A great stand on a farm I hunt is a little tricky to get to without spooking deer. Wind direction is very difficult since deer literally use this corner from all directions. If they are spooked out surrounding hollows and run across the field they pile in here, bedding areas all around, and then of course them feeding in the field.
It is in the northwest corner of what is right now a soybean field. Deer bed all along the north edge and the west edge of this field. It has always suprisingly been a better stand in the morning for some reason with the deer using the corner of the fieldas a way to bypass some deep ravines.
Right now I park the 4wheeler pretty far away and walkon thetractor/combine roads back to the field and then cross the field to my stand. Problem being in the morning I am bumping deer out of the field EVERY time I go in. However I try to be in my stand no later than an hour before daylight most of the time 1 1/2 hrs.
Option #2-Enter from the far east end of the field and walk the northern edge of the field to the stand. This will however create a bunch of extra scent to the north of me and disturb their bedding area.
Option#3-Enter from the neighbor on the west(I have permission to do this). Once again I am going right through their bedding area and chances are from this way I will be spooking them in the field too.
Option #4-Wait till daylight and enter the field. I did this once last year as an accident. I was decoying from this spot and forgot my stakes so I had to return to the 4wheeler. Then I realized I forgot my release so I had to make another trip before I could go to the field. Got settled in about 30 minutes after daylight, but the deer sightings did not seem any different than before.
I think that keeping it the way I have it is the best way although I am making these deer smarter everytime I enter the stand. Two times last year though I had mature bucks come in right at daylight. The first a 130 class 8 point came in right under my stand before shooting hours and the other a monster 10 or 12 that was out in the field when the sun rose.
Just wanted some thoughts on this and sorry for the lengthy read.
I would steer clear of bedding areas if possible. The thing is, just about every hunter has this same conflict...you're going to take chances spooking deer no matter what...but those are chances you have to take, it's just minimizing them...I'm Mr. Obvious I know. But I wouldn't wait until daylight, I would get there extra early to give things a chance to settle down. The chances of you spooking into the next county are a lot greater during daylight than I in the dark...in my opinion/experience.
How would you enter this stand?
