Where do you prefer to set-up?

[OHhunter]

getting to a stand without spooking deer ranks right up there with the wind.  Nothing more discouraging than deer blowing and crashing off in the darkness. I spend alot of time trying to figure out entry routes that will get me around the feeding deer.  That's probably my biggest issue when placing stands.  It's almost impossible in farm country. It seems like theres deer in every field feeding in the mornings.

[vambo991]

Easy... RIDGELINES! for the oldest and biggest bucks. The property I hunt in western IL has a predominate ridgeline with a neer sheer bluff on one side.(you can get to the ridge top from the bluff side, though) Ya don't see many deer there, but the ones ya see are always big. Also, the tops of erosion cuts about 3/4 of the way up that hill are good. Last, the funnel routes between the 3 large bedding areas usually are decorated with a few of our stands. Thats where I like to look for cruising bucks starting in November. I stopped hunting the inside corners of crop fields and areas with tons of sign, unless I'm looking to bag a doe. I just never see mature bucks in these places during shooting light.

[RNC]

One of the best places I have hunted was an oak flat about the size of a football field. It was very open on the flat making it easy for deer to find acorns. It had a good mix of white and red oaks so it had a mast almost every year. The flat had an old clear cut on north ans west sides, a swamp on the south side and thicker mature woods to the east of it. I saw deer of all age classes in this spot. In the rut the edges of the area would explode with rubs and scrapes as the bucks criscrossed the bedding area in the clear cuts to the next oak ridge on the other side of the swamp. About half the forest where this spot was logged two years ago which really condensed the hunting pressure and the spot just fizzled out.
 
I also like to find points of dry ground sticking out in to swampy areas, espically if there are islands in the swamps where the deer are bedding. In the same forest from above the deer would bed on the islands and then come across these point to feed on the acorns. In the morning they would either return to the islands or head to the clear cuts to hide out for the day.

[SyracuseBowhunter]

I really like a saddle in the top of a ridge with an old orchard directly below it and thick bedding on the other side of the saddle.  I have taken a lot of deer over the years with that stand setup.

[sfraider51]

honestly it depends on where you are.
i saw that your from florida so am i, i only have 20 acres of all timber and ive found that setting up alongside deer trails that lead out of the property towards other propertys where there is fields with little if any hunting pressure. also acorn tree's are good spots, preferably white oaks.
 
best of luck for a bruiser

[howhill1]

i like internal corners, internal edges ,where hardwoods meet a thicket, a stand of white oaks can be awesome. 30 or 40 yards off a field edge. i feel a deers life can be summed up to feeding bedding and breeding. there are distinct places they like to do each and travel routes they use to get to each. while every piece of propety is differnt much like the internal combustion engine they have certain similarities that deer like.

[FFKEVIN]

ORIGINAL: Sailfish

Assume you don't have a food plot or feeder, just access to land (any land) whats your best bet that "guarantee's" you a good chance at a deer?

Do you set up over "freeways"? A scrape? Edge of a well visited field? Bedding area? I'm sure there are multiple scenario's, conditions, etc that can come into play. Just wondering what you feel is your money spot.


I like near a bedding area off one of their routes.

Sailfish,
 
I bought and read (and re-read) an awesome book that they sell on the DDH web site

Mapping Trophy Bucks by Brad Herndon

http://www.krausebooks.com/product/334/9 
 
This book is great about using maps and overhead photos to pick good hunting spots.  I highly recommend it!

[JHBB]

I've found that I pretty much have to hunt near thickets, or at least thicker areas of the woods.  The areas I hunt usually have a decent amount of hunting pressure and I've rarely seen a bigger buck that wasn't using a thicket as he traveled (as long as he wasn't chasing a doe).

[schlupis]

Deep in a cedar swamp even in high pressure deer feel pretty secure back in the cedar swamp..

[Sailfish]

ORIGINAL: FFKEVIN



[color="#0000ff"]Sailfish,[/color]
[color="#0000ff"][/color] 
[color="#0000ff"]I bought and read (and re-read) an awesome book that they sell on the DDH web site[/color]

[color="#0000ff"]Mapping Trophy Bucks by Brad Herndon[/color]

[color="#ff0000"]http://www.krausebooks.com/product/334/9[/color] 
[color="#0000ff"][/color] 
[color="#0000ff"][/color]

I just got it 4 days ago.
I like it so far.
Alot.


Thanks for the referral!