Stand Placement Suggestions
 

Ok guys...lets hear your suggestions for Stand locations.

I pretty much canhunt south of the Highway and East of the road that runs up the middle of pic.

That is a abandoned apple orchard in the pic. It still produces some apples but is not an active orchard.

Thanks in advance.

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

I am very interested in how someone can pic a spot out from looking at a pic like this??? I cant wait too see!! I dont have a clue?!?

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

The abandoned apple orchard would be one of the first places I would look at. I also like the looks of the little secluded fields to the east. Are they planted? I am guessing that is a creek that runs just west of the fields, I would be looking that over to see if they have a preferred crossing area. A topo map would be a huge help with as much timber as you have.

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

Hell,I want to know how they were able save the pic. I tried to save my hunting ground pic in Google earth and it won't let me, let me know how you did it Ranger????

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

I'd be checking out that ditch/creek running between the large field and 2 smaller ones

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

Kickin,

The little fields to the east are actually Pear orchards. They too are abandoned. And yes that is a creek that runs west of the fields.


Oil,
I clicked File, Save Image to my documents and then uploaded it to Photobucket.

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

Whats the scale? How many acres are we looking at? Is it mature timber? What is that sport of darker timber north of the field? Is the apple orchard grown over or do the bush hog it? Give us some more details!

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

man those abandoned pear orchards is where i would put in a lil food plot and in the middle of that timber it would be awesome! how many acres are there and how many acres are the abandoned pear orchards

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

If that field is currently producing crops, I would place a stand to intercept deer bedded in those pines to the north of it......also, to the southwest, there seems to be some thicker cover....try to set up where the cover changes from thick, to medium, to no cover....I love setting up on "inside edges" that occur when cover changes or overlaps. Those are just my humble opinions. Best of luck.

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

I would look for any possible fencelines along the creek and find areas where the fence is down or partially down near a shallow area of the creek where they would cross. It is hard without a topo but I like the shortest distance between feeding areas where there is water nearby.

There darker grouping of trees north of the orchard, are they oaks? If they are oaks you will also have the liklihood of deer traveling from the orchard to them as part of their travel path as long as there is a good acorn crop.

I would also walk though the woods along any deer trails and look up, chances are someone hunted it in the past and already has an area marked for you.

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

I edited the photo with a scale. I would say we are looking at about 150acres of the area that I described. Most of the area was probably logged out 20 years ago. So in the dark areas there are now some mature timber. The orchard has been non-active for 5years now. They do not bush hog it. It is starting to get over grown.

Race,

You are correct, that dark area North of the orchard are Oaks, they are sitting up on a ledge. I am looking on finding a topo to post.

As for the creek that runs west of the pear orchard. It is usually dried up. When they logged 20years ago, it kinda followed the skidder path.

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[Deleted by Admins]

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

Here is a topo of the area. If someone knows how to punch in the coordinates and get a better map...feel free.

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

How could you posibly tell by looking at picture?Sorry I can t imagine how anyone could even say a thing without spending a week walking around any given spot thats just a basic understanding.But maybe some ppl on here are better at looking at charts and maps then me only 30 years navagating a 200 ton fishing vessel all over the east coast but what do i know. Place your stand along rub lines between where they bed and where they feed look for vegation edges ridges bottle necks of cover.

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

In the morning I would hunt the Oaks north of the Orchard and I'd concentrate from the middle to the southernmost part on the western edge.
In the afternoon I would switch to the area of the southeast corner of the apple orchard or the dry creekbed close to where the road crosses on the south west end of the Pear orchard left of the house 150 yards and 75-100 yards from the road.
Other than that I might check out the dry creekbed or logging road. It also looks like there is a field southeast of the orchard, what is that field all about?

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

Thats why I posted it on here. I am learning to read topos and aerial maps to find good deer locations. Someof the guys on here have a keen eye for it.

By the way can anyone recommend a good book on how to read topos related to deer hunting?

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

http://www.amazon.com/Mapping-Trophy-Bucks-Brad-Herndon/dp/0873495039

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

Thanks Double Creek.

I'll check it out.

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

You can't always look at a map and know immediately where to set up. One factor to remember is that deer are slaves to their stomach, the bucks will be gourging going into fall and have to eat. If you have Apples and Pears and Oaks dropping acorns then you got some great food sources on the 150 acres. You also have what looks like agriculture fields in that 150 acres. You have a turnpike which many could see as a drawback but in reality if you have an area running under it you could have a funnel, but didn't see that in the mapping. You also have water sources West of the area across the road from the Oak Trees and a major water source to the South of the Apple and Pear Orchard.
I have always had my best luck in the mornings in areas of higher elevations and found lower elevations to be better later in the day, seems to be the effect of thermals. I would walk every acre of the property and look for sheds and bedding areas and start following the trails. My experience is to be careful with rubs unless you find them in areas with multiple trails converging as I rarely see deer on rubs in daylight where I hunt unless they are on major travel corridors. A few cameras wouldn't hurt if you can afford them.

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

Good points but where I hunt there are no farms or feilds acorns and tea berry leaaves are main stay rubs are my only indaction of travel I can usualy get a pretty goodidea of travel most rubs closer to bedding I think my hunnting is very different than most on here mostly very think scrub oak bowls boardered by pines some stands i have to crawl a 100 yrds in places i have hunted penn and ny and was amazed at open was and still saw deer

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

Race,
Thanks for your input. Good advice....I will look into your suggestions.

Oh yeah and welcome to the boards!:)

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

It sounds like this area has a lot to offer. If I planned on hunting there for years, I would prune and fertilize some of the fruit & oak trees each year.

Regarding hunting: Undetected access is always extremely important. From what area(s) can you access your hunting area? Do you live close enough to scout? Are there high/open areas you can glass from early morning and evening. Do you have trail cameras?


Regarding the maps: What I don't see is any real good looking bottle necks or long ridges. From the Ariel one can't tell if the pines have or provide low ground cover for a bed down area or if they are open.



I would look into corners at the fruit trees early in the season as well as placing stands between the oaks (on the years with good mass crops) and bed down areas which could be located near the top of the locations showing higher altitude, if they are easy to access with out traveling through the feeding area.


I would walk that long stream running North & South to scout for crossings, trails, and hoof size.



Good luck....

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

Look at the very secluded creek bottom running just west of the small fields. There are more than likely some very heavily used pinches where the deer are crossing that crick. Also it loods like there is a cancentration of evergreen trees in the center of the property that the deer are probably going to be bedded in so those fields if planted are going to produce good nmbers of deer. Just be sure to hunt those spots and all of your spots with the wind in your favor.

RE: Stand Placement Suggestions
 

I would hunt by #1 the cell towers at the tip of fieldbecause it is a secure way for them to enter field between the Mass turnpike and field.#2 has agriculture field connecting to orchard.Try Microsoft live maps you will be amazed at the views you will get.