Lets talk hunting spots

[gbk]

So many other, controversial or edgy topics-lets return to hunting.

Please describe Your best spot, where You consistently see deer-harvest deer, and keep it in very high regard. Why?

Like-what makes that spot special. Describe lay of the land-what wind works for it and why-why You think it is great to consistently hunt it ,year after year-or else.
Why You think deer uses it the way they do-and when they use it. Early season-mid season-end of the season.
Morning, or afternoon or else..........
Cheers

[kokes]

I find my spots change based on closest ag fields (whats planted that year greatly affected if the spot is good OR the timing of when the spots get hot)
The majority of my spots that are good have a combination of dense cover and are hard to access.....

GBK do you find that to be the case with your good spots too? I think youre one of those guys on this forum that flies under the radar but is consistently killing nice deer and on pressured public land!! hats off to you..

[Sam Menard]

My deer-hunting style has evolved over the years. I went from trail watching, to hunting field edges, to sitting in tree stands near fields, then to sitting in tree stands in the big woods, and finally to still-hunting the big woods.

When hunting the woods, wether it’s the big woods or in agricultural areas, I’m drawn to funnels as it increases my odds at seeing deer. While still hunting, I like to hunt upland mixedwood forests with good visibility. I also like to hunt rocky ridges with pine growing on them as you can walk quietly.

[Gilroy]

Well my best hunting spot is a tree stand overlooking an old settlers farm field of about 2 acres. The field has some old heritage apple tree's that attract deer and I have planted another 15 or so dwarf apple trees to supplement the old original one's.
As I grow potatoes and other vegetables in a garden in the middle of the field, once the crop is out I plant turnips and parsnips for the hunt.

Now the field is smack dab in the middle of the two hundred acres, but my main road runs through the field and the main township road also runs to the south of that field. So my problem is that after 20 years the deer have me figured out pretty well in respect to the field. They have me patterned and know they must sneak in just before dark. My other problem is no matter where else I hunt I have to pass into that field on the way in at night.

But its been a great stand and I think I am up to 12 deer taken off that one stand, I have never hunted it after the rifle hunt in November but would really like to get in there for the December hunt but I have to buy a muzzle loader or cross bow for that to happen.

The stand has been productive because its on the south side of the field and in such a position that only a south wind gives me away.

[MikePal]

I went from trail watching, to hunting field edges, to sitting in tree stands near fields, then to sitting in tree stands in the big woods, and finally to still-hunting the big woods.

I followed the same path..the past few years I've ended up sitting in the bush on my Turkey chair a lot. Still have few treestands and pop-ups over looking choke points and common trails, but have really enjoyed just sitting on the ground shooting over a dead log.

[canadaman30]

One of our newest best spots, natural funnel along the side of a swamp with well worn deer trail.
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[JoePa]

I live in the country so I basically hunt in my backyard - at the end of my property the land slopes down a bank to a creek and beyond that is a hight mountain - all around my place are fields that farmers mostly plant corn and soybeans - the deer come off the mountain after laying down up there during the day and feed on the corn and soybeans - I have a number of ladder tree stands positioned around the property for archery season - so I can get close to the deer as they come off the mountain - for rifle season I have a small hut built on a platform half way down the bank above the creek - the deer don't have much choice if they want to get to the field they have to come through my property - I have lived at this place for over 45 years and we probably got a 100 deer over the years - the only problems is the deer come off the mountain after dark and eat everything I try to grow unless I put a high fence around it with electric wires on top of it - they eat everything - even potatoes, cucumbers and tomatoes - they are nice to see but can become pests at times - I get even with them during hunting season

[js4fn]

I have around 150 acres. Bush pasture,deep ravine some is just pines
My best spot box blind deer or turkey is about 200yd from the house but sometimes deer bed down between house and my blind kinda sucks they see me before I can see them I hear the ugh of them getting to their feet than white tails

My blind over looks pasture between two bush areas pasture is 50yd wide blind sits at 50yd line of my range
So during bow I just watch 50yd semi circle during gun week I watch left and right further but always wait till they move into 50yd semi circle

Across from blind is wild rose bushes and crazy raspberry bushes swampy ground eats a man alive kinda crap but deer move through it a lot I had one go into this mess once 30yd it tried to jump through a Y shape tree died half way through took me a hour just to recover it and left a lot of blood behind

I’ve walked out of my blind not seeing a deer to see 6 standing 60’ from the house kinda stuff that warms your heart lol

[gbk]

Thank You guys for the replies.
Interesting scenarios.

