Approaching your Deer Stand

[MOBIGBUCKS]

As stated, your stand approach is everything to a successful hunt. Sometimes just knowing when, why, and where deer are bedding will tell you everything you need to know about your proper stand approach. I have spots in farmland country that would be dynamite in mornings, but it is impossible to get into those areas when the cover is surrounded by open crop ground. You just have to know when to pick your battles.

[Stanley]

This is a prime example of the proper way to approach a stand:
I kept myself from being silhouetted by walking the fence line. I kept all my wind born scent from blowing towards the area to be hunted and the bedding area. I kept my ground scent out of the main deer traffic area. Yes, I did arrow the buck on that evening hunt (bottom picture).

North is top of picture
Red is my travel route to the stand site.
Blue is bucks travel to food source from bed.
Yellow is wind direction SW on this hunt.

[dan]

Good illustration stan!

[MOBIGBUCKS]

That's awesome Stan!!!

[Clevinger]

This is a prime example of the proper way to approach a stand:
I kept myself from being silhouetted by walking the fence line. I kept all my wind born scent from blowing towards the area to be hunted and the bedding area. I kept my ground scent out of the main deer traffic area. Yes, I did arrow the buck on that evening hunt (bottom picture).

North is top of picture
Red is my travel route to the stand site.
Blue is bucks travel to food source from bed.
Yellow is wind direction SW on this hunt.

Great example. Thanks for taking the time to draw/write that out.

Was that a staging area you hit him in? It looks really thick. How close was your shot and did you have to cut shooting lanes in advance?

[Stanley]

This is a prime example of the proper way to approach a stand:
I kept myself from being silhouetted by walking the fence line. I kept all my wind born scent from blowing towards the area to be hunted and the bedding area. I kept my ground scent out of the main deer traffic area. Yes, I did arrow the buck on that evening hunt (bottom picture).

North is top of picture
Red is my travel route to the stand site.
Blue is bucks travel to food source from bed.
Yellow is wind direction SW on this hunt.




Great example. Thanks for taking the time to draw/write that out.

Was that a staging area you hit him in? It looks really thick. How close was your shot and did you have to cut shooting lanes in advance?

The shot was 15 yards. I had to trim when I went in (very windy day), carried a LW and sticks. It was a very thick oak flat with a gully to the North. The buck followed a couple other deer to the field.

[Clevinger]

This is a prime example of the proper way to approach a stand:
I kept myself from being silhouetted by walking the fence line. I kept all my wind born scent from blowing towards the area to be hunted and the bedding area. I kept my ground scent out of the main deer traffic area. Yes, I did arrow the buck on that evening hunt (bottom picture).

North is top of picture
Red is my travel route to the stand site.
Blue is bucks travel to food source from bed.
Yellow is wind direction SW on this hunt.




Great example. Thanks for taking the time to draw/write that out.

Was that a staging area you hit him in? It looks really thick. How close was your shot and did you have to cut shooting lanes in advance?

The shot was 15 yards. I had to trim when I went in (very windy day), carried a LW and sticks. It was a very thick oak flat with a gully to the North. The buck followed a couple other deer to the field.

Did the first two deer just go by you without realizing?

It seems like the big backs are always the last to arrive.

[Stanley]

This is a prime example of the proper way to approach a stand:
I kept myself from being silhouetted by walking the fence line. I kept all my wind born scent from blowing towards the area to be hunted and the bedding area. I kept my ground scent out of the main deer traffic area. Yes, I did arrow the buck on that evening hunt (bottom picture).

North is top of picture
Red is my travel route to the stand site.
Blue is bucks travel to food source from bed.
Yellow is wind direction SW on this hunt.




Great example. Thanks for taking the time to draw/write that out.

Was that a staging area you hit him in? It looks really thick. How close was your shot and did you have to cut shooting lanes in advance?

The shot was 15 yards. I had to trim when I went in (very windy day), carried a LW and sticks. It was a very thick oak flat with a gully to the North. The buck followed a couple other deer to the field.

Did the first two deer just go by you without realizing?

It seems like the big backs are always the last to arrive.

Yes they never knew I was there. That is why I always emphasize a good approach.

[westmibow]

This is an area that I have really focused on improving over the last 3-4 years. I firmly believe that your entry and exit routes are one of the most important aspect of hunting mature bucks. Just like what everyone above has stated above. When you hear from other hunters that you are educating the deer this is the #1 way that happens. Maybe this has been mentioned already but to go along with taking extra steps and precautions in your entry/exit routes, I would add that you waite until the best time to hunt those stands, especially if you are hunting stands that are close to bedding areas.
I also prefer to get to my stands as unoticed as possible if you have to go accross an open field use the terrain as best you can. Sometimes a stand location just won't work, no matter how good it is if you are doing more damage than good to get into or out of it, you have to pull the plug on that stand. Sometimes the better stand is not in that "perfect" spot but 50 yards in a different direction where you can access it using a fence row, ditch, etc.
I hunt property I know very well so I don't use any light in the am. However, if I were in an area i didn't know, ie public land I would use the red head lamp, rudy78 suggested.