Anyone who bowhunts regularly can attest to the importance of finding stand locations that appear almost bulletproof. Nothing is ever certain in hunting, but what I mean is those areas that are within 100 feet of the deer’s main movement and yet are not detected by scent or sight until the target deer appears.
These locations are sometimes few and far between, especially in landscapes where does and fawns can seemingly come from any direction. In some facilities they may not even exist. BHowever, if you can find them, these hunting spots can be critical to your success if you are hunting an older deer on public land or under pressure from private land.
Let me explain one setup I recently found that seems to fit this description.
Identifying this location began on the morning of November 2, 2022. I set up at the creek crossing where I shot a buck on the opening weekend of the 2020 archery season. This seemed to be a good funnel for overfishing bucks during the early estrus period as well, but a November morning showed me that bucks were now using this area in a different way than when hunting deer.
I saw three bucks and a handful of does and fawns this morning. Dollars – two 1s1⁄2-year-olds and one who was a year or two older all used the area in the same way. They came from the west, headed north through the corner of an open bean field, then entered the woods to make their way backwards into a tiny bedding area with the wind in their faces.
You know you’ve found a favorable spot when you see a pattern with multiple bucks using the landscape in the same way. That’s why this hunt was a success, even though I never shot an arrow, and why I was so eager to go back and scout it this spring.
This area has many trail systems that deer exploit. But it’s not as uncomplicated as simply moving the saddle assembly to the tree closer to the bedding area. I had to find the perfect spot within these trail systems that would allow me to get my shot off without the risk of being blown away by an unpredictable doe.
Spring is the best time to find such places. Tracks and pre-rut marks can be easily identified right after the snow melts and before spring green-up.
I returned to the property in mid-April and walked the route those bucks took on November 2, on the back side of the bedding. It is an area of dense undergrowth, situated low on hilly terrain, between the edge of a field and a stream. From the south, it is also adjacent to places with high ground.
Pipeline is a key ingredient. Entering through it gives me hidden access to the tree and also gives me a great sense of deer movement. In many areas the banks are almost vertical, with cliffs 15 to 20 feet high. Deer usually wander on both sides of the stream bank, and any gradual drop to the bottom often serves as a crossing.
I always try to find the intersections where the trails join and then decide if I can hunt that exact spot.
In this situation, two trails intersect in the bottom of the creek, which will give me photos of this intersection, as well as the trail along the forest floor that the bucks took last November.
And now perhaps the most vital factor: what will the wind do here? When I dropped the milkweed, I found that in a south-southwesterly wind, my scent tended to float to the bottom of the stream and carry into the river with the water. I have no doubts if it stays that way.
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I have a tree that I can climb with a hunting saddle this fall that seems to tick all the boxes – a bedding area near a food source, a junction for trail systems, a hidden access point, and a terrain feature that allows both deer movement and wind at the appropriate levels. conditions.
Many factors make it a great place to hunt and that’s why it’s so vital to find these settings. Think about where you hunt. Is there an area that fits this description?
Look for a broad protective cover in which the constricted deer will sleep and feel comfortable moving around during the day. There are almost always tiny openings or paths that allow movement.
Get in there and review everything well before the 2023 season starts. What is the wind doing? How do you access this area without blowing away the deer?
Perhaps this is a place that can only be hunted in the morning, entering under the cover of darkness. Maybe it’s a tree you only hunt once or twice a year before the deer get you. I look for areas with access to water in many states and find that it often allows me to hunt multiple times.
Slow down and answer all these questions. Prepare a tree or hang a stand. So stay away.
When the right time of the season comes, put your plan into action.
If you don’t have control over the properties you’re hunting, this is the best way to tip the scales in your favor. Scout diligently and create detailed strategies. Then adjust accordingly if what you observe during hunting season tells you to do so.
Build multiple locations over time and then continue to execute your game plan in the fall under appropriate conditions.
