stand hunting whitetails - ideas?

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nickE10mm

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Hi all,

I've been deer hunting for several years now and I can honestly say that its easily my favorite hobby. Nothing beats it. I've been wanting to get myself a good climbing treestand for a couple years now as I primarily hunt with a handgun. I hunt in VERY hilly / (almost) mountainous areas of SW Missouri in Mark Twain Nat'l forest. The area I hunt is not farmland but rather deep timbered woods. The longest shot I could EVER get would be maybe 80 yards although 98% of the shots taken would be 10-55 yards, especially where I hunt. Well, I finally broke down and bought myself a new 2007 Lone Wolf Sit & Climb stand and I can't WAIT to get it in the mail! Woo hoo!

I was wondering if anyone has any tips for stand placement in very hilly thick timbered regions of the forest. Oftentimes, just FINDING ecotones and funnels is a task since there is so much hilly ground to cover and there really are food sources everywhere rather than just in certain areas. Due to the fact that I like to hike pretty deep into the woods, usually I will stay out from about 5am until dark, moving maybe once or twice at the most.

I'm thinking that since food is more spread out, I'll look for ideal bedding areas (ie, briars or pines & thermal cover on ridges and benches & ridges, etc) and then set up a stand downwind maybe 50-75 yards from there... I'm not sure. I've always been a ground hunter and adding the treestand dimension to my hunting regimen is new to me. I honestly think it will really increase my chances of getting a deer this year by, if nothing else, getting my scent up off the ground a bit.

What do you all think?
 
During the rut, bucks aren't much for eating or drinking--but does keep on keeping on. So, somewhere on a pathway to some water source isn't a bad idea for early morning or late evening.

And, sometimes in the middle of the day, Ol' Bucky gets up and sniffs around his world...Ya just never know...
 
A tree stand will definately give you an edge. I have several ladder stands located at strategic places around my property. The first thing I think about when setting up a stand is wind direction. Yes, being high will help, but they can still smell you, especially if you are down in a hollow. Funnels are good, and in mountain areas they are not too hard to find. Saddles on ridges are good, and if there are any cliffs in your area finding trails leading through them are exceptional hotspots. These places also make for good escape routes when hunting on public land that has a lot of pressure.

Stands used for gun hunting can be a little more varied than when bow hunting, because you don't have to wait for the deer to get so close before taking a shot. During rifle season, I like to set up in places that allow for as much area to be covered as possible. Setting up on one ridge that allows for shots onto another ridge also is great. Your area seems to be similar to where I hunt. The deer are more scattered because the food sources are too. There are more places for deer to bed, so they are probably scattered all around also. As I'm sure you know from experience, this type hunting is more challenging than hunting farms, or where there are major food sources that are isolated. Basically, even with a tree stand, you want to set up the same way you do from the ground. The strategy you have in mind sounds good to me.

If you can, concentrate on one particular area getting to know it intimately. When I say one area, I don't mean one small little place that will severely limit you, but a section of mountain with several ridges and hollows, and if there is a stream around, that makes it even better. I personally start out on the down wind section of the area I am learning and as the days go by work my way into the area every few days. This way you are not just tromping all around alerting game. I like starting out low and working my way up if the predominate wind is in my favor for doing that. I may hunt several different spots at the bottom, say at the point of one ridge one day, in a hollow the next, and another point of a ridge after that. Then move up a ways and hunt that level for a bit, then move on up if that isn't producing much excitement. Even though food is scattered, somewhere along working your way up, you will find spots that deer just naturally gravitate to. This past week I have been hunting a spot on the side of a ridge where there is more concentrated sign than I have found elsewhere. Even thought oaks are all over these ridges and producing, there is something about this spot that the deer find attractive. It is on the edge of a super thick tangle of laurel, with some patches of thick stuff here and there where I am sitting. I've been seeing deer there every day, and took one the other evening with my bow.

As you get to know a couple hundred acres or so like the back of your hand, you will come to know the best places to set up for different situations. You will know the escape routes for pressured deer, places that deer like for reasons like cover, wind, food, bedding etc. With this knowledge you can narrow down your stand set ups with greater confidence. It takes some time and work, but in the end it is satisfying sitting in spots you have come to KNOW will produce deer than sitting somewhere HOPING you might see one.
 
Only One Tip...

ALWAYS wear a safety harness, including when you're climbing the tree. Tree stand accidents account for a large portion of hunting accidents.

Michael
 
Just found a pic of me right after coming in from the morning hunt on a cold 10 degree morning in the Ozarks. That stand got prettttty cold !

img11261cd3.jpg
 
Im sure you know this but if it's cold tie most of your clothing gear on your stand. Ive got out of my car freezing in mid 20s with just a thermal shirt on and by the time i got to my stand i was sweating with one layer on.Carrying even a 20lb stand on your back will warm you up. I usually walk for about 15minutes to one of my locations. Traversing hills would really heat you up.

