Lets say you have 10 good spots to hunt based on a lot of information. You then try and determine which spots are better for the pre-rut and which are better for the rut. Since the pre-rut transitions into the rut through a period of days or weeks, then some stands are better suited for that transitional period while others are just to be used strictly during the pre-rut and others strictly during the full blown rut.

I was thinking of trying this out this year in attempts to keep a rotation of what places I will hunt based on my experience with the areas and just some overall feelings I have toward hunting in general. I am not trying to be robotic, just trying to tip the odds in my favor on each hunt by being a little more systematic. I am not claiming to know the breakdown of the rut dates, just using the below dates as an example....any suggestions guys? Any advice or experience based strategies are greatly welcomed!

For example:

P=Pre-rut
T=Transitional period
R=Rut

October 31st--Stand 1 P
Nov 1st--Stand 2 P
2nd---Stand 3 P
3rd -No hunting Sunday
4th -- Stand 1 P
5th--Stand 2 P
6th--Stand 3 P
7th--Stand 4 T
8th--Stand 5 T
9th--Stand 6 T
10th -No hunting Sunday
11th--Stand 4 T
12th---Stand 5 T
13th--Stand 6 T
14th--Stand 7 R
15th--Stand 8 R
16th--Stand 9 R
17th -No hunting Sunday
18th--Stand 10 R
19th--Stand 7 R
20th--Stand 8 R
21st--Stand 9 R
22nd--Stand 10 R

I wish I had that many options, but even if I did I don't know that I could script anything out with that kind of certainty without alternates due to weather and wind considerations.

I don't have that many options....One large military base with a lot of land. Not great spots with a lot of deer/bucks...just my best options relative to everything else.

Do you have backups plans though for if the wind is dead wrong for a stand you planned on sitting?

For example, say you have November 6th--Stand 3P and it is good for anything but a west wind and that is what you've got on the 6th. Would you then hunt say Stand 2?

Yes HB,--Any of the other places such as stands 1-3 are interchangeable based on them being labelled "P". And some of the places I call "stands" are really just small areas, not a specific stand sight per say..areas that I can adjust my climber based on the wind. And some of my "stands" are just that, very specific spots...gives me some flexiblity.

I actually creat Excel spreadsheets by stand number, best wind, second best, PM, or AM. Takes a ton of time, but when you know the wind, you can just look at the list and pic a stand!

WKP--thanks for the tip. I might just do that to occupy my time for the next 2.5 weeks.

I’ll script properties but not so much stand sites. There are a few stands that will get hit that first week of November regardless of wind, but other than that, hot sign and wind directs my actual stand choices.

Yes i do, it's all based on food, beding, family groups and the lay of the land, wich changes from year to year.It's all stored in my head.

gri22----so you just kind of put it all together and select a stand sight on a day to day basis or do you analyze a few days at a time?