I have four stand spots on two properties. The place I plan to hunt opening day (Oct. 7) morning is amongst some white oaks, just above some thick cover with several trails the deer use to come up from the CRP fields below in the morning to go back to their bedding areas further up the mountain in the National Forest. The wind almost always flows uphill in the morning and downhill in the evening. I walk in from a small logging road that curves around and runs along the ridge about 35 yards above my stand, so I have the wind in my favor. There’s another ridge behind that one, so I shouldn’t be outlined too badly as I walk along the ridge.

There are a lot of white oaks around me, although my actual stand tree is a tall straight hickory with some nice cover trees around it so the deer can’t see me too well. These cover trees include several pine, for later in the season, after the leaves have dropped. I have cut out several shooting lanes around me that point at the most heavily travels deer trails within bowshot. There are tons of deer sign all around the tree. Last year I hunted from that tree 7 or 8 times in the morning and saw several deer almost every time. I even got one of them!

I may hunt opening evening in a different spot about 250 yards from this one, but this post is already too long to talk about that![8D]

My number 1 stand is 10yds off a trail that follows a creek bed. it is between an oak grove and a bedding area. There is a trail intersection in a clearing that now has a pretty nice food plot in it. This is in an area that has not been hunted in years on our lease. I found it by following a trail through some really thick nasty stuff. I found a lot of sign and a rub line from last year. I picked my particular tree because it is straight, close to the trail, offers good cover to be able to draw, and covers all trails leading to the intersection. I can get to it quietly and predominant winds will be in my face. I'm excited about this spot! I pray the wind is from the north on opening day! If its not I'll have to sit stand #2.

I have 3 different types of stands. I have early season stands that focus on bedding to feeding transition zones that are used late summer/early fall. These are usually nanny whacking spots. Then I have early seasonspots such as what buckeyebuckhunter described that are usually focused on terrain features leading into or out of thickbedding areas that I will hunt up until the chasing phase. Then during the rut I will typically hunt where the does are, or hunt terrain features that funnel movement in certain directions that a buck may use while cruising from family group to family group of does.

I am using a climber. It is set on top of a hill surrounded by kettles. There are trails all over the place around my stand and it is close(50-60) yards from the field where they feed at night. The property I am hunting is small(5-10 acres) but surrounded by fields and the woods go out to a finger. I am the only one hunting it and I have already harvested one deer from it this year.

I decided to pick the spot my stand is in now becuase last year I sat and watched every single deer I saw walk in and out of that corner of this roughly 20 acre wheat field. I also saw a group of nine pretty mature turkeys walk in and out of this corner as well during last deer season. I was fairly new to hunting this part of the property and was unaware of the deer travel patterns on this part of the property. I am hoping I get a pretty easy shot this season...as there is a tree between me and the path that they walk as well as about a twenty yard shot.