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Hello everyone!
I have a property that this is my second year hunting and I am second guessing my stand placement. I was hoping that someone with more experience could point me in a better direction. I have other areas that I see more signs but they are heavy brush area and would require a lot of pruning and cutting, that is probably best to leave till this winter or spring....I think?
Thank you
Are you only looking to have 1 stand on the property? Or multiple stand locations? Do you have a climber to be mobile?
Right now I only have one ladder stand but would pick up a blind or a hanger in the near future if the ladder wouldn't work.
To be clear, I would like three or four locations.
Dont worry too much about second guessing your choices, its the nature of hunting.
You have a very good spot.
Yes, you are correct in setting up mulitple stand locations. I would set up some trees to intercept the deer between bedding and feeding areas to be able to take advantage of different prevailing wind conditions, once the trees are set up you can move your stand or get additional stands to react to changing deer movements.
If you can find out when that corn is coming down be on stand ready when the last few rows are being cut.
Not related to your question, but here is a link to a vid on shot placement, it helped me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nljTrm-vGGU
The only suggestion I can offer you is to make sure you get neighbouring land owners permission, prior to actually hunting, to retrieve a wounded deer, should one cross to an adjacent property. That's a small chunk of land.
You need to do more scouting.
Find out where the deer are moving through your woodlot, and where they're moving to. Scrapes and rubs are great but coming into post rut, deer movement is going to be different. Get some trail cameras up as well.
Also with a smaller woodlot, I'd highly recommend getting permission from the property owners beside you to access their property to either hunt, or in the very least to retrieve downed game.
Unless you want to start baiting, I'd focus on where the deer enter and exit your woodlot and work the field edges to the south. Depending on the forest structure they may or may not be using it as a bedding area, and if there is no food source they want to access by walking through your woodlot you're making it tough.
The ridge is a good place to start in funneling deer movement in your woodlot. See if you can find any areas with heavily used trails. I would think the south end of the ridge would have a bit more than the north because of the joining woodlots to the south.
Either way good luck with your plan!
hi, in my experience, 3 places are prime locations.
1 look for intersecting deer trails, dont set up on the trails but off to the side where you can clearly see all trails intersecting,
2 anything near a midday food source, apple tree, white oak etc, deer will tend to feed close to bedding areas and venture out farther to crops, orchards etc later in the day
3 anything close to a stream, swamp, lowland, wetland. this is important especially for bucks that will go to low wet lands when shooting and any pressure starts. even if the property doesnt have this option, surely theres a trails going to one nearby.
oh bonus option 4, anywhere where your property, like a corner or a point juts out into another property, this will be a funnel, a great ambush spot
oh btw, not always, but most times, understand movement and location, heavy wood trails are generally daytime , trails through open space or fields are usually night
To be quit frank....on a property like that, dropping a few bags of corn/apples down and setting up a trail cam will tell you if you have deer frequenting that trail in front of your tree stand.
Then try a few more spots around where you have good visibility for potential other stands etc.
Bait will bring them in....you don't have to hunt over it, but it will draw deer across the property so you can find their trails....especially now that there is some snow down.
the heavy brush where theres more sign, if you can locate an entry or exit trail, set up stand with a good look at it, you could get them going in or out, stay out of brush and dont cut, deer will notice the change, you want to keep them as comfy and used to the surroundings as possible. if you have such a location , bait off the trail outside the brush. in all these cases, get to stand before sunrise, and quietly, use wind when walking in to your advantage, so until you can have more than one stand, make sure you have an alt way to your stand according to wind direction. if im unclear about anything, just ask, no questions stupid and we're always learning even myself whos hunted a long time, since i was little
well im off to swamp chasing bucks, its gun morning. have a great and safe day all, careful this morn commuting folks, a tad slippery in sw ontario
Allow yourself a good 20 yards from the trail, entry / exit point. Ensure that you are facing into the wind (usually west) We hunted yesterday afternoon and my son was busted by a doe and buck which were practically walking under the stand. They kept looking up at him from the edge of the dense bush and his shotgun was pointing in the opposite direction. Any kind of movement and they are immediately gone. We will be relocating this stand next spring now that we know their travel pattern.
Looks like a lot of great spots to setup...
http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/n...ps6283c68c.png
You can always still hunt the old tractor trails too...just make sure the wind is in your favour
Best of luck
I would advice to hunt it on the ground and observe for a while, or put up one temporarily so you can observe as much of your hunting ground from it. Not necessarily to shoot from but to know your deer and their habits in the area.
I know cams are great but nothing like first hand info.
