Buck home...

[Borngeechee]

So found this spot with tracks coming and going as well as droppings.... where would you set up to wait for a shot.

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[Doc]

Weird topography! That almost looks like an island out there.

However the question of stand location cannot be answered with just those two pictures. First of all, are you talking about gun hunting or bow hunting? That will determine proximity.

Which way are the tracks primarily coming from and going to? What kinds of areas does that trail connect. Is this a feeding/bedding trail? In other words, what is the purpose of the trail. That will help establish when the deer use it. No point in watching a trail that is primarily used at night.

And of course there are the prevailing wind considerations. It makes little sense to set up such that your scent is flowing down the trail to incoming deer.

Then there is the consideration of a good stand tree if you are using a treestand. Proper cover against sky-lining. Ground stands/blinds also have characteristic that require specific kinds of background cover.

There are so many aspects to stand set-up that all have to be satisfied.

[Borngeechee]

Weird topography! That almost looks like an island out there.
However the question of stand location cannot be answered with just those two pictures. First of all, are you talking about gun hunting or bow hunting? That will determine proximity.
Which way are the tracks primarily coming from and going to? What kinds of areas does that trail connect. Is this a feeding/bedding trail? In other words, what is the purpose of the trail. That will help establish when the deer use it. No point in watching a trail that is primarily used at night.
And of course there are the prevailing wind considerations. It makes little sense to set up such that your scent is flowing down the trail to incoming deer.
Then there is the consideration of a good stand tree if you are using a treestand. Proper cover against sky-lining. Ground stands/blinds also have characteristic that require specific kinds of background cover.
There are so many aspects to stand set-up that all have to be satisfied.

Whew thats a lot of info... yeah it's a little island and looks like most of the tracks are coming towards the camera. I will be slug gunning. It connects to a heavily wooded are in the rear and coming towards the camera it would be going towards a light trail that crosses into private wooded land. Looks like I need to do a little more work for the rest of the info.

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[growalot]

That island looks like a perfect buck bedding area...just enough elevation to see around while bedded in a swampy area. Gun...it's the wind and when situation ,one you need to know the day of the hunt the other ahead of time . Be careful having a cam that close...checking it could cost you a good area if it's a mature buck not use to people. Back up the trail and set it well off it so your scent is well away,but  so you can. get a good shot. Any way to glass it from a distance? Higher terrain near by,or an open field they may cross? I see deer here bed a while after dark,a bit after day light and then get up between 10-2. During the rut..it's a guessing game,doe and their noses dictate  movements.   Good Luck

 

[GreeneHunter]

Gun or Bow ?  I'm not a Bow hunter by any means but Gun hunting you can set up anywhere with that spot in view !

[JRod 8G8H]

Pretty cool spot i think it would depend on whether or not your getting daytime or nighttime pics.. And by gun season the bucks may or may not be in lockdown so you might have to change strategies on the fly.. Good luck.

[607 HUNTER]

20 yards away from the most used trail going to the water. So you can shoot to the trail and be able to shoot in the clearing.
 

[grampy]

Just outside, and down wind, of the closest thick, nasties that leads to this spot.

[Death From Above]

If you want to hunt the stand more than one or two times, then I would put one other item at the top of your list when considering where to put the stand.  Personally, I choose access to the stand as the #1 priority.  I’d look for a spot that lets you get in and out without alerting too many deer.  If you put a stand in and have to cross a lot of trails to get to it, or walk by areas where you expect deer to be spending daylight hours either in proximity or down wind of the trail in, I think you might be hurting your hunting chances.  While you might sit on stand that first hunt and have a good one, and do not think you were detected by the deer you saw, you will likely have a lot more deer alerted to your presence after the hunt and it has the potential to have quite an effect on your future sits in that location.

As you stated it is a potential gun stand, I’d think about your entry and exit first when considering where to place your set up, then wind direction as the second priority, because you don’t have to be in bow range of the action.  Most of the other things to consider past that have more to do with how the area is used which is hard to tell by the pictures you included.

Good luck!