>>531937Funnels and inside corners are also good spots to check. Inside corners, and outside corners for that matter, will often have a game trail just a few yards into the woods. Deer will travel the edges where they can see into the fields and move to where they can come out into the wind. They'll also often stay close to the woodline so that they can easily slip into the woods if they feel they are in danger.
Funnels are strips of woodland that connect two larger forested areas across a field or something. Again, deer like to move where they are hidden from view, so a funnel is a great way to move from one wooded area to another without exposing themselves like they would just crossing an open field. Even if you have an area that doesn't fully connect, it's worth checking out since it will let them stay under cover for the longest period of time and reduce the open space they have to cross.
I doubt topographic saddles are much of a consideration in Florida... at least they weren't where I grew up, but you may still look at topos of your property to see if there are any.
The bottom line is deer movement between food, water, and bedding is often governed by two things:
1) Moving from point A to point B through areas that afford the best ability to scope out the terrain while not exposing themselves.
2) Moving from point A to point B by the easiest route possible.
The trick is to find the best overlaps of these two conditions and start your scouting there.
Let me put it this way... two seasons ago was my first season. Even though I have not yet received a deer, I have gotten very close many times. My closest times (shot and missed.. bow, by the way, misjudged yardage) were in areas I had never scouted on the ground before. I just used these ideas and studied aerials and topos to pick out likely spots and encountered quite a few deer on foot.
