Hi,

Staging areas are places where bucks, especially mature smart bucks, wait in cover until darkness so that they can feed in safety. They will usually be near food plots in heavy cover, 50-100 yards from the food source. To find them you will need to know where the bedding sites are in your area, and where the feeding sites are. If you don’t know these then the best way to find staging areas in the early season is by following a rub line. These are generally made by bucks traveling between bedding and feeding areas. You will most likely be able to find a staging area by following this route. If you find three or for rubs in different directions, indicting that the buck is milling around while waiting, chances are that you’ve found a staging area. There may be a slight clearing. There will usually be brush and other woodsy browse. Look for droppings that are more clumped together, almost like a human’s. Because bucks eat more of this woody type food their droppings will be more clumped than a does which will resemble rabbit droppings or pellets. Just remember that there will most likely be very little sign in a staging area.

Mark
http://www.buckhuntersecrets.com/