ladder stands and deer patterning

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76chevy
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ladder stands and deer patterning

Unread postby 76chevy » Sun Jan 02, 2011 3:57 pm

I am about done with hunting out of ladder stands, the deer this year seemed to have me patterned.

I also fell into the trap of over hunting and hunting spots in marginal winds and wrong winds some this year--things just felt too predictable and I think it hurt me this year.

I am going to stay mobile next year and keep on them in a climber stand

any others some to the same conclusion??


". . . there's more fun in hunting with the handicap of the bow than there is in hunting with the sureness of the gun." --Fred Bear
solocam88
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Re: ladder stands and deer patterning

Unread postby solocam88 » Sun Jan 02, 2011 4:05 pm

Its really easy to fall into the trap of overhunting permanent stands because they are easier to hunt out of. When you start hunting mobile you really start thinking more and actually start hunting a deer instead of "waiting" for one.
76chevy
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Re: ladder stands and deer patterning

Unread postby 76chevy » Sun Jan 02, 2011 4:09 pm

great point.

I should have also added that the permanent stand also advertises the spot to others in the area....
". . . there's more fun in hunting with the handicap of the bow than there is in hunting with the sureness of the gun." --Fred Bear
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Gardner Swamp
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Re: ladder stands and deer patterning

Unread postby Gardner Swamp » Sun Jan 02, 2011 4:27 pm

Welcome to the site 76!! Being mobile sounds like a great start for you next season!!
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BackWoodsHunter
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Re: ladder stands and deer patterning

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Sun Jan 02, 2011 4:55 pm

I am in the same boat. All fall I have been marking trees on our permanent land that will be great for fall. In the past I would have hung ladder stands or permanent hang ons in them but instead this spring I'll be clearing small trails to the trees and some branches in the tree and possibly a few shooting lanes but will be leaving no stand behind. I can take my LW stand around to one of the many trees I've selected based on the wind. I am excited to try this out on our private land. I will hang two ladder stands over funnels to thick cover strictly for longer range gun hunting stands.
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Black Squirrel
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Re: ladder stands and deer patterning

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Mon Jan 03, 2011 2:20 am

I am in the same boat. I share a 160 ac piece with 3 other guys. Me and another guy do all the work as far as putting up stands. We have alot of ladder stands, and I have been busted out of them more than I care to admit. I too made a pledge for next season to hunt out of my Tree saddle more. It's hard with other people because then I feel like I'm sneaking around their back, by hunting spots we don't have stands in. But we ruined alot of spots. The other 3 guys like to have large shooting lanes. We had a nice 10 point using the land this year, and seen him 3 times. Everytime we seen him he stayed in the thick brush, and never once stepped into one of those large lanes. Twice he was following a doe, which once, I had a 7 yards. She looked up and saw me in the ladder stand, and I knew it was game over, she bolted and he followed running, never once offerering me even close to a shot. Like Solocam said, it is easy to get stuck in hunting them more than they should be. When more than one of us is huntig we draw cards, to see how gets first choice of stands and so on. Two of the guys have no clue on hunting the wind, so they just go where they think they'll see deer. It's really not a good situation, although we do get some nice bucks every now and then, during the rut. They are not intrested in Hunting Beast style so, I just have to make do with what I can. I have a few private spots and a little public land that I can hunt beast style. But yeah, as you can see by my long rant, I hate ladder stands too! :lol:
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BackWoodsHunter
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Re: ladder stands and deer patterning

Unread postby BackWoodsHunter » Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:03 am

based on your description Black Squirrel I'd swear we hunt the same piece of land! :o Our guys do the same stuff its so irritating. Luckily only grandpa and I bowhunt but by the time gun season rolls around its a joke. I also feel like I'm sneaking around when I hunt mobile but I have to find ways to cut off the few deer I do see as they are avoiding everyone else.
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Re: ladder stands and deer patterning

Unread postby DropTyne » Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:44 pm

Yup, mobile is the only way. I also hunt a hunk of land that my buddies have peppered with ladder stands, don't get me wrong, they are my friends and I care about their success, but they just pick a stand at random without any thought whatsoever. I on the other hand move around and every spot i pick to put a set up is planned, when u start to see success you just have to remind yourself of all of the time you put in.
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Re: ladder stands and deer patterning

Unread postby Wrinkleneck » Tue Jan 04, 2011 12:00 am

Mobile ;) I haven't sat in my ladder stands in 3 years!!! I went mobile and haven't looked back!!
76chevy
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Re: ladder stands and deer patterning

Unread postby 76chevy » Tue Jan 04, 2011 2:35 am

I am selling all my ladder stands now

I love the comment in hunting marsh bucks about how guys hunt with rut tactics ALL season by hunting funnels and travel ways. SO TRUE

I am going back to being mobile and hunting with my LW climber....
". . . there's more fun in hunting with the handicap of the bow than there is in hunting with the sureness of the gun." --Fred Bear
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Hodag Hunter
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Re: ladder stands and deer patterning

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Tue Jan 04, 2011 3:36 am

Hunted more mobile this season than I ever did before....seemed to help.

I still find the key is to be in areas were the deer are and not over hunt any one location. To me doesn't matter if that's a ladder stand or a portable stand.
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Re: ladder stands and deer patterning

Unread postby PLB » Tue Jan 04, 2011 4:45 am

For the first time ever this season I played the wind religiously and went through more windcheckers than I care to admit!! :lol: I was also very mobile and ended up passing a 125 inch 8pt and missing a high 130's 10 pt. I saw more deer and bucks early bow season than ever before. In the past I may have hunted a stand with a marginal wind or overhunted a stand because of ease or just plain laziness! NO MORE!!
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76chevy
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Re: ladder stands and deer patterning

Unread postby 76chevy » Tue Jan 04, 2011 5:56 am

most of the big bucks I have seen or shot have been on virgin sits in a new spot I just walked into and set up in

Over the years, it's become clear to me that you can OVER hunt a spot!!
". . . there's more fun in hunting with the handicap of the bow than there is in hunting with the sureness of the gun." --Fred Bear
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Re: ladder stands and deer patterning

Unread postby gjs4 » Wed Jan 05, 2011 2:25 pm

Bottom line is deer that know theyre being hunted get paranoid. I have a ton of permanent stands. More because it was the old tactic and why scrap a pile of stands than anything. I have my permanents around the perimeter of the farm. Inside (with may a 1/2 stand exception; and I have a ton of stands out) I use a Millenium- have the sticks/pegs with a bracket. beats hanging one in the dark- which i am not a fan of. I love my lw alpha/sticks ...and use them...almost exclusively when off my primary ground....but while there I found the bracket sys the best of both worlds. I also have some old stand sites (wooden junk) that decoy other folks or critter well to my adjacent (actual) setup. Again- this is my ground though ...off mine lw is the only way to go..sold my climber and never looked back besides from a comfort standpoint
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