Picking a stand site

1765 Views 19 Replies 12 Participants Last post by Wings Fan 19, Jul 30, 2019

dchance

Discussion Starter · Jul 26, 2019

Have access to a small chunk of woods that has no pressure. Connected to large piece of woods. Hunted late last year and saw a few really nice bucks travelling through. It is a typical oak/hickory woods. There is a small watering hole pond in the small woods. Would this be the best attraction to set a stand at?

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Wings Fan 19

· #2 · Jul 26, 2019

Not sure how small is small, but I'd tread lightly and stick to the fringes. It's really easy to ruin a hunt before you even climb a tree busting through small acreages. Find the entry/exit routes and hunt them & set multiple stands to play the winds and keep your stink from blowing into the timber your hunting.

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hesseu

· #3 · Jul 26, 2019

All depends on size and how it lays

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tinhorn

· #4 · Jul 26, 2019

I used to bow around water, like ponds, etc but never see deer around it much, don't worry about attraction to the water. But, White Oak Acorns will...

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antlercrazed

· #5 · Jul 26, 2019

Hang stand early and let it sit.Go there when the timing is right and leave it untouched till then and you should be good

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justindh1

· #6 · Jul 26, 2019

dchance said:
Have access to a small chunk of woods that has no pressure. Connected to large piece of woods. Hunted late last year and saw a few really nice bucks travelling through. It is a typical oak/hickory woods. There is a small watering hole pond in the small woods. Would this be the best attraction to set a stand at?

Watering holes can be a draw at times of the year in which it is dry. Maybe you could look at the pinch points or travel routes based on your terrain? Check out google maps topography and look for natural zones of travel. Scout those areas and look for trails or rubs from last year. Hang stands based on travel direction and wind. Hunt the property carefully as small tracks can be burnt quick woth disturbance. How big in the small track?

Richard Rawlings

· #7 · Jul 26, 2019

I hunt a small chunk of woods myself and have learned that sticking to the edges and not going in too far is the best thing, like wings fan said. We have a stand for every wind direction and they’re all close to the edge where the deer enter and exit.

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wiser1

· #8 · Jul 27, 2019

Get in amoungous the woods sry off the trails cutting through ...you'll see more daytime movement in the woods than at the edges ,,,Sounds like a good funnel site leading to he bigger patch of woods .........set uo a trail cam to find where the most usage is comong through

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GTOHunter

· #9 · Jul 28, 2019

Set up a nice ladder stand..if the Deer are moving in a different spot...move the stand closer..problem solved!

:bow:

dchance

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jul 29, 2019

in the purple 3 sided box. about 23 acres

Ecoregion Natural environment Map Biome World

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justindh1

· #11 · Jul 29, 2019

Big question is which way you access the property? North, south east, or west? Looks like from the north.

Do those fence rows along the east and west side of the property have good trees for stands? Like the way they look along the woods and fields. I'd set up their along the edges. They would also allow easy access for multiple winds from the north.

I also like the east side into the woods you have to hunt. Set up somewhere near where the neighboring field to the east starts but not right on the fence line.

Another bit of advice I'd give ya, try to hide all the ways someone can find your property. Not that I dont trust everyone but i dont. Hunt stand makes it easy for you to find your stand but can make it easier for others as well. Anyone on this site can now find your stands.

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hesseu

· #12 · Jul 29, 2019

2 good inside corners

Maddux

· #13 · Jul 29, 2019

Go hunt early season south and east winds. Should help seeing deer movement and figure out where you can get away with north wind. Topos are a great tool.

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archer66

· #14 · Jul 29, 2019

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What's planted in the ag fields north, west and northeast of your piece of woods? If it's hay or beans, I'd consider setting up some observation stands for late August through sept 10 or so....put them at the yellow blobs I made in the fence rows north of the timber. Use those to see what's entering the field in the evenings. If its corn I'd be going for a walk or two this month and I'd be putting up some trail cams in those woods.

