I need some expert input

[Wanderer]

The archery season for deer opens this Thursday here in Indiana. I'd like to have some of you guys and gals out there look over my hunting land and advise me how you'd hunt it. This parcel is a 160 acre working cattle farm. All my hunting/scouting has been on the west side of Hy 17. I'm the only person bow hunting there and, last year, I was the only one gun hunting it as well. The land was new to me last year, and I never got to see it until after bow season had already opened. The people who had hunted there previously (relatives of the owner) had built 7 permanent platform stands. All of them are still in pretty good shape except for #7 which I'll replace with a 2 man ladder before gun season rolls around. I hunted at least one day from each of the other stands last year, and I managed to take a deer from #4 with my bow and another from #2 with my handgun. I've seen deer every time I've gone out hunting. The 2 swamps are covered in deer trails but they are armpit high grass and the trees aren't large enough to hang a stand in. They're also too wet to set a pop up in. The corn will not be picked for another 2 weeks. Lately, I've seen a couple of does feeding in the alfalfa close to number 1 stand. Wind on Thursday is forecast to be from the east at 4 mph. My plan for Thursday is to hunt #1 mainly to do some watching across the swamp towards #2. If I happen to have one of those slick heads come down the trail to the alfalfa, I'll go for some freezer filler . If the wind isn't from the east as forecast, I'll consider using one of the pop ups set back among the round bales stacked at the north edge of the alfalfa. There's a creek that has to be waded across to get into the hardwoods (it's also fun to ford when dragging a deer out). Getting into the stands without bumping deer and stinking up the area has been a trial in the past. The 40 to the north is owned by the son of the landowner, so crossing it to get in would be OK. The other neighbors are a little fussier about their property lines so I try not to go there, although the neighbor to the west allowed me to drive across his land to pick up the buck I killed in bow season. I also can't go into the bull pasture because of the 7 BIG BULLS that reside there. Believe me, when I run an arrow through a deer, I pray that he/she doesn't cross that fence and die inside the wire.
Thanks and I look forward to everyone's input.

[JPH]

I am reluctant to respond to your question because of the "expert" designation, but I'll try anyway.

Tree spots jumped out at me in the aerial photo before I even read your description. They are:
A) The inside corner, just to the east of stand #4.
B) The inside corner, along the boundary fence, west of stand #5.
C) The inside corner, along the boundary fence, mid-way between stand #3-4.

My plan would be to hang stands in these spots, trim things up and rake an easy path to them. I would then get out of there and wait until late Oct. or early Nov. Hunt stand A on a NW wind, stand B on a SE or SW wind and hunt stand C on a NE wind.

During early and mid October I would hunt evenings in the existing stand #1 during N winds and stand #7 on S winds.

Hope this helps a little. Best of luck!

[Goose]

I agree with JPH on his selections and expert comment.
I would also look into hunting the edges of that swamp especially that corner of habitat between existing stands #'s 5&6 then also straight north of that by the other inside corner and swamp edge.
 
I have learned to be reluctant on using old permanent stands, especially bow hunting, because it seems as though deer have patterned us better over the years. Yet some rut stands will always be good because of funneling or cover, so its a toss up depending on the situation.

[DeanoZ]

During early and mid October I would hunt evenings in the existing stand #1 during N winds and stand #7 on S winds.

I'm definitely no expert, so forgive me if this is obvious, but why only hunt the stands in the evening and not the morning as well?

[JPH]

ORIGINAL: DeanoZ

During early and mid October I would hunt evenings in the existing stand #1 during N winds and stand #7 on S winds.

I'm definitely no expert, so forgive me if this is obvious, but why only hunt the stands in the evening and not the morning as well?

Mostly personal preference for me. I tend to hunt filed edges in the evening b/c I look for deer to move from bed to feed during that time. I tend to hunt cover in the morning b/c I look for deer to move from feed to bed during that period. Goose makes excellent points re. the swamp areas. If I were to hunt mornings during the early season, I'd hunt the swamps. (I left that out b/c we do not have swamps in IA and it did not hit me until Goose brought it up.) During the pre-rut and rut, I prefer funnels such as the inside corners because bucks are cruising.

