Help with stand location
 

Im fairly new to bowhunting, this will be my 2nd year. I recently got permission to hunt a section of land along the missouri river here in SE SD. I jumped at the chance to hunt this because getting permission to hunt anything in this area is really difficult. Anyway, I have posted an arial view of the land I can hunt (the area circled in red). I know its not the greatest piece of land to hunt, but just being able to hunt anything is better than nothing.I know there are deer there, I have seen 100's of them in fields and areas near by. Any advice would be great! Thanks for the help.Hope everyone has a safe and successful season!!

Ryan

RE: Help with stand location
 

Here are some of the spots I would look at. I focused on edges and corners, any time two or more types of vegetation or terrain meet you got a decent starting point for a stand site. If nothing else, they allow for a good field of vision for you to see exactly where deer are moving. One thing that would help is topo map to look at as well. There were a couple spots that looked like they may be old creek beds and those would be decent spots to set up along as they make great travel routes.

RE: Help with stand location
 

First thing I'd do (if I was going to be hunting this property for an extended period of time) is find out where they're bedding. Once you know that.....you've got 1/2 of it licked.

The reason I mentioned the extended period of time is.....you probably don't have time to find out a whole lot this year without buggering the spots up by going in there. Your call, there. For the immediate.....it sounds like you know they're coming to those fields to eat in the evenings (I assume that's where/when you're seeing them). Try to see where they're coming from and set up in the field edge to intersect them.

This is a catch-22, because you're probably gonna get nailed down in your stand if they get by you (which they will;)). I wouldn't hunt anywhere near that bean field in the AM, though. Just me. BUT....if you knew where they were bedding.....you might be able to get in behind them and catch them going home to bed.

Once the beans are gone.....you're gonna have to find out what they'r eating, then. Same principle applies, though. You need to know where they're coming from to get there.....OR....you can simply sit over the mast crops (again...I'm assuming they'll actually get on the mast crops, next....AND that you have acess to the mast producing trees).

What I did on the land I hunt....is started on the fringes and just watched and took whatever happened by. You'll learn a LOT by observing from a distance, although it might make for some fruitless sits in the beginning (harvest-wise). In reality.....it's sound hunting, though. Think of it as scouting with a bow in hand....and a chance at a deer.

Once the season's over.....get in there and walk it. Find out where they're bedding. Think "area" and not 'spot". It could be many, many acres.

Good luck. That land looks awesome.;)

RE: Help with stand location
 

What GMMAT said, thats some sound advice.

RE: Help with stand location
 

Thanks for the advice guys!! I really appreciate it!