Do you have any stands that are close to each other?

[regulat0r]

Do you guys ever set stands somewhat close to another one? I hunt in Orange county and unlike some of you guys to the north and west, most of my patches are behind someone's house and not hundreds of acres of farmland. I currently have a ladder stand set up in a good location but for the past few years, i have noticed that if the deer do not travel my way, they make their way to a creek which is about 100 yards from me. would it be counterproductive to set a stand near that creek with my other ladder being so close? Should i act on my observations and set an additional hang on stand where i frequently see deer? Keep in mind my original stand is a great spot where i have taken 2 deer in the past few years. Any opinions? Thanks!

[Doc]

I very often purposely put stands in pairs. My reason for that is to be able to handle different wind directions. But my reasons aside, I have never found any problem with having the extra stand. And to emphasize that point I will say that I only construct ground blinds anymore so my stands are definitely more obtrusive than treestands. However, I will also point out that my stands are usually there season after season and have actually become an accepted part of the landscape.

In your case you are looking for options. Nothing wrong with that, but I will caution that you might find yourself changing stands and then looking back over to your original and watching all the deer over there .... lol. It can become a "grass is greener on the other side" sydrome.

[growalot]

I routinely set my stands close...I'm talking 1-2 hundred ft...I set them in groups to help with wind direction...also it keeps them from nailing you...IE...I had a hang on that I'd set for a few years...never was I able to draw on a deer that I wasn't caught...then they started moving farther away...well I built a raised blind...the condo just 100 or so ft away ...I sat in the blind off season and noticed the deer would file right past the hang on and stop to watch the blind...so instead of hunting the blind...I set uo in the tree...took a nice doe

Left early in the morning to hunt a gully...half way there I noticed a wind change in the area...decided to hunt the south side of the gully instead of the north....my 8 pt was bedded in front of the north stand and when he got up walked straight to the south stand I was in I arrowed him at 10 yrds

So my experience...set the stands to match different wind directions

[dave6x6]

That second stand is not gonna be doing you any good in the garage. I'd hang it and see how things play out. I also would do a hang on if you have the option. Maybe i'm being paranoid but I've been starting to feel like the deer around me get educated pretty quick to these ladder stands. Seems like everyone is using them and after a couple weeks into the season, I feel like they know what that strange shaped tree means and start keeping their distance. No real proof but i guess i feel better blaming my hunting failures on something. lol .

[virgil]

have you considered a climber?

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I have stands that I can actually see from other stands for all the points mentioned already. I will make one observation though......I GUARANTEE you when you are in one of them you will be watching them walk UNDER the other. Just seems to happen...lol

Edited June 27, 2012 by Culvercreek hunt club

[phade]

I'd have already hung that stand after I seen them head that way twice. I have a 10 acre woodlot I hunt...and I have 7 stands in it....7! I always have a stand ready to go during the season if I need to move....either a dedicated stand or my LW setups.

The real issue with this practice is overhunting a parcel...just because you have stands, doesn't mean that it's OK to overhunt it.

I sincerely doubt deer know anything about ladderstands unless the humans cause them to, and by that I mean, ladderstands are easy to access and climb and are often overhunted because of convenience. More hunting = equal more scent left behind = more likely the deer will be alerted to your presence while there and after you are gone. As long as a laddderstand has adequate cover, then the stand itself has no bearing on the deer...it's the methods and humans behind that stand that cause it.

90% of "regular joe" hunters who have the option between a ladder and a hang-on will choose the ladder for convenience. I've even seen people who know better do this - people who practice scent control, wind direction, etc. The convenience factor can be damaging.

[Uncle Nicky]

Nothing wrong with having stands close to each other, especially for bow hunting or to deal with wind direction. I guess it comes down to how much money you have to buy stands or how much time you have to build home-made stands.

[fasteddie]

I hunted a stand in Groveland one morning . Had a BB go by and a 7 point busted me as I wasn't expecting a deer coming from his direction . I had lunch at my mother's and then went out and set up a ladder stand 80 yards East of the one that I had used in the am . Shot a deer at 18 yards late in the afternoon .

[NYbuck50]

I'll sometimes clear 2 or 3 trees in the same spot, to allow for different ways to sit based on wind direction

[dave6x6]

Phade, your point on ladders is pretty much what i was getting at. It's not the ladder but sometimes the way they are hunted. They are usually bigger platforms and i find myself fidgeting quite a bit more when i'm in them(especially a double). This with their generally lower hieght and distictive shape MAY educate deer a bit by your nieghbor, that who knows what the heck he's doing in his ladder. Hang ons allow me to have more of a unique presentation that deer haven't seen or recognize as easily. Just a theory totally based on paranoia, but it's hard to argue that mature deer recognize past dangerous experiences and will avoid questionable situations and back out. Not saying i don't ever use them, i currently have 9 of them up, but there located mostly gun areas and my best bow sites are all hang-ons.

[growalot]

Beside my regular ladder stands....these are a few of the "hang on" I've built and ladders to go with them...many mature buck and doe have been taken ...plus a ladder stand I built....I have taken most of my 8pts from these during bow season...the ladder stand...is where I had 43 deer walk by me last year between 6-11 am...a few between the tree and ladder...5 and 6points...fawn bedded there

My biggest problem is they tend to bed right under them.....

[Fantail]

Most of my stands are about 100 yards apart, but I'll hit a few close by spots with the climber.

Edited July 7, 2012 by Fantail

[burmjohn]

We have a few at about 250 yards or so, and I can see the other stand. Actually I have one bow stand that is about 100 yards from another stand which is rifle only.

[TreeGuy]

Having options is NEVER A BAD THING ! I have 2 perms and 2 ladder stands on my 100 acres. I can't remember a year I didn't move a ladder stand during season ! I say put 2 more up ! Just keep in mind wind options compared to runs.... and get a cam out there, trust me, a couple pics of a BB and you will know where to hang a stand !

[ants]

You can never have too many options. I like climbers cuz you can move them, fast and easy.

The first year I used a climber I arrowed a big 8 by moving the stand about 25 yards, after watching deer ( the day before) walk just out of bow range. I've done the same thing a few times since. Put em up!

[landtracdeerhunter]

Grow, do u have studded boots to get in those stands? lol.

[G-Man]

I have 2 stands that are only 60 or so yards apart, but it is in a thick area your max range is 20 yards, 2 guys hunt there , they have both taken deer at the same time that the other hasn't seen as they came in from different direction, as well as one seeeng and getting a deer with the other one seeing nothing. entry and exits and not over hunting an area is a bigger concern than how close stands are....

[growalot]

actually some years those pull on cleats...lol...now you see the reason for my slow switch to box blinds....many a year I looked like a frozen snow man in these stands...lol