Tree Stand Placement

Some tree stands repeatedly produce more deer and bigger deer than others. That's no secret. On our lease, it was always a fight over who got to hunt which stand. And anyone who has spent much time hunting in a particular area has probably noticed the same thing. Some spots are just plain better than others.

There are quite a few different reasons why some stands produce better results than others. And, there are a lot of things to take into consideration while scouting out a spot for your stand. For example, even if you know a spot is heavily traveled by some very large deer, would you be able to place the stand in a location that gives you a clear shot? Would your stand have to be facing the sun in the morning or evening, limiting you to hunt at specific times? Is your location regularly upwind? These are just a few of the things you have to consider. You may be better off searching for a new location.

As for finding locations... I have never met a hunter who didn't spend a large portion of scouting time looking for deer trails. Most deer are harvested close to the paths they commonly follow. But with this line of thinking, you run into the chicken and the egg dilemna. Perhaps one of the reasons so many deer are harvested along their popular roadways is because that is where most people are hunting them? I wouldn't put too much faith in hunting popular trails. You may see a good number of deer. But, you are likely missing out on most of the largest bucks.

If you watch most experienced hunters, you will notice that they rarely set up shop on major deer runways. These paths are always heavily traveled by young bucks, spikes, and young does. But mature bucks often avoid these runways for obvious reasons.

A better choice is to find the less-traveled secondary trails branching out from the main trail. The big bucks know, just like you, that does take the popular roadway. Although they are smart enough to avoid it as their main method of travel, they won't be far away. They will be strolling nearby searching for a doe, ready to chase off a less mature buck.

These secondary trails don't always connect to master trails. If you hunt in an area that has seasonal food, the trails may be there for a couple months and then disappear. Be sure to look for fresh signs so that you know the trail is current. Fresh scrapes and rubs are good indicators that there is activity in the area.