How long before you decide to move your stand?
10-03-2007, 11:21 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location:
Posts: 267
How long before you decide to move your stand?
I have been out to my stand about 4 times since the season opened on Monday and i have not seen one deer. I saw deer sign this year inthe form of tracksand some old rubs from last year on the trees nearby but nothing yet. How long do you guys wait before deciding to move toa new location?
10-03-2007, 05:25 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Camden,MO
Posts: 2,546
RE: How long before you decide to move your stand?
I'd give it alittle more time at least.depending on the temp they may be moving more at night than in the day. What till pre-rut starts kicking in and they start making sscrpes again.
10-03-2007, 06:38 PM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Darien, IL
Posts: 6,744
RE: How long before you decide to move your stand?
Patience is a virtue every hunter should strive for.
If you thought it was a good place for a stand - go with it. I assume you are paying attention to wind and your path in/out, etc.
Go with this. You obviously want to move it - don't deny it. Leave it. Set up another stand so when wind changes - you have option "B".
Now let's get to the most important item here. I believe it has alot to do with why you are not seeing deer.............
Why would a dude have a picture of some big muscle guy smiling and half naked as an avatar. Go with something like a race car number, a big deer, a musclecar (no imports) or (if the mods would let you) a hot chick. Then the deer will come.
Ixna the udeda ickqa
If you thought it was a good place for a stand - go with it. I assume you are paying attention to wind and your path in/out, etc.
Go with this. You obviously want to move it - don't deny it. Leave it. Set up another stand so when wind changes - you have option "B".
Now let's get to the most important item here. I believe it has alot to do with why you are not seeing deer.............
Why would a dude have a picture of some big muscle guy smiling and half naked as an avatar. Go with something like a race car number, a big deer, a musclecar (no imports) or (if the mods would let you) a hot chick. Then the deer will come.
Ixna the udeda ickqa
10-04-2007, 11:36 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 3,406
RE: How long before you decide to move your stand?
Like others have said, this time of year can be tough.
That being said, I think the worse thing you can do is overhunt a stand. This is coming from a guywho was real stubborn when it came to moving. I used to think the longer I stayed, the better my chances because sooner or later they will be coming through.
In order to be suucessful you have to hunt where the deer are. If you hunt one stand and see nothing for 2+ days, that tells me the deer are not there. Get out, start scouting again and find them.
Just my .02, but you will see and shoot more deer.
That being said, I think the worse thing you can do is overhunt a stand. This is coming from a guywho was real stubborn when it came to moving. I used to think the longer I stayed, the better my chances because sooner or later they will be coming through.
In order to be suucessful you have to hunt where the deer are. If you hunt one stand and see nothing for 2+ days, that tells me the deer are not there. Get out, start scouting again and find them.
Just my .02, but you will see and shoot more deer.
10-04-2007, 12:50 PM
#7
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425
RE: How long before you decide to move your stand?
Well...I'm thinking about moving, because I've already killed two out of my stand with a bow...
I have been 7 times and seen deer every time, I have had deer within 15 yards of me 5 different times...I took 2 shots....It isn't the weather, it's not the moon phase, it's not because you aren't wearing yout lucky tee shirt.....
Why are you there, in that location???? Why did you pick that tree???
How far are you from the bedding area?? Are you hunting mornings or evenings?? When the deer travel through that area, which way do they come from?? Where do they go??? What wind direction do you need to hunt that area??? How do you get into and out of the area without spooking the deer???
What are the deer feeding on in your area??? And perhaps most important, what type weather will the deer move in....Back in July, when we were having record high temps, for two days, deer were feeding in the middle of the day, out in the soybean fields...The heat doesn't bother them, they are in it every day...In NC the white oaks are starting to drop, the persimmons are within a week or two of being ripe, the grapes started dropping 3 weeks ago....
Where I am, we are about 3 weeks from the beginning of the rut, does are weaning their young, they are putting on the feed bag, food is the key right now to seeing deer...In 3-4 weeks you need to be on does, to see bucks....
These are a few of the questions that you need to be able to answer when you go into the woods, once all this becomes 2nd nature, you'll start seeing deer...
