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Hoyts 2012 preseason setup thread

Hoytmania

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Well today it officially started. I was working down in the area of one of the properties that I have permission to hunt. Last season was the first season for this property so I thought I would stop by and see if I could hunt again this season.

Well I am hunting there again. It just so happened that the land owner had just brushhogged part of a pasture and also put a new crossing through a fence row into the bean field that is going to be a great funnel point. So I tore down my old setup and moved it so that I have two entrances from the bean field into the pasture within 20 yds. of my new setup. I got to go ahead and do some trimming on some shooting lanes. I will have to go back and finalize a few lanes late August.

It felt great to be working out in the woods and to be in a treestand even if it was almost 90 degrees.

Got some fires from the stand to share.
This is looking to the west into the pasture.
uploadfromtaptalk1339808819780.jpg
This is south facing the new funnel into the bean field.
uploadfromtaptalk1339808870630.jpg
This east facing the bean field, not much of a grow here.
uploadfromtaptalk1339808856918.jpg
This is north facing the other entrance onto the pasture from the bean field.
uploadfromtaptalk1339808819780.jpg
 

hickslawns

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Good luck Steve! Hope it works out for you. I need to get some sets hung but work is killing me right now. i will take paying the bills first and hanging stands second. Maybe over the weekend I can at least check some cameras.
 

Hoytmania

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Well got to spend a little time in the woods this evening after work. Moved a setup about 30 yds from where it was but am stoked about the setup. I'm about 20 yds in the edge of the woods from a crp crime that then turns into soy beans. The farmer has gotten into makingaple syrup so there is well defined tractor paths through the woods which makes for easy entrance and exit points from the woods. Didn't get to get any pics but it was getting dark and with everything still green every direction pretty much looked the same.

I got another thing accomplished tonight that I have been wanting to do for a few years now and never got around to it. When I first started to take Austin hunting I bought a buddy stand for us to hunt together out of. We used it twice and he couldn't keep still in it so I started putting his butt in a hang on stand and we never used it again. Now that I think about it that was almost eight years ago. Well tonight I got it tore down. Know to replace some of the hardware and get to a different spot.

Its getting close fellas. Opening day will be here before we know it. :D Now to get in the shower, I'm smelling a little Amish fried.
 
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Huckleberry Finn

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Damn I'm kinda partial to buddy stands, put it in a nice spot for me?

I'm planning on returning the favor hosting this year Steve if that's alright...
 

Hoytmania

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I would enjoy that Steve. You let me now when and we will hook up.

My plan for the buddy stand is for it to go up in the area that you hunted at the ridge. I moved the setup that we hunted out of down the ridge closer to the bottom. I want to have a setup at the top of the ridge also so that is where I am thinking of putting the buddy stand.
 
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Huckleberry Finn

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I think that'd be a great spot for a stand like that. From the one morning I was there, there are obvious advantages to being at the bottom of that ridge, but the top didn't treat me too badly either!

...just mount a Harbor Freight winch on the base of the buddy stand for those dragging jobs...
 

Hoytmania

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I think I got the ridge finalized before bow season. I would love to hang another set on the top side of the ridge but I need to buy at least one more stand and transport a 25' antenna tower to make that happen. I don't think I am going to have the time to do it before opened hits.

Added a 4' section to my climbing stick just to male off a little safer to get in and out of the stands. Also got to clear a couple more shooting lanes. Beings I moved that setup midseason last year I didn't get to do the trimming that I normally would have done in the preseason.

Here is the view to the south west looking at a trail that is very highly traveled. I have a trail camera and mineral block about twenty yards to the right of this shooting lane. Just pulled a
card and had over 3000 pics on it. :D
uploadfromtaptalk1346363259027.jpg

Here is to the north. This is where three major paths converge and had three scrapes within twenty yards of the stand last year.
View attachment 9107
uploadfromtaptalk1346363361557.jpg

Here s to the east not much of a view till the leaves fall off.
uploadfromtaptalk1346363407063.jpg

And then to the south.

uploadfromtaptalk1346363438193.jpg

Now off to another property to see if I can do some final prep there.
 

Hoytmania

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The only down fall for that shot is the way the elevation changes. Where the deer will be standing for that shot they are probably only 7-10' below the platform of the stands. So it should be easy for them to pick up any movement.
 

finelyshedded

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Yeah Steve, that will be something to watch out for. I have a stand just like that but if you can see them early enough you can get ready early TOO. The problem arises when you have multiple deer at the lower elevations leading to more eyes,ears and especially noses to deal with. Ugh

I also like your north view of the scrape trail. On a high pressure clear frosty morning your scent might waft over a buck with the thermals working for you. Nice pics and nice set Steveo, hope you wack a goodin from there.