If you're a bow hunter, you probably agree with the title of the story. Scouting is the best part of hunting. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to do just that.

I love mapping a strategy. You know, where you look over a potential hunting area and make quick observations and guesses before you even set off. I also like how the mystery unfolds as you set off.

I like to start with a quick walk of the perimeter of a potential hunting area. I like to establish where deer coming in and out, where they are bedding and where are they going to water, what they're eating now and what they'll be eating in a month or so. After a quick walk of the perimeter, I like to follow a couple of the IN TRAILS to figure out the rest of the puzzle.

This past weekend, I noticed rub lines already plainly developed. Some scrapes had already begun to form too. All signals point to a fun hunt this fall!

Of course, all the scouting in the world doesn't mean you're going to put a buck in the back of a pickup. But it is a start. And one of the real fun parts of hunting in South Dakota.

Did you get a deer opening weekend? If you did, we would love to hear from you! Send a pic too and we'll share it with our readers.

So, line up your potential hunting areas, get your permissions and get after it!

By the way, here's a shed left by a fella I wouldn't mind getting a closer look at later this fall.

JD Collins/KIKN via Sprint Sioux Falls
JD Collins/KIKN via Sprint Sioux Falls
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