Ive been hunting a stand (I actually have 4 stands up) that was hung back in early Spetember after scouting/watching from 500 yards for 2 months, and from past years knowledge. I have placedthis one particular standat a field edge where lots, and I mean lots of does and a few smaller buckscome out to feed, which Ive still been seeing nightly. My question is Ive seen a hammer come out about 200 yards from my stand almost every other night from the same trail for 2 weeks, work a scrape right at the field entrance, then move out into the field. The Does/fawns work their way out into the field and out of shooting range after an hour or so of feeding where the buck has been crossing to interact with them and smaller bucks. My gut tells me to stay put as the rut gets close to being in full swing and hopefully some shooters will start following the does, but its painful to watch this beast in front of me almost every night. If I moved my stand like I almost did a week ago I would have had at least3 opportunities at him from downwind. I just keep having the feeling that as soon as I move my stand either the big boy wont come out anymore, or something nice will present a shot where my stand currently is (Murphys Law). Do I buy another stand and put it up and hunt it where the big boy is coming out, or stay put??? Im getting more and more gray hairs from hunting every year, and less and less from the wifelol.

I would absolutely move to set up on him. Set the stand in the afternoon quietly and make certain the wind is favorable and go for it. I would just want to make sure I didn't screw up a bedding area. I have a similar situation where I hunt. One of my stands is in a position to observe..and deer do come by it. I could have shot 3 small bucks already. But there is not tree that I could set up in where the big boys usually come and go to their beds. And the current stand is really only about 100 yards from where they come out. I would set up in a heart beat is I could. This happens every year and like you, I have to wait it out and hope they follow a doe by the existing stand. Count your blessings that you can move to set up on him and go for it!

I dont have to worry about messing up any bedding areas as I can enter from cut corn and dont have to go through any woods. Its an easy set up and I know which way the wind typically blows so Im all set there too, its juts one of those things thats worrying me. I spent so much time waiting out this one stand that as soon as I move it I know that big dude will walk out with the does right where my stand was lol. I may just bite the bullet and go buy another stand and set it up to hunt for a few days.

buy another a stand or use a climber if you have one.........and GO GET HIM!!!

Well duhhhhhhhhhh... "Do I sit and watch him from 200 yards away or do I try and go where he shows himself nightly"? Duhhhhhhhhhh... and NO, you don't move, you move one of the other stands that seems like a dud. If the does parade past the one you have nightly, why would you move it. Move something else. Exactly why I hate fields. It does me no good to sit with a bow in my handand watch deer from 200 yards away. Get on his trail and kill him. If he moves to the does trail(which he should be doing within the next week) you have a stand there. By the way...it sounds like you've already overhunted the doe stand anyway, but leave it for a while.

I would definitly get a stand set up over there in a heartbeat

davemil you need an attitude adjustment you old grump, I asked a simple question and I get your above all better thaneveryone reply like normal!! You dont know where I hunt or what the area looks like so dont give me any lip on not hunting fields ... sir.I have lots of deer within 30 yards of me on any given night including some 120 " bucks but I'll let them grow a little which you dont practice but thats cool if thats what you choose to do. You live close to me, come meet me in Poolseville, I'll ****** you on the 1200 acre property and you can sit accross the field one time and watch with some binoculars and tell me I dont have the does figured out, when the rut is on go where the does are which is what Im doing. You keep sitting in the woods where ever it is you hunt and see nothing, I'll stick to my evening field edge hunting where I hunt. And if you read my post I said the past 2 weeks hehas been comingout "almost every other night" which is certainly not "showing himself nightly" as you said. Its a gamble this close to the rut either way, and this time of the year the bucks patterns can change daily depending on the rut which why Im hesitating. And my other stands are set up in the woods for morning hunts and at another fieeld location and Im not moving them either geniusbecause they are there for a reason also, so I can alternate stands in the woods and on field edges. Dont give me chit grumpy because as you said in another one of your replies you havent seen many deer latley or something thats why you shot that little scrub before you leave on your trip or something.

Oh yeah. If you've got him patterned that well.......get him before he changes. Pronto, post haste, right now. Go in at mid day and set the stand. You'll get him. As the rut edges closer, his pattern will change. You could get lucky if you stay put, he would probably come by at some point, but if you know he's coming out here at this time......why wait?

Yeah, I wouldn't let the fear of missing him stop you. After all you've done that several times so far right? I would only hesitate if there's a chance moving would alert him to your presence. I agree with mobowhuntr, once the rut kicks in for real he could be in the next county. There's no guarantee he'll hook up with one of the does in front of your stand.

Well you are not me, because if I were to move then he would come out under the stand I had been hunting. Seriously though I would go for it. Give it 2 or 3 nights and if he reappears over by your other stand then switch back but give it a shot I say.