If I'm new to the area I'd walk it till I know every path and trails leading from one end to the other.
Snow conditions are perfect for it.
Talking to the neighbors will help a lot....Just ask them in an indirect way whether they have observed any crop damage from deer on your area, just to break the ice.
You can tell the prevailing wind on the area after a while so consider this and the most direct quiet approach to your stand.
Deer around my place are found in certain spots in a 3 day rotation as they can't just make a big circle as they used to. It's different for each area some are lucky to have an area they use almost everyday.
For now know your deer and it's habit and stand placement will come in naturally.
Wow! Thank you for all the replies!
I have walked a lot of the area especially after the snow flies and the season is over. I started to bait last year with apples but they were not touched till the end of December, it's amazing how they will dig it up and eat the apples only when they need them. This year I just started last week baiting three different areas with a corn/alfalfa/molasses mix, I baited at my stand, the trail between the two hay/clover fields and the trail leaving the north field, these are the areas were I have cameras.
I have three bucks on camera a 3 pt spike, a 4 pointer and just a couple of times recently a 6 pointer, the farmer has sheds and two years of pictures of a 10-12 pointer but even though I put a camera on the trail were he keeps seeing him, he is a ghost to me.
I am working on getting access to the property to the south to hunt but entering the property to retrieve a deer is not a issue, the landowner and him are very good friends.
I am anxious to get back out there now that there is snow to see how my feed is doing and check out the cams. Do I need to worried about walking too much this time of the year? I am always hesitant to roam the bush in fear of pushing the deer out, I normally wait to walk the bush till I know I won't be back for 4-5 days after.
Thanks again for all your advise, and please keep it coming!
They can tell when you are not hunting just walking, just kidding.
But walk normally not stop and go like you are hunting.
Actually, when you walk in the snow you will notice a pattern how they will constantly avoid you but eventually end up from where they started.
They already know where they are headed as soon as they hear you. If you do it often enough from the same direction they'll expect you coming from there next time.
No harm in walking the bush just don't walk like you are still hunting cause when they spook this way they really get spooked.
just walk normal, usual clothes, just natural, let them think its farmer or nature lover as usual, even talk a lil to yourself (ha ha, i'm retired clinician, its normal, besides, we all need EXPERT advice lol). Dont have any calls, attractants etc. You can wear rubber boots just to keep your scent off their trails, dont touch alot on the trails, its cold anyway, but make sure you are wearing gloves. Just keep it to the norm for them, it'll be ok
if you do jump or spook one, let it snort, wheeze, stomp hiss and run. Do not move, thats what it wants, then it affirms its fear. Let it go off on its own whether it runs, leaps, walks away. Just dont chase or panic yourself. actually watch it/them. see how their tails go, what sounds they make, how they move, what direction they head (hint, usually to safe area, bucks might run to briar thickets, swamps, ravines), the direction they go can become important if you know what is off in the direction they go. Just add that experience to what you already know. Best learning and hunting knowledge comes by experience and observing. You're going to be just fine.
sorry, looking at the photo, somewhere near water too. they do get up from bedding areas throughout the day for a drink, but it is rather freezing out there lol
but for openning day next archery season a stand or ground blind near water is good too, especially mid day
Are you hunting my deer?...lol You live too close for comfort...lol
I was working a buck Saturday afternoon and he came out again on Sunday so don't worry too much about being in the bush. They are very territorial especially if they have been recently scrapping to mark their spot so check things out and learn their habits.
I have a date with the son of a gun come muzzle loader Monday opener...lol
ps: my son is also a refteck with Black & Mac.
Exocet, thank you for the advice. I'm on nights this week and plan on going to the bush Fri morning till I can't stay up anymore!
Impact, sent you a pm.
Well... I was out again on the weekend and found 7 fresh scrapes and a rub on a 6" dia tree! Looks like the rut is on! It is amazing what you miss before the snow hits
Attachment 27495Attachment 27496
I'm going to try a new spot on the ground and hopefully I'll be back with some victory pictures soon, if I could be that lucky!
Thanks again everybody for your input and suggestions.
In the air is always better than ground for scent control and view of the animal. The higher the better while always being safe!
Well I finally have found what I was looking for!!!
Attachment 27570
I had taken the day off to hunt but at the last minute I needed to take my daughter to the dentist!! The good news is I have him three times on cam during the day in the last three days and every picture he has his nose to the ground, I guess the rut is on!
Now I just have to figure out how to get back out there soon!
How old do you think he is?? 3.5-4yrs?
Thank you again all for you help!