Observation stands & Glassing

[Darin]

Lets talk observation stands & glassing, something Id like to do more often and get good at.
A recent thread by Dan about taking inventory on bucks got me really thinking about observation stands and glassing. What are some tactics you apply when it comes to observing? If your property isn't visible from the road to glass from, what factors to look at when picking out a quick and easy observation stand? What time of the summer gains you the most knowledge, and also favorable weather conditions and the moon? How often per property??

[dan]

Observation stands should be easy access, and easy retreat. You should always have a safe wind...
The month of July is a good time to figure out which properties have the biggest bucks and start to determine which bucks should be shooters...
In late August you can start to determine patterns if you have a September opener, but nothing is etched in stone and at that time frame a lot of the time food patterns change abruptly. Beans for example, start to yellow and deer move off of them right before Wisconsin's opener in a lot of cases leaving the novice hunter wondering what happened to his perfect plan... Alfalfa or clover often lasts into to season though and can sometimes have deer remaining on there summer daytime pattern into the season...

During the season is more productive to observe the day before a hunt before they have a chance to change... You can watch several areas at once from a high vantage with a spotting scope without ever getting your scent in the hunting area.

Bucks will often enter there feeding areas after dark, but if they are near bedding, sometimes there pattern will go into daylight for short windows in my opinion based on weather or moon. If you hunt that food source to early and he is on a night pattern, he will smell your scent and thats like slapping him across the face yelling "game on". Good luck getting daylight movement after that.

Bottom line is that the best way to kill a mature buck is to catch him by surprise. Observation stands help the patient hunter do just that.

[Southern Man]

We can't shine down here. In July we start glassing from the truck. Soybeans fields are the best place to start. Bucks almost seem to want to show off during the evenings here and don't seem too afraid to step out into a bean field. Still though, the biggest still wait until the last hour of daylight before steppin out. I've used observation stands in the past but only if I have the right spot to do so, meaning seein a good distance. Always on field edges and never in the woods. I have no reason for doin it that way, it's just how I have always done it. I like back fields that can't be seen from the road if I can easily walk to them and can get out without spookin everything in the country. And I'll be on the ground then too. I don't like to watch the same places all the time. To me it's just like hunting. If you're in there everyday, they'll catch on and move, eventually.

[JoeRE]

Around here the oldest bucks seem to learn to avoid roads or any slow moving car even during the summer so my best luck getting a good look glassing has been finding spots where I can see into the hidden corners of bean and alfalfa fields, shielded from roads by a hill etc. Often this means I have to get closer than I would like so as a result the last few years I have dialed back my glassing and put more emphasis on trail cams on field edges. Anyway - the best times I have had glassing are evenings right before a front moves in that will include a good long rain that night/next day, and when the moon is overhead/underfoot. I think in the summer the moon has a greater effect on deer than any other time of year because all other factors are more stable - less weather variation and no rut effects.

Since Iowa has an Oct 1 opener I pay little attention to where they are feeding - it will change by then. I just document and try to figure out where they are spending thier days and if I think they are in a defined summer range only or may still be in the area come fall.

[Stanley]

I did some glassing last week. I try and incorporate things I'm doing with some low impact scouting (glassing). I like to glass before the corn gets too tall and hides the bucks. Come next week the corn will be too tall here. I like fence lines to cover me and provide a stealthy approach. I did see one very nice buck and a couple others with potential for this year.

My glassing in July provides some buck quality intel but not much high quality stand placement intel. In all honesty my trail camera intel from last year, provides me with some quality observation stand placement for this year. I have done a lot of this since I started using trail cameras.

Glassing in September (our season starts Oct 1st) is much more productive for figuring out where to place observation stands. It can be tricky though corn is too tall to glass. Deer do move back into the beans after the beans brown out. So that is a plus. Knowing the crop rotation from year to year is helpful. Some farms go corn, corn beans. Some farms go corn, beans, corn beans. Familiarity with crop rotation is essential for figuring out stand placement.

