First Stand up for 2011

[blgoode]

With the help of jproctor I have up 1 of my 3 stands. Same basic spot I killed 2 from last season just with a FAR BETTER RADIUS because its a non climber and in a spot I dont want it moved from :thumbup:

I loaded my Crew cab with a load cell for my harness and straps, small fanny pack with misc. clips, length of rope just in case, and my bow hangers. Day pack lid carried water and easy access items.

 

[hung-solo]

With the help of jproctor I have up 1 of my 3 stands. Same basic spot I killed 2 from last season just with a FAR BETTER RADIUS because its a non climber and in a spot I dont want it moved from :thumbup:

I loaded my Crew cab with a load cell for my harness and straps, small fanny pack with misc. clips, length of rope just in case, and my bow hangers. Day pack lid carried water and easy access items.

i hear ya! starting early, nothing wrong with that. you have came a long ways man. i do have some issues with the stand. either you are very skinny or you do not have anyting behind you to blend in with. deer will outline you quick if you are not careful. also i take brush and try to mask the outline of the bottome 5-6ft of ladder. just a personal preference and maybe something for you to think about. when deer are that close you want something you can blend into bc eventually they will learn from their mistakes and pinpoint you quicker over time. also if you keep that stand as is, dont over hunt it.

 

[blgoode]

Thanks for the tips man!!!! I'll mask the lower bottom for sure. Then I'll look at how to haul up limbs to lash up at top.

 

[hung-solo]

Thanks for the tips man!!!! I'll mask the lower bottom for sure. Then I'll look at how to haul up limbs to lash up at top.

i was thinking instead of latching limbs and what not up top, what about moving it to a tree that has more limbs? i LOVE using birch trees. what is the reason why you put yoru stand there? trail? feed plot? just curious. now dont get me wrong the stand my work well the first few times but i promise if they spot you and get spooked they will know to look up more often.

pine trees are not good trees for stands bc they move with the wind. eventually it could damage the stand..also they provide little to no cover. i love medium sized oaks, and LOVE birch trees bc they have so many branches to break your outline. keep exploring your options. you have been doing well.

another tip about climbing stands... noticed you said you have a better shooting radius? is this bc your bow hits your climber or bc the tree you chose to climb doesnt have the radius that tree above does?? i have noticed that if you reduced the space between the top part of the climber and the bottom its better for bowhunters. bc when you stand up, you are clear of the top part of the stand.. this works for me but i am short at 5'7".

 

[blgoode]

I think that tree your talking about is pretty far back from the trail with alot of brush in front. I'll have to look at it better next time im out there. The tree behing that pine has some branches that I was hoping would cover me MUCH better than last year. Last rear my radious was like between 11 and 1 if Im facing 12. This year if Im facing 12 it will be about 10 to 2 just because of the direction I can get. There is also alot of cover as the deer enter on both sides of the trail so i will have more time to prepair instead of having like a 3 second decision because I cant see them

 

[hung-solo]

I think that tree your talking about is pretty far back from the trail with alot of brush in front. I'll have to look at it better next time im out there. The tree behing that pine has some branches that I was hoping would cover me MUCH better than last year. Last rear my radious was like between 11 and 1 if Im facing 12. This year if Im facing 12 it will be about 10 to 2 just because of the direction I can get. There is also alot of cover as the deer enter on both sides of the trail so i will have more time to prepair instead of having like a 3 second decision because I cant see them

i was not talking about any tree in particular. i would look around the trails you know of and just see what tree provides the best cover for you and radius for you to shoot your deer. just a suggestion. you have been doing pretty well big guy. usually when folks start bowhunting, two things happen. they either hate it bc its that hard or they love it and become addicted to it.. you sir, are addicted. welcome.

my radius is usually 7 o clock to 4 o clock. granted that depends on the tree. what has saved me from being pegged has hampered me some in getting clear shots. i see it like this, as long as they do not pick me out i am ok with not getting a shot off. if i am in the open more often than not i get pegged so i fixed that bc that will change their patterns up and they will come through that area looking up. almost guaranteed.so i choose trees that offer me more cover and accept the fact that, at times, i wont be able to get a clear shot... but most importantly, they dont see me nor even look up at me to check me out.

keep in mind your ground cover (trees and brushes below you) will eventually drop their leaves exposing you more. your place there might work until fall. only one way to find out. when winter hits you will be as noticable as a polar bear in the chucky cheese. good luck man. i am anxious to see what you tag this year. i am hoping for does. i need the meat. maybe i get lucky and tag a decent to nice buck. last year i was lazy and didnt hunt but a 1/3 of what i normally hunt

 

[blgoode]

What I'm struggling with now is what you touched on. The leaves drop bad in this area but are awesome untill late October mid November. So I'm planning on getting a hang on lower down the hill where they were choosing to move because the leaves fell. I'm just struggling to "predict" where I will have cover better at that time. Problem is all tress almost are pines because my Grandfather had them planted to have them harvested. Luckily their still there and very mature. I'm thinking maybe go lower in a tree farther back and plan for a 40 yard shot???