I carry my layers,parka and bibs all wrapped up tied to my stand. I might put the bibs on right before i climb but pull up the parka with my rifle.

I bought a Summit Goliath and am very pleased. Lot more comfortable than my old climber.
 
Reyn,

You are quite right about sweating on the way to the stand but its something I've gotten accustomed to.

I love my new Lone Wolf Sit N Climb... great stand....quick to setup, very light and quiet.
 
Rattling

I think I would be rattling and using a buck lure, picking a place where they have to come UP seems to be better than being low. Rattling will bring them into pistol range.
 
I'm new to climbing tree stands. Fall 2006, I bought a Tree Lounger largely because of a couple videos produced by this company. It's a little heavy so I bought a wheel adapter kit. It's great!

Good hunting to you.
TR
 
Find where deer trails intersect. look for transition areas between differant parts of terrain, such as where planted pines meet up with natural hardwood.Also find a good water source, and a beaten down trail that leads to it and hunt 30 or so yards off the trail. It's all about trying to figure out where they'll be, by seeing where they have been. Stay off of the trails, but watch them at a decent distance. let does walk during the rut. big bucks rarley use the worn in trails, but will slip when lookin for love.
 
Also, try ladder stands, or eleveted boxes. I am scared of climbing stands, and have found that having several good, safe ladder stands in differant spots, allows me to sneak into a stand quickly and quietly, rather than having to play with a climber in the dark, or have to fool with the darn thing when I should be sitting still!
 
Just found a pic of me right after coming in from the morning hunt on a cold 10 degree morning in the Ozarks. That stand got prettttty cold !
Click to expand...
Y'all shoot deer with a .45 up there in Missouri?

My approach is to carry a pack. I dress cold, and have clean underwear and shirt in the pack. When on the stand, I strip off, put on clean waffle weaves and shirt, put the sweaty garments in a plastic bag. Then I usually put on a down vest, and top off with insulated overalls. I carry boot blankets (insulated bootees that will go over your boots) and several stocking caps (something like 70% of heat losss is from the head.) I also carry a quart milk carton -- to dispose of coffee that has passed through my system.

I make scrape lines -- just find a scrape and start a new scrape near it, than another and another. I use scent attractants, and in Arkansas, if you want to, you can put out corn.

I rattle and grunt, too.

And finally the deer draw straws and one of them lets me shoot him, just to get me the h*ll out of the woods.:D
 
actually, thats a 10mm... I wouldn't hunt with a 45acp. I also use scents and a grunt tube when hunting my area.
 
will some people will say hunting food sources does no good for buck hunting during the rut because they dont eat or drink much just chase poon, realize that does eat during the rut and where the does are, you find a horny buck
 
but i don't hunt from treestands much myself, i mainly hunt powerlines and clear cuts where i can use a tripod or a good rest for 250-400+ shots when they are crossing along a ridge line
 
I finally figured out way late in my hunting career that now is the time of year to scout. Since the leaves are off, you can see a long ways, much farther than even late fall.

Get out about 2 days after a snowfall. Deer tend to use the same trails year round and year after year. May be a little late if deer in your area yard up. Around here, they don't move off the properties typically until about 1st of the year and come back in late February or March.

Personally, I'd follow creeks or small rivers and find spots where they cross. Again, they'll use the same spots pretty much all the time.
 
nickE10mm, where did you get that face camo, I need to get some, can you open your eyes? but can't help out on the tree climbers I hunt on private land so I use the ladder stands most all the time, but like you I do more deer hunting than any thing else, looks like everybody else has givin you some great info tho so good luck.:)
 
Thanks for all of the replies everyone. I did start this thread before the 2007 season ... got a few replies before season and it looks like the majority of them AFTER. HAHA!

Anyways, where I hunt, there really aren't any streams. Its hills surrounded by lakes. The food sources are everywhere being that its in the middle of a National Forest. Looking for "white oak stands" isn't really realistic. This year, I saw a nice buck sauntering up a shallow ridge with a point point up to a knob ... he was walking out of a stand of pines on the ridge into more hardwoods. Good spot, actually.

Below is one of the areas I hunt.

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=36.56411&lon=-93.41164&datum=nad27&u=4&layer=DRG&size=l&s=48
 
Thanks for all of the replies everyone. I did start this thread before the 2007 season ... got a few replies before season and it looks like the majority of them AFTER. HAHA!
Click to expand...
Well, we like ya, but don't expect us to waste huntin' time to be talkin' to ya.:p
Anyways, where I hunt, there really aren't any streams. Its hills surrounded by lakes. The food sources are everywhere being that its in the middle of a National Forest. Looking for "white oak stands" isn't really realistic. This year, I saw a nice buck sauntering up a shallow ridge with a point point up to a knob ... he was walking out of a stand of pines on the ridge into more hardwoods. Good spot, actually.
Click to expand...
That's probably a bedding area. When you look for trails, they'll usually connect bedding and feeding areas.
 
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