How many sits?

[buckhunter21]

If there is a lot of sign and you have confidence in the area, I'd give it another shot definately.  Sit all day, you just never know.  You may not see one deer at all from sun-up till 2pm and then all of a sudden the deer you've been wanting to shoot just comes strolling along, and that may be or have been the only deer you see.  That's how the rut is!

[Sam Menard]

A few years ago, I set up a treestand at the back end of a 15 year old clear cut. I thinned about an acre of re-growth poplar. Although I saw some deer including yearling bucks, I moved to a new spot. The next morning, one of my partners took over my stand and shot a 165" class typical. That's the way it goes.

If your in a spot and the deer sign indicates that it should produce, then it's worth sticking it out. The downside is if you're not careful, you can contaminate the area resulting in the deer changing their habits.

Sam

[DeanoZ]

If your in a spot and the deer sign indicates that it should produce, then it's worth sticking it out. The downside is if you're not careful, you can contaminate the area resulting in the deer changing their habits.

ORIGINAL: Sam Menard

Sam, agreed...and to be clear I'm not talking about a morning and evening sit or just two morning or two evening sits.  I mean 2-3 days of sitting in the same stand from sun up to sundown...seeing nothing, and then potentially moving on.  And your right, with my luck on that 4th day my buddy could sit in it and whack a monster!  But when you have a limited amount of time and not a lot of familiarity with the area, sometimes I think you have to get aggressive and make things happen.  I guess if I had better framed the question it would be...If you were sitting in a stand during the rut and continued to see nothing, at what point do you get agressive and move stand locations?

[Woods Walker]

ORIGINAL: DeanoZ

I hear ya Lou, and that's great advice, but I don't have a lot of knowledge of the area and have never hunted it.  If I had a month we probably would not be having this convo.  Only got a week so I'm going to give a spot no more than 3 sits and then I'm moving on...unless I know for sure deer are walking through the area...only takes one hot doe and its on like Donkey Kong!!!! [;)]   BTW, haven't chatted with ya in a while...hows things looking on your end?

Well our rut's really getting going now. I will post a thread of what happened to me today.

Business wise things are about as bad as they can be. SO bad, in fact, that this will be the first time in 31 years that I will NOT be hunting in the Illinois firearm deer season. I just can't afford it. [:o] I will concentrate instead on bowhunting, which is only an hour from my home. Here's hoping for better times......

[DeanoZ]

Oh man sorry to hear it Lou...I know its tough all over but damn when you can't hunt firearms season now that's hitting below the belt!  I hope things look-up for ya...whatever ya do, don't come back to Jersey!!!!  Its worse here and the licensing fees are outrageous!!!   Look forward to hearing your report...lad its ramping up, hoping the same happens next week for me in Ohio because I ain't seeing doo doo here in Jersey!!![8|]