I hunt staging areas. On my families property in southern Illinois I prefer to hunt them. This is due to how the terrain is set up. Lots of fingers of timber between open rolling fields. I find the paths most traveled across the fields to and from bedding or food sources and that (most of the time) leads me to staging areas.

For some reason or another the deer just feel comfortable there probably due to cover, view, and a host of other variables and they willcongregate before crossing the fields to move to food sources or bedding areas. During the rut the does keep to their schedule (for the most part) and continue using the staging areas.......The bucks know this as well and that's where they can be found.

I'm a big fan of hunting beading areas especially where the terrain makes them abundant.