Stand location "dispute"

[j-bird]

I want some help from you guys. Below I have provided enough info I think to answer most questions. I have a tower blind as you can see and it is in no way shape or form hidden from the deer. You can see where it is located and how the property is situated as well. this is NOT a bow stand - windows are not designed as such. We use shotgun and smokepole - and maybe even high powered rifle this coming year.

There is some debate about 2 things.

#1 - should we camo it?

My opinion is why? Seems like a lot of work and the deer know it's there. The buck I shot this last fall would have walked up to the ladder if I let him. I feel the way the deer react to the stand has more to do with scent and over-hunting the stand than it being visible.

#2 - should we move it to the red circled area?

My opinion is that if we do we grossly reduce the amount of area we can effectively hunt. We become far more bound by the property lines. The other thing is that we spread our scent that much more over areas the deer may be more likely to travel. In the current location to approach from the south with a south or west wind would do little damage in spreading scent while on the way to or while in the stand. I would much rather send my scent into open harvested ag field and take my chances than into the woods.

Stand access is from the south from the wide open ag field - it isn't a good access but it's all I have.

My opposition - wants to camo it/brush it in or move it to the red circled area.

Now I am hard headed and narrow minded as can be, but I just don't see any real benefit to doing either of these. Am I missing something? I do not have access via the neighbors property and we walk to our stands.

 

[tooln]

Camo would help other people not see it. If it's been there a while deer will get use to it. I'd leave well enough alone as you have way more options for a shot and hunting.

 

[wiscwhip]

Camo is a waste of time on a stand like that and moving it to the wooded location will just tie your hands for shot opportunities and spread unnecessary scent up the west tree line.

 

[j-bird]

Stand has been up for 2 years now. Like I said - shot a 120 ~ 130 class buck at 30 yards this season. I am not concerned about people seeing it - it has a large SMV flag on it so I can see the wind direction from the house.

 

[JackTerp]

I see no benefit to adding camo or moving it. Once the deer get used to it, they ignore it. I might be more inclined to work on some habitat work to make the approach more hidden if that is possible.

 

[Catscratch]

Neither is going help with deer hunting, deer get use to structures very quickly and ignore them for the most part. I wouldn't budge on moving it, but if someone wants to put camo on it let them.

 

[bueller]

If anything plant a handful of non deer attracting trees or shrubs around the base of the stand to satisfy your "opposition"

 

[j-bird]

I can't improve the approach - I would have to remove productive tillable (money making) ground to do that.

I can't plant trees around it - it's in a CRP /waterway area and it's against the program to do so.

I may let him do what he wants as far as camo goes. I don't think he understands the work he is looking at. I got better things to "waste" my time on. If I do that though I gotta put up with his crap about "his" stand and the work "he" has done. I don't want to even get started on that subject. Maybe I'll let him get started and if he pushes the "his" thing - I'll just push him off the ladder:D

 

[tooln]

Who's your other half? Joint property owner, family?

 

[bat man]

My 19 year shot one of the top 3 bucks on the place last fall from green treated sore thumb blind at 15 yards. And we canned him in from 200 yards away. I believe the deer saw that blind for the first time when he was 2 weeks old.

 

[Tree Spud]

I want some help from you guys. Below I have provided enough info I think to answer most questions. I have a tower blind as you can see and it is in no way shape or form hidden from the deer. You can see where it is located and how the property is situated as well. this is NOT a bow stand - windows are not designed as such. We use shotgun and smokepole - and maybe even high powered rifle this coming year.

There is some debate about 2 things.

#1 - should we camo it?

My opinion is why? Seems like a lot of work and the deer know it's there. The buck I shot this last fall would have walked up to the ladder if I let him. I feel the way the deer react to the stand has more to do with scent and over-hunting the stand than it being visible.

First ... I would remove that flag from the top of the stand.

Second ... Camo project would consist of 1 can each flat primer green, brown, & tan spray, and 1 six pack of beer.

 

[nitro27]

Three of our stands have fairly large window on all sides. We were occasionally busted by a older doe when she caught movement of head and shoulders in stands. We decided to hang blaze orange flags from the stands year around. We now are no longer busted by movement in the stands. 7 Decent bucks were taken from the 3 stands this year.

 

[j-bird]

Flag stays! I have one on both of my tower blinds - doesn't seem to bother the deer and I can see what the wind is doing at that location from the house with binos. Spray paint and beer - yep - that's not going to end well! Somebody will have to explain why they got paint in an odd place, or something nasty is getting painted on the tower blind - not a pic I can post I am sure.

I have a tendency to "not play well with others". As I put it commonly, "I'm a D#$%, and I know I'm a D$%^", so this is more an exercise in keeping the peace. If I say "NO" then that's the end of it - but I'm trying to be more open to another opinion - which is a HUGE change for me. I've been wrong before (just ask my wife - I swear she remembers every time) and I'll be wrong again, but I think I got this one right. It's way too much work to move it and camo it just to prove I was right and then move it back.

Unless someone comes up with a good reason why the other location is better - it looks like it's staying put. If he want's to try to camo it - he can knock himself out. I have considered trying to get some sort of vine to grow on it, but again - I could really care less - he can paint it hot pink for all I care! We do need to put our "not a meth lab" sign back on the roof.

 

[bat man]

Back in the blind days I hunted with outfitters who would hang a white shirt on a hanger on the blind with the windows open to blow in the wind. Deer get used to that and you become superman and invisible.

 

[dipper]

Run a wire from wall to wall. Take old bed sheets, towels or whatever and use them as curtains. Cut multiple pieces so u have a couple narrow openings. They will never see u in there and u don't have to worry about moving around

 

[sandbur]

I would tell..... that it needs to stay in place for a few more years so the deer get used to it.

You need to give it a good test and more time might be needed. True or false, it is still a reason.

We added brush around the base of this stand last fall and I think it helped, but our access is hidden by a wind break of conifers.

I also just like more natural colors and do not want the stand to stick out too much. All personal preference and I mean no offense by saying that.




Deer around here are spooky a heck and I really feel you should give things a few more years to see if it will work better. You had good luck all ready.

 

[dipper]

I have blinds I move on old running gears and I move them multiple times a year for now and gun hunting. The deer don't see it any different than if is brushed.
Make sure u have it lined with old carpet.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

We don't camo our cabin. It's been there for 85+ years and the deer and bears walk around it right off the porch and patios in the mowed lawn. Sometimes ON the porch and patios. Deer get used to farmers' tractors, out-buildings, etc. I believe it's a matter of what they get used to. I'd worry about scent in that location, if people aren't usually in it all year. Against an open skyline, I don't know how much good camo would do for you.

 

[j-bird]

Well I think that pretty much settles it - it stays! If he want's to camo it - go for it. Now I just have to be "nice" about it :rolleyes:!

Make sure u have it lined with old carpet.

It has the carpet in it - the wife thought I was nuts when I told her what I was doing. She asked if I had picked a paint color for the walls - being sarcastic. When I told her "flat black" she wasn't sure what to say.

 

[wiscwhip]

As far as justification to your opposition for not moving that stand, scent dispersal over the open field is as good an excuse as any. If you move it back into that more heavily wooded corner your scent will then become more likely to be trapped and winds may cause it to swirl back into the woods where the deer would be trying to exit to get to your small plot. Out on that open point where it is now the scent will disperse over the open field and not spook as many deer. I assume you don't hunt that stand with any kind of east wind?