How to pick the perfect tree stand site.

Mickie Repecka
Archery Market
 
The autumn rut brings a frenzy of buck activity that is often hard to predict. Can you imagine trying to calculate how a buck will chase a doe through the woods? Even the best statisticians would find that pretty impossible. Don’t be discouraged though, you can up your odds by following tried and true methods for scouting out that spot that will give you the best advantage for harvesting a buck this season.

So where do you start?

Find a place to hunt.  Ask friends, neighbors, and companies that own blocks of land for permission to hunt.  Get written permission signed by the owner. Federal and State owned lands are also a possibility but are often crowded. 

Know your land.  Get a topographical map of the area! That’s right.  Topo maps and aerial photos give you the “bird’s eye” view of the land BEFORE you go walk it. You can identify many of the land qualities we will talk about that are important for choosing a stand sight. They point out terrain features and elevation changes.

Plat books, available at county or land conservation offices, show the names of owners of property and also point out publicly owned lands you may not know exist. This information will also help stop “accidental trespass”. Websites like Maptech and MSN Terraserver carry aerial photos which are free to download. If you don’t have access to the internet from home, your town Library has computers with high-speed internet access. They will be happy to assist you.

Delorme makes detailed topo maps of every State.  These are an excellent resource to have because they show dirt roads, trails, bodies of water, as well as all streets, roads, and highways. You can’t get lost with these. Speaking of getting lost, some of us are not very good at bushwhacking while retaining our sense of direction and distance.  There are some low-cost GPS units that slide into your front pocket.  These satellite-seeking gadgets keep a running memory of your trail and can backtrack you right back to your ATV or truck. They can tell distance, direction and altitude.

Spot important terrain features.  There are several terrain features that will help determine the best spot for setting up your operations. Draws that narrow down. fence rows, hedgerows, bottlenecks of timber or steep cliff areas, are all critical features to note in your research.

Any features that forces deer to congregate or take one route to get to feeding areas is a great place to check out.

These features also affect wind direction. A general westerly wind can turn into something else in a draw or hollow.  Drafts may also race down faces of mountains and drag your scent around where you don’t expect. Check wind direction at different times of the day and frequently at promising spots.

Hunting high and low.  If you are targeting deer in a block of big timber, look high rather than low for a stand site location. Bucks tend to like working the top of ridges so they can look down through the timber for does. Remember, they are hunting too!

If you hunt high, you can look down into the downwind side of a ravine, hollow or hay field. The bucks will be downwinding it too, sniffing for does in estrous. They will be checking bedding sites and feeding common areas.

Pretend you’re a buck, looking for a doe.  What would you do?

Does still have to eat during the rut and they’ll be heading for feeding areas on a daily basis. That will draw bucks in, either by following the does into the feeding area or because they know that the food source is there and are checking the downwind side of the area.

Deer sign. Pick your site based on sign of DOE ACTIVITY, not buck sign. When in doubt about an area riddled with tracks, wipe out sections of the deer trail. If the trail is wiped in the evening check it in the morning. If the trail is wiped in the morning check it in the late evening. You can also check the trail for fresh tracks after a rain

You stink!  Strict odor control is crucial! You could have planned your entry route to exacting specifications, but if that buck smells something different, you can all but forget about seeing him again there -- especially if he's mature. Minimize your scent, using good hygiene and bacteria-destroying scent-free soaps and cover scents. Give him something else to think about.

Here comes the sun.  When you are hunting on the ground or in a stand, try to keep the sun at your back, that way the lighter parts of animals will show easier. It will also be harder for the animal to see you if they are looking into the sun. But you must also watch the wind direction, keeping the sun at your back may not always be possible

Sooner rather than later. If you have a permanent or semi-permanent deer stand, don't wait until a few days or even a week before season to put up your deer stand. The sight of a new deer stand will spook the deer and they may avoid this area for weeks. Put up your stand nice and early and this will let the deer get used to it! Some hunters even put dummies up in the stand so they get used to seeing it filled. A straw-filled shirt and pants tied to the trunk will do nicely.

Hide your stand. Try to choose a tree that is close to other trees and branches that will break your outline. If you place your stand in a tree that looks like a power pole, you will stick out like a sore thumb. Set up at least 14’ high.

Next time you place your stand in your chosen tree, you might want to consider getting 20 or so yards away, get down on all fours, and look up to your stand. This will give an idea what a deer or other animal sees, allowing you to repair what's wrong. Does the tree stand need to go higher, is the tree stand properly hidden, etc.?

Pull branches from trees around your stand and bend them towards your stand. Tie them together using cord or light gauge wire. Form the branches into a semi circle in front of your stand, only cutting what would impede the raising of your gun or bow. This will help hide you and your stand. At seasons end, just cut the cord or wire and the branches will go back to their original place.

 

Get outside tromp, around and make your best educated guess and the proper spot for your stand. Then, climb in and cross our fingers.  That big daddy might just come strolling by! GOOD LUCK!