Where would you setup?

[JRM6868]

Is that a double trunk tree or two separate. If it's double trunk you can go old school and use a wedge between the trunks to get your height and don't use a stand if ou want to be low. Killed a lot of deer with the tree wedge.

[JRM6868]

JRM...... I like the drawing

Yeh back in high school only got a C- in art. Couldn't draw people besides stick.

[Casper]

The tree is actually pretty good sized. Ground won't be an option, the cattails will be too high.

[DropTyne]

I think a little different than the rest I guess. I would worry less about height and more about hunting it on the "right" day, meaning a day when you are going to get a shot at that buck, right wind, right food source, ect.......

Then hunt as high as you feel like you need to be. A major question you need to ask yourself or explore is if the buck or bucks that will be passing within shot range of this tree can see you as you climb. Get in those beds and see if they can see the tree and at what height they can see. Then just make sure you set up in a way that they can't see you set up, otherwise, gameover.

If you hunt it on the right day (when a buck is using that bed) and you can get your set up without them seeing you from the bed IMO plastic branches and height are less of a thing to worry about. Try to get good cover if you can, but I have also had luck by just pressing myself against the tree standing to lower my profile in a "stick out like a sore thumb situation".

I wouldn't lose sleep scouting time worrying about things like cover in that tree, I would learn a little more about what they can see from the actual beds (if you don't already know) and start working on finding other beds to hunt.

[Casper]

Good input. They won't be able to see me at any height. Its too thick where they bed. I'll be able to see them once they leave their beds.

[dan]

This is pretty much exactly how I was going to say it...

I think a little different than the rest I guess. I would worry less about height and more about hunting it on the "right" day, meaning a day when you are going to get a shot at that buck, right wind, right food source, ect.......

Then hunt as high as you feel like you need to be. A major question you need to ask yourself or explore is if the buck or bucks that will be passing within shot range of this tree can see you as you climb. Get in those beds and see if they can see the tree and at what height they can see. Then just make sure you set up in a way that they can't see you set up, otherwise, gameover.

If you hunt it on the right day (when a buck is using that bed) and you can get your set up without them seeing you from the bed IMO plastic branches and height are less of a thing to worry about. Try to get good cover if you can, but I have also had luck by just pressing myself against the tree standing to lower my profile in a "stick out like a sore thumb situation".

I wouldn't lose sleep scouting time worrying about things like cover in that tree, I would learn a little more about what they can see from the actual beds (if you don't already know) and start working on finding other beds to hunt.

[DEERSLAYER]

I think a little different than the rest I guess. I would worry less about height and more about hunting it on the "right" day, meaning a day when you are going to get a shot at that buck, right wind, right food source, ect.......

Then hunt as high as you feel like you need to be. A major question you need to ask yourself or explore is if the buck or bucks that will be passing within shot range of this tree can see you as you climb. Get in those beds and see if they can see the tree and at what height they can see. Then just make sure you set up in a way that they can't see you set up, otherwise, gameover.

If you hunt it on the right day (when a buck is using that bed) and you can get your set up without them seeing you from the bed IMO plastic branches and height are less of a thing to worry about. Try to get good cover if you can, but I have also had luck by just pressing myself against the tree standing to lower my profile in a "stick out like a sore thumb situation".

I wouldn't lose sleep scouting time worrying about things like cover in that tree, I would learn a little more about what they can see from the actual beds (if you don't already know) and start working on finding other beds to hunt.

I thought those things went with out saying. No???

Although I disagree with not taking the time to make sure you are well concealed when you have the opportunity (like spring).

[Casper]

New question. The field edge runs north and south. Both beds are about 60-70 yards in from field edge in some thick brush to the west. What wind will he bed on those spots?

[DropTyne]

New question. The field edge runs north and south. Both beds are about 60-70 yards in from field edge in some thick brush to the west. What wind will he bed on those spots?

My answer would be "Depends"

Assuming this is flat farm/swamp those beds will most likely be utilized when the preffered food source is planted in the field that borders the bedding areas. These beds might be utilized because of the thickness of the brush more than because of wind direction. I would do some glassing/spot lighting as we get closer to the season. Watch through binos on moon phase days when the deer are supposed to feed earlier and you might see good daylight activity out of non-wary bucks. Otherwise utilize your spotlight to see what bucks are in that field 1/2 hour or hour or so after dark. Once your taget animal is in that field take note of what the wind was doing that morning and evening, from there put your pattern together. As long as the food source in that field is the preffered one at the time the buck should stay consistent for a period of time which will allow you to pick the right day to hunt him based on wind.

