Over hunting your tree stand
- Thread starter Hoytman62
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nis1
Junior Member
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You just need to hunt smart. If you hunt the same stand all the time your putting your scent in the area often. Just do everything you can to keep the area free of your scent and only sit it when the wind permits. I have a favorite tree that I hunt often but it works out because I can enter the area quietly and without walking all over my hunting area plus the wind allows for it most times.
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If you are bumping deer on your way in, are getting busted while in the stand, or set up where deer come by and smell where you have been spending time even when you are not there, you are over hunting your stand. The more you hunt it, the less you will see. Once in a while you can select a stand that cannot be over hunted, those are golden and what you should be trying to pick every time you select a site.
I rarely hunt the same stand more than 3 or4 times a season . Doesn't take long for deer , especially older deer to figure you out . Even if ya don't think your busting deer u usually are . Even after ya leave .
That's why hunting feeding areas or "the final destination" is tricky. If you don't have a back way out its pretty much impossible to get out without spooking deer. Always hang your stand with a plan on how your going to leave without bumping deer. My 2 best spots are being saved for the very end of October. I won't hunt them until then because if I did all I would be doing is educating bucks that are nocturnal anyway.
Or if you:
1. Like the view
2. Find the stand very comfy Lol
3. Seen a goodin there before and hope he comes back.
Mike and Mike have very valid points!
I have one awesome set that I could prolly get away with hunting as many times as I want but it's only hunted with a NW-N-NE winds and how often do we get those.....dang it! It's the stand I took the back hair off my número UNO target buck Bonehead back in 2011! Still haunts me to this day....:smiley_baby:
I have one awesome set that I could prolly get away with hunting as many times as I want but it's only hunted with a NW-N-NE winds and how often do we get those.....dang it! It's the stand I took the back hair off my número UNO target buck Bonehead back in 2011! Still haunts me to this day....:smiley_baby:
My best stand is able to be hunted quite a bit, but generally we don't. Same stand I shot my 160" and Nate shot his 125" last year. I also think it's easier to overhunt a stand in the mornings rather than evenings in agricultural areas. Just way too much bumping deer.
Lots of great advice here thus far. Simply put, over hunting a stand is just what is sounds like: TOO much time in one spot. I have lots of options, none of which afford me the ability to hunt them several times in a season. Access is so important on our farm and it really takes some effort to make sure I'm not burning out stands just on the walk/in out. I do have a couple that there is really no way I can be winded if I hunt on the proper wind; but again, getting to them/leaving can be sketchy.
If you don't have many options, then you need to cut back on your time in the stand. Hunt smarter, not harder. Only hunt on days with the perfect wind and make sure your access is flawless. I've burnt out many a stands over the years in October just because I wanted to be in a tree. Never once did that equate to me killing a deer and I've come to learn that less time in the woods from Oct 1-25 or so is better than more time. Keep things fresh for the last week of Oct and November. The last two seasons this has made a positive impact on my hunting.
If you don't have many options, then you need to cut back on your time in the stand. Hunt smarter, not harder. Only hunt on days with the perfect wind and make sure your access is flawless. I've burnt out many a stands over the years in October just because I wanted to be in a tree. Never once did that equate to me killing a deer and I've come to learn that less time in the woods from Oct 1-25 or so is better than more time. Keep things fresh for the last week of Oct and November. The last two seasons this has made a positive impact on my hunting.
Strother23
Member
I sometimes have the same problem. I have a favorite stand. Reasons: seem my #1 hit list buck there last year and kept hoping he would return. Just seems to be one of the hotter spots on the property. I have to almost talk myself out of sitting there sometimes. So I don't use it to much. Best thing is just give yourself lots of options of stands to choose from. Deer move all over and are very tough to pattern especially as the season goes on.
Other thing that drives me nuts is curiosity. Sit in one stand, wonder what's going on in the other.
This has always bothered me as well. Can't help but wonder what is going on at the other stands. Did I chose the right stand that day? I have thought about hanging cams in each of the stands to find out what really happens when I am not in it. Would probably just drive me insane to know though.
I can promise you it will! I have more than a few pics to document that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and it is maddening! When it came to choosing a stand for that hunt, I felt like I was making the smart decision and it probably was a smart decision. However the deer chose to show me otherwise! Our farm has 3 distinct areas that deer use in different ways, so it always leaves me guessing as to what is happening elsewhere. Two years of running cams near my stands was enough to convince me that it would just drive me insane, so that was the end of that! I'd rather wonder than know at this point.
Strother23
Member
I agree with the last couple post. Curiosity is horrible when thinking about activity at the other stands. Some stands just prove to be better than other. Whether it's the shooter shows up more by a certain stand or it's just on stand is more comfy all of its plays a factor when getting in a stand. Last year I have 3 cameras out by 3 of my stands. You are correct bowhunter1023 it's drive you nuts.. So now my cams are over trails/minerals/feeders.
yotehunter
Member
Fullbore
Senior Member
Roger Rothaar wrote in one of his books and I agree with him 100%. If the rut is in and you don't see a deer within 2 hours ? Move to another set. The rut is happening somewhere, you have got to go to them or at least put yourself in spot.
I have an uncle who claims this as well. He says sit for 2 hours. No activity you walk slow until you hear or see chasing. Figure out how they are running the circle and setup your climber when they get on the other side of the circle. He has killed several big ones. And claims a lot of them were taken this way.