I'm assuming you walk in from the north?
For stand sites I like the inside corners and I'd set stands 30-40 yards inside the woods to catch deer headed toward the ag fields and deer trading back and forth inside the timber.

Check and see where deer are crossing the creek to the south...blue line....and head north toward the ag fields....set your stands where those north south fields approach the ag fields....30-40 yards inside the woods as I said above. If there are any east/west traveling trails intersecting the north/south trails I'd be in range of those intersections. I made some red marks where I'd bet you'll find intersecting trails or trails approaching the ag field corners.

That outside corner would be a great spot too.....I forgot to mark it.

I see what looks like a cutover just south ...circled yellow....of where you can hunt....I'd want to know if there are trails coming out of that headed to your part.

Also, don't overlook that little clump of trees out in the middle of the field to the north...circled green....bucks will hide in spots like that. Might make a good morning stand if you figure out a buck is bedding in that during the day.

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cy912

· #15 · Jul 30, 2019

My only consistent success hunting water holes are during warm spells during the rut. I remember one year I sat near a dirt road on a long ridge, and the road had a large pothole that held a little water in it. Every single buck that was cruising along the ridge following the dirt road stopped and drank in that puddle. Even though there was a creek down below in the valley, it was more convenient for them to drink from that puddle on top of the ridge since the puddle was closer to their travel corridor than the creek below. It's about location, location, location. I've hunted many water holes that didn't work or deer didn't use during daylight hours or bucks didn't use. It's gotta be in the right location and they gotta feel safe using it during daylight. The better ones are near bedding areas or like my example above, right on the travel corridor during the rut and you hunt it during those warm November days. Other than that, deer don't really use them this time of year because of all the green vegetation provides all the water they need.

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dchance

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jul 30, 2019

archer66 said:
View attachment 141587 What's planted in the ag fields north, west and northeast of your piece of woods? If it's hay or beans, I'd consider setting up some observation stands for late August through sept 10 or so....put them at the yellow blobs I made in the fence rows north of the timber. Use those to see what's entering the field in the evenings. If its corn I'd be going for a walk or two this month and I'd be putting up some trail cams in those woods.

I'm assuming you walk in from the north?
For stand sites I like the inside corners and I'd set stands 30-40 yards inside the woods to catch deer headed toward the ag fields and deer trading back and forth inside the timber.

Check and see where deer are crossing the creek to the south...blue line....and head north toward the ag fields....set your stands where those north south fields approach the ag fields....30-40 yards inside the woods as I said above. If there are any east/west traveling trails intersecting the north/south trails I'd be in range of those intersections. I made some red marks where I'd bet you'll find intersecting trails or trails approaching the ag field corners.

That outside corner would be a great spot too.....I forgot to mark it.

I see what looks like a cutover just south ...circled yellow....of where you can hunt....I'd want to know if there are trails coming out of that headed to your part.

Also, don't overlook that little clump of trees out in the middle of the field to the north...circled green....bucks will hide in spots like that. Might make a good morning stand if you figure out a buck is bedding in that during the day.

Thank you for the detailed help and time. Hay fields and I access from the north.

dchance

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jul 30, 2019

Maddux said:
Go hunt early season south and east winds. Should help seeing deer movement and figure out where you can get away with north wind. Topos are a great tool.

I am pretty green when it comes to understanding g topo and deer movements.

archer66

· #18 · Jul 30, 2019

dchance said:
Thank you for the detailed help and time. Hay fields and I access from the north.

I thought it looked like hay.......they should use it but I'd focus my efforts in the timber a bit to take advantage of acorns....besides if they're coming to the hay field they'll walk right by ya. Where are the nearest crop fields?

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dchance

Discussion Starter · #19 · Jul 30, 2019

soybeans maybe 1/2 to 3/4 mile away. I could plant some forage as well. little stops on the edge of the woods.

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Wings Fan 19

· #20 · Jul 30, 2019

dchance said:
soybeans maybe 1/2 to 3/4 mile away. I could plant some forage as well. little stops on the edge of the woods.

I'd punch in a couple of plots ASAP.

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