....guys have your stands at for the first part of the season?? i mean from(for me Sep. 15) opening day to about Oct, right before you move them for the rut?? i am having some scouting trouble, trying to find sign in a timber with cattle on it is impossible. i think i will just hang one where i think they are in the timber and move it accordingly if i have to :whip:

My season starts middle of September, and I have 6 ladder stands set up in various spots, but I have found that right in the corner of a bean field on the edge is my best stand for early season.

what you need to do is find bedding spots and feeding spots if im going out in early morning late evening u go to bedding and do good but when tnere feeding i get better shots and see bigger bucks

I focus on white oaks in the early season. They are usually dropping acorns when our season starts and the deer really work them over.

I hunt over food sources in the early season. I've got stands over a couple clover/chicory plots, an alfalfa field, a small plot that I use that Secret Spot mix, and a bean field. I've also got a couple stands over acorns when they start dropping. I only hunt evenings in the early season as well.

Gotta use your early season stands near whatever food source you are seeing the deer in(acorns,beans,clover,...whatever). I usually won't set too close to the center of their food sources (especially crop fields) because I need an escape/entrance route at dark and most of the big deer will not likely frequent the heart of the food sources during daylight making travel routes to the food sources from bedding areas a much better option for me.

When you have 25 acres of timber and 7 differant tree stands... you dont get too picky were you put one. Our timber is divided up by a few big draws and I just put a treestand in each draw and whenever I go out to hunt I just choose at random or if I see a buck pass through the night before then I might go to that certain draw. Alot of times I do long walks on the public ground next to us. Im the only bow hunter that hunts it so I have over 300 acres of prarie grass type of land to go on.

I usually hunt hot days near the stream if its dry. Otherwise I just set up along bedding in the morning.

If the cattle are musing up the deer sign before you are able to see, I guess it just boils down to using your woods savy to make a placement decision. Like everyone refered to food source is key early in the season with white oaks being my main target. Doesn't matter what else is around, if white oak acorns are on the ground deer are on them!

I hunt beside some big white oaks in early season and a well used trails in the rut .I don't like hunting food plots because my deer use the food plots at night.