Chuck11
5 year old buck +
Probably one of my biggest weaknesses as a hunter. Accessing stands. Lack of understanding more than anything. Trying to learn though.
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Probably one of my biggest weaknesses as a hunter. Accessing stands. Lack of understanding more than anything. Trying to learn though.
PatinPA
5 year old buck +
If you throw a couple dollars his way he might even plant the edges for you. Takes the pressure off his cash crops too. Definitely worth the conversation. I gave my dad some grain seed to plant in the field above his house. He did it without permission but it was nothing but cut oats anyway and he broadcast along the edge of the field. He said it came in pretty nicely though.
Chuck11
5 year old buck +
This is an example I had envisioned, would be easily hunted in a south wind and there's virtually no way to blow deer out of there. It would allow the woods plots to the west and south of it to remain bedding and sanctuary and never get hunted. It would also allow any bucks in that area to scent check the edge of the field without me ever being downwind of them. You'd never hunt this in a west or northwest wind, but that's fine.
I've thought about asking the farmer how much he'd want a year to let me plant this 1.25 acres. Can't imagine it would be a ton. Put some fruit trees on the north side and put a mock scrape off to the west C side of that small plot. Put some switch grass around a tower stand or blind on the east side of it to hide entry. In my opinion this would provide a great hunting spot. But I'm new at all of this. And this is just what I've envisioned if I could get permission to do it.
I had thought that too, that it might keep the deer off of the planted fields and cash crops. Also since it's already tilled ground and already a food source, it would be much cheaper and easier than trying to create something new.
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BenAllgood
5 year old buck +
When you speak of winds, the cardinal directions are the directions the wind is coming FROM. North wind blows from the north.
If you put that plot there, your neighbor to the north is going to have some killer stand sites for deer bedded on him coming to your food. Just something to consider.
Also, I don't know your lease agreement, but fruit trees on a lease can set you up for a heartbreak when you don't have it anymore.
Bassattackr
5 year old buck +
Chuck - You access is from the south/west - correct? So would this be your path to the stand (orange) ?
- IF so, I would not hunt with a south wind. You would blow out the area on your way too / from as the deer pick up your scent. This would be the perfect north and northwest wind (wind out of the north or northwest) stand site. Your wind would blow out into the open ag areas, away from most deer travel.
- You may also consider the mock scrape closer to the blind, within bow range (if you are also bow hunting the area).
- White arrows are deer travel. Coming from N and NW, many times they will J hook into the south edge of the plot with wind in their favor. Giving them the wind, while you are just off their scent check. Deer from the south will come directly in, with the wind in their favor the entire time, also giving them the wind, with you just off it.
Great plan and stand site btw!
- IF so, I would not hunt with a south wind. You would blow out the area on your way too / from as the deer pick up your scent. This would be the perfect north and northwest wind (wind out of the north or northwest) stand site. Your wind would blow out into the open ag areas, away from most deer travel.
- You may also consider the mock scrape closer to the blind, within bow range (if you are also bow hunting the area).
- White arrows are deer travel. Coming from N and NW, many times they will J hook into the south edge of the plot with wind in their favor. Giving them the wind, while you are just off their scent check. Deer from the south will come directly in, with the wind in their favor the entire time, also giving them the wind, with you just off it.
Great plan and stand site btw!
Chuck11
5 year old buck +
You are both correct, The blue lines indicated the direction the wind would be blowing, not coming from. Northwest would be the direction the wind would be coming from to hunt that location. You are also correct in assuming the direction of travel.
A thought though, I would likely take a path that doesn't hug the woods, I've heard a lot of experienced hunters say that taking the center of fields is smarter when accessing field edges, because deer are creatures of edges, and if your scent lies along the edge, they could change travel directions or spook, or never exit the woodline due to your scent being laid there. I would likely try to take this approach, leaving as little scent along that wood edge for the deer to sneak behind it through the woods to access the food plot with no intrusion there.
A thought though, I would likely take a path that doesn't hug the woods, I've heard a lot of experienced hunters say that taking the center of fields is smarter when accessing field edges, because deer are creatures of edges, and if your scent lies along the edge, they could change travel directions or spook, or never exit the woodline due to your scent being laid there. I would likely try to take this approach, leaving as little scent along that wood edge for the deer to sneak behind it through the woods to access the food plot with no intrusion there.
Bassattackr
5 year old buck +
Depends on the edge. If its a cut bean field, a foot or two off the edge and you're out in the open. I've never had an issue with walking these edges wearing rubber boots.
Exception would be site lines of the deer if bedded there, and what the terrain / cover allows for. You'll figure out what works and what doesn't.
Exception would be site lines of the deer if bedded there, and what the terrain / cover allows for. You'll figure out what works and what doesn't.
Chuck11
5 year old buck +
The neighbor to the north is an elderly gentleman, he does hunt, but he isn't going to be out setting up new stands, he's very established and has been hunting the same areas for years, and are pretty polite and don't bother us a lot. Trying to build a good relationship with them as well. I don't think we'll get a ton of pressure from them, but that is an excellent point to consider.
Also, with the trees. I have a source when I can acquire bare root trees for really cheap, so it would be a pretty low investment (less than $150) to put a few out there. And I'm interested in the experience of trying. However, I do agree. I wouldn't go to a ton of expense to change a property that I don't own to lose the ability to hunt it. In this case, it would be worth the expense to gain the experience for when I find the property I want to invest in and buy.
Thanks for the insight and ideas. Much appreciated. I love this forum. You guys make me think.
Chuck11
5 year old buck +
Hmm, good point. I did shell out some money this year for a good set of rubber boots. First year I'll be hunting with them. I'm interested in how they'll hold up over the years.
If the lines of sight did prove to be an issue for bedded deer, could extend that grass all the way down that side of the woods?
Chuck11
5 year old buck +
So, I'm back from my rifle hunt on the property this year. Not having a target buck, I was happy to take a nice 8-pointer off the property. My buddy came with me this year and took a nice bodied 7 point. Mine aged 3.5 years and his at 2.5, they are the average deer on this property. We took what we thought were yearling does, but ended up being button bucks. My dad took a nice doe off the property and saw what the trail cams later identified as the monster on the property. We got a lot more information about how the property lays out and how the deer are using the property, after we filled our tags we went walking through the bottoms. I set up a couple of new trail cameras and a couple of mock scrapes to see how they start to collect information. I'll be updating regularly and asking for some more advice here soon. A lot of what ya'll said was on point, and just wanted to say a quick thank you. 
Chuck11
5 year old buck +
So I have moved some cameras and set up some mock scrapes on the property as mentioned before. Where the two orange camera icons are on the center island, that's where the mock scrapes sit. I identified crossings in the creek bottom and have one camera down there on what appears initially to be the main crossing. The green stand sites will move to the red stand sites. And the red areas will be cleared for access lanes, and in the case of the island will be collapsed to block deer access and force them around and to create visibility across the center island.
The green spot in the center would be perfect to put a late season food plot, it lays out well in a travel corridor and could be hunted from the south without getting into and messing up the center island. (more info to come in a later post on how the deer are utilizing the center island)
The purple line is the newly mapped trail that runs parallel to the creek bottom.
The green spot in the center would be perfect to put a late season food plot, it lays out well in a travel corridor and could be hunted from the south without getting into and messing up the center island. (more info to come in a later post on how the deer are utilizing the center island)
The purple line is the newly mapped trail that runs parallel to the creek bottom.