Again, far from expert opinions.

[DeanoZ]

Makes perfect sense Joe...had a feeling thats where you were going with it...I asked because this year I'm relegated to hunting fields...not that its a bad thing, but I've always hunted woods.   So as I'm picking my stands along some field edges and planning my route to them in the mornings it occurred to me the deer might already be feeding in the fields and I'd run the risk of bumping them.  The catch 22 is in order to get in deeper I have to go through some fairly dense timber and its a sure bet I'd make a hell of a racket doing it!  Dilemma...do I just avoid hunting them in the mornings?  Sorry Wanderer...did not mean to hijack your thread!

[JPH]

Again, good questions with no clear cut answers (at least not from me). I doubt Wanderer minds the hijack because it is all good conversation flowing from a good inital question.
 
I don't want to be the one to tell you not to hunt. God only gives us so many sunrises in our lifetime and every hunter should savor them. I'll only speak for myself.
 
I shy away from morning hunts in the early season because of exactly what you said. It is murder to get into deep cover without disturbing deer and field edges take you right through feeding deer. In a nutshell my style is to wait for cool, high pressure evenings with a rising moon and a good wind in October. In November, I will hunt every possible moment.

[DeanoZ]

God only gives us so many sunrises in our lifetime and every hunter should savor them.

Good advice Joe....I'll probably chance it and try and sneak in the mornings if the wind and conditions are in my favor, thanks for the help.

[Wanderer]

JPH,
You've had an article published in D&DH Magazine. That makes you an expert in my book. I appreciate your input and everyone else's.
The inside corners listed as B & C on JPH's post are on the neighbor's property. He has platform stands just inside the treeline at both those locations. I don't think he bowhunts, and I've never seen him out there during gun season, but, he's the one that let me drive across his land last year to pick up my bow kill (I dragged the deer out just north of the pond). Until I get to know him a tad better, I've tried to stay away from encroaching on his boundaries.
I hunted #4 pretty hard as an observation stand last year, and I've found some good rubs on large trees in the area of the inside corner JPH shows as A. I'd like to hang my lock on or take my climber into that area this year, but, so far, the bull pasture keeps me from easy entry/exit. I need to clear myself a walking path just north of the bull pasture fence, but then , depending on wind, I'll still do some stinking up going in. Maybe I should see if I can walk up the creek from the southwest corner of the bull pasture. That would still give me a steep bank to climb, but it would be scent free and quiet. I'd still have to deal with a deer getting into the bull pasture after a hit but, I'll deal with that if and when it happens. Last year being my first year hunting this piece of property, I figured I'd hunt the stands that my predecessors left for me. All the stands are overlooking the intersections of at least 2 trails, and I have seen quite a few deer. I don't think any of those guys who built the stands were bow hunters. This is my sophomore year on this property and I'm not working right now, so I can hunt everyday if I so choose.
I'm posting one picture of what keeps me out of the bull pasture and another of the bank where I'd have to exit the creek to get to A. I've had a trail camera overlooking that area for almost a year now. That area is the the main creek crossing for the deer in that area.

[JPH]

ORIGINAL: Wanderer

JPH,
You've had an article published in D&DH Magazine. That makes you an expert in my book. I appreciate your input and everyone else's.
The inside corners listed as B & C on JPH's post are on the neighbor's property.

Haha, Wanderer! You need to keep in mind that the article I wrote was primarily about all the things I have done wrong. But thanks for the ego boost anyway!

Back to the point at hand. Those stand locations, the ones I called B & C, do not need to be right on the corner itself. If fact, I would hang them 50 yds into the timber, which looks to be on your side of the fence in both cases. I respect your desire to avoid hunting the fence though, so it's your call.

One more thing. Avoiding that bull might be a good call.