Do you keep hunting your best stand during the rut or keep moving?

[BJE80]

The rut can change day by day and even hour by hour. One minute it is dead and the next you got bucks running everywhere. If you have best stand location for the rut, do you keep hunting it attempting to be in that place when the inevitable occurs? Or do you move around to "lesser" quality rut stands knowing you are not hunting the best location.

 

[SD51555]

I move with the wind. I always hunt the wind first. On my place, we've got 6 stand and they are positioned for different directions. If the wind is right, I'll definitely sit in one or two stands more than any other.

 

[BJE80]

I move with the wind. I always hunt the wind first. On my place, we've got 6 stand and they are positioned for different directions. If the wind is right, I'll definitely sit in one or two stands more than any other.

I forgot to mention that everything else being equal. Being the wind is good for your best stand.

 

[JackTerp]

I agree with SD, I hunt the wind first. I normally try to set at least two stands in areas that I know have good rut activity. That way I hope to be able to hunt the area in more than one wind condition. I also must be willing to make sudden changes in sets if the conditions change. I think too often we get too set in our ways. Unstable weather conditions can wreak havoc on our plans hour to hour.

 

[JackTerp]

We were typing at the same time. :)

If the weather is stable, and the wind consistent, I have been know to sit the same stand multiple days in a row. I have also been in the stand from dark till dark. Makes for a long day.

 

[BJE80]

Another related question. Typically how long do you wait till you decide a stand isn’t producing? One day a stand can be hot and another day not. If you sit all day in your best stand and nothing happens. It could be hot as heck the next day. If you have previous year’s of experience on the same property you often will have a stand that produces more than other stands year in and year out. That is the stand I’m referring to.

 

[JackTerp]

I have a couple stands that produce very well year in and year out. I makes decisions on observations though and
hunches every year. that is why they call it hunting and not getting. IF I don't see the type of action I am expecting, I'll re-evaluate my choices. Sometimes I'm right, sometimes I'm wrong. Don't be afraid to change your tactics, but be prepared to make bad choices and live with them. It's not unusual to pick the west stand and sit there watching your target buck walk out under the east stand. I really think they do it on purpose. :)

 

[BJE80]

I have 39 years experience on the same dirt. We have 120 treestands for wind purposes only. Some rut stands have not been climbed in 4 years due to wrong winds. Your best rut hunt will be the first sit on a set. Our local mature bucks setup on a 20 acre section and defend it and never leave it so when I glass a buck I want I have options for any wind inside his sandbox. We have an insane dpsm so mature bucks can setup shop on 20 acres and get laid all day.

I would be curious to understand the thought process on why a stand would be best the first time you hunt it during the rut. I fully understand early and late season when it is all about security and food. But during the rut you likely have so many different deer entering and leaving the area on a daily basis what difference does it make if you were there the day before?

 

[j-bird]

I move with the wind as well. I also do not have "rut" stands. I set stands up for hunting period (early, middle and late, gun or bow). I do have 2 shooting houses that are gun only, but they are positioned to overlook a larger area and to be able to use the extended range to our advantage. Wind ALWAYS directs me to which stand I will hunt (doesn't alwasy hold true for others on my place however). I also use a climber if I need to stay mobile if I see something that I need to act on, but even then the wind and access are always considered.

 

[BJE80]

I'll hunt 7 all day sits in a row and I won't see 20 deer all week. Not even close.

 

[BJE80]

I hear ya. I did 9 all day rut sits last year and passed 84 bucks. I passed 79 bucks during gun, never took a buck last year.

In............... sane