outdoor338

What are your secrets for finding a place to put your deer or elk stand? I have heard many various reasons, but would like to know why you put your stand where you do? Is it feed, cover, escape routes, bedding areas. I am interested in what you have to say! Thanks for your help.

Dr. Mike
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JagMagMan

Here in East Tex, you look for a place that you will at least have some good visibility, without having to clear a lots of brush, because most of our area is thick! However, visibility alone is no good! If you can see for miles, but there is nothing special about the area to attract the deer, you'll just be sitting and watching a whole lots of nothing! I'd rather have shorter shooting lanes in a good area, than being able to see lots of nothing. So look for trails and other deer sign too!
More important though is finding a place that you can see, that is also a "funnel type area" or an "edge" area. Creeks, fences, and other terrain features will funnel the deer into your range. As I said, deer are "edge" animals too! They like areas where different terrains come together. Such as where clear cuts, or crops meet large woods!
In fact some of the best honey holes I've had over the years were "edge areas" where at least three types of terrain came to a point, (clearcut, young pine plantation, bordering big woods!) The deer absolutley love these zones!

farmcntry

My secret is scouting and reading T.R.'s tips.

coyote170

Mostly scouting and the travel routes between bedding areas
and food plot works for me!Set my blind up against brush
and enjoy the traffic!

timbercruiser

We usually have a dominant north or northwest wind, so the majority of our stands are on the east or south side of the food plots.

Tazman

Well the first thing is simply scouting an area and setting a stand with the best visibility over the largest area they are moving through. The real secret though is adapting my initial stand to where I actually see the deer moving through. The wind to me is number one, followed by shooting lanes combined with good cover.After that it is all fine tuning to the wind and where they are passing through.

trophyhuntr

Main determination is the wind, dont care how good you are but you cant beat a big buck if he lives downwind

formula1

I would have to say that I spend the majority of my time hunting funnels in or near very thick bedding areas. I usually can't see further than 50-60 yards in them. Finding one of these where no hunter has been is a big plus, too. And I wouldn't hunt them very much either. It doesn't take a big buck long to figure out he's being hunted. Wind and a quiet approach to the area is important, too.

skeeter 7MM

Scouting is the main source. Scouting will encompass all the factors required for a good stand or blind placement (ie; wind direction, cover (backing, ambush and safe zones for deer), travel & escape routes, food & water sources, bedding, rublines..etc). Then put it all together to determine where the best place to set up is, I prefer to hunt areas in deep transition vs food sources. I always think safety from the deer prespective "will the buck feel safe moving here during legal time". If yes, why, when and where is implemented! All leads to lots of scouting both pre and while hunting.