Stand Location - Opinions Appreciated

[moog5050]

After walking the 45 acres I was given permission to hunt this year, I finally decided on a stand location and set it up yesterday. That said, I would appreciate your comments as this is my first year hunting. I plan to try both bow and shotgun. The following is a description of where I placed the stand. Feel free to let me know if you think I made a mistake. My decision was based on lots of reading, but no real world experience in hunting in upstate NY.

Wind is predominantly from the West, so I set up on the East side of the property. Stand is in a huge Oak next to a dry river bed with a large deer run right under the tree going west/east. It also intersects with two more deer runs within 30 yards or so, running diagonally north/south to my east. There is a small food plot on the property to my West in a clearing out of the woods maybe 50 yards and then others to the east of me on property that I do not have permission to hunt (150 yards or so - that may be the reaons for the large deer run running west/east). Without having much experience, I think it’s a pretty good spot and open enough to bow hunt it, although I do plan to return Friday to clear a few branches that open up the intersection of the runs a bit. I am hesitant to clear too much, but dropping a few small branches would give me a clearer shot to that area. Without being able to see the land, any big errors in choosing the area I described to you?

There are quite a few deer tracks on the property in general and some recent droppings. The creek bed had some tracks, but they appeared to be older tracks, but the run under the stand is pretty large. To top it off, there was a peregrine falcon in the trees above the stand area, just hanging out the entire time we set up. I suspect he has a nest nearby. Not sure if that means anything other than he likely hunts that area himself.

[growalot]

What is your approach....what side of tree is stand set..ie..will you risk the sun being directly in your eyes during key shooting hours and high lighting your movements?....besides being in uncomfortable winds and which direction will you be shooting..say in a sitting position?...is this flatter or hill country...winds play different...thermals...will you have to cross those deer trails to get to the stand?...Just things to consider....

[Doc]

Sounds pretty good. 150 yards from another property may be a bit close for bow season. You might want to contact that landowner and try to get recovery permission and ground-rules ahead of time, just in case you get one of those tough old deer that has the endurance to cover that ground and get onto the other property. I've had some hard-hit deer make it well past 150 yards before going down.

I don't like the major trail being right under the tree. That never does give you a broadside shot. But then if that oak is the only suitable one in that area, you can't very well move the tree.....lol.

[moog5050]

The stand is set almost parallel to the large east/west deer run, facing north. Its a two man stand, so I have room to sit or stand, but standing would be my first option, as it would allow me a bit greater area to take comfortable shots going right (where the trails intersect). Its a heavily wooded area, but reasonably flat. I will come in from the east, so I should not have to cross the trails much, if at all and would be entering downwind from the predominant winds. All good points and thanks for raising them. I really didn't think about entry, but I guess it worked out well nonetheless. I will be careful not to walk the trails as I enter.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I like setting up off tot e side of a trail if I expect them to travel it. Try to avoid an approach that is head on or head away. if they do not turn they can walk right under you and neer present a good shot. That said, I can assure you one thing. no matter how much you prepare, scout and thnk you have it all figured out, they will walk in from where you least expect them...lol. Good luck.

[tughillhunter]

did you hang a cam to see what you have for action? they will help in determining travel direction and times.

Edited September 11, 2012 by tughillhunter

[G-Man]

For myself it sounds to open, i like tight thick and maybe only 1 or two shooting lanes 2 ft wide maybe 20 yrds long. You can watch deer all day in the open ...getting them close enough is another problem. When in thick stuff you might not see a lot of deer but the ones you see are in range and then its just your decision to shoot or not. Its a new property to you so it may be a great observation stand. if you see them entering a field or trail more than 1x on a few days don't wait move the stand to that area. I have a friend who loves to hunt open hard woods ...sees a lot of deer but 99.9 % are out of range.

Edited September 11, 2012 by G-Man

[wooly]

if you see them entering a field or trail more than 1x on a few days don't wait move the stand to that area. I have a friend who loves to hunt open hard woods ...sees a lot of deer but 99.9 % are out of range.

That's a really good tip right there. Sometimes we put too much faith in our initially well thought out set-ups and are reluctant to accept the inevitable that's unfolding right before our own eyes.

Although patience is a valuable attribute most times in a hunting situation...sometimes you just need to get off your stump and make something happen.

This is especially true durring peak rut as soon as you see some HARD chasing going on. Don't waste any time abandoning your stand setting up directly on the HOTTEST trail through the timber!

[moog5050]

Thanks for the thoughts guys. I also purchased a climber. I figure if I need to move after some days in the ladder stand, the climber will allow me to do so. I also need to get a camera out there asap. Thanks again.

[BillJohnson]

put 20 hunters in a room and you will likely get 20 different opinions on where how and when and with what, one thing that never changes is real world experience and nothing beats experience gained by boots on the ground.

squirrel season is on and that is a perfect excuse to grab your bow with small game heads and sit your stand, see what comes by and when, from where and would you have gotten a shot?

one of my friends is a legendary guide from a legendary family of guides, each member of the family hunts in a different manner and with different weapons but they all have one thing in common; they spend an extreme amount of time in the woods and on the waters.

it is common dialogue for a sports instructions to be " follow the markers until you reach the tree with three tacks in it, then sit down facing such and such and between 6:10 and 6:30 a 6 point buck will come from teh cedars on your right and pass right to left in front of you and cross the creek at such and such location"...many sports are dumbstruck when everything happens exactly as told, but having sat in that spot and watched the buck do that very thing at those very times many mornings it is as challenging for the guides to forecast his movements as it is for a metro commuter to figure out when and where to catch his daily bus from A to B.

go sit the stand and also move about and still hunt the property, spend a great deal of time sitting quietly and letting squirrels approach you, soon you will find deer and other big game doing the same, then its simply a matter of open season allowing you to take deer in addition to small game etc.

[moog5050]

Good advice Bill

[phade]

One of the better things for dialouge here so you can learn from this discussion, is to post a quality aerial of the ground with the roads and location indentifiers blacked out.

For bow, you really want to be slightly off the trail where you expect to shoot. Being right over them, imo, is more difficult of a shot than a long-range shot.

[moog5050]

Thanks Phade. Being over the trail mostly might have been a mistake, but I took advice form cousin who gun hunts. So be it. Not many other options for large trees so I will give it a try this year and see how it goes. Too late to move it now. I also have a climber that I may use if things are too slow in that area. Good idea on posting arial next time.