Monday, October 26, 2009
10 tips for Picking the Best Place for your stand and setting it up for success.(Part 2 of 3 Tips on how to get a deer this season with a busy seclude)
image Credit esagor
Now that you have done some scouting, determined deer are in the area, and frequently using the trails you check out. It’s time to find a good place to put your deer stand. Here are 10 tips on selecting the best spot from what you have discovered in your scout.
1. Find a tree off of the edge of the feeding area not too far from the trail you followed in while scouting. This way when the deer come out to feed in the morning you will be able to see them as they enter the field. Some times you will even have luck in the evening when the deer are coming back to feed again.
2. Look for good funnel areas along the trail and set up a stand near them. Many times there are openings in the woods deer use as trails but they funnel into one small trail. That is where you want to be.
3. Remember the scrapes; Bucks will check back at these spots from time to time to make sure another buck isn’t in his territory. It might be a good idea to set up here and see if you can get that buck in the morning when he is checking out his turf.
4. When you were scouting you may have found a bedding area. If so a good spot to put your stand would be near where you think the deer will be exiting in the morning, but you better be very quite when entering your stand the morning you plan on hunting.
Once you have picked one of these spots or even a few of them here are some other tips to keep in mind when placing your deer stand.
5. Place your stand at the very least 12 feet off of the ground. Remember the higher you go the less chance you have of a deer seeing you. I suggest you only go as high as you feel comfortable. There is noting worse then not feeling comfortable in your tree stand.
6. Also when placing your stand keep in mind where the sun is going to be. You don’t want it in your eyes when you expect to see a deer. One other thing I try to do is put the stand were the sun will warm me up sooner in the morning which will allow me to stay in my stand longer during the day.
7. Make sure you place the tree stand appropriate for being left or right handed. If you are right handed you want to place the stand so you expect the deer to come in from the left. Just the opposite for a left handed shooter. This just makes for an easier shot with less movement in your stand. One thing I have found out though deer are very unpredictable after the gun season starts, and some times you will have to make shots in some awkward positions.
8. Clear a minimal amount of brush and branches so you have some shooting lanes. I have always thought that if you clear too many branches and brush you will loose some cover and make yourself more visible to the deer.
9. Make sure to find a good place to enter and exit your stand. Usually I will clear more brush here than I will for my shooting lanes because being quiet is the key.
10. Lure the deer into your shooting area
Learn how in Part 3 of How to get a deer this season.
If you know of any other tricks please feel free to comment on them.
~ Ben G.
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3 comments:
Great tips.
Very good tips, the only one missing for me is how to get over a height phobia that sprung up on me the last time I was in a tree stand. Now I'm thinking the only way I'll get into one is if it has two rooms, shutters and a wrap around deck~
Whit- Thanks
Rebecca - I don't know how to get you past that one. But I do know the make some very nice stands around here I seen some with heaters, tv's, and microwaves. It's just crazy
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