Tough stand sets...

[growalot]

I know it's drummed into us cover ,cover cover and to some degree I do agree. Though having several sections of very mature and pretty barren woods in perfect areas cover just isn't an option. So your eyes have to do the work...I routinely set up on the edge of plots or against trees in leafless areas and tag deer because I get down to their level and look the way they do. I take advantage of multiple trunks when ever possible. This new stand gave me several issues...for one where? It's a bow stand in hill country and on my mind is the run...I do not care how dead a deer is on it's feet, no lungs heart split in two...give it a hill and there is a reason for the term DEAD RUN...I've seen deer on a hill run a 1/4 mile and more shot as describe above. So that 1/4 is firmly in my mind when I want to set a stand in known buck travel areas. This stand is in such an area. We live on a hill side a steep one with saddle and ridges, at least that's what I call them. The hill rises above us and then on our top side flattens in an area that runs to the beginning of a long winding gully. This goes up to a ridge and then drops down to another narrow flat area and drops hard to a larger flat area before dropping down into the neighbors swamp which in turn drops farther down the hill. I put the new stand on the narrow "ledge" in a large split maple. The only cover anywhere and just above several mature oak. I can see the "saddle" above me and just see where the oak flats start below me... The deer run this ridge on and off all day but it is their travel route up and down our section of the hill. So I took some pics When the deer leave the plot above me they walk up and incline and are nearly eye level with me This is fine because what they do is hit that point and look down to scan the woods and flat area, once they start down that incline I'm out of view. they pass me and hit another "ridge" and  they are looking down a fairly steep incline.  Coming up the hill they are usually coming at an angle and the trunks help to cover me. I am facing North East The suns in their eyes coming up in the morning and the trunks cover me as it moves along to the west and is never in my face the winds come in from the west and north west.. but tend to lift at this point and drop hard up on the neighbors...I believe the trees have a lot to do with that... Anyways what are your tough sets and why?

Edited September 20, 2017 by growalot

[turkeyfeathers]

I have my one and only stand in a very similar set up. Open woods, no cover. Gives me a large field of view though. Never got busted by being seen yet. Deer walk directly under me. It seemed like the best location to hunt from so I gave it a whirl. It paid off and haven't even considered changing it to anywhere else.

[growalot]

TF ,

I have a stand right on the edge of my bigger food plot...I had the tree I planned to put it up against die and this was the only other one big enough.  I had a blast getting out of that stand when I had deer 40 yards away....and not spooking them when it was still light out...though not legal...I could get down and back away and once walk in the open across the field to the pines without spooking them..I took a while for they would occasionally look my way

[gjs4]

And this is what pressure looks like


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[turkeyfeathers]

7 minutes ago, gjs4 said:

And this is what pressure looks like


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Huh again ?

[growalot]

What pressure...They never left the field and continued eating...I also have nearly forty stand sets and 14 ground blinds on a property with 3 distinct zones. How often do you use your stands in a season?  I can't get to use all my sets

Edited September 20, 2017 by growalot

[gjs4]

Got me and the deer fooled.

What was the name of your tv show again?


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[Buckmaster7600]

Looks good Grow, I would call the tree growing beside the stand cover. I still say you want to have cover and with this set you have plenty


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[growalot]

gjs4...after your First negative comment, I looked up your posts. 4 out of 4 at that time were all negative or nasty to other people's threads. I'm sure you've upped that number significantly seeing this last one.

I'll just rack this up to your character flaw.

[CanastotaCamo]

What pressure...They never left the field and continued eating...I also have nearly forty stand sets and 14 ground blinds on a property with 3 distinct zones. How often do you use your stands in a season?  I can't get to use all my sets

Grow,

By no means am I trying to suggest options to you, because I've learned as much from you as anybody since I joined this site last year. So let me phrase this as a question instead of a suggestion. What are your thoughts on building cover for your stand with netting? Last year I over trimmed an area for a stand. It stuck out like a sore thumb. So I used some netting similar to the link below. And along with some dead trees etc... I used the netting and trees to cover my standing profile and the stand. I ended up killing a buck and a Doe from that stand. It fit the environment I was in. Is there reasons I wouldn't work for you? I looked at it as building a ghillie suit for my stand and did my best to blend my surroundings. Your area is more sparse than mine though. Just curious on your thoughts.

