I am going to be bow hunting in Missouri in a few weeks on a relative' s 300 acres. They harvest 120-140 class deer during rifle season every year. I am the only one that bow hunts there. Here' s the problem. I live in Texas and have only hunted there once last season. And because it is only a 3 day trip, I was not able to scout the property very well. I think I know where they bed and feed, but am not sure. The deer I saw last year came from all different directions. So, where and how should I set up, not knowing where the deer are coming from. How do I keep the wind in my favor? There only seems to be only one reasonable way to access the woods. Any help would be appreciated.

Since it' s a relative' s property, I would suspect they would be forthcoming as to inform you where they have been seeing the deer. For example, I hunt some private land here in NJ where the owners are having issues with deer damage. I ask them weekly where they are seeing the deer in the mid to late afternoon hours. So far, they have put me right where I need to be. It' s on the corner edge of the field where the woods come up hill to a small field. The deer seem to funnel up and right out of this area to access the field. Right where my stand is. So, ask your relative where they have been seeing the deer.

Get a topo map and a laminated aerial photogragh of the area.
Have your relatives piont out where they were seeing deer and what they were doing. Also get an idea of what tree species exist on the property and thier location. When you gather all of this info transfer the data onto the aerial photograph in colored pencil.
These steps should put you in prime position to bag something.
Also take into consideration that your hunting at a different time in the season.
Good luck.

good advice. Thanks. The problem is that its my mom' s uncle who own' s the land. He is getting older and very rarely visits the property. It is his grandsons on the other side of the family that hunt it during rifle season. (I have never met them and don' t even know how to get in touch with them.) But how would I get arial photos and topo maps? I think that could be very helpful.

Walk the edges of the field. Look for trails, and trails with rubs on them. Check out the trails with the most good sized rub activity(or other signs of big bucks). Walk them back a ways. If you run into thick cover that might be a bedding area, stop. Very quietly back off, and set up a stand 100 yards os so from the bedding area. If you walk a ways and don' t find a bedding area, follow the trail back 100 or so yards(whatever distance you think you can catch the deer during daylight).

Basically, find a trail that a good sized deer seems to be using. Follow it back a ways, and set up. For short term hunting, this is probably the best thing to do. You might also do very well setting up in funnels if you can' t find and good buck sign. Funnels are a good bet if no real concrete sign shows.

peashooter

For Day One - Locate what appears to be the best " inside corner" of a field on the property. While any field corner can be good - The NE corners are almost always best. A feild corner is 1/2 a funnel. Often beyond the field corner is a creek, or ridge completing the funnel. On the ground scouting will confirm the best spot - buts VERY hard to go wrong hunting 20 yds inside a NE Corner.


Good Luck!!!

Get the address of the property. Then go to www.topo.com or www.usgs.gov.
These sites will guide you through the maps that encompass your area.
Deer use terrain features in the same way no matter where you are in the US.
They will use elevation changes to hide, bed, and travel.
The topo will give you a great starting point. look for funnels, saddles, and ridges.
The aerial photo will show you the big picture. (Hardwoods vs Softwoods, logging roads, etc... You will probably need to get a stereo scope to view the aerials in great deatil($10-30$ for a basic pair). Your local Barnes and Noble or library will have easy to read books on The how to' s of reading a topo map.
When you get the hang of it you can take coordinants from your topo map and input them directly into a GPS unit. All of these steps and scouting if done on foot would take a week. You will have it done before you step into the woods.
Remember these are great scouting starting points. You will still need to find the best ambush spot.
Also take advantage of www.weather.com they will give you the wind direction on a daily basis. take this into account when approaching your selected area' s.

Hope this helps and good luck!