My primary area is mostly private land surrounded by thousands of acres of public land. Northern Arkansas, rolling hills, pines/hardwoods/cedars. Not many big deer, not a lot of deer, but I hunt with my Dad up there and it makes for a good season.

My #1 stand is a funnel coming off a big hill choked with short knarly cedars and a clearcut. The deer have to cross a dirt road here or cross open fields. The strip of woods is about 75 yards to 100 yards wide, narrowing down to where I have my stand in a big old oak tree. My shots this fall will be about 10-15 yards.
Stealthycat's Photo's

Well I count myself lucky this year, I have one place that is 61 acres that only two other people will bow hunt on and then only on weekends. This property has three large fields, with two beautiful treelines dividing the fields and backs up to a river that the deer can and do ford.

Spot #1 I have already designated as my afternoon stand and have cut myself out a sweet blind with 4 great shooting lanes, this is in the end of one of the tree lines where every time I have been there I have seen at least 3 deer feeding right next to where I cut out the blind. I also picked this out because I will be able to take one of my twins at a time to sit with me in the afternoon.

Spot #2 is right inbetween an old ford and where a stream(dry for the first time in 93 years)enters the river. The banks to the river a steep every where except there and there are a ton of tracks in bot the ford and the stream bed. The whole area funnels into this spot.

As I scout more I will add stands to this property.

Property #2 is only 12 acres, but is a sweet spot also, there is a monster 6 point(no brow tines) that made it through last season.

spot #1 is a bottom that funnels out of a huge stand of oaks down to a small pond which is the only water source for about 3 miles, I have a permanent stand which covers every trail entering the bottom going to the pond.

spot #2 is within 20 yards of the pond just inside of a thick area of pine that they bed in. There is one major trail leading to the pond that is heavily used and several smaller trails enter the small clearing around the pond.

It should be a good year for me if the drought continues, especially bow season and the water sources I have covered by 3 out of my 4 present stands.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club