Knowing where the buck is bedding is the most important factor in success. Knowing where the buck is headed from his bed is the second most important factor in my opinion. I have said this many times; information gathered this year isn't always useful this year. It may very well be useful next year or the year after that. This is why glassing is a great way to learn whats going on in your hunting area.

Another thing to keep in mind you don't necessarily have to walk a mile to glass. I often walk less than 100 yards from my vehicle to glass.If walking a mile or 2 to glass is necessary then that is what you must do though. Smart glassing is more productive than just glassing. Just because Mark the neighbor, glasses more than you doesn't mean he is learning more than you.

Great topic for discussion.

[MOBIGBUCKS]

I did some glassing last week. I try and incorporate things I'm doing with some low impact scouting (glassing). I like to glass before the corn gets too tall and hides the bucks. Come next week the corn will be too tall here. I like fence lines to cover me and provide a stealthy approach. I did see one very nice buck and a couple others with potential for this year.

My glassing in July provides some buck quality intel but not much high quality stand placement intel. In all honesty my trail camera intel from last year, provides me with some quality observation stand placement for this year. I have done a lot of this since I started using trail cameras.

Glassing in September (our season starts Oct 1st) is much more productive for figuring out where to place observation stands. It can be tricky though corn is too tall to glass. Deer do move back into the beans after the beans brown out. So that is a plus. Knowing the crop rotation from year to year is helpful. Some farms go corn, corn beans. Some farms go corn, beans, corn beans. Familiarity with crop rotation is essential for figuring out stand placement.

Knowing where the buck is bedding is the most important factor in success. Knowing where the buck is headed from his bed is the second most important factor in my opinion. I have said this many times; information gathered this year isn't always useful this year. It may very well be useful next year or the year after that. This is why glassing is a great way to learn whats going on in your hunting area.

Another thing to keep in mind you don't necessarily have to walk a mile to glass. I often walk less than 100 yards from my vehicle to glass.If walking a mile or 2 to glass is necessary then that is what you must do though. Smart glassing is more productive than just glassing. Just because Mark the neighbor, glasses more than you doesn't mean he is learning more than you.

Great topic for discussion.

Awesome info and post Stan.


A lot of the areas I hunt are heavily wooded and very few crop fields to glass. I like to use Trail cameras in situations like these; Typically, I'll spread the cameras out and use mineral to attract Buck pictures. Gives you a pretty good idea if you cameras are strategically spread out. I put them out for 6 weeks at a time then pull them for the season.

[cwoods]

Awesome info and post Stan.


A lot of the areas I hunt are heavily wooded and very few crop fields to glass. I like to use Trail cameras in situations like these; Typically, I'll spread the cameras out and use mineral to attract Buck pictures. Gives you a pretty good idea if you cameras are strategically spread out. I put them out for 6 weeks at a time then pull them for the season.[/quote]

Very good advice!

[GRFox]

Awesome info and post Stan.


A lot of the areas I hunt are heavily wooded and very few crop fields to glass. I like to use Trail cameras in situations like these; Typically, I'll spread the cameras out and use mineral to attract Buck pictures. Gives you a pretty good idea if you cameras are strategically spread out. I put them out for 6 weeks at a time then pull them for the season.

Very good advice![/quote]

I am in the same boat. The only open fields we have are peoples lawns and the bigger deer don't use them during the day. We are heavily wooded and trail cams are just about the only way to pre season scout.

I just put my first one out on Sunday and am looking to get the rest out this weekend.

[MOBIGBUCKS]

Awesome info and post Stan.


A lot of the areas I hunt are heavily wooded and very few crop fields to glass. I like to use Trail cameras in situations like these; Typically, I'll spread the cameras out and use mineral to attract Buck pictures. Gives you a pretty good idea if you cameras are strategically spread out. I put them out for 6 weeks at a time then pull them for the season.

Very good advice!

I am in the same boat. The only open fields we have are peoples lawns and the bigger deer don't use them during the day. We are heavily wooded and trail cams are just about the only way to pre season scout.

I just put my first one out on Sunday and am looking to get the rest out this weekend.[/quote]


Yup, getting close isn't it? I'm gonna put all of mine out on the 28th or so. I should be able to tell if they are a shooter or not by that point.