Airsoft Dude

Okay i need help finding a place to put up my stand this year last year i had mine on a hill with a trail up behind me, a vally below me and a swamp off to my side. My point is i only seen 2 deer out of that spot and i kinda have a idea of some deer trails in the are but i cant find were they bed down and were they feed. im not sure if i should move some were else or stay there any tips?

Sportsfann

Really need to watch the wind, if its a good trail and the wind is wrong your not gonna see anything. You have to watch the wind when you approuch the stand also, this is most important.

Wish I could be more help, but hopefully this will help some.

AR Bowhunter

Look for oldrubs or oldscrapes along theside ofridges, sometimes they will runalong the edge of the swamp. You just need to goe over the area little by little until you find whatyou need.

Airsoft Dude

ok ill try the wind thing but there is some old scrapes in the are like 10 yard radius theres 1 rune then a few by the swamp.

RDHunter

Where in Michigan are you from , PM or E-Mail me and will talk about it.

SwampCollie

I don't think any of us can help you...but if you buy me a plane ticket and a non res liscense I'll come show you where their at. We'll even shoot some ducks.

Airsoft Dude

well i do want to start duck hunting lol i dont have that kinda money anyways!

AR Bowhunter

Thats about all I can tell you its is time to do the homework before the season gets here.

Airsoft Dude

ok how do i find were they eat stalk them?

SwampCollie

Well, that really won't work. The issue with deer scouting is it often requires you to do what you wouldn't normally do, which is go trampling through the woods with a somewhat reckless abandon looking for beds, trails, rubs and scrapes. Doing this once or twice a bit before the season doesn't hurt anything. Deer are fairly used to getting bumped by yotes or loose dogs or whatever. Making a habit of it will make them get out of dodge.

The best thing to do is look for places that you KNOW deer are feeding. Like say...a big oak flat, or an agricultural field. Around this area, you will find clues, such as tracks and deer crap. You will also find trails leading into and out of these areas. Typically, deer don't crap until after they have eaten...so if you are finding lots of fresh crap on a trail...its probably leading from a food source to water or to a bedding area.

The best place I can tell you to try and find for bow hunting, is a place that the deer are congragating just off of a food source (usually down wind of it), where they wait for darkness to fall before entering the open to feed. This would be a staging area. Most of the time, you will find lots of rubs in these areas. Also, if you find rubs...think about where the deer is heading. The deer will rub the side of the tree that is in the direction they are heading. Think about a speed limit sign on the side of the road. It is facing in the direction of on-coming traffic so drivers can see it. A rub will be facing with that same orientation, sort so the buck that is walking that path can see it. You can play connect the dots and sort of figure out where the bucks are going to and coming from...and at what time of the day they are using them. Typically from the fields in the morning and to the fields in the evening. You will also note lots of stems and buds that have been bitten off of bushes and tress along deer trails...often, they sort of browse as they move.