How long after....

Matt/NC · 09-23-2008, 09:41 AM

Need some advice. I just got a new piece of property to hunt a few weeks ago. Went and set up a stand on a ridge between a cutover and a thicket. There is a creek at the bottom of the hill and the hillside the stand is on is covered in Acorns.

My question is I had to do a farily good amount of cutting and trimming my shooting lanes and just in general cleaning the area up, How long should I wait before I go back and try to hunt the stand?

txjourneyman · 09-23-2008, 09:45 AM

WOW Matt! I just went through the same thing! This past Saturday I set a stand on a hillside overlooking a creek in a bottom filled with acorns,( many fell due to Ike's winds). The acorns aren't ripe yet, and I was very careful about the amount of cutting I did for shooting lanes. I won't hunt that property this weekend but if the winds right,(north or west), I'll be there fo' sho' next week! So I'm giving mine a 2 week wait.

wihunter402 · 09-23-2008, 09:47 AM

When I do that I usually give it a couple of weeks. I don't know that it matters that much. I just set up a new stand last Saturday knowing I won't be hunting the area for 20 days. I think the couple weeks give the deer time to check it out and see that there is no danger there. The first couple of times they come thru I would think they will be checking it out pretty good and I would not want to get busted in it. JMO.

GMMAT · 09-23-2008, 09:47 AM

If you went in pretty clean.....rubber boots.....de-scented.....I'd hunt it the first good wind I got. I'd go in clean, again....and not worry about it.

I could have just as easily been hanging a set yesterday....as climbing....and not sweat any more than I did. I had deer on me the first day.

Good luck to you guys.

Matt/NC · 09-23-2008, 09:47 AM

Well I was planning on waiting until the "Magic week" which for us in this area is usually the last week of our bow season, but this spot looks to good to wait a month. LOL. I am considering waiting about 2 weeks myself, just wanted opinions on what yall would do.

Matt/NC · 09-23-2008, 09:50 AM

Honestly, GMMAT we were pretty careless when setting this stand up as it was a difficult set and alot of vines to clear, so my buddy thought it would be wise to just start ripping them down. So HE did. I cut alot as well. Tried to keep the debris piled up and out of the way of any trails.

GMMAT · 09-23-2008, 12:52 PM

Just hope they weren't posion oak!.....

I think you'll be fine. From what I know about doe movements.....they won't "spook" very easily. They're big time creatures of habit....and as long as they don't sense danger, there......they'll use the easiest route possible.

Bucks? Who knows?

annika3 · 09-23-2008, 01:01 PM

If it's a great spot for the rut I wouldn't mess with it until then. If it's a spot to shoot deer I would go right back in. Hopefully you understand what I'm saying in regards to a "rut" spot and a "deer" spot.

There are certain areas on my property I won't step foot in to until Nov. when things kick into gear.

ltpelham · 09-23-2008, 01:04 PM

hunt right away

Planter · 09-23-2008, 01:21 PM

In a perfect world a couple of weeks would be great. By the same token I have shot deer out of the same standon consecutive days and was not even remotely descrete while field dressing the first one.

I've also had places that needed to be hunted right away for one reason or another like acorns dropping or something. Nothing works better than some good wet and rainy weather to cleanse a site either.
I'm pretty suburban so my deer hear everything from dog walkers, horses, or even mountain bikers so I think their not quite that jumpy when it comes to human activity.