Leaving your stand in the same position year after year is a surefire way to not only get bored, but to assure that you’re just not making the most of your hunting season. The beginning of the season is dedicated to deer feeding, but toward the end of the season, a deer’s attention is bound to drift toward breeding. Where you place your stand should reflect that change. And shifting location isn’t a game of chance. Here are a few factors to take into consideration when choosing the best location to scope out your game from.
The obvious location during breeding season is just over the entrance to a feeding ground, like a field. Does are liable to collect in the field to feed and bucks will follow their noses. Spotting a trail and setting up over that entrance is a smart move. However, an even smarter move is to set up 50 yards downwind of that entrance. The big bucks, the ones that have been around a few seasons, will spar and rut in a more enclosed area near the doe feeding ground. Find that location, and you’re set.
Use natural trail “funnels” to your advantage. Corridors of trees in more suburban areas, as well as natural narrow trails created by felled trees or steep cliff edges force deer into a restricted area. If that corridor stands between a deer’s feeding and breeding ground, you’ll be in prime position to line up your shot.
Finally, look for the ‘islands’. These are patches of overgrown felled trees, small outcroppings of shrubbery, or large rocks in the center of open areas that bucks will migrate toward for the illusion of cover. Even the most seasoned of bucks will cross open areas to reach these ‘islands.’
For more deer hunting tips, keep up with our blog at Tioga Boar Hunting. And to book your next hunting venture, contact us today. Happy hunting!