not too far off here. I think it is a good thing to leave a little scent trace behind from being in the woods. If you do things right, you’ve got some time before you’ll be hunting there, and I don’t care what you say, you cannot eliminate all human scent. I’m not saying you shouldn’t do as much as possible. I really like the ozone generator technology that is currently the hot topic. Eliminate as much as you can, but know that there is still going to be some scent of you in the air. If you leave a minute trace in an area when you scout, I firmly believe it helps hunting. Deer will come through and get used to there being some human scent, so when you come back later, it isn’t alarming.

Scouting Silverado
This truck checks a lot of the boxes for the list of things you need in a hunting truck.

If the stars align for you, and you’ve put in the work, your chances of getting to bloody up the bed of your  truck this season will be much higher. The Realtree Silverado not only is a platform that helps you get the needed jobs done to properly scout and prepare for the season, but also shows everyone else on the road that you’re an outdoor enthusiast and a hunter. It checks the boxes off the list of requirements for a solid hunting truck and the seemingly endless list of options you can add to your truck can make it perfect for you.

Head over to https://www.chevrolet.com/trucks/silverado/1500 to see for yourself.

What do I look for when scouting?

I look for food sources first, especially food sources that will hold into the season. If there is no good source, then it’s time for a food plot.

Next I look for bedding areas. From the truck, I look for terrain that has potential for bedding areas, like hills and ridges, and then look closer with a spotting scope or on foot.

I also look for water sources, as these are just as important. Keep in mind that while it’s fun and exciting to see bucks in velvet, you really need to look for does. The bucks will move around, but the does will pretty much stick to a home area.

How do I scout for bucks?

If you’ve got bucks showing up on trail cameras, or you see them while scouting, you need to look for their travel corridors. Bucks get all goofy during the rut, but they tend to stick to their regular, seasonal travel routes. Locate these as a start, but looking for rubs and scrapes and trail camera images.

When is the best time of year to scout for deer?

There’s never a bad time, and in fact, you should be doing it year round to get a better idea on deer behavior and activity. As the rut closes in, scouting is important for seeing interactions. I always switch a few cameras to video mode once the season kicks in just to see what is going on. It’s also handy to make a weather log, so you can see how the different weather patterns affects the deer in the images and video you see.

Avatar Author ID 667 - 1688944551

Derrek Sigler has been a professional outdoor writer for more than two decades since earning his Master’s Degree in creative writing with a thesis about fishing humor. But if you ask anyone that knows him, he’s been telling fishin’ stories since he was old enough to hold a pole. He has written for Cabela’s and served as editorial director for Gun Digest books. Over the years, he has also written for Petersen’s Hunting, North American Whitetail Magazine, Wildfowl, Grand View Media, and has worked with Bass Pro Shops, Hard Core Brands and Bone Collector. Successful Farming had him write for their magazine and he has appeared on their TV show to discuss hunting and ATVs on multiple occasions. He writes about the things he loves - hunting, fishing, camping, trucks, ATVs, boating, snowmobiles and the outdoor lifestyle he enjoys with his family in their home state of Michigan and more as they adventure around North America.

We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works.