How long do you let a spot calm down after setting up a hang on stand? I set one yesterday afternoon after finding the spot on Friday, but don't want to pressure the area. Should I hunt it this afternoon or wait a few days or a week?
There is a big oak they are feeding at, with lots of old and fresh scat. Not knowing how long the acorns will last makes we want to get on it, but not at the cost of contaminating the site.
I like to leave it a couple of days, myself.
That said, I think a lot depends on the weather. A windy day would speed things up, same goes for rain.
At damp, still times I'd prefer to leave it at least a week.
Pretty much as long as I think it'll take for my scent to dissipate.
I have hung them and hunted them. If the wind is right get at it!
Another point of view is to immediately hunt it. I like to bounce around, plus, I hunt public areas where we cannot leave a stand overnight. In and out, quickly, quietly. Like a ninja :biglaugh:
ChuckC
I would hang and hunt when possible unless you put a bunch of scent right were they will be walking, feeding or down wind so they spook when they come in. In that case, let it rest a while. They will come in at night if it is a hot feed area and they know you were there. After not finding more scent over a day or two, they should start to relax a bit. Rain will help clean up the area.
In some spots you can push them out for a week or so, or push them to a different part of a field for food by disturbing an area. In a hot food spot like concentrated acorns, apples..., there is a bit of a race to be first in line to get the goodies. I think that brings them back sooner.
I hung one Saturday, but had to get back to prep for the hunt. Rain was developing in the area so I decided to let it go for that night, and let the rain clean things up. It was a ways into the area so I didn't want to shoot something in the rain or get soaked. Turned out that was a good choice because it poured hard right at dark. I will be in it come Friday if the wind is right.
If they are feeding there and the wind is right no reason not to hunt it right away unless you really stunk up the place of course.
I've had my best result setting the stand and sitting it as soon as I'm done. I've seen more decent bucks than any other time doing that. I don't know if it's coincidence or you just catch them off guard.
I'm wondering too if it's feasable to leave a stand on public property? Seems like it might dissapear?
QuoteOriginally posted by medic77:
I've had my best result setting the stand and sitting it as soon as I'm done. I've seen more decent bucks than any other time doing that. I don't know if it's coincidence or you just catch them off guard.
X's2 Medic!! :thumbsup:
Shot a beauty of an 8 point 2 hours after setting the stand 5 years ago. But it was cold and I didn't break a sweat.
I guess it all depends.
I adapt during the season. If I see deer moving a ways from my current stand I wont hesitate to move it, then hunt.
Not my preference of course, but whatever it takes.
Depends on how much you muck up the area.
If you walked all over and cut huge shooting highways, then blocked trails with your cuttings, you may be busted before you get a deer in range.
On the flip, if you sneak in from a good direction, get up rather quietly and the conditions are right. Sit down and get ready.
Like Charlie said, if you sneak in behind from where you expect the deer to come and you don't disturb the area visually, olfactorially,or noise wise.......go at it. :thumbsup:
I usualy hunt from the ground but, I bounce around a bit. When find a good spot, I sit!!!
Isn't that why guys use climbing stands??? So they can go in, find a tree, climb it, and sit???
One time years ago I moved my stand just before noon . Got it set up in about 15 min. and poured out a cup of soup , had the cup in one hand ,spoon to my lips and saw a big doe bout 10 yds. from me . Didn't get a shot because I had no way to set things down quietly .
A few years back, I silently hung a little Loc-on Limit with climbing sticks in a river bottom and half way up I spied five doe bedded down 80 yards upwind of me. Got everything buttoned up 18 feet up, hauled my gear up and 20 minutes later one of them was tagged and getting dragged to the truck. They had no idea I was there.
It depends, but I like to find a spot, hang my Loc-on and hunt it right then.
Well with a climber you have to hunt it then.
Thanks for the replies. I don't think I left too much scent. I didn't cut any lanes, but trimmed one or two branches.
