Food Plot Hunting Stand Location?

Mennoniteman

Well-Known Member
Everyone is talking food plots but it's the middle of the summer, time to put out more hunting stands. Where and how do you hunt your food plots? An elevated hut right in the middle? A ladder in the woods on the trail to the field? A hang on along the upwind field edge? Ground blind? This may be one of the most critical decisions with a food plot. Do you have any wisdom, new innovations, good ideas or suggestions for stand placement and how to access the stand?
 
Everyone is talking food plots but it's the middle of the summer, time to put out more hunting stands. Where and how do you hunt your food plots? An elevated hut right in the middle? A ladder in the woods on the trail to the field? A hang on along the upwind field edge? Ground blind? This may be one of the most critical decisions with a food plot. Do you have any wisdom, new innovations, good ideas or suggestions for stand placement and how to access the stand?
I tend to hunt a loooong ways away from my plots. I've shot the majority of my mature bucks about a mile from my food plots. Everybody has a different situation though and what works for me might not be possible for you.

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I tend to hunt a loooong ways away from my plots. I've shot the majority of my mature bucks about a mile from my food plots. Everybody has a different situation though and what works for me might not be possible for you.

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A mile? I may need to rethink some of my strategy.
 
A mile? I may need to rethink some of my strategy.
I have a long history with my terrain and have been lucky enough to find travel routes when looking for them. Our mature bucks tend to show up to feed well after dark so for me it's been best to hunt as far away from the food as possible.

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I have a long history with my terrain and have been lucky enough to find travel routes when looking for them. Our mature bucks tend to show up to feed well after dark so for me it's been best to hunt as far away from the food as possible.

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I've noticed the same thing, the biggest bucks show up well after dark, and in early archery I hunt them just outside their bedding area, but thats usually more like a quarter mile off the field. Later I'll hunt whiteoak trees with acorns, until the rut, then I'll hunt the woods just off the field. During the chase phase I hunt a staging area; an open clearing in the woods about a hundred yards off the field.
 
I have different strategies for different plots. A couple places I hunt, if I got a quarter mile away, I'd be off my property/lease ! Another place, I can do that, but the 3/4 ac. plot draws lots of does and for some reason I get good buck traffic during daylight hours. It may be because they are not pressured and I'm very careful about wind direction. I also have a foolproof entry and exit.

On my property (217 ac.) my best plot for deer traffic is in a creek bottom. Problem is, the shifty winds. You can only hunt it on a S/SE wind and it's iffy even then. I almost ruined it by being busted several times trying to hunt in iffy winds. My wife bought me an Ozonics unit several years ago, but I never used it because I thought it was a gimmick. Last season, I decided to give it a fair chance. I discovered that IT WORKS ! Now, I'm able to hunt right on the N edge of the plot concealed in some maples without being busted.

Other stands are on trails in the woods leading to the plots, and a couple rifle stands are at the end of 200+ yd. lanes that are 60/70 ft. wide. This puts the food 150 yd. or more from the blind and escape cover is just a couple jumps away. This works well during the chase and especially after most of the does are bred. We always manage to see a buck or two cruising through for that last unbred doe or a fawn that's ready to breed. This is toward the end of the gun season of couse and they are usually bucks we haven't seen before.

This buck was on camera only two days before I killed him.
 

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Yep most the time I'm way back on a hard to get to ridge long ways from the plots. May hunt on plots at end of season, seldom before then.
 
A lot of this is going to be based on pressure. In an extremely low pressure property you can hunt right on the plot with good access or just off it. The more the pressure the farther you need to back off.
 
I don't (bowhunt) hunt over my plots because it's a sure fire way to educate deer that they are being hunted.
And exactly where to set up for deer movements that RELATE to plots will depend on...1, What part of the season are you hunting? 2, And how the terrain and cover lay in relation to the plot, and 3, a low disturbance access (both to, and from the stand).
If hunting near plots during the seek phase, I'd prefer to hunt movement patterns of bucks that are scent checking the plot for does.
Those location are often back off the plot 75 or 100 yards down wind. I think it's risky to hunt over a plot during the seek phase of the rut.
And no matter where in the woods I'm hunting, I really like to find places on the OUTSIDE bend of movement patterns. Those spots are often a weak spot in a buck's attempt to be downwind of where they are heading. Bucks DO travel with a tail wind during the rut, but for the ones that are scent checking feeding areas, bedding areas, or scrapes, I like to be downwind, on a bend in movement patterns. If such a spot can be found on a cover seam and terrain/structure change, then it's a place I'd seriously consider hunting.
 
I don't (bowhunt) hunt over my plots because it's a sure fire way to educate deer that they are being hunted.
And exactly where to set up for deer movements that RELATE to plots will depend on...1, What part of the season are you hunting? 2, And how the terrain and cover lay in relation to the plot, and 3, a low disturbance access (both to, and from the stand).
If hunting near plots during the seek phase, I'd prefer to hunt movement patterns of bucks that are scent checking the plot for does.
Those location are often back off the plot 75 or 100 yards down wind. I think it's risky to hunt over a plot during the seek phase of the rut.
And no matter where in the woods I'm hunting, I really like to find places on the OUTSIDE bend of movement patterns. Those spots are often a weak spot in a buck's attempt to be downwind of where they are heading. Bucks DO travel with a tail wind during the rut, but for the ones that are scent checking feeding areas, bedding areas, or scrapes, I like to be downwind, on a bend in movement patterns. If such a spot can be found on a cover seam and terrain/structure change, then it's a place I'd seriously consider hunting.
You just explained my favorite setup.

