Riskin the biscuit.

[trampledbyturtles]

Almost hunting season fellas. Hope everyone is farther ahead on their prep than I am. Spent the day getting most of my sets in. Usually like to have everything done by July but such is life.

While prepping the last stand for the day. I got to thinking, F this one is gunna be risky. Have to cut trails to acess. Sneak through Reed canary, which I'm sure will be loud. My wind will swirl behind me into a nasty sandbar willow thicket. But dang. It's where I need to be, lost track of how many nice bucks I've seen cross this inside corner. Best thing going for the set is there is zero chance of getting picked off in the tree. With an open lane out to 60 if need be.

So. Question is.
How many stands due u have set/prepped to go for it all? Spots u always see big bucks use. But it could end up being a 1 and done.

Or due u play it safe and pick around the edges?

Used that strategy for years with good results. But lately it seems like that game plan has not been working out.

Goose opener is in 6 days. The best time of year is about upon us.

 

[Catscratch]

I play it pretty safe. Don't hunt any stands very much. Have lots of choices, but I often bowhunt from the ground so that opens up lots of opportunities that sticking to trees doesn't.

My big deal is dove season. Can't dove hunt too much!

 

[trampledbyturtles]

My big deal is dove season. Can't dove hunt too much!

No u can not.

The first dove meal of the season is easly in my top 3 wild game choices.

I much preferred the Sept 1 opener for Dove, Goose, Deer. Made for a hell of a weekend.

But don't plan on sitting out the early Aug management season. Gotta play by the rules. Ha.

Edit to add.
Also do not hunt any one stand more than 3 times a year. Some years a few don't get sit at all depending on time of year and wind.

 

[b116757]

Youth season early Sep I baited a little corn today and tomorrow we will likely rake up apples to dump back there also. I have pretty much one ground blind we use at the house which is on 35 acres. Had a couple other locations years ago on this place but have pretty much settled on that one location. I’ve canopy released most of the oaks around that stand location so even if I don’t bait the deer hit that area hard and because I’ve opened the canopy so much in that area I can grow Durano white clover fairly well back there in spots near the blind also it would likely do better if I mowed it a couple times during the growing season but it usually only gets done once a year.

 

[Native Hunter]

Hoping to do my annual shooting lane mowing in NWSGs on Monday. After that we go into stealth mode the rest of the year on my place. Only hunting smart and not roaming around too much.

 

[Turkey Creek]

I ponder this on a regular basis. I am pretty conservative on what stands I use, keeping the wind in my favor as much as possible. I do have a couple of stands that a guy could get busted just because of deer coming from a downwind location. I have a particular group of oak trees that I am guessing will be a hot spot at some point this year. Deer can approach them from the W,S, and E. Deer can also travel and area to the north. I have a stand hunt right in the oaks, but I have only hunted it once 2 years ago because I am afraid that I will likely get scented at some point in the hunt. I guess in that instance maybe a couple of cell cameras is the ticket, for the sake that you can tell where the deer are most likely to approach from.

 

[TreeDaddy]

I play it pretty safe. Don't hunt any stands very much. Have lots of choices, but I often bowhunt from the ground so that opens up lots of opportunities that sticking to trees doesn't.

My big deal is dove season. Can't dove hunt too much!

The filet mignon of the sky!!!

bill

 

[Telemark]

I opted out of the main club hunt for red deer this year. I'm trying a lot of new things instead. I might go for a big red stag on a neighbor's property, but my priorities are to hunt in the US more this year and to hunt small game with my dog.

This means I basically have no stands prepped for anything. I need to start practicing with my saddle, or I'm not going to be ready for the season.

 

[356]

It's amazing how quickly season sneaks up, even when working on it all year. I have tower blinds yet to deploy, plus a ladder stand and two ground blinds that need placing. I've scheduled "Pre Deer Camp" for the second weekend of September, which will provided some needed "hands" to get everything ready and ensure blinds are hunt ready and all guns are sighted in. I am practicing with the bow a little bit more than last year, and just got another batch of arrows ready to deploy. All but one food plot is in, so rain is what is needed most.

This year I will dove hunt for the first time...that season starts September 1, and will be another pastime to enjoy once I retire someday.

 

[356]

...Hummmm. As I reflect further, your post is depressing me (kind of). Generally I try to play it safe re: wind, access. To do that I still have to 1) Cut a new access point through the woods for what I call the "river blind" which I am having to move 20 yards; 2) Make a new trail to the pond to provide better access for westerly winds 3) Trim the tree line along the north tower and 4) Mow and improve the access trails.

 

[Brian662]

I'm generally very cautious when hunting but I do have plans (not this year) for some once or twice a year stand locations. They would only be with the right wind and likely dark to dark. Will likely only do something like this from Oct 25-Nov 15 and weather would have to be perfect.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I’m the same as Brian. Everything I do revolves around access and wind direction. I’m blessed with enough spots to where I don’t need to hunt a bad wind or wrong time. With that said, at the absolute right time of year I will hunt a marginal situation in the “right” spot. When they are running does a lot can happen that doesn’t go according to the script.
I will also hunt a spot back to back if I feel like I’ve been clean in and out

 

[roymunson]

Between my buddy's and my place we probably have 15-20 stands and blinds on about 350 acres. Some get hunted multiple times, some don't get used much.

Save the deep woods stuff until the rut.

Need to plant and get some rain, then do some mowing and rehang the millenium stands on their clips yet. Then leave the place be. Usually try to leave it alone by Labor Day.