Stand entry routes

[Mottz]

Curious to know, and I'm talking before sun up, what routes does a person take to their stands? I never know for sure what the best entry is. Through the field they can all see me, through the timber chances of making noise and if not leaving some sort of scent, creek is usually full of water or thick mud, and right on the treeline to open field could hide my outline but they travel the same route. Any suggestions on getting in undetected?

[Steven McBee]

when setting up a stand one of the most important things that it has to has is a good entry and exit route where i will not get detected, i dont put up a stand unless it has this

[dstubb]

I would find a way down that creek. You won't leave any kind of scent trail plus the running water will disguise any noise you make. I have heard of guy's using canoes and even those small little fishing inner-tubes with the built in waders. You could just keep your raft in the woods so that you won;t have to lug it around everytime you go.

[GMMAT]

Interesting question.....and I hope I learn something here.

It's always been my thinking to go into a spot to hunt the mornings......before the deer come back home. That's why I go in as early as I do (sometimes 2+hrs before first light). I catch a lot of crap for it.....but rarely do I bust deer out when going in this early.

So I'm asking.....if the deer are already where you're going.....aren't you a little late? If you have to cross a field....and they're feeding in that field....then you are hosed....lol. If they're bedding just off the field.....you're probably hosed no matter which route you choose. Maybe that field/field edge isn't a good morning spot....and according to how close they're bedding....it might not be a good spot, anyways.

As I'll be hunting some field edges this year for the first time.....I'm interested to see how this one goes.

[huntingson]

I have some stands that sound similar to your situation. If floating down the creek is out for whatever reason (such as in my case the deer cross the creek right by one of my stands so having a boat there probably isn't a good idea) then I would walk up the middle of the field and cut directly in towards your stand. That keeps your scent down by only crossing where they will likely travel once instead of walking along it. YEs, some will see you occassionally, but that is the case no matter what you do. Walking in the timber would just be too loud and every deer in the county would know something was coming. If you know the deer patterns well enough then you may be able to try to time your entry to your stand for when they are least likely to be in the field feeding.