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If you are wanting to hunt the food plot itself I usually try to have my sets hung so the bucks can enter the plot with the wind in their face. I try to hunt crosswinds from where the deer are coming from and going to. A big old mature buck will always keep the wind in his face if he can. If you use a cross wind correctly it can give that buck a false sense of security. I typically never hunt a plot unless all conditions are perfect. I hunt 100 yards or less into the timber between where I believe the deer are bedding and the plot. If you can find a good oak flat staging area it can be your perfect set up for shot opportunities.

Last year my buck crossed open picked corn field to my stand but killed him inside the timber about 50 yards. My stand is actually hung facing the woods and not the field because this is where I felt the shot opportunity would be. I killed him at 12 yards getting ready to cut a point over to another food source that doe were feeding in.
 
I hunted the down wind side of my plots with winds that blew my stink over top of the ravine that I anticipated the mature buck to come out of. I accessed my stands using the wind in the afternoons without disturbing the surrounding cover.

G
 
I do a lot of things your not supposed to do. With that said I will admit that the more I pay attention to my access routes the better my hunting seems to get as well. I also ALWAYS hunt a stand based on wind direction and even try to take that wind direction into account on my access route to that stand.

I try to avoid hunting over my plots until I have my kids with me. I have a 2 man stand or enclosed tower shooting house over every one (3). Some are right there while some are back a bit. It's just so damned tempting to see deer and with kids you have to see deer to hold their attention. I typically gun hunt from these locations.

For bow hunting - I tend to do that solo - then I hunt pinch points, travel areas, funnels and the like and like to be off where I want the deer at about 20 yards if I can. These stands tend to be simple ladder or fixed position type stands.

I also always keep a climber available.....I like the flexibility of being able to chase the hot sign, or the hot food source, or even where I saw a buck sneaking around or where a buck chased a hot doe. Sometimes you have to be able to adapt and adapt quickly.

I would say my hunting is roughly 1/2 over plots and 1/2 over travel patterns back in the cover.
 
I don't (bowhunt) hunt over my plots because it's a sure fire way to educate deer that they are being hunted.
And exactly where to set up for deer movements that RELATE to plots will depend on...1, What part of the season are you hunting? 2, And how the terrain and cover lay in relation to the plot, and 3, a low disturbance access (both to, and from the stand).
If hunting near plots during the seek phase, I'd prefer to hunt movement patterns of bucks that are scent checking the plot for does.
Those location are often back off the plot 75 or 100 yards down wind. I think it's risky to hunt over a plot during the seek phase of the rut.
And no matter where in the woods I'm hunting, I really like to find places on the OUTSIDE bend of movement patterns. Those spots are often a weak spot in a buck's attempt to be downwind of where they are heading. Bucks DO travel with a tail wind during the rut, but for the ones that are scent checking feeding areas, bedding areas, or scrapes, I like to be downwind, on a bend in movement patterns. If such a spot can be found on a cover seam and terrain/structure change, then it's a place I'd seriously consider hunting.
I need new ideas for some very difficult areas and you have really spelled out some good Indian style techniques here. Area #1, an 11 acre basin full of thick brush, doe bedding area on one slope, 40 acre crop field on top of opposite rim. Buck bedding area in 10 acre swamp that basin drains into. All deer gravitate towards field before dark. I've shot some nice bucks here on the edges, but would like to hunt more towards the middle of the basin where I've seen BC deer.
Area #2, Crop field on top of hill, deer can access the field from lower woods and ravines on all sides which makes them difficult to pattern and hunt. There is little rhyme or reason to their movements. Any ideas are valuable to me. Thanks, Allen
 
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Area #2 - only suggestion I can offer would be at least narrow down the access points to the crop field. If that is even possible. If the deer can literally enter at any point....you have little to know chance. IF you can narrow down those choices for them, then you increase your odds.....some. Hill's and the like also tend to involve thermals and swirling winds, so it's going to be VERY important you know what is going on with the wind/air currents.
 
Area #2 - only suggestion I can offer would be at least narrow down the access points to the crop field. If that is even possible. If the deer can literally enter at any point....you have little to know chance. IF you can narrow down those choices for them, then you increase your odds.....some. Hill's and the like also tend to involve thermals and swirling winds, so it's going to be VERY important you know what is going on with the wind/air currents.
Good ideas on the access, I can do some more hinge cutting to narrow down the entry points. You are right too on the wind thermals being very important, I had no idea how fickle the wind can be until I was spreading lime one day and the cloud of lime dust alternately drifted off all four sides of the field in less than five minutes time and that's exactly what a hunters invisible scent cloud would have been doing in a hunting situation. If anyone wants to really check wind currents throw a bag of lime in a spinner spreader and drive around your hunting area.
 