I hunted it this morning. Mistake. I should've waited until this evening. I bumped two does in field on way in. Of course they went the way I was headed, so bumped them further. One was blowing, up until I got the bow up. Was still dark so I didn't see them.
Then, at 9:20, "friendly" neighbor comes to border of property and fires two shots from shotgun. 5-6 minutes later, he comes to within 50 yards and fires two more shots (about 10 yards from oak I'm watching). He's not hunting, just harrassing me. Every time I park where I did, he comes in firing guns, banging drums, revving the quad, yelling, blowing car horn, etc. He's the $%&# that chased my son home one day last year. This guy is playing with fire. He and his brother own land on either side of the property I hunt, over 100 acres each, but can't get along with anybody. It's private property that I'm hunting, and he stayed on his side, but what a tool.
I'll give it a week or so, then get back in there, and park somewhere else. Or park in same spot and hope he pulls his BS and pushes deer to me.
I hunt strictly from my Lone Wolf Climber. Sneak in best I can, climb the tree and I'm hunting. So I pretty much hunt it immediately every time. Although sometimes I will find a spot while walking in or out and will then make a mental note to hunt it later.
QuoteOriginally posted by TooManyHobbies:
Thanks for the replies. I don't think I left too much scent. I didn't cut any lanes, but trimmed one or two branches.
I hunted it this morning. Mistake. I should've waited until this evening. I bumped two does in field on way in. Of course they went the way I was headed, so bumped them further. One was blowing, up until I got the bow up. Was still dark so I didn't see them.
Then, at 9:20, "friendly" neighbor comes to border of property and fires two shots from shotgun. 5-6 minutes later, he comes to within 50 yards and fires two more shots (about 10 yards from oak I'm watching). He's not hunting, just harrassing me. Every time I park where I did, he comes in firing guns, banging drums, revving the quad, yelling, blowing car horn, etc. He's the $%&# that chased my son home one day last year. This guy is playing with fire. He and his brother own land on either side of the property I hunt, over 100 acres each, but can't get along with anybody. It's private property that I'm hunting, and he stayed on his side, but what a tool.
I'll give it a week or so, then get back in there, and park somewhere else. Or park in same spot and hope he pulls his BS and pushes deer to me.
In Texas we have a Hunter Harassment law. Maybe you do too. Would be nice if he got a big fat ticket.
Yeah, we do too, the problem is, 1) I didn't SEE him. It's his property and he doesn't allow anyone else hunting it. I heard him walking but couldn't put eyes on him. 2) He would just say he's squirrel hunting, etc. My word against his. 3) I'm sure he didn't know exactly where I was. Or what he would say is "I didn't know anyone was hunting nearby".
Doesn't take a lawyer to know he can do what he wants until someone gets hurt.
And to top it off, in CT we can't carry concealed or any firearm while bowhunting. I'm sure my longbow wouldn't be much of a deterrent if he decided to take the next step, while I'm strapped to a tree with no where to go.
People like that will eventually foul up. What goes around, ya know.
I hang and hunt right away 99% of the time. I also take the stand and sticks down when i leave.
I have a bunch of hunting "spots" picked out and logged in my stand locations log book and simply bring my stand and sticks with me each time i hunt a spot.
I also do what i call "johnny on the spot" hunting alot. This is where i go into an area that i know has deer but i never set foot into yet. i get in there early afternoon, and scout with my stand on my back, sticks on my shoulder, bow in hand, and backpack hanging on my treestand. When i find the spot I want with the sign Im looking for I climb up, hunt, and take everything out when im done, sometimes including a deer.
The power of that "johny on the spot" method is awesome. I have a podcast i just made that goes into great detail about that hunting style that will post in a couple weeks. but as an asset to your situation it proves that hang and hunt right away is a ver effective way to hunt.
If the sign is hot, hunt right away. The place could be empty a week from now.