I'm hunting this new property with an aquaintence. I have his hunting shack marked as well as his plot. The land is 40 acres square. I dont want to interfere with him. Which places would you put a shooting box? DS#1 or DS#2? Or somewhere else. My foodplot will go about there I have it marked. DS#1 is about 134 yds and DS#2 is about 148 yds away from the foodplot. Land was clear cut 4 years ago and is overgrown with bushes, but very few trees. Only about 3 trees on property I can put a stand on.

That would be hard for me to make a suggestion without walking the property. If your limited to a very few trees and the type of stand you have requires one then your kinda limited to locations. If you have the tripod type then that gives you some more options. If your putting in a food plot try and find there bedding areas and find a ambush spot somewhere in between. The trails that are being used now will probably change once your food plot is up and producing. My best advice scout it real good. I would try and make your stand somewhat easy to move so if there pattern does change with the introduction of your food plot you can adjust locations if need be. Good luck
Joe

I'm of the same thinking as Joe. If that is a revene just below DS#1 going SSE. I would pick that one. And move the food plot west of DS#2. The deer that I'm used to hunting in the West don't like to skyline themselves...

There is another spot you might want to look at. Draw a line from Dave's plot to DS#1. Draw another line perpendicular from the middle of that line to the west about 125 yards. At that point you will see an inverted Y. From that point go about 30 yards north. Place your shooting box so that you can see down both sides of the Y to the south and to the north. The reason I would place it there is, it looks to me like there are trails north and south of that location and further to the west it appears to be heavier cover across the road. Also, on the left side of that Y directly west of Dave's house, is that a small pond (the dark spot). If so watch it close. If it's not a pond already maybe you could talk him into making one there. Good luck with your hunt.

I would try to determine from which direction the prevailing winds come before I set up a a stand location. I understand that winds are variable, but setting up a stand site that you cant hunt from due to "wrong" wind is a waste of time.

Considering DS Food Plot and the location of DS#1 and DS#2 the wind has already been determined...Wind would be from East to West...

You're probably right about the wind Bushy. Another reason I would pick the spot I pointed out is that it could possibly put both plots into play from looking at the trails coming off of each plot. Even coming from the west going to either plot, the deer would pass to the north and south of that position most likely taking the wind out of play.

Donut: Just looking at the bigger picture, I notice that about 1000 yards to the east there are lots of row crops planted. Are these a food source for the deer in your area and if so do you think your food plot will be drawing deer that normally are headed that direction? I don't know a lot about whitetails but knowing the direction the deer are going from bedding to feeding areas and the prevailing wind is my first priority. In your area how far will deer move from bedding to feeding areas? Just curious.

Pops

Bushmaster wrote:

Considering DS Food Plot and the location of DS#1 and DS#2 the wind has already been determined...Wind would be from East to West...

Wow Bushy!!

You have solved every hunter's dilemma with a simple view of an aerial photo. Better yet, without any further background info.

DS,

Is this your only hunting opportunity for this year?

Can you afford to leave this parcel alone if the wind is "wrong"?

Are the deer heavily pressured here?

Are there other hunter's (besides Dave)planting small plots in the area?

Are Dave's plots working?

Where are you parking?

Is Dave's "house" a hunting shack, or is Dave camping/living there during the season?

Well Joey. He sure can't put his stand east of DS feed plot...According to Deer Slayer he's stuck on that parcel...If I owned that land I sure wouldn't put feed plots up wind of my stand...Some assumption mist be taken here that they have some sense...of the wind direction...

Donut Slayer...Could you put up a wind sock for us???

Are we speaking to DONUT slayer or DEER Slayer here?

Perhaps that is where the confusion is...


He can put his stand in any position within the 40 acres he sees fit, including IN the food plot. I've done it. It works in the right situation. That's the reason for so many Q's.

What happens outside of the parcel DSlayer is hunting is as important as what happens on it. Where I live, a whitetail deer buck may have a home range of 4000 acres, and a core home area as small as 400 acres. This is in a fairly populated area. The largest contigous property we hunt is less than 250 acres. Large bucks are targeted and killed every year, some within bow range of million dollar houses. And YES they can be killed with a stand to the EAST of DS's planned food plot.

Refer back to my questions.....


Is this your only hunting opportunity for this year?

Can you afford to leave this parcel alone if the wind is "wrong"?

Are the deer heavily pressured here?

Are there other hunter's (besides Dave)planting small plots in the area?

Are Dave's plots working?

Where are you parking?

Thanks for yalls opinion guys. Ok, here goes. This is my only hunting place this year. Generally wind is from the N or NE, after a cold front, but mainly E, with it comming out of the south when a cold front approaches. I was gonna place my stand about 150-200 yds away from my plot. The deer generally move from the SE corner either NW or N along the border. When they move NW they cross Daves plot and head west and cross the road as there is a massive food plot west of the property. Also due N from my #2 stand is a big food plot about 500 yards away. The deer move S onto the property then SW towards the road. W of Daves "house" shooting shack is out of the question as Dave considers that his little place, so I've basically taken over the N,E, SE part of the land. What I'm tryin to get is on days when the wind is not good, a long shot so my scent wont matter and on good wind days, I'll hunt out of a ground blind. I think my ground blind location is a good one. I would place a stand where the yellow and blue lines cross but Dave drives right past that when he goes to his shack. Red, Yellow and Blue lines are deer paths that are known.

Oh, I'll park on the dirt road just on the property. The surrounding area is hunting clubs. All trophy clubs that have antler restrictions of 10 or better. The clubs run 1800-2200 per year. Daves plots are NOT planted yet, he just broke his ankle and cant plow it yet. Deer used to be pressured heavy as it used to be a dog hunting area. Hasent in past 5 years. Again thanks for yalls help.

Ok what about this: 20 ft ladder stand against big oak tree where the blue and yellow lines cross with a food plot where its located in the first pic, facing E ?? 220 yrd shot from Oak to foodplot so scent shouldnt matter?? Then when wind is right, hunt ground blind? Shot will be S and NW.

oldpops wrote:

Donut: Just looking at the bigger picture, I notice that about 1000 yards to the east there are lots of row crops planted. Are these a food source for the deer in your area and if so do you think your food plot will be drawing deer that normally are headed that direction? I don't know a lot about whitetails but knowing the direction the deer are going from bedding to feeding areas and the prevailing wind is my first priority. In your area how far will deer move from bedding to feeding areas? Just curious. Pops

Thats my problem. I havent/ cant scout the other property so I dont know where the deer are bedding. I know where they are feeding. So basically they are moving across the property, not staying there. I havent hunted this property for several years, I guess I'll find out this season.

D slayer...

Good work gettin permission here....Seemed like there was something "different"

Good Luck!!