Garminator

I recently aquired a lease (approx 600 acres of which about half is timber & the other half are fields, it also has a river bottom on one side). My question is, where do you guys think would be the best spots to set up stands? I've heard everything from "near the bedding areas in the morning" to "near the feeding areas in the later hours". I've also heard that setting up near funnels is good. Does anyone have any suggestions other than what I previously mentioned? Thanks for the help, you guys are the Guru's!!! Especially my brother Rebel Hog

findinbone

If I did'nt have alot of time to figure out where to put my stands I think I might put some scouting cameras out.That would give you a starting point and you could fine tune your stragety from there.I would also spend some time looking for shed antlers old rub lines things of that nature.Good luck

uncle matt

Go to terraserver,yahoo maps or something and get an aerial pic and post it. Kinda hard to tell just from your post. I LOVE river bottoms/creek beds. It is easy to see where they are crossing and where they are funneling to cross is not usually far off on both sides.

TROPHYHUNTER25

with out knowing where things are its hard to say

timbercruiser

Get a topo map and the best aerials you can get and hit the woods. Actual time on the ground looking for old scrapes, rubs, food sources and trails is the key.

NEW61375

I would definitely check out that river bottom. I noticed under your name it says Florida, is that where your lease is? If so keep in mind that early archery(if you plan to bowhunt)and being that far south will definitely equal higher temperatures and water will likely have some extra "drawing power" for the deer. If there is a stand you can sit onwithin that bottomthat is also nearsome good cover and not too far from one of the fields it could be a great place to sit all day and maybe catch one going for some mid day water. Check out the aerial photos like others mentioned and look for pinch points, funnels, transition zones, inside corners, etc. A lot of times river beds and creek bottoms can form some good pinch points and funnels that may not be as obvious as others. Walk the river bed looking for obvious crossings or shallows. Basically just scout it and always take note of predominant wind direction and entry and exit routes to stands.

retrieverman

It is APRIL, and you have plenty of time to work on your stand placement. I have been using game cameras for 10 years, and from my experience, you won't learn much if anything from them in the spring (no horns). On my places, spring movement patterns are totally different than in the fall. If you can find some old rub lines, they might help get you in the ball park for fall movements. Basically, I don't get serious about my cameras until August or September, and even then, deer patterns will continue to change on into October.

For what it is worth, my experience is in eastern Texas and northwest Oklahoma and may be TOTALLY different from Florida, but again, it is APRIL. Take your time and do things right.

sjsfire

I've got a bedding area to my left, a food plot right in front of my stand, and a ditch bank the deer use for a funnel to my right, so I'm in a pretty good spot. But, If I had to pick the most productive area where I see the most deer it would be in the corner of the food plot in the late afternoon. Any spot would be good for me depending on the conditions though. I agree with the others, find a areial map and look it over.

Rebel Hog

Ed, do all the scouting you can without contaminating the area along the river bottoms.

I always score on the bottoms. In Green Swamp, along the Withlacoochee, in Perry along the Econfina, in Upper Hillsborough along the Hillsborough, in Aucilla along the New Port (Now called Flat Rock), etc.,etc.,etc.....

Where you see a lot of crossing, back off 100 to 150 yds and set up. You do understand that things change come Hunting season?Most thingsdon't change to much on Private Leases if there isn't to many Members hunting the Lease.

One time back in the early 90's in Aucilla WMA I found these huge and deep tracks while scouting a Logging road on my way to scout the bottoms.

I remember what an old timer from Perry told me years ago, when you see them tracks going across the road, it's going to Cross there again. So I backed off about 75yds and marked the spot with Orange Tapewhere I was going to setup. I told myself this is where I am going to be at sun-up.

I got there before sun-up and it was colder then heck. I wasn't about to climb 25 to 30ft in that cold wind. I parked off the road about 10ft, lowered the tail gateon the Toyota and opened upasleeping bag and layed in the box inthe prone position facing the crossing.

At 7:15 I seen something move at the crossing and Lord and Behold, he stuck his headout to check the road before crossing. All I did was lay there in Awe not believeing what I was seeing. I told myself, Hell I have to shoot now, and pulled the trigger on the .270 just as it got to the other side of the road and down it went.

It was a massive10pt and weighed 176pds,big for the area. What I am tring to show you here Ed, is that deer hunting is not always by the book.

Garminator

My lease is actually in south GA & Iwill deffinately take all of the pointers given into consideration. Thanks to all, you guys are the best!!!