Kokes-appreciate your kind words.

I do hunt for 25 years or so.At start i tried to get permisssions,to no avail. New Canadian,not much english,no one knows who the heck i am,so why let me in -just because i asked nicely?...
Even tried to ask permissions with my(at the time 5-6 year old daughter)to show that i am a caring family man.Did not matter.

By now i got used to hunt public(mainly pay for use public).Everyone and their brother can be there-do the same thing i do,or anything they like.
I have a small bush to hunt too, from my coworker-but in 20 years hard hunting there i managed only 4 deer to take .Hard area,narrow,no feature,no destination,and the deer can and do move thru it just about everywhere ,willy -nilly.I "know" their ways,but there is so many ways-i would need 5 -10 hunters per sit to cover all possibilities.

Anyhow- i have developed 40-50 spots over the time.
Still use maybe 8-10 of them.Some for like 15-20 years.Every year i make few new ones,and let few old ones go.
Have set and ready 12-18 spots every season.

I literally work a lot on my spots-tree preparation,shooting lanes,clearing obstacles etc.
Being public-i am not using any bait,or highly visible tree stand(box ,blind,home made blind,ladder stand)
I use Tree Saddle- few hang on stands,and a climber.Other then sitting 20 % of the time on a low low beach chair.
All depends on location,availability ,activities,wind-and my whim.
I take great care of making my spots hardly visible to others(stealth hunting)just so others do not develop ideas.

Since great majority of Public land here in my area are plantations,or mix woods,with pine/spruce plantation mixed in,or cedar swamps, I do not actually have much(almost zero)chance to hunt field edges ,overlook feeding areas or bait,at least in the areas,i hunt on regular bases.
I am away from a farm field in almost every case ,at least 100 yards,up to a km.Mostly 200-500 m.
Therefore,i am not so much impacted with crop rotation-to a great degree.
I am ,on certain spots(deer move east to west on some spots,just because to the FAF FAR west,there is a field-lets say non harvested soy field )but generally i am somehow moslty smack dab in between bedding and feeding opportunities.
I also can not know (by design) all the fields /crops surrounding the public.
My most productive spots offer sort of a funnel, or pinch points ,where deer generally need to go thru,to access their feeding destinations,or coming back to bedding.Some "funnels"can not be deciphered easily to be a funnel,because of the lay of the land,or vegetation,but they do "concentrate"deer ,if i can say so.
I tend to set up on deer trails(intersections close buy are prime)trails with repeating rub marks, or active perennial scrape areas.Close enough,but never on the spot or trail.

Being"deep"and set up along travel corridors/destinations of bucks,or travel zones of does(they are bringing in the bucks late Oct-mid Nov)i have had reasonable success .

I am not a bragger or a show off(not just in hunting,but else in my life),so i keep it low.I am quite happy with what good luck,lots of work,lots of time in the woods-and the love of hunting brought to me.
If i would recovered those few deer i hit but did not recover,the ones i missed to hit,and would have harvested those i let walk(for many different reasons)...hmmmm

Oh -one more thing-the HUNTING pressure does changes many things in most of "my" areas,where some areas slow down,some totally dry up by the end of November.
I have one area - by the arrival of 10 inches of snow -the deer disappears ,to return after snowmelt .This spot does not offer thermal protection,snow is always deep-so no surprise ,they move out.
I have another spot-cherish it a lot(great potentials, big woods, big area, kind of wilderness feeling)but by mid Nov is "ruined" year after year by hunters.
Even thought the area is a quasi deer yard, and the deer can be plentiful there by mid Dec(if lots of snow in the area)they move at the first sight of danger ,or move very late ,and very little.
Hope this helps.

[Species8472]

Killed a whack of deer at this spot. I just sit on the ground in snow camo when it's white out or in a ghillie suit when no snow. Through the pines it opens into a small meadow that has half a dozen apple trees that hold apples every year and for whatever reason the trees hold some apples right into December.