Giving a hunting location time

[schmoe147]

I'm curious as to how many times you will sit in one particular spot in a season without seeing a deer. I myself will hunt a stand and if I sit there 2 times and dont see a deer I move on to different locations. Should I give it more time or do you feel in 2 sittings you should see a deer if not move on ?

[goblueM]

Depends on local deer density, the type of spot, and what I'm after.

When I hunted national forest in Ely, I'd sit for 4 days and not see anything, but then shoot a nice buck on the 5th day, for example.

When I urban archery hunt in Virginia, I'm looking for does and if I don't see anything in 2 mornings/evenings I am moving the stand to a new spot

[skee0025]

Assuming you have fresh sign and good trails in the area I would give it more time then a day or 2. I have spots that are day or evening spots only. You can sit on some of them from sunrise to 1 or 2 and you'll never see a deer but after that its game on. Add in various weather conditions and it gets strange. My main spot is a late afternoon spot and I will normally see between 20 and 30 deer a day opening weekend all after 2 pm. But last year I was lucky to see 6 all weekend. Mid week it was back to normal after the weather changed.

[Bear55]

Depends on local deer density, the type of spot, and what I'm after.

I have to agree with this, it can be very dependant on your area and land and of course if you are after any old deer or a mature buck. I don't think 2 sits will give you the full story even on very small chunk of land. You also have to try areas at different times of the year to see when they are productive. Pressure, cover, food sources, and a hot doe can change things fast.

Some of the bigwoods places I hunt it can take years and many hunts to learn the ins and outs of an area. Heck it took me 8 years of hunting one particular funnel to finaly connect on a deer. The setup was right, the sign was in the area year after year, I just wasn't timing it right. When I did finally connect it was a nice buck.

[96trigger]

Yeah,

I never give up on a spot because I don't see deer. I put those stands there for a reason like good deer trails, rubs, scrapes, deer sightings etc... I have moved stands less than a 100 yards to get closer to active deer trails though.

[Musky Buck]

Are we talking bow, gun or Musket ? Assuming gun I go by the shooting in the area for example I doubt I'll hear much on opening day now being in a hunters choice area, if I do hear some lone shots close by I'm assuming a nice buck is down and he may be the 1 I was hoping for so then I'm done with that area until muzzy. But, I have 4 counties I hunt in so are you talking moving within the land area you hunt or moving out to hunt a different herd ? Lots of variables. If you're in a thin woods and there's snow per se after 2 sits I'd be gone, then again you'd know by fresh tracks whether or not to try it again. 2 sits isn't much if you're in a decent area it's a guessing game some, go with your gut and scouting prior to season, I'll drive around my section and see what's hanging if you can get a look. Talk to the neighbors, collect all the intel you can.

[jay83196]

25 Trail cameras, I observe the movement I put cameras out in early Oct check them in Nov before hunting then base which stand I use and what buck I'm hoping for I stick it out most years unless other stands getting movement (based on tracks/camera ) . I don't have much pressure Close to me and have 3 stands on 70 acres a family member owns I use opening week.

[CANOPY SAM]

Wow Jay. Do you really have 25 trail cameras? That's cool. You must get a TON of cool pics!

Everyone above is spot on with advice. Time of year, weather, deer density, bucks or does, all of it plays into how much time a person should put in on a particular stand site.

I've observed that really experienced bucks rarely follow the same path to and from an area more than once in the same week. Unless they're being influenced by food plots, or there is zero human pressure around, etc..

Think ya' gotta feel that one out on your own based on all the factors surrounding your stand site.

[jay83196]

Canopy, yeah actually think 30 now lol been getting few every year past 5-6 years now. I think I enjoy dealing with the cams deer and bear hunting as much as I do the hunt. Most of them were 100$ cams have couple cuddybacks cost more but I look for sales etc. I usually get a few cool picks some radio collared wolves, deer fighting etc. When I put them out in Oct I put some corn out of the way by one and get to see a lot of bucks I may not normally to see whats in area. The batteries are the killer I start buying them in the summer a few here and there.

[CANOPY SAM]

If you need em' I can probably get you some WAY cheaper batteries. My wife works at a giant technology sales and distribution center, and she can get virtually any kind of battery, in bulk, at super low prices.

Lemme know what you need and I'll see what I can do. Geez I wish I had that many cameras! I don't even have one! I could see where just checking the cams would get to be kind of an addiction! Just like checkin' the bait station to see who's been visiting!

[jay83196]

It does fortunately for me the deer cameras in Oct are way up north so I'm not tempted to go check them before I'm up hunting, and then during hunting. I hunt state land bear hunting and I have them locked to trees in bear boxes and I forgot the keys once it nearly killed me

[CANOPY SAM]

Ha ha ha! Couldn't get the "pics fix"!

[jay83196]

Exactly had to wait 3 days til baited again (2+ hour drive wasnt going back) was brutal....or have forgot to put cards in or turn on cameras thats the worst.

[nofishfisherman]

$2500-3000 invested in trail cameras alone. I wish I had your hunting budget to work with.

[jay83196]

I get bonuses at work its my fun money otherwise I would probably have 3

[nofishfisherman]

Whats fun money?

[jay83196]

Websters- Fun money.....money spent on fun things you neither should nor can afford to spend however you justify this spending as you only spin around once and have fun be darned....just don't tell the wife

[nofishfisherman]

Gotcha, I thought fun money was a just a myth. Glad to know it really does exist. Gives me hope.

[Boar]

Yea jay Digi Key Is the way to go for batteries, a dozen industrial streanth D's for about 7 buccks I think. well worth it. I thought fun money was the paycheck ya hand over to the wife, cause she sure has fun seeing the sad look on ur face wen doing so.

[ClownColor]

trail cameras are the devil when hunting more then one stand. Wait two days, see no deer, move to another, then to check your trail cam and see a nice 10 point buck at your last stand...but would it have come if you where there is the real question.

If you did your scouting and have deer in the area, consider moving your stand 10-20 yards in a different tree. It works.

[bigbucks]

Depends on how many spots you got & how much time. I don't pull them during season very often unless I see that they should be relocated to another spot X # of yards away, because that's where the deer are really coming in the mornings or the evenings, whatever type of spot it is. Sometimes hunting near fields you find out the stand is set on the exit trail, not the entrance trail & then all that sign was made in the dark. Probably give it more than a couple, depending on how long your sits were & how good the conditions were.

[pikerliker]

Depends on local deer density, the type of spot, and what I'm after.

When I hunted national forest in Ely, I'd sit for 4 days and not see anything, but then shoot a nice buck on the 5th day, for example.

When I urban archery hunt in Virginia, I'm looking for does and if I don't see anything in 2 mornings/evenings I am moving the stand to a new spot

Well said goblueM. I've had the same exact experience in the Beltrami State forest. It's not uncommon to sit for a few days before seeing a deer. Then I have been in SE MN where I have 9 deer walk by me in a day. Just depends on where you are.