Observation Stands On Public Land

[ozzz]

Every area definitely doesnt set up to use observation stands well but some do.

Some of the areas I hunt you just cant see far enough to back off and hunt but observe another spot. Specifically in hilly regions with more dense foliage. Broken open woods seem like they would work pretty well and I have several in areas like that. Also in thicker swamp/marsh areas where you can get up above an opening of tall grass/cattails or whatever and see anything moving around in that stuff to and from thicker areas.

[chasemukluk]

Thanks for another great Beast discussion. I am not as experienced as you all, but do have an experience I would like to share. It kind of goes along with what Dan said in deer following a pattern of sorts a couple posts back. 2 seasons ago I observed a very heavy farmland 8 pointer grazing on some cut grass outside of a thicket. It turned out he was with a doe that was not too far away. I observed this during the beginning of November from an observation stand on the downwind side of a bedding area. I thought to myself at that point that I should move to "that" tree about 90 yards from where I was sitting. I didn't move because I had a couple other 1.5 and 2.5yo bucks cruise by within range from this observation stand. So, on the same wind the next day, I set up in the same tree. I sat a different spot in the morning because I didn't want to spook any doe on their way to their beds.

At 10:30a, I climbed down, walked the mile to the same tree as the night before, set up and settled in. At a little after 11:00a I see a 2.5 yo, 10 with it's nose to the ground walk within 20 yards of the tree I thought I should have moved to the night before. I thought to myself, "I should get down and go sit there." I ended up talking myself out of it. 20 minutes later a nice 3.5 yo through the exact same spot! At this point I am just mad at myself for not moving and am thinking it was just a fluke. Also, thinking there is no way another deer does the exact same thing. Within the next 2 hours I saw 3 more bucks move through that exact same spot. 2 of which were big mature farmland deer. It was an exciting night in the tree, but I was also very frustrated with myself as well. I should have just trusted my instincts right off the bat and moved. Unfortunately the guy letting me hunt the land sold it the next year so I never had the chance to sit in "that" tree ever again.

Moral of the story is, if you see mature deer using an area, move in right away when you have the correct wind. If you think about moving, just move!

[Dewey]

At one time I used observation stands to watch deer leading up to opening day but now I have a new twist on the technique. Now I hop on my mountain bike and cover much more ground off road while observing what the deer are doing the last few hours leading up to sunset. I can get into areas to glass the I could never access with my vehicle and the biggest advantage is not being seen by others on the road while I am watching certain bucks. I treat it just like hunting and only approach areas if the wind is absolutely perfect. Doing this the last 3-4 years I have a pretty good idea exactly where I want to be set up on opening day. I use this with pre scouted beds to make an educated guess where a particular buck may be bedded. During the season I will use observation stands in new areas I am not real familiar with so I can fine tune my setup for future hunts.

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[justdirtyfun]

I'm starting to see a big difference between folks here and most hunters.
There is value in building specific knowledge and getting it can't wipe out that information.
Observation stands will help make THE HUNT go as planned but just going in and hunting a few nights might not produce anything. Not even intel to help narrow things down.

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[justdirtyfun]

Dewey I'm glad to hear your opening day preparations. I really want this year to start well . Knocking the rust loose and getting my game face on early is my plan. A scouting trip last week produced a nice 4 point shed but also 2 flats on my bike. Cocklebur seeds did me in and I don't have an answer on how to deal with them later. Any thoughts?

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[Trailcamaddict]

I sat an observation stand two nights ago for the first time ever on public land. I set up in a large tree over looking a transition between woods/red brush then some cattails going out to a suspected feeding area. The only critters I observed were mosquitoes which were also observing me! On a good note I wanted to check the status of a little know water hole that I found a couple years ago to check for tracks. About 15 yards from the water hole a small buck was looking at me. Down in the water hole was a 2.5 yo and another buck back in the brush which I couldn't see. They busted out and I was able to check the tracks and pick out a kill tree just in case the opener is really hot!

Moral of the story = even though the observation stand didn't produce any sightings, I was still able to learn from the journey!

[djw195]

excellent thread.

I do most of my glassing from my car or on the ground, a lot of the places I hunt have corn/beans/alfalfa so i just hide alongside the corn and glass from a distance. I have spots set up for observation stands, just usually not use them because I don't have to. That will probably change soon.

I started hunting pretty much all new ground this year, private and public, and glassing is a big tool i use to learn where the deer are and what they are actually up to during daylight. I have several properties that are spread out so I glass these often and to see what is going on, I try to cover a lot of ground so I can have the highest percentage of a kill every time out. Come opening day, based on my glassing, I'll be able to set up in spots I know there is action. My plan is to execute the ambush, either I kill or don't, if I don't then move to my next spot on a different property. I'll glass properties I've already hunted to see how the deer have adjusted to pressure, then I'll adjust my set up next time in.

[mainebowhunter]

Figured I would bump this post. Was looking around for some more info on observation. Funny, guess my definition of observation was a bit different. I spend a LOT of time in my rig during the summer "looking for deer". Watching fields from a distance. Just do not spend a lot of time observing from a treestand. Buck I killed this year was a deer I had observed. But I noticed he was not on the apples in the observation spot as much. That was good thing as I knew what bed he was using and where he probably was spending time. Killed him there.

Spend a lot of time glassing and observing in midwest.

Lets talk more about observing from a treestand. Lets take a public or private land spot. How many nights are you going to sit and observe one spot?

