What are your secrets for finding a place to put your deer or elk stand? I have heard many various reasons, but would like to know why you put your stand where you do? Is it feed, cover, escape routes, bedding areas. I am interested in what you have to say! Thanks for your help.

Dr. Mike
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my secret when hunting deer if finding sign first. food is most important. if you bait regularly that can bring in the deer most times. if you dont have a good food source or the piece of land your hunting is just a pass through piece baiting will help. when i find a potential spot i set up just off the trail or preferably where a couple trails meet .i try not to set the stand up so the sun is in my face for the time of the day i plan to hunt it. you will find some stands will be better in the morning and some in the afternoon .you mite get lucky on both sometimes though. once the stand is set up the most valuable secret is just spending time in it. i usually have to move my site the first couple years till i figure out the patterns or decide to move all together. also try to plan a trail to your stand that isint on a major deer trail to your stand area. cut through some nasty stuff if you have to. you could use reflective tacks to make it easy. this is just the basics and i think is the most fun part

First you need to hunt for sheds then finding the path the deer takes to its food source, water source, and bedding area. It kinda goes in a cicular patteren.

All these suggestions are good ones. Basically, you spend time in the woods and see if you can pattern the deer in the area. Once you're familiar with the movements of the deer you can determine your best stand location. I especially like places where deer are funneled into narrow areas.
Of course, after opening day in most areas all bets are off because behavior patterns change quickly.

i search alot for intersecting trails. if they are close to a food source i put it just off the trail back into the woods. if their is no food source near the intersection i check to see if it appears well traveled.the best i have found is intersecting trails near a water source.