Where to put a stand - Picture attached

[USAF Ret]

So, I found out today on post that food plots may not have been planted. Bragg has had a lot of cutting of timber, but does have some patches of red oaks. The rest is other hardwood and probably 85% pine.

So, I am trying to target food sources and pinch points. Pic below is from OnX. Red is acorn producing red oaks. Dark green is wetland. I am thinking of putting a stand in the patch right below my bottom left waypoint as the wetland and oaks should funnel them into that area. Is this thinking correct? If not, share where you think would be a good stand location and why. Much appreciated.

 

[perma]

So, I found out today on post that food plots may not have been planted. Bragg has had a lot of cutting of timber, but does have some patches of red oaks. The rest is other hardwood and probably 85% pine.

So, I am trying to target food sources and pinch points. Pic below is from OnX. Red is acorn producing red oaks. Dark green is wetland. I am thinking of putting a stand in the patch right below my bottom left waypoint as the wetland and oaks should funnel them into that area. Is this thinking correct? If not, share where you think would be a good stand location and why. Much appreciated.

View attachment 295306

If I had one more year left of whitetail hunting, I’d put a blind or a stand where a funnel is. I hate knowing that now but it’s hard to figure out what trees they go to, but they almost always go through a funnel.

I’ve never found them escouting, though. Always had to boot scout to find them.

 

[USAF Ret]

If I had one more year left of whitetail hunting, I’d put a blind or a stand where a funnel is. I hate knowing that now but it’s hard to figure out what trees they go to, but they almost always go through a funnel.

I’ve never found them escouting, though. Always had to boot scout to find them.

Unfortunately, now that season is open, you can't scout on foot aside from when you are hunting. My plan was food plots. I have a week and a half of black powder and then a start a new job with no PTO. That's when rifle season begins and things get stupid. Right now, I am hunting Wed - Fri. No weekends.

Thanks for the input. I think the wetland is a funnel. The pines are pretty open and doubt they would use that as a trail, but follow the edge of the wetland to food sources.

 

[Indianajoe]

what state? any white oaks?

 

[buckbull]

Do you know if the oaks where you want to put the stand produced and dropped acorns this year?

 

[USAF Ret]

what state? any white oaks?

NC. Less than 1% white oaks. You will see a single by itself now and again.

 

[USAF Ret]

Do you know if the oaks where you want to put the stand produced and dropped acorns this year?

They should. OnX has them listed as acorn producing this year. I would need to go out there to see. Plan is to get there about an hour before I need to be in a tree to identify areas where they are on the ground.

 

[Indianajoe]

generally white oaks produce every year and are much less bitter. in the early season I would find white oaks if possible. red oaks produce every other year and have more tannins making them more bitter. deer will eat red oak acorns but not if whites are available.

 

[Addicting]

You can’t do any of this without being on the ground and walking it. It will be obvious once you’re there and walk those spots.

 

[WIbiggame]

There looks to be a road of some sort (white line) that connects your 2 waypoints? If this is actually a road or military used trail I would assume foot traffic, vehicle etc will be high. Also seems like a pretty easy spot for everyone to get to? How is hunting pressure? Also where the trees are and wetlands are irrelevant without the topo lines on the map.

As @perma mentioned funnels are key and without showing us the topo lines seeing a funnel will be tough. Also as mentioned funnels in whitetail woods are tough to find as general the topo lines aren't close enough together.

With a muzzeloader tag I assume if it's anything like firearm seasons in WI pressure will be high. If this is true being by that road would be the last place I hung a stand. I would be looking for a funnel or super thick cover (the wetlands) away the road and easy to get to open terrain like the red oak stands.

Deer on the military base by where I live during a firearm season aren't worried about eating during daylight they are worried about survival. Our Fort vegetation sounds almost identical to yours and to find success most will go to wetlands or thick scrub oak where the deer go for cover.

 

[Mallardsx2]

With a prevailing west wind, I would say that neither of these marked locations are going to be worth a crap. But that's just me.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Without any topo lines to help me understand how the property lays, the black line would be my approach and the X's mark where I would be hunting if it was me. But I'm not the norm. I am assuming that this entire area is flat as a pancake (with a prevailing west wind) with my ideas shown below.

 

[USAF Ret]

generally white oaks produce every year and are much less bitter. in the early season I would find white oaks if possible. red oaks produce every other year and have more tannins making them more bitter. deer will eat red oak acorns but not if whites are available.

There are hardly any white oaks on the installation and none in the area I am hunting.

 

[USAF Ret]

With a prevailing west wind, I would say that neither of these marked locations are going to be worth a crap. But that's just me.

Wind today is NNE.

 

[USAF Ret]

Without any topo lines to help me understand how the property lays, the black line would be my approach and the X's mark where I would be hunting if it was me. But I'm not the norm. I am assuming that this entire area is flat as a pancake (with a prevailing west wind) with my ideas shown below.
View attachment 295361

Thank you. Wind is NNE today.

 

[USAF Ret]

There looks to be a road of some sort (white line) that connects your 2 waypoints? If this is actually a road or military used trail I would assume foot traffic, vehicle etc will be high. Also seems like a pretty easy spot for everyone to get to? How is hunting pressure? Also where the trees are and wetlands are irrelevant without the topo lines on the map.

As @perma mentioned funnels are key and without showing us the topo lines seeing a funnel will be tough. Also as mentioned funnels in whitetail woods are tough to find as general the topo lines aren't close enough together.

With a muzzeloader tag I assume if it's anything like firearm seasons in WI pressure will be high. If this is true being by that road would be the last place I hung a stand. I would be looking for a funnel or super thick cover (the wetlands) away the road and easy to get to open terrain like the red oak stands.

Deer on the military base by where I live during a firearm season aren't worried about eating during daylight they are worried about survival. Our Fort vegetation sounds almost identical to yours and to find success most will go to wetlands or thick scrub oak where the deer go for cover.

The roads are firebreaks and these areas are off limits except for hunters. There is only one other hunter checked in and the area is about 600 acres.

Very little pressure in this area at the moment.

The wetands and heavy cover in that area as the reason I was looking at it.

With topo lines and wind

 

[USAF Ret]

A little larger picture

 

[Scott85]

 

[tzone]

I'd get my stand in those wetlands if it were me. Get off those trails and into the food transition along the wetland or find some bedding points in the wet.

 

[USAF Ret]

View attachment 295377

Much appreciated!