Stand Site Approach

[jlh42581]

I guess you could see it that way. Many of the guys who are pretty consistent year after year like Bill, Dan, Adam... they all however preach that most of the time where they hunt there really might not be great "sign" in the traditional sense.

I think us common folk put way too much stock in a rub line or primary scrape area. If you spend any time looking at a map you know when you have the key ingredients. Im not suggesting walking up the ditch of a highway because its the only ditch around.

Find an area with the topography you want, find a strong entry, and branch out from that point is all I am suggesting.

[NatureBoy]

I guess you could see it that way. Many of the guys who are pretty consistent year after year like Bill, Dan, Adam... they all however preach that most of the time where they hunt there really might not be great "sign" in the traditional sense.

I think us common folk put way too much stock in a rub line or primary scrape area. If you spend any time looking at a map you know when you have the key ingredients. Im not suggesting walking up the ditch of a highway because its the only ditch around.

Find an area with the topography you want, find a strong entry, and branch out from that point is all I am suggesting.

I see your point. Thanks for the good dialog and great vids too!

[Autumn Ninja]

Where can you "NOT" get by with hunting?,?,,,,, why not burn that bridge!!???

Pressure is your friend, if it's YOUR'S and controlled by YOU....

Just enter where you cant hunt, hunt were you can hunt, its that simple. Keep the wind and vacuums/thermals in mind....Now, apply controlled pressere (for your self) and put down the biggest bucks on your land!!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!

[dan]

Where can you "NOT" get by with hunting?,?,,,,, why not burn that bridge!!???

Pressure is your friend, if it's YOUR'S and controlled by YOU....

Just enter where you cant hunt, hunt were you can hunt, its that simple. Keep the wind and vacuums/thermals in mind....Now, apply controlled pressere (for your self) and put down the biggest bucks on your land!!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!

Ninja is right on... If I have beds I can't hunt, I would care less if I bumped them, as a matter of fact I would try to bump them. You can't kill a big buck if he lives in a spot where you can't kill him... There are some exceptions, like small property and bad neighbors, but for the most part, I either find a way to hunt the spot, block the bed so it can't be used, or purposefully bump it.

As far as access goes, I am only worrying about bumping the target buck beds. I don't want my scent stream blowing into any of the un-hunted buck areas unless I have a need to hunt a specific spot now based on a good assumption a target is in a specific spot and I can't get there without bumping.
If its more of a guessing game, I hunt the ones that I need to pass by 1st, prior to hunting the interior beds... I assume any bedDING AREAS I have set up and hunted are burned and then can be passed by. I would still attempt to keep scent as far away as possible, but would go past and hunt the next bedding area.

As mentioned, ravines are great ways to access hunting areas from the bottoms, however, if possible, I would try to access from above because of thermals, and because of bucks bedding on points watching the bottoms.

Access is another reason why its very important to know exactly where bedding occurs on your property...

[Stanley]

Great thread lots of information and good stuff.

[NatureBoy]

...I hunt the ones that I need to pass by 1st, prior to hunting the interior beds... I assume any bedDING AREAS I have set up and hunted are burned and then can be passed by. I would still attempt to keep scent as far away as possible, but would go past and hunt the next bedding area...

This makes the most sense to me for the areas I hunt.

[backstraps]

Thanks everyone for all the info. I appreciate the replys and point of views and videos.

Good stuff here!!

[backstraps]

I asked BackStraps if he minded me posting a map marked up by Dan for this example.

Thanks Tony you're a peach!

Edcyclopedia, thanks for posting this map. This map could provide so much helpful info for me! If you or Dan wouldnt mind to help.
I can read things and grasp the concepts, but a one on one tutorial is priceless. WOULD one of you guys mind to explain your map? I understand the legend, as far as the color dots indictaing bedding areas for certain wind directions, as well as the X indicates where a stand site should be.

Could yall explain why the stand sites were chosen, and explain why the particular entry and exit routes were chosen.

DONT have to explain the entire map, but maybe pick a couple stand sites (THE TOP X and BOTTOM X), and explain, especially the reason for the stand site location.