 

[hung-solo]

What I'm struggling with now is what you touched on. The leaves drop bad in this area but are awesome untill late October mid November. So I'm planning on getting a hang on lower down the hill where they were choosing to move because the leaves fell. I'm just struggling to "predict" where I will have cover better at that time. Problem is all tress almost are pines because my Grandfather had them planted to have them harvested. Luckily their still there and very mature. I'm thinking maybe go lower in a tree farther back and plan for a 40 yard shot???

to be honest, you have a good summer time hunts, good fall hunts, and good winter. however, a lot of times for me, i have to move my stand. what worked well in the summer doesnt work well in winter. its all part of the learning process. if you feel good about your spot then dont move the stand. hunt it a few times and see. you may see that its a great spot for early season. as you hunt you may notice they are taking a different route (which happens a lot due to food sources changing, bedding spaces changing, hunting pressure and etc).. you have to adjust as they adjust. the only way to know is seeing them and scouting.. eventually you will be able to know their patterns from season to season.. for me i know, mostly, where they travel in the early season and where they travel and when during the latter part of the season. it takes time man. do some good scouting. i dont use cameras but they do work and work well. i do not bait my deer much either. i rely on my scouting and past knowledge. yeah its harder for me but thats my choice. i could make it easier and bait the hell out of them.. i may do that a few times to get some quick meat.

keep in mind prominent wind directions changes during the course of the season. early summer you see a lot of western to southern winds (heat).. as the fall goes along you will notice the wind direction turns more to the north.. this will screw you up royally if you do not pay attention. i have 3 stand i hang. 2 ladder stands and one climber. i hang them in early season expecting more of a southern wind. i keep one for northern winds just in case we get early "cold" fronts. wind is everything bud and i change locations as i go... i probably only change the sites once or twice at most. you have to figure out, ok what is a good early season area and hunt it accordingly and you have to be able to change as the deer do, once you pattern them you will see more deer more frequently..

another thing is the rut.. it makes all common sense turn into WTF?? what you think might work doesnt, and what you think may not work, works well... deer get really weird late october and esp during early November... hunt the does then, where ever the does are, you need to be.. thats the only help i can give you there. dont over hunt your stands. deer can learn to pattern you.. no ****.

 

[hung-solo]

What I'm struggling with now is what you touched on. The leaves drop bad in this area but are awesome untill late October mid November. So I'm planning on getting a hang on lower down the hill where they were choosing to move because the leaves fell. I'm just struggling to "predict" where I will have cover better at that time. Problem is all tress almost are pines because my Grandfather had them planted to have them harvested. Luckily their still there and very mature. I'm thinking maybe go lower in a tree farther back and plan for a 40 yard shot???

do you have birch trees on the side of the mtn?? if so use them. they keep a lot of their leaves even in winter, though dead). dunno why... also look for more really thick areas in the winter. most deer esp if pressured will not often walk in the open wooded areas. they will either wait for dark or take the more hidden path.. i look for the thickest stuff i can find for winter. if they are bedding there i figure where they are walking from or to. again it takes time and lots of scouting. i did more scouting than hunting my first few years bc i had no idea where they were, what they were doing, why, etc etc etc...... i never purposely place a stand where they bed. thats their safety zone. you dont want to ruin that. they will leave your area for good. follow good tracks, keep following them, you may come across old rubs, if that trail leads you to rubs where the rubs are facing you that, more often than not, tells you that buck is showing you where he goes to bed. keep following and it may lead you to his bedding sight. you will know it when you see it.lots of rubs, scrapes and buck droppings.. he uses those rubs to help find his way around in the dark. rubs that are rubbed 360 degrees are often community rubs, different bucks rub it to tell others "hey i am around".. ill explain more later when i get some time.. the better you understand scouting the more things will fall into place for you.. start scouting now in your spare time. just dont do it all the time. dont want them figuring you out. i love doing it before a rain. why? the rain washes the scent away.