Although others may disagree I have personally found that deer will enter a field with the wind to their backs. In this case an evening east wind should be the wind you will be looking for.

[DropTyne]

I think a little different than the rest I guess. I would worry less about height and more about hunting it on the "right" day, meaning a day when you are going to get a shot at that buck, right wind, right food source, ect.......

Then hunt as high as you feel like you need to be. A major question you need to ask yourself or explore is if the buck or bucks that will be passing within shot range of this tree can see you as you climb. Get in those beds and see if they can see the tree and at what height they can see. Then just make sure you set up in a way that they can't see you set up, otherwise, gameover.

If you hunt it on the right day (when a buck is using that bed) and you can get your set up without them seeing you from the bed IMO plastic branches and height are less of a thing to worry about. Try to get good cover if you can, but I have also had luck by just pressing myself against the tree standing to lower my profile in a "stick out like a sore thumb situation".

I wouldn't lose sleep scouting time worrying about things like cover in that tree, I would learn a little more about what they can see from the actual beds (if you don't already know) and start working on finding other beds to hunt.

I thought those things went with out saying. No???

Although I disagree with not taking the time to make sure you are well concealed when you have the opportunity (like spring).

Indeed some of those things may go without saying. What Casper has found is two beds that he feels are used by dominant bucks. From what I know he doesn't know what bucks are using them or when. I consider each buck an individual, some will utilize certain food sources at certain times, use certain beds at certain times, utilize different trails to and from food sources on certain days for certain reasons. From what I know Casper doesn't have this information yet. Casper may find that everything goes as planned (it usually doesn't) and a 170 class bruiser is using a trail that meandors right past that tree every single night (we can only pray) in which case a trip to the Hobby Lobby for plastic branches may be a good decision. He may also find that same buck skirting the edge of this trees range at 70 yards to a trail that enters the field far away from this tree in which case he burnt his bridge by not knowing his target animal good enough, this also means a ground sit or a tree 100 yards away may have been his best option.

Unless he is certain this is the tree he will kill that buck out of I would save my trip to the hobby lobby and learn the specific animal better. Finding beds and gathering as much information as you can about the habits of the buck that utilizes those beds during the off-season from available sign is a big piece of the puzzle. Learning your specific target animal leading up to and during the season is what puts bone on the ground. IMO you have gathered enough information on these beds, now it is time to make the right decisions when you react to what that specific buck is doing. Reacting smartly (wind, food source, ect) and timing those reactions appropriatly. Proactive scouting is what you've done so far, and this is good, but I would much rather be a reactive hunter (reacting to the animal) than a proactive one that hangs a ladder stand or runs to Hobby Lobby for fake branches.

Don't get me wrong, if you feel fake branches and trimming are going to make you feel better, do it! But I would sit back and wait until you know more about the buck that lives there first.

[dan]

I would personally not use the fake branches either... You put enough branches up there to concele you and that will look like a blob to deer and even if they get used to it they will look up at it each time passing. I also think other hunters will notice your branches.
I personally hunt bare trees like that one quite a bit and just press my body up against the tree when the deer is on the move until the time is right for me to make my move.

[Casper]

I scouted the ins and outs of these two beds religiously. I have a pretty good idea what the bucks will be doing. It is a new area so it is all guess work right now, but Im a religious glasser in the summer. I'm just trying to spur the conversation.

[dan]

I scouted the ins and outs of these two beds religiously. I have a pretty good idea what the bucks will be doing. It is a new area so it is all guess work right now, but Im a religious glasser in the summer. I'm just trying to spur the conversation.

Its a good conversation indeed... Its interesting to read the differing views.

[DEERSLAYER]

I think a little different than the rest I guess. I would worry less about height and more about hunting it on the "right" day, meaning a day when you are going to get a shot at that buck, right wind, right food source, ect.......

