Is it too late to move stands?

[Northwoods]

The MN DNR has a study where they collared some deer in Southeast MN. Deer move around way more than we want to admit. Some of these deer hang out in an area for a while and then pack up and move 15+ miles. Hanging a stand could alert a few mature deer but if it’s a good spot a buck (or doe) that you’ve never seen before could show up at any moment and they won’t know the difference.

 

[Nick87]

Dont be afraid to move it and hunt same the same day if conditions are right. Being mobile is a good thing.

 

[Bullshot]

Killed many deer the same day as setting up a stand. I have had deer, including nice bucks underneath WHILE setting up a stand. One reason I try to avoid clinks and clanks during the rut, sometimes they come to investigate and I am not ready - not a fluke, its happened several times. Nothing like watching a buck sniff your bow at rhe bottom of its rope while you are clutching the tree, mid setup, just above him. So go ahead and move it!

 

[crock239]

Killed many deer the same day as setting up a stand. I have had deer, including nice bucks underneath WHILE setting up a stand. One reason I try to avoid clinks and clanks during the rut, sometimes they come to investigate and I am not ready - not a fluke, its happened several times. Nothing like watching a buck sniff your bow at rhe bottom of its rope while you are clutching the tree, mid setup, just above him. So go ahead and move it!

Yep, this. had more than one buck come in while setting up, and sometimes seems like the scraping of a climber going up brings them running.

 

[Bullshot]

Yep, this. had more than one buck come in while setting up, and sometimes seems like the scraping of a climber going up brings them running.

Ha. I knew I couldnt be the only one! Just last year I had about an hour before dark and thought, what the heck. So I went out with the climber. Had all kinds of heck with a bad tree choice, interfering limbs, off camber, the whole 9 yards. To make matters worse, during the setup commotion, i tugged my rope and knocked my crossbow off a steep slope and down a rocky bank into a stream, submerged. Got everthing back in order after much swearing, and killed a buck 5 minutes before dark at 1 yard ( straight down).

 

[Old man bob]

Go hunt hunt , Quit worrying about your damm stands . I am 63 never was in a stand and bet I have killed more and bigger animals than 95 % of You guys that spend half your life on cams and stands. ....And I didn't waste my time to read this post , just the heading. Youal'll need to learn how to hunt. My DAD taught ME.......BOB

 

[Old man bob]

Okay , cuiosity Killed the Cat ...Had to see the post .All Eastern Boys. I willl add sitting in a stand aint huntinting. C'mon out west .At 63 come Friday I am going in the Rockies of Colorado,Solo never been there and watch what I come Home with,. Only thing that will screw Me up is Bad weather or Private land. And I think I can work around the Private. Thats why when you guys come West ans shoot an Antelope in Wyoming You are proud. Thats like shooting a rabbit any where else. Or You shoot a 5x5 elk and call it a trophy. Its a rag horn by GOLLY. The west is what will make You a man if You can handle it. HUnting in a heated stand over a food plt is nothing to be proud of. .............BOB!

 

[MN_Bowhunter4]

Echos above, being mobile isn’t a bad thing. While I do wish I was allowed to hang and leave stands, hunting multiple areas and trees has its advantages. Just be smart about it and it’ll be fine. Nothing wrong with a hang and hunt!

 

[Pucky Freak]

A non-mobile stand says, "This is a dependable, solid spot, where I know I can kill deer." If you're guessing, don't hang a stand, unless you readily intend to move it as much as you need to. Unless you just plan on watching the birds and getting really lucky. I hunt from the ground about 10 times more than a stand, until I know where the stands should go.

Get out your binoculars, wear out some boot leather, check freshness of deer sign, and figure out the area. Within a week of scouting you should be able to determine where multiple doe/fawn groups bed and feed daily. For the next month the bucks will be right there following them.

 

[Nick87]

Okay , cuiosity Killed the Cat ...Had to see the post .All Eastern Boys. I willl add sitting in a stand aint huntinting. C'mon out west .At 63 come Friday I am going in the Rockies of Colorado,Solo never been there and watch what I come Home with,. Only thing that will screw Me up is Bad weather or Private land. And I think I can work around the Private. Thats why when you guys come West ans shoot an Antelope in Wyoming You are proud. Thats like shooting a rabbit any where else. Or You shoot a 5x5 elk and call it a trophy. Its a rag horn by GOLLY. The west is what will make You a man if You can handle it. HUnting in a heated stand over a food plt is nothing to be proud of. .............BOB!

Funny I never saw where the OP mentioned hunting from a heated stand over a food "plt".
I'm going to take a guess and say you've never done any "huntingting" for whitetail in east or midwest? Much less on public land here? It must still be happy hour in AZ.

 

[N2TRKYS]

There's nothing wrong with hanging and hunting the stand as soon as you hang it. I've had great luck doing this in the mornings before daylight and afternoons.