Because me being a greenhorn at bed hunting, I would have assume I would needed to get closer to the beds themselves, especially on the top center bold X just below the purple line

T-H-A-N-K-S!!!!!!

[bigbob]

As mentioned earlier in the thread I like areas that have good approaches/exits (that are huntable areas), and go out of my way to not bust deer I'm trying to hunt. Also, due to using trad gear, alot of time the real hot looking spot that's just tore up with sign isn't huntable for me due to my shortened shooting range. But alot of times using topography and sign you can back track off of the sign and find spots leading to the areas that may be more huntable. Deer making that sign don't just show up there, they have to come from somewhere else.

[Edcyclopedia]

I asked BackStraps if he minded me posting a map marked up by Dan for this example.

Thanks Tony you're a peach!

Edcyclopedia, thanks for posting this map. This map could provide so much helpful info for me! If you or Dan wouldnt mind to help.
I can read things and grasp the concepts, but a one on one tutorial is priceless. WOULD one of you guys mind to explain your map? I understand the legend, as far as the color dots indictaing bedding areas for certain wind directions, as well as the X indicates where a stand site should be.

Could yall explain why the stand sites were chosen, and explain why the particular entry and exit routes were chosen.

DONT have to explain the entire map, but maybe pick a couple stand sites (THE TOP X and BOTTOM X), and explain, especially the reason for the stand site location.

Because me being a greenhorn at bed hunting, I would have assume I would needed to get closer to the beds themselves, especially on the top center bold X just below the purple line

T-H-A-N-K-S!!!!!!

I should have posted the link from this map, as there were some dialog with this map to help understand...

But to answer your question regarding the X.
The X is marking a spot to hunt the first time and Dan suggested that "without spring scouting" he would be inclined to rut hunt the corridors marked in X.
The colored stand locations where showing possible beds based off wind directions. If he had "spring scouting" under his belt.

This is where I stuck my nose into your thread Tony
I was hoping that the great map readers on the beast could put the plan together with "ACESS driven" ideas that you posted about!

[dan]

Outside of the rut, I would normally tell a person to scout and determine the direction the deer are going from those bedding areas and set up... Its tough for the average guy who has not spring scouted and is not aware of the current trails leading in and out of the bedding areas, and which food sources they lead to.
During the rut, stand placement where the "X's" are is indicated as bucks traveling the ridges at the top of the thermal air current. You might notice that most of the X's are at the tops of draws. The draws confine movement and hide access... The ridges at this elevation act as deer highways during the rut... However, they are also the types of areas I would suspect movement outside of the rut. But you need to be very close to buck bedding outside of the rut...

[dan]

Take a look at this map... I suspect a buck is using the bed marked with a blue dot on a West wind or N.W. / S.W.
The spots I have marked in yellow are spots I would likely consider hunting. They are just out of sight and can be used on a variation of the West wind, but not every variation. I can sneak very close to the bed to get to these positions and they are along the top of the thermal rise where deer would prefer to travel. However, if food is below nothing is stopping him from dropping in the evening. And if he feels like it, nothing is stopping him from heading straight West. There are no guarantees. Thats why its called hunting instead of shooting... And thats where in season scouting comes into play... In this type of situation, I have done ok hunting one side with no luck then moving to the other side the next day, or below and get action...

[kenn1320]

Great video's, Bill always shares food for thought. Who am I to question him or his tactics, but this creek thing has me doubting. Yes I agree walking up the creek seems like a great approach, Ive done it on much smaller ditches if you will. However if he was going to hunt that "S", I have to believe there would be a better approach. He pointed out close to 8, maybe more runs crossing that creek on his way in. Deer are going to go to water and every deer that crosses that creek, or goes down for a drink is gonna smell he has been there. Is this really an ideal situation? Granted if the creek see's lots of human traffic all year, say a fishing stream, canoeing, etc, then its likely a great tactic. Deer also bed along rivers like this, and it would be tough to walk past them in many cases. "IF" this is a one or two time hunting strategy, I could see the benefit. However if this is a farm your hunting a lot, your gonna put every deer using that creek on alert. Im just trying to get your thoughts about my thoughts, Bill is a great guy.