Then hunt as high as you feel like you need to be. A major question you need to ask yourself or explore is if the buck or bucks that will be passing within shot range of this tree can see you as you climb. Get in those beds and see if they can see the tree and at what height they can see. Then just make sure you set up in a way that they can't see you set up, otherwise, gameover.

If you hunt it on the right day (when a buck is using that bed) and you can get your set up without them seeing you from the bed IMO plastic branches and height are less of a thing to worry about. Try to get good cover if you can, but I have also had luck by just pressing myself against the tree standing to lower my profile in a "stick out like a sore thumb situation".

I wouldn't lose sleep scouting time worrying about things like cover in that tree, I would learn a little more about what they can see from the actual beds (if you don't already know) and start working on finding other beds to hunt.

I thought those things went with out saying. No???

Although I disagree with not taking the time to make sure you are well concealed when you have the opportunity (like spring).

Indeed some of those things may go without saying. What Casper has found is two beds that he feels are used by dominant bucks. From what I know he doesn't know what bucks are using them or when. I consider each buck an individual, some will utilize certain food sources at certain times, use certain beds at certain times, utilize different trails to and from food sources on certain days for certain reasons. From what I know Casper doesn't have this information yet. Casper may find that everything goes as planned (it usually doesn't) and a 170 class bruiser is using a trail that meandors right past that tree every single night (we can only pray) in which case a trip to the Hobby Lobby for plastic branches may be a good decision. He may also find that same buck skirting the edge of this trees range at 70 yards to a trail that enters the field far away from this tree in which case he burnt his bridge by not knowing his target animal good enough, this also means a ground sit or a tree 100 yards away may have been his best option.

Unless he is certain this is the tree he will kill that buck out of I would save my trip to the hobby lobby and learn the specific animal better. Finding beds and gathering as much information as you can about the habits of the buck that utilizes those beds during the off-season from available sign is a big piece of the puzzle. Learning your specific target animal leading up to and during the season is what puts bone on the ground. IMO you have gathered enough information on these beds, now it is time to make the right decisions when you react to what that specific buck is doing. Reacting smartly (wind, food source, ect) and timing those reactions appropriatly. Proactive scouting is what you've done so far, and this is good, but I would much rather be a reactive hunter (reacting to the animal) than a proactive one that hangs a ladder stand or runs to Hobby Lobby for fake branches.

Don't get me wrong, if you feel fake branches and trimming are going to make you feel better, do it! But I would sit back and wait until you know more about the buck that lives there first.

At the time I posted that it appeared he was unwilling to hunt off the ground and only wanted info on how to hunt that tree so I brought up the plastic branches because it has worked extremely well for me with real branches. I used real branches from young oaks because they tend to hold their leaves a lot longer. I used to do this in season as soon as the leaves started to fall from a tree I wanted to keep hunting and knew dropped all its leaves early. I originally tried this because I was getting picked off way to much in trees that were real open like Casper posted. I use tree trunks for cover all the time and don't have a problem in the woods, but that tree he posted looked pretty small to me and is all by itself.

I assumed because he has been on the beast for a while he knew what you said. I shouldn't have done that as I know that when you start making assumptions is when you start making mistakes.

...if you feel fake branches and trimming are going to make you feel better, do it! But I would sit back and wait until you know more about the buck that lives there first.

I don't do it because it makes me "feel" better, but because it works very well for me.

[DEERSLAYER]

I would personally not use the fake branches either... You put enough branches up there to concele you and that will look like a blob to deer and even if they get used to it they will look up at it each time passing.

Unfortunately got lazy and I used a poor choice of words when I said "very heavy". What is "very heavy" to me may be very light to someone else. I should have explained that you just make sure there are branches coming 12"-18" off each side of the trunk from near the platform to the top of your head. I also should have included a picture a branch I was suggesting.

...I also think other hunters will notice your branches.

That could happen. I assumed (bad idea) that he had this place to himself and he would not do so if there was a trespassing problem.

Hmmm.... it seems I have started to pick up a bad habit. Time to nip it in the bud and stop making assumptions.

...I personally hunt bare trees like that one quite a bit and just press my body up against the tree when the deer is on the move until the time is right for me to make my move.

I rarely do that so I don't have near the experience you do, but the little I have has been that I get busted about 40% of the time unless it has a decent size trunk.