What would you do?

[keepthefevercalls]

I was scouting hill country today and really finally was able to dial in on a mature bucks staging area I believe. There were nice rubs everywhere, and several trees were shredded. Unfortunately, I came across part of a ladder stand still in a tree, with the final section buried in the leaves. So, as bad as I wanted to, I opted not to hang a camera in there for fear of it being stolen (i hang them high, but still).
So far this is the only hot spot I have found, but I have much more scouting to do. Would you personally hunt close to the area, knowing that someone could be hunting that stand? I know there are a lot of factors, but I would hate to give up a good spot if this guy never comes back.
Thanks for any input, trying to learn as much as I can.
Mike

[ Post made via Android ]

[Hawthorne]

I would go in there when the conditions are right this season to see if the sign is opened back up and if the guy is hunting it. If he's not and the sign is there I would hunt it that day IMO

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Lockdown]

How close was the stand to the bedding area? What wind is the hunter hunting that stand with? Is it a bow stand? Gun stand?

Don't give up on it. Hunting "close to the area" will leave you out of the game IMHO. Hunt where you feel you need to be according to the trails and sign, and try and figure that other guy out. Just because that stand is there doesn't mean the spot is burned out. I hung a brand new set this spring that I view as one of my best, and there is a ladder stand 100 yards away if that. I know for a fact it is a gun stand, so I will hunt it with confidence early on.

[keepthefevercalls]

Thanks guys, great advice that I will bite on come October.
I am not sure if it was a rifle or archery stand. I'm guessing rifle, but I could be wrong.
In terms of how far from the bedding area, if this buck beds where I think it is only a 150-200 yards..N or NW wind stand im certain.
[ Post made via Android ]

[BACKSTRAPALIEN]

Generally I don't give up on an area because someone else has a stand hung nearby. Many factors in play: how far do you have to travel to the area, how many sits do you get in a given season, if you get there and the guy is in the stand (or there is a "buck bomb" on the ground) can you easily relocate or is your day shot? If you can hunt on a weekday chances are you'll have the hill to yourself and you'll be able to determine if the other stand is active or abandoned without bumping into another hunter and potentially wasting your time. I say give it a go.

[Wlog]

It's worth a shot. The stand could be abandoned, he could be hunting it the wrong time of the season. I generally try to get away from others but if the sign is there and your confident in your interpretation of that sign give it a try. Worst case scenario is one deer less sit. Best case scenario, you drag a buck out before the ladder stand gets hunted.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[mag1]

I've got a couple of spots where a local guy, and on one spot where the guy who owns the private next to the public will put up a stand and then leave it. My thoughts are that it is placed as a deterrent to people on the public so they think someone is hunting that spot. I've set up in some of the areas 30-50yds, sometimes close as the sign shows that is the area to be. Seen some good deer in those spots.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Lockdown]

Thanks guys, great advice that I will bite on come October.
I am not sure if it was a rifle or archery stand. I'm guessing rifle, but I could be wrong.
In terms of how far from the bedding area, if this buck beds where I think it is only a 150-200 yards..N or NW wind stand im certain.
[ Post made via Android ]

Is the bedding used with that same wind? Also 150-200 yards might be far enough away that a big buck will still use that bedding. If so, he's obviously going to know not to leave bedding very far in the direction of that stand, meaning you're going to want to push in as close to that bedding as possible.

Like Dan always says, "Sometimes you just have to throw a stand at it and see what happens".

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[whitetailassasin]

Thanks guys, great advice that I will bite on come October.
I am not sure if it was a rifle or archery stand. I'm guessing rifle, but I could be wrong.
In terms of how far from the bedding area, if this buck beds where I think it is only a 150-200 yards..N or NW wind stand im certain.
[ Post made via Android ]

Have you located the beds? Or bed? You need to know exact location to really answer this question, at least to me.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[keepthefevercalls]

I have located 3 separate beds within that range of the staging area. One is really worn in that would depend on our NW wind. The other 2 seem to be used less, and are smaller in length.

[ Post made via Android ]

[headgear]

Never give up on an area, especially if the sign is there and fresh. That stand might not have been hunted in years and you could be missing a golden opportunity. I have setup right next to old stands that I now know see very little to no use, nearly shot a nice buck near one of them. There are always ways to hunt an area, even if the guy comes back and burns out the area you might be able to get a crack at it early season, hunt it on a weekday, hunt just before the guns come out. There is always a way.

[seazofcheeze]

If its a ladder stand, put a branch across the ladder that has to be removed to easily climb. If you come in to hunt and the branch is moved, it's still be used.

[rbuckleyjr1]

If its a ladder stand, put a branch across the ladder that has to be removed to easily climb. If you come in to hunt and the branch is moved, it's still be used.

Sneaky! I seen a show of Warden's once where they did something similar to that to see if a perp was coming back to a hideout. When they came back and seen it moved they nailed him.

[JohnFunn]

If its a ladder stand, put a branch across the ladder that has to be removed to easily climb. If you come in to hunt and the branch is moved, it's still be used.

Sneaky! I seen a show of Warden's once where they did something similar to that to see if a perp was coming back to a hideout. When they came back and seen it moved they nailed him.

Lol!

[ Post made via Android ]

[whitetailassasin]

I hunt heavy pressured public. If I find a bed that's being used, I'm hunting it when I think the time is right. We have stands all over, but the deer still will bed. You need to try and figure out how the said hunter is accessing this stand, is it in relation to where the buck is moving, being 150-200 yards away, that's not ideal but it doesn't mean he's busting that buck out of that area. Obviously bed is worn, and still being used. Use that stand if it's being hunted as a route you know that buck won't travel in daylight. Where is he going early season for food? There are a lot of factors to me in this situation. Example. At our workshop sign from other hunters was all over on the outskirts, but once in what most of us believe is the kill radius, those beds were still being used. Had rubs in them. I went back after and found 3-4 stands on the transition of this place, but I also found where the buck was exiting to bypass those stands. You could see the old trails that had went cold and the new trails that were beat down to the mud. I'd set up on this bedding area and see what happens. You maybe pleasantly surprised.

[ Post made via iPhone ]