Million dollar question

This is something that I have a hard time deciding every year early season.

When picking a spot I want to hunt, I often can’t decide to hunt food or hunt water. What would you look to? I have spots narrowed down to three for the 15,16,17 all based on scouting and observations. One is a saddle/pinch loaded with acorns, one with a pond down in a valley preferred food is crops on top of the hills, and last is a river bottom.

Since it has been dry as a bone lately i would say WATER WATER and more WATER!!

Just in case no one mentions water, WATER! At least around my place, the only activity is around water and any plant source that has a high water content

I have to go with water too. Acorns is a close second, but right now with it being so hot and dry my trial cams are showing water is winning.

Same here, I am seeing a buck and multiple does headed to the water around day break and again at dusk almost every day. We haven’t seen measurable rain in 35 days and it is nasty looking in the fields. Apples being high in water would be my second choice if you have access to an orchard.

Personally, over the first couple of weeks of the season, I take my scouting and camera info over ‘characteristic locations’ or ‘over arching food sources.’ This meaning that if I know a buck is in a given area every other or couple days in day light, and the wind is right, thats where Id go. For me, this is usually not a source, but usually a field edge or travel path, etc. Here in SC/SW MN early season often correlates with the end of the soybean pattern, start of the acorn feed, corn is not yet getting dried up, and water very close to bedding due to landscape characteristics.

Last year I did not have a solid enough pattern to hunt it. I waited until I did almost two weeks after the season. Buck was 3yds from the base of my tree but I never had a good angle on him as he approached from different (path that my camera was not on ). This year again, I do not have much of a pattern at all, and so I am staying out regardless of how bad I want to be in the stand.

Not the concise answer you were looking for, but a tactic that has work for me here. Id go where you have the most confidence in your scouting given the right wind and access.