| Where do you set up your deer stand in big | | | | Notice earlier I said bedding areas - a plural. Deer |
| hardwoods? | | | | don't go to sleep in the same bed every night like we |
| One big question every rookie deer hunter has is | | | | do. Based on weather conditions and hunting pressure |
| where do I set up my stand? The question really | | | | things change. So finding the active bedding area can |
| needs to be how do I decide where to set up my | | | | be a little tricky. But if you're right, you can have |
| stand. Even experienced hunters ask themselves that | | | | action all day long. Early morning they're coming back |
| question sometimes when in new territory. | | | | in. The deer will then bed down during the day, but, |
| The answers to the question have a few common | | | | they don't stay down all day. They'll get up and |
| rules regardless of the terrain being hunted, but a lot | | | | browse a bit. I have shot as many deer between 10 |
| has to do with the specific terrain you will be on. This | | | | am and 2 pm as early or late in the day when the |
| article will concentrate on what I'm most familiar with, | | | | deer or more active. A lot of guys leave the woods |
| and that's hunting big woods with no agriculture in the | | | | by 10 and come back at 2 for the night sit. I think |
| area. | | | | your missing a lot of good hunting by doing this. |
| Big woods hunting can be very difficult. There is | | | | One late bow season about 1:00 pm I had a doe |
| seemingly an endless amount of places deer can hide. | | | | walk up to my tree stand and browsed around a bit |
| With plenty of oak trees around and a generous | | | | and finally she bed down 20 yards away. She was |
| mast the past few years, they don't have to travel | | | | pretty alert for a while but finally put her head down. |
| far to find food during the hunting season. Chances | | | | Every time the wind blew a little hard or a dead |
| are there's a stream or at least a little crick where | | | | branch fell out of a tree I could see an ear perk up |
| the deer can get water nearby. So what does a guy | | | | to interrogate the possible threat. Finally about 2 |
| do? | | | | hours later her head popped up fast. She got up real |
| It's going to take a lot of leg work and more than a | | | | easy and just meandered off, browsing a little and |
| couple of hours in the woods to figure this out. The | | | | looking back once in a while. You could tell she was |
| first thing you need to figure is where the deer are | | | | concerned but not panicked. About 15 minutes later |
| bedding down. Think about the geographic features | | | | my hunting buddy appeared from the direction the |
| of the area you're in. In the northeast it's pretty hilly | | | | doe had been looking. She had made him way off in |
| if not exactly mountainous. My experience is deer like | | | | the distance, but didn't bolt. It was a real good |
| to bed near the top of ridges when the weather is | | | | learning experience. |
| decent. They do this so they can spot a predator at | | | | The second option is to look for likely routes for the |
| a distance and put the top of the ridge between | | | | deer to get into and out of the bedding area to find |
| themselves and danger in a hurry. Plus the sun stays | | | | water or food. They will either go through real thick |
| on the top of a ridge longer than in the valleys so it | | | | stuff in the valleys or along the side of a hill. I have |
| tends to be warmer up there. | | | | almost never seen them travel on the top of hill in |
| In cold and windy weather the deer tend to go into | | | | daylight. There may be sign up there, but it's almost |
| the valleys to get out of the wind and they hunker | | | | always made at night. While the bedding areas |
| down in the thickest stuff they can find. One real | | | | change, the better food and water supplies typically |
| cold and windy day after deer season was over I | | | | don't. If you can find some mature oaks, you'll notice |
| was hiking where we hunt and kicked up three deer | | | | the woods are little more open as the big trees tend |
| that were bedding under a huge oak that had blow | | | | to make it tough on saplings to grow. Also, if there |
| over a few years before. It was in a tight little valley | | | | are homes within a mile or so look for routes to and |
| between four good sized hills in real thick cover. They | | | | from the houses. Deer look at your shrubs as a |
| let me get 20 feet from them before they bolted. | | | | smorgasbord and easy pickings, especially when the |
| Scared the heck out of all of us! | | | | ground is covered in snow and finding acorns is hard. |
| So keep in mind the terrain and the weather and go | | | | Trails leading to food and water tend to be many |
| looking for sign - tracks and droppings. Even though | | | | coming from the bedding area and funneling down to |
| there may be a fair amount of sign all over the place | | | | a few trails. Try to find a number of places to set up |
| there will be areas with more sign than others. Finding | | | | stands along these routes closer to the water and |
| the actual beds is your goal. Here's a hint: look for | | | | food than the bedding areas. That way, there are |
| thick brush. Amongst young saplings, mountain laurel, | | | | fewer trails you can minimize the chance of being on |
| swampy areas, this is where the deer like to bed | | | | the wrong trail that day. These stands work best at |
| down. | | | | first light and later toward dark. |
| Now there are a couple of options. You can setup in | | | | By spending quality time scouting and paying |
| the bedding area or try to ambush them on the | | | | attention to the type of land you're hunting, you will |
| routes to and from food and water. There are | | | | see more deer and greatly increase your hunting |
| advantages to both. | | | | enjoyment. |