[DaveT1963]

To me there is a difference between glassing and sitting an observation stand. Observation stands to me are during hunting season and I am trying to pattern a buck. I usually set up on fringe areas where I can glass the area I believe he is using but I also try to set them up where I could have a chance to kill him, or another good buck from. Usually a travel corridor or a rub line or perhaps a scrape. On some occasions, if I am really having a hard time figuring a certain buck out I will set in a tree from 150-300 yards away and glass - giving up a hunt or two just to try to get intel. To me the sitting in the kill tree is usually the last step of the process. When I was a lot younger I rushed to my kill trees and usually burned them out. Now days, I spend far more time in the scouting, glassing, studying, prepping and thinking until I figure out where HE is most vulnerable and then move to the kill tree when the "stars align - wind, weather, timing, moon, etc....). I changed my thinking from the best way to kill a buck is to sit in a good tree in a good area until he shows up to the best way to kill a buck is to study him until I know where he is most vulnerable and then move in.

Now if I am not targeting a specific buck then I hunt high percentage travel patterns (usually funnels and entry/exit trails to bedding) focused on what the bucks are probably doing at that time (eating, cruising, chasing, rutting, etc....)

[Twenty Up]

I'm going to bump this up...

Not sure where most of y'all are hunting but besides open farm land, it's nearly impossible to set up an observation stand without ruining a spot. It's so dense with foliage that you could see maybe 100 yards away inside the forest. Many of the South GA swamp bucks really hold their own and it's difficult to lay eyes on them until it's game time.

I'd like to attempt to utilize observation stands more this season but it's difficult

[mheichelbech]

Looking back at my biggest bucks, a lot of them were taken by moving in after observing... This is not limited to public or private, and really, it don't matter how much you know the land... I know my areas well. Its more about not stinking up an area till you have the right buck moving in daylight where you can kill him. often thats a short window, and if your off by a few days you stink up the area and spook it for the year or at least a long while.

Ever meet the guy who really ain't very hard core, don't know much about hunting but often kills a giant buck ? A lot of the time that is because they only go out for a couple days in the rut, or a couple days in gun season while others ruin there land by pounding it all season... Bucks go where they don't smell humans... Give them the area. Let them get comfortable without constantly smelling humans, then move in for the kill.

Regarding residual scent, is it feasible to walk in/out and set your stand to observe in places that bucks already are aware of human scent and, as you noted, maybe traverse after dark? Effectively using other humans scent to cover your own?

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[whitetailassasin]

Looking back at my biggest bucks, a lot of them were taken by moving in after observing... This is not limited to public or private, and really, it don't matter how much you know the land... I know my areas well. Its more about not stinking up an area till you have the right buck moving in daylight where you can kill him. often thats a short window, and if your off by a few days you stink up the area and spook it for the year or at least a long while.


Ever meet the guy who really ain't very hard core, don't know much about hunting but often kills a giant buck ? A lot of the time that is because they only go out for a couple days in the rut, or a couple days in gun season while others ruin there land by pounding it all season... Bucks go where they don't smell humans... Give them the area. Let them get comfortable without constantly smelling humans, then move in for the kill.

Regarding residual scent, is it feasible to walk in/out and set your stand to observe in places that bucks already are aware of human scent and, as you noted, maybe traverse after dark? Effectively using other humans scent to cover your own?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Absolutely it is! Deer in general become conditioned to scent in certain areas they will tolerate, outside of their bedding. But make the mistake of getting to close and in that area and they are gone. Which is why when picking an observation stand you have to account for wind, exit/entrance, and do you best to stay as far back, but as close as needed to get the intel your after. I use as many public access trails or heavy pressured areas as I can to sit back and observe. You want to be able to observe without letting him know he's being hunted. I try to stay off travel routes I know he's using for food, etc. that way once it's dark I can exit without bumping him. The least amount of pressure you can put on him, and still gain what you need is key here.

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[dan]

Observation stands or from a vehical, as long as you stay back far enough to not be noticed can be used and if your goal is to kill a giant buck, should be used for 1 to 2 months prior to your opening day... Some might argue that patterns change, and they certainly might, they also might not. But at least you know where the big ones are hanging, and just like hunting your observation stands can adjust and focus on certain targets that may have been found in July, or a week before season... There are a lot of advantages to observing that we have barely touched on here... One important aspect is just finding out where a huge buck is to hunt, whether or not he is still on the pattern come season.

[Outdoor814]

IMO observation hunts are not a bad idea either. You could always set up a fair distance away from known bedding areas to see how bucks use them. What bucks are in the area, and where they go once they leave bedding.

Just yesterday I watched an episode on Midwest Whitetails chasing november. The hunter was doing this exact thing and even mentioned tactics they had learned from talking to Dan. Ill try to find the video when I get out of work and I'll post a link.

[whitetailassasin]

IMO observation hunts are not a bad idea either. You could always set up a fair distance away from known bedding areas to see how bucks use them. What bucks are in the area, and where they go once they leave bedding.

Just yesterday I watched an episode on Midwest Whitetails chasing november. The hunter was doing this exact thing and even mentioned tactics they had learned from talking to Dan. Ill try to find the video when I get out of work and I'll post a link.

I think Aaron had a thread on this back last year. Not for sure but I think I remember following along. Great series. I think it's also on the public land Midwest Whitetail hunts, or maybe it's Chasing November. But great stuff. I plan on doing way more observing this year in the states I'm hunting being new to them. I plan on gaining intel for the next couple years to know exactly what's needed to kill mature bucks consistently in these locations. I do this a lot in Michigan and it has worked well for me. Scout more than you hunt and pay attention to the details of why, where, timing, and pressure on the area your in. There is always an outside chance to get a kill, but I pretty much know I'm looking for visual conformation of a certain buck when I'm observing.