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/guide-gear-camo-blind-netting-4x10?a=1953699


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[growalot]

I actually have big stands due to being built between trees I have used camo tarp and fleece to cover it works well. But in honesty have only one stand that all animals look up at..it's crazy really because it is set in a triple trunked tree with  a large pine behind it. Cams show doe, Turkey, and Fox all looking up at it. All year long. It is completely silent with low brush all around the bottom hiding the ladder. I don't think I use it 2x' s a year. Then I have a few huge wooden hang ons that stick out big time and at the bottom of a hill facing the hill and have NEVER been picked off  even when half way upthe ladder and a buck walks under me. They are eye level when coming some the hill. My best big deer stands. One I have shot 8 buck and 4 doe out of..you can't miss the thing nor the huge ladder we built for it

I believe some of our best cover is trunk width and position,thus multiple when possible but wide ones, we as hunters need to learn more about how deer see things my best stands face hills that  are higher than the stand..deer scan the woods floor as the crest them,so eye level for me means they are looking down. Our movements  we have to learn when it's Ok to move and when it's not.  I spent years practicing this. Standing and sitting drawing when non target deer are near( yougins ). 

I have been able to walk in a bright orange suit down our open lane ways with deer feeding and glancing at me to with in 10 yards to purposely spook them so they'd run up on to us and not down to the neighbors..I kept my arms close to my body and would wave my hand back and forth behind my thigh and I kept my head down so my eyes weren't visible. The hand looked like a tail flick to them. I kept my legs together and took slow steps..never moving when they were looking. Let me tell you it royally ticked the neighbor sitting on our line getting ready to shoot them in our lane way. Thats actually how I learned to do that. I'd literally walk past him..Lol. I've climbed and gotten down many many times with deer with in yards of me during light and dark hours...it's movement ,how and when that will spook a deer every time,cover helps with that,knowledge helps more.

Edited September 21, 2017 by growalot

[CanastotaCamo]

I actually have big stands due to being built between trees I have used camo tarp and fleece to cover it works well. But in honesty have only one stand that all animals look up at..it's crazy really because it is set in a triple trunked tree with  a large pine behind it. Cams show doe, Turkey, and Fox all looking up at it. All year long. It is completely silent with low brush all around the bottom hiding the ladder. I don't think I use it 2x' s a year. Then I have a few huge wooden hang ons that stick out big time and at the bottom of a hill facing the hill and have NEVER been picked off  even when half way upthe ladder and a buck walks under me. They are eye level when coming some the hill. My best big deer stands. One I have shot 8 buck and 4 doe out of..you can't miss the thing nor the huge ladder we built for it
I believe some of our best cover is trunk width and position,thus multiple when possible but wide ones, we as hunters need to learn more about how deer see things my best stands face hills that  are higher than the stand..deer scan the woods floor as the crest them,so eye level for me means they are looking down. Our movements  we have to learn when it's Ok to move and when it's not.  I spent years practicing this. Standing and sitting drawing when non target deer are near( yougins ). 
I have been able to walk in a bright orange suit down our open lane ways with deer feeding and glancing at me to with in 10 yards to purposely spook them so they'd run up on to us and not down to the neighbors..I kept my arms close to my body and would wave my hand back and forth behind my thigh and I kept my head down so my eyes weren't visible. The hand looked like a tail flick to them. I kept my legs together and took slow steps..never moving when they were looking. Let me tell you it royally ticked the neighbor sitting on our line getting ready to shoot them in our lane way. Thats actually how I learned to do that. I'd literally walk past him..Lol. I've climbed and gotten down many many times with deer with in yards of me during light and dark hours...it's movement ,how and when that will spook a deer every time,cover helps with that,knowledge helps more.