I have been 7 times and seen deer every time, I have had deer within 15 yards of me 5 different times...I took 2 shots....It isn't the weather, it's not the moon phase, it's not because you aren't wearing yout lucky tee shirt.....Why are you there, in that location???? Why did you pick that tree???
How far are you from the bedding area?? Are you hunting mornings or evenings?? When the deer travel through that area, which way do they come from?? Where do they go??? What wind direction do you need to hunt that area??? How do you get into and out of the area without spooking the deer???
What are the deer feeding on in your area??? And perhaps most important, what type weather will the deer move in....Back in July, when we were having record high temps, for two days, deer were feeding in the middle of the day, out in the soybean fields...The heat doesn't bother them, they are in it every day...In NC the white oaks are starting to drop, the persimmons are within a week or two of being ripe, the grapes started dropping 3 weeks ago....
Where I am, we are about 3 weeks from the beginning of the rut, does are weaning their young, they are putting on the feed bag, food is the key right now to seeing deer...In 3-4 weeks you need to be on does, to see bucks....
These are a few of the questions that you need to be able to answer when you go into the woods, once all this becomes 2nd nature, you'll start seeing deer...
10-04-2007, 01:41 PM
#8
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: St. Libory, IL
Posts: 23
RE: How long before you decide to move your stand?
Don't move that stand... It may just be a week away from being a hot spot or trail. Try to buy or build another stand somewhere else. Perhaps, the deer are just on a different part of the property, due to food source coming into ripeness such as acorns, persimmons, corn field, beans, etc. Also wiht more deer stands, you don't distract nature around it by hauling one in and out
10-04-2007, 02:25 PM
#9
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location:
Posts: 267
RE: How long before you decide to move your stand?
Thanks for all the input guys. I can see prints and 2 well used trails right near mystand and there are a few old scrapes from last year.I am gonna give the stand a few more shots and if that does not work I am gonna leave it alone until the rut starts and then start hunting that stand again andthose old scrapes in hopes that they will be used again when the big guys are rutting this year.
IIn the meantime I am gonna try hunting another food source which is standing corn and a big filed of what i guess is just grass. The deer are always out there at sunset eating it.I have to ground hunt this are so it is harder but i almost always see deer there.
IIn the meantime I am gonna try hunting another food source which is standing corn and a big filed of what i guess is just grass. The deer are always out there at sunset eating it.I have to ground hunt this are so it is harder but i almost always see deer there.
10-04-2007, 02:42 PM
#10
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425
RE: How long before you decide to move your stand?
One other thing...deer poop every 2 hours...If they feed in an area long, you will find fresh, shiny, poop...You mentioned that you see trails and tracks, this does not tell you when deer come through, it might be 1:00am, not going to help you...
Find a good bedding area (cutover, swamp, thicket)...Then find the nearest food source, that's the first spot they will feed when they get up in the evening...If you have white oaks, target that area, look at the caps, if they have a half moon cut out of them, a deer ate that one...Also, you should have 4-5 piles of poop around that tree....
My current spot is where two cutovers corner, there are 15-20 white oaks in the area and 4-5 are dropping...These trees are 50 yards form the cutover, I'm seeing deer come from the cutover at 6:00-6:15 pm and feed there until dark, last Saturday I had 12 deer feeding within 25 yards of me....That's the type area you need to find, not just a couple of deer trails in the woods....
Also...3-4 deer can make a bunch of tracks at night....
Find a good bedding area (cutover, swamp, thicket)...Then find the nearest food source, that's the first spot they will feed when they get up in the evening...If you have white oaks, target that area, look at the caps, if they have a half moon cut out of them, a deer ate that one...Also, you should have 4-5 piles of poop around that tree....
My current spot is where two cutovers corner, there are 15-20 white oaks in the area and 4-5 are dropping...These trees are 50 yards form the cutover, I'm seeing deer come from the cutover at 6:00-6:15 pm and feed there until dark, last Saturday I had 12 deer feeding within 25 yards of me....That's the type area you need to find, not just a couple of deer trails in the woods....
Also...3-4 deer can make a bunch of tracks at night....