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Good ideas on the access, I can do some more hinge cutting to narrow down the entry points. You are right too on the wind thermals being very important, I had no idea how fickle the wind can be until I was spreading lime one day and the cloud of lime dust alternately drifted off all four sides of the field in less than five minutes time and that's exactly what a hunters invisible scent cloud would have been doing in a hunting situation. If anyone wants to really check wind currents throw a bag of lime in a spinner spreader and drive around your hunting area.
I like using milkweed seeds (collect the pods) - those little seed float forever and give you a great long distance visual of what the wind is actually doing and do this well before season so you can see how best to set up a stand and not when it's too late while your on stand.
 
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I like one box stand for gun hunting - anywhere but the west side of the plot. I will also position two to three ladder stands for bow hunting - maybe 20 yards back in the woods. The deer will often stop and look the plot over before entering, giving a good shot opportunity. We kill all our big deer in food plots - usually late season.
 
Good ideas on the access, I can do some more hinge cutting to narrow down the entry points. You are right too on the wind thermals being very important, I had no idea how fickle the wind can be until I was spreading lime one day and the cloud of lime dust alternately drifted off all four sides of the field in less than five minutes time and that's exactly what a hunters invisible scent cloud would have been doing in a hunting situation. If anyone wants to really check wind currents throw a bag of lime in a spinner spreader and drive around your hunting area"

Mennoniteman, I've had that happen also and on an open tractor. The risk of spooking deer by sitting on food plots with the winds here with possibly many deer out in front of you and likely very close is not IF they will wind you but When. We do our best to minimize it, using scent lok clothes and spraying our equipment, pac and boots which helps at least a little and sitting in enclosed "air tight" tower blinds which also helps to contain scent. The plot blinds are used on perfect wind days and on days when one a shooter buck is likely to make the mistake of showing himself, ie; the last day of the "chase but don't catch season" and late season feeding if weather is good and tough and feed conditions drive them there. Other than those very few sits, we mostly hunt from the ground. We have ladder stands out in the woods also but predominately hunt from the ground. Our best bucks so far have come from 400 to 1200 feet away from the nearest food plot. That is as far as we can get without getting too close to a property line from the different food plots. Each year we learn and relearn that hunting the plots here is not usually our best option. And each year we hunt the plots less than the year before. note; There is a day or two in late October where the larger deer of the property may visit a plot but we haven't been able to get that right yet.

AS with everything there are exceptions. One is a 1/2 acre food plot that is 300 feet from the road and is huntable on south winds. It is used for less experienced hunters shooting mostly the first deer that comes out. It keeps our newer hunters in the action. They "can't" get lost and wander around. It is easy shooting at standing deer thirty yards out from a well hidden ground blind made of natural materials. Once in a while a 2/12 year old eight point will be taken there but not very often.

The other exception is on a rare day when the weather is just too tough to be out in the open but the wind is not swirling. The plot blinds are sometimes used then. If the wind is swirling we do not hunt the property. There is a high tension line that could be used for those kind of days; a tower blind two feet off the road would work for those days but we really have more days to hunt than we have deer to shoot so days not hunting here and there is A-OK."[/QUOTE]
 
I like using milkweed seeds (collect the pods) - those little seed float forever and give you a great long distance visual of what the wind is actually doing and do this well before season so you can see how best to set up a stand and not when it's too late while your on stand.
Milkweed is hands down the best wind indicator for hunting and scouting purposes. I've carried a pod in my pocket for many years and I'm still learning about the finer points of wind patterns an air movement. There would be times that what seemed like baffling changes in wind direction was easily seen and explained with milkweed floaters. Example...One of my stands has a large white pine 25 yards away. On partly sunny days with light/calm winds, that pine will actually draw the airflow towards it...when the sun shines on it. During cloudy periods, the wind will flow in a good hunting pattern, but when the sun came out and warmth would hit that pine, it acts like a chiney. It actually draws air AWAY from the prevailing flow. The air draws over to the pine (across and through my shooting lanes). When the floater reaches the pine, it rises straight up until it gets above tree top then does a 90 and blows away with the REAL prevailing wind.
The day I figured that out was enlightening. I couldn't figure out why the wind seemed to be periodically screwing me. The the milkweed showed what was happening...Something seemingly irrelevant as sun, then clouds, then sun over and over was changing the micro pattern of airflow 90 degrees. It happened over and over that day. There was no doubt the cause. Sun heating a lone, dark colored tree.
There's no way I could have figured that out without milkweed.
Foliage is another driver of wind patterns. Choosing a stand site for November hunting based on summer air flow patterns is not always the best way. Airflow changes when the leaves drop.
Here how I set up a milkweed pod.
The clip keeps it handy. I don't have to dig in my pocket to find it, or drop it. The rubber band keeps the floaters contained because the pod naturally opens as it dries. It's easy to pinch a floater from the tip of the pod. If you aren't carrying this while hunting AND scouting, then you're not properly equipped.
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