Thank you. And that's the education I was hoping for. This year my focus is exactly what you explained. I have a 21 foot ladder stand that doesn't have cover around it. But there is cover at about 12.5 yards, the half way point where the 25 yard shot should take place. I really want to take note of the deer perception (like you said about when they crest a hill) when I am In a good naturally camouflaged stand, a stand I fake camo'd, and the naked stand. I don't have the "time in stand" to get on the ground and start messing with them and mimicking their movements. Baby steps. Should be a fun year!


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[gjs4]

gjs4...after your First negative comment, I looked up your posts. 4 out of 4 at that time were all negative or nasty to other people's threads. I'm sure you've upped that number significantly seeing this last one.
I'll just rack this up to your character flaw.

How many of the four weren't true? Most don't like to change, or thing or be called out on this good ok boys club forum. There is zero prerogative to be rude or insulting in anything I post.

Stands on food plots, talk of deer not knowing better or sneaking by them... I'll embrace MY character flaw over a lack of learning or intelligence anyday.


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[wolc123]

22 minutes ago, gjs4 said:

 

How many of the four weren't true? Most don't like to change, or thing or be called out on this good ok boys club forum. There is zero prerogative to be rude or insulting in anything I post.

Stands on food plots, talk of deer not knowing better or sneaking by them... I'll embrace MY character flaw over a lack of learning or intelligence anyday.


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Is English your native tongue ?

[turkeyfeathers]

13 minutes ago, wolc123 said:

Is English your native tongue ?

Best off not even feeding the troll. He's an apparent DB.  

[Buckmaster7600]

How many of the four weren't true? Most don't like to change, or thing or be called out on this good ok boys club forum. There is zero prerogative to be rude or insulting in anything I post.

Stands on food plots, talk of deer not knowing better or sneaking by them... I'll embrace MY character flaw over a lack of learning or intelligence anyday.


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[gjs4]

That meme proved your points....oh wait you didn’t have any; just that really funny picture.  

Looking forward to your “ Where did the deer go” threads...

[Doc]

To me, I have three scenarios that fall into the category of "Tough Stand Sets".

The first one is those areas where thermals and "wind funnels" tend to mess up everything when a deer comes by. I have this one area where there is a very deep gorge (about 200' with vertical slate walls) that randomly pushes air up and out and can defeat any prevailing wind, or move against the thermals creating a swirling wind throughout the area. And guess what..... The deer love that area, and I believe it is because they get scent warnings that a hunter is in the area from just about all directions. It cannot be beat!

There is no place at all where the wind direction will remain consistent for more than 5 minutes at a time. Wind will come out of the ravine behind in spurts and confound any prevailing wind or thermal set-ups causing circling and shifting back and forth wind directions. Very frustrating!

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Another "tough stand set" are the pole woods set-ups. we have a lot of old fields on top of the hill that have gone into initial transition of maple thickets with all 6" (approx.) diameter trees and nothing else. Any structure that you put out there looks out of place and will always draw a deer's attention even if it has been there for decades. The trees are too small for tree-stands (even if I actually used treestands anymore). And yet the deer have some nice trails through there. It is funny how the trails bust up and scatter as you get close to the edge of this area where you could actually arrange something acceptable.

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I have other areas that each have their own challenges. Down in the valley bottom, the brush is so thick that in order to get any shots at all, you have to bushwhack shooting lanes and access trails that any self-respecting deer would have to recognize as sign that a human is setting up on them with some evil intentions. However, I have been persistent in those places and hacked some openings and shooting lanes and such that after enough years, they have begun to naturally stay open with minimal annual trimming. So these areas are tough to establish, but can be overcome with time.

No you can't even see the stand in this picture and that is the good news about these kinds of areas. But look at the abnormal look of the place after I got done clearing it all out to even be able to get a shot. Yeah eventually the deer get used to it and use the area again, but it took about 3 years before things got back to where they would accept the change and move in there during shooting hours. These are nerve-racking set-ups though because you don't get any advance warning that a deer is coming. They can zip right across the shooting lane before you can even get ready. So I generally cut some skinnier observation lanes in a before and after fan pattern for spotting incoming deer before they get to this actual shooting lane. 

But without this kind of disruption, that whole area would be un-huntable for a bow or even a gun. That makes this one another very "Tough Stand Set".