 

[KipCarson]

Are you bow hunting or rifle hunting? It’s never to late to move. You need to be hunting with as mobile of a setup possible to really be effective, especially on public ground. Deer patterns change so much throughout a season from one week to the next the ability to move a setup quickly is important. I deer hunt private land 95% of the time without too much interruption or direct competition and even under those circumstances I won’t commit to a “spot”. Go where the deer are not where you want them to be. My biggest buck came after moving a stand to about 7 different spots trying to get it dialed in. If I had committed to a spot he would’ve died of old age most likely. Gun hunting I could have shot him from a bunch of different places And moving as much wouldn’t be necessary, bowhunting is a completely different chess game imo.

 

[KipCarson]

And I didn't waste my time to read this post , just the heading. Youal'll need to learn how to hunt. My DAD taught ME.......BOB

It’s obvious you don’t take time to read much, people who read a lot tend to make smarter statements than the crap you’re rattling off. Other things I’ve seen you post on this forum are quite interesting, humorous and enjoyable to read but this condescending attack on a guy you don’t know who is just asking advice is one of the more ignorant things I’ve seen here. As for your dad teaching you that’s great! But do you realize not everyone had a great mentor or Dad to give them a leg up and bestow upon them this perfect level of hunting skill and knowledge that you supposedly possess?!
I for one am fed up with the my way is better than your way West vs East mentality. I’ve hunted East and west and here’s a Newsflash for you, they’re different!!! You can’t apply the same tactics everywhere! If you’re trying to be funny and I missed it, my apologies, otherwise go take your meds and go troll elsewhere.

 

[SG25]

At 63 come Friday I am going in the Rockies of Colorado,Solo never been there and watch what I come Home with,.

Pretty bold statement. Ill be following. After reading your posts, I can see why you are hunting alone at 63.

 

[Trial153]

It's never to late. Move it

 

[jt13]

Watch the boys at the Hunting Public, they hang and hunt stands the same day exclusively and have tremendous luck

 

[LCH]

Go hunt hunt , Quit worrying about your damm stands . I am 63 never was in a stand and bet I have killed more and bigger animals than 95 % of You guys that spend half your life on cams and stands. ....And I didn't waste my time to read this post , just the heading. Youal'll need to learn how to hunt. My DAD taught ME.......BOB

Your two posts on this thread are a very poor reflection on yourself and your father then. I am surprised at you @Old man bob , you may only have 100 posts on this account but I know you've been around here and other sites a lot longer than that, and this seems out of character for you. Maybe you've just had a few too many like someone else alluded to.

 

[Mainer207]

Okay , cuiosity Killed the Cat ...Had to see the post .All Eastern Boys. I willl add sitting in a stand aint huntinting. C'mon out west .At 63 come Friday I am going in the Rockies of Colorado,Solo never been there and watch what I come Home with,. Only thing that will screw Me up is Bad weather or Private land. And I think I can work around the Private. Thats why when you guys come West ans shoot an Antelope in Wyoming You are proud. Thats like shooting a rabbit any where else. Or You shoot a 5x5 elk and call it a trophy. Its a rag horn by GOLLY. The west is what will make You a man if You can handle it. HUnting in a heated stand over a food plt is nothing to be proud of. .............BOB!

A real steward for R3 I imagine...Chasing off all of us lowly eastern hunters and shaming those who are proud of their pronghorn.

Never said anything about hunting a heated stand or food plot, so you may want to slow down before you judge my character. I did, however, learn from my father and a group of old guys I still hunt with in Maine, but I took years off of hunting in my early 20s. I would venture to say that those guys killing deer for decades in a state as difficult to hunt as Maine isn’t any less “manly” as killing deer in the Rockies.

I came here to run ideas past people whose opinions I respect. I appreciate the hell out of all this advice you guys are throwing my way and I can’t wait to put it to use the next few weekends!

Oh, and @oldmanbob, I hope you kill the big one.... lol

Cheers!

 

[tzone]

So, I’m hunting a new piece of state land this year and got a bit of late summer scouting in. When I set the seats I was worried about the ease of access, but had trail camera intel and went for it.

Here I am, watching grouse hunters run their dogs under my stand and listening to hikers chat it up a hundred yards or so away. My fault for underestimating the draw to public land.

Is it too late to pull my hang ons and reset them? I’m hoping to move them and hunt them right away. Or should I just hope that the cold weather slows down the public land traffic? There’s new sign in the areas, but I’m worried it’s all nocturnal movement.

Thanks!

Never too late.

 

[tzone]

Taking a stab at this spot. The line denotes a peak where I think a buck may bed. I’m not a seasoned hunter by any means, but this looks like a nice funnel. My seat currently sits a half mile below this spot along a pond edge that’s full of sign. Hopefully, the deer funnel down from this high ground down to the pond.

Thoughts?

View attachment 118140

If there are that many people using that area for hiking and bird hunting, that buck sign is probably being made at night. Get in a bit from them on some swamp edges where you can see a bit. I bet you find your buck. Move daily if you need to.