Help with Setup

[SOILHunter489]

I posted this on another thread and am shocked I didn't get a response, on that site people love to give their opinions/criticism.. Wanted to give it a shot on here. Please respond with any more questions you may have on the property and I will answer to best of my knowledge. I would like some more input on getting some good sets hung for different winds. Here is the post below.

I know this may be asking a lot, but wanted to get some opinions of others on here about how they would hang sets in this woods. I've hunted this woods for a few years, but really got serious with my scouting this year and seeing what all deer are in the herd. I've also focused better on the wind, but am still trying to learn all the time. The first image is the woods, its 120 acres that my grandmother owns, I do not have permission to hunt the property to the East (haven't asked for it) so I am trying to stay away from it as best as I can. If I hit a deer and he heads to that woods I will try to get permission to track the deer, but have not had that happen yet. The second image is just zoomed in a little bit closer to give you a better idea of the property setup. The white line is a trail that is heavily traveled, and the blue line is a large creek. There are few spots to cross said creek easily either, so I am going to do a better job of scouting the area of where the deer can cross the creek. I believe the deer bed in that area, that or they just travel through there and onto the adjoining property. If I sit in either of those stands west of the creek, I see deer moving to the North West along those trails.

The bottom picture is a buck that I had on camera this past week so my eye is on him now. I will have shotgun hunters all around me, but when it comes to bow season it it basically just my brother in law and my self for a 2+mile radius, so we can be pretty selective on our deer we want to harvest.

In all of your opinions, where would be a good place to hang a stand for different winds? Which stands to stay out of with different winds? Etc.. Just trying to get a better game plan. This isn't the only property I have access to in this area, but this is where the good deer are!

4th picture is my first bow kill ever at the other property that is a county road south, and about a 1/2 mile back to the east. That creek runs all the way to this other property. And the bottom picture is my shotgun season kill out of this woods in 2014. I shot it out of the "North Facing Stand."

https://postimg.org/image/kuf1wqzlb/
https://postimg.org/image/n09wln3uf/
https://postimg.org/image/ywpohp725/
https://postimg.org/image/3yiwv3nq1/
https://postimg.org/image/4lrslyn99/

 

[CAS_HNTR]

How are you accessing these stand locations.....as is where are you walking to get from truck to the stand?

What are all the access points that you can use.....looks like you can get in from all but west...correct?

 

[SOILHunter489]

How are you accessing these stand locations.....as is where are you walking to get from truck to the stand?

What are all the access points that you can use.....looks like you can get in from all but west...correct?

Yes, I should have specified parking. You are correct though, can access everywhere except from the West. I usually park at space 2 and 4. Depends on the wind, and what stand I'm hunting. I can cross the creek as well. I'm thinking of putting a stand somewhere in that "island" after I get the chance to scout some more.

 

[Btaylor]

Spots I would look at are...in the crow foot of the woods south of ps2, the inside field corner north of ps3 by where you have a scrape marked, the inside corner of the NW field by ps1 just off the west boundary, I would also look at moving the south facing stand towards the west boundary and shift the north facing stand more into the inside corner just north of current location, the last spot would be the inside corner at the east boundary of the field at ps3. I am a big fan of staying on the outer edges and especially inside corners which you have several. Absolutely love the lay of your place.

 

[SOILHunter489]

Thanks for your input! Something like that is what I am looking for. After this season is up I plan to be in the woods a lot more scouting stand locations and possible food plot areas as well.

I have seen shooter bucks here every year and am working to make it a better woods. Very blessed that my family has this ground and it isn't looking to go anywhere anytime soon.

I pulled my cameras last night and this guy was hitting the scrape hard this past Friday at 6:15 a.m. and headed north. So I'd say he was heading back to bed. I wanted to get out and bow hunt one more time before shot gun season this weekend (Illinois) but it just isn't going to happen with deadlines at work this week. I wished to take him with a bow, but if I get a chance with my H&R this weekend, he's done!

 

[SOILHunter489]

Here is a side shot of him, wish I could figure how to upload the video from the Trail Camera.

 

[Btaylor]

If you could do an acre or two on both sids of the finger where you have the hang on stand marked would be perfect. Due to limiting access to some good looking spots based on the pic I wouldn't put a plot anywhere else except for the tear drop shaped opening south of ps2. That would give you some good food spots without giving up any of your access. Maybe others will chime in and see some different things but without boots on the ground that's how I would come at it.