RE: Stand Setups. Let's Hear It From The Pros
 

Things I look for are bedding areas with heavy cover, rubs, and scrapes. Then I try to set up as tight as I can to themwithout bumping anything. I set up on routes that: travel to and from the beds making sure that the wind is in my favor, I can get to the stands without making a lot of noise, have suffient cover to keep me out if sight. If I can't get to the stand quietly in the dark, then I will only use it for afternoon hunts.

Setting up near a known bedding area is a great pre-rut plan mainly because it is in a concentrated area that the buck will usually return to at some point. After that, unless you feel confident paterning the deer, your guess is as good as mine to where he is going on a particular day.

During the rut, I set up where does congregate. Find the does, and chances are you'll also find a buck. Usually bedding areas and patterrning do not work well during the rut.

During the late season archery, also muzzleloader season, I like to set up on funnels. You usually have huntwith many more hunters in the woods then regular archery season. Deer seem to be pretty spooky, if deerhaapens to bepushed, it is a great strategy. That's how I took this late season buck last December with my longbow:




I'm not a pro by any means, just my 2 cents.

RE: Stand Setups. Let's Hear It From The Pros
 

I think the one thing that some hunters don't realize is that every buck, in every situation is different. There is no "secret" as alot of guys think. It's getting onto properties that have mature bucks, then executing a plan, a new plan, each time. Climbers, Hang-Ons, Ground Blinds, whatever it takes to get the job done!

RE: Stand Setups. Let's Hear It From The Pros
 

Picking the right location is the hard part. The rest is easy and mostly common sense. I guess the best advice I can give is not not rule anything out. As the season progresses and the deer get spookier, think "Odd Ball". Odd ball might be setting up in a creek or ditch on a stool where there are no trees to climb. The most important thing is always consider the wind. Next, get hidden. BE flexible enough to move when a spot(no matter how good it looks) is a bust. Move often, hunt a spot one or two times and leave it for a week or two. If the wind is wrong or marginal, just don't hunt it. Early season is easy to hide in. As the leaves fall it gets tougher. I use mostly a climber but I do have sticks and hangons. It's the same principle. I like 18-22 or 25 feet. I look for double and triple trees that break my outline. I carry a little rope with a hook that I can lasso and pull in branches and other trees with greenery or leaves and limbs on them. I pull them in and tie them off around. The ideal to me is to have a small pine or green bushy tree that runs up to about 20 feet right next to the one I want to be in. I can pull it in and become a continuation of the tree. I become the top and invisible. Blowdowns work well when you're looking for odd set ups. Watch for changing patterns. Deer in the summer will be on a different pattern than they'll be when the acorns start falling. You must stay up on it. Forget the lures, scents and stinky crap. It just alerts most smart deer. Be low impact, low stinky and don't do it often. Set up 15-20 yards off the trails.

RE: Stand Setups. Let's Hear It From The Pros
 

Here is a great tip I pick up from a friend of mine. The black straps on treestands and climbing sticks. They stick out like a sore thumb in the woods. I wrap some camo tape, or change the strap to a camo one. Deer visions has always been a hot debate, but there is one thing for sure, they can see black!!!

Just think when you are looking for your stand in a tree what do you see first? If it has a black strap I betcha it is that strap.

RE: Stand Setups. Let's Hear It From The Pros
 

Come on now. Do you really believe black straps from a stick or stand is going to spook deer? I have straps all over the place and bucks and does walk right by them without blinking an eye all the time. There are black hues all over the woods, so I seriously doubt a few black straps are going to ruin your hunt. Deer are not going to be alerted by black straps.

RE: Stand Setups. Let's Hear It From The Pros
 

I'm no pro but here's what works. I generally use lock-on stands and set them up 20'-25'. I generally have two stands per location so that I can play the wind. I mostly hunt travel corrdors (namely natural funnels and main travel routes between bed and feed.).Also I hunt mainly the edges of my main woods. We've only got about 45acres of wooded land so we don't push into it too much. A lot of the center of our woods is serious bedding area, and I don't like to disturb it. We've had the best luck setting up on the outside edges of our woods and several spots and form natural funnels and that are natural travel corridors. Good luck to you...I hope this helps.

RE: Stand Setups. Let's Hear It From The Pros
 

Black Straps?????? I'd worry more about the skid marks in your undies. Black straps show up for you, but for a deer a horizontal small dark line is a limb or something else. It's that 200 pound blob above the straps that set them off.

RE: Stand Setups. Let's Hear It From The Pros
 

I've wondered about the straps but more about their movement not there color. By covering them you could have restricted their movement. Still they have crossed my mind, funny you should mention them.

I hunt where the deer are and am prepared to move if need be. I take my best shot and if it works great, if not and I'm close but not enough, I'll move. Hunted an area in 04 that didn't produce but I gained some valuable info. Killed a buck there this year and it was in the spot I picked the year before. Bound to be a great spot from now on. Get several of those and your all set. Takes time.

If I'm hunting from lock-ons I'll bring along a climber, leave it in the truck and get itfor the move if needed.

RE: Stand Setups. Let's Hear It From The Pros
 

Ok ,here it it is, plain and simple,go with Summit,,i hooked up with a
Summit Goliath,,and i honestly can say i have never been happier,

.choose/explore and findyour favorite localeand your never going to be happier,trust me.

RE: Stand Setups. Let's Hear It From The Pros
 

LT stick with what these guys have tought you, and invest in a good 3-D Suit.
Camo can never be too effective so blend in as much as you can.