To keep them from disappearing, I always take my stands down at the end of each deer season. How long before season do you like to have your stands set up, or does it matter?
Depends on where they are. If on private property, I usually leave them until March, public property, it comes out after each hunt
I scout throughout the year, but i don't begin to hunt deer until late October. Our season opens in September. I hunt elk then. I detail my stand sites throughout the year and into September, but I don't hang most of my stands until a 2-3 day period pre rut and then begin hunting them immediately. I take them down the last day I hunt.
Only permitted one deer where I hunt so wouldn't want to end my hunt early in the season. In addition to usually hunting elk out West in September, I usually do a fair amount of grouse hunting/deer scouting in early-mid October.
I pull them during shed season if I have any up. Mostly I run and gun and the stand comes with me on each hunt.
Depends on how much thrashing around it takes to setup and when I'm planning to hunt it. A stand setup that's never been used before with a lot of prep work and clearing to do, or a dedicated early season sit I like to get up a month or so ahead of time for sure. Established site that can be quickly and quietly hung, or a rut stand, I don't worry much and hang when needed. I've killed many mature bucks from stands hung just a day or two ahead of time, or the same day.
That said, I like to fiddle with stands and usually start hanging them late summer and end up with 30 or so out across a couple of states, often only hunt 1/2 or so in a given year for one reason or another.
R
I used to put my stands up a couple of weeks before the season opened(usually a work weekend on our club) and take them down after the last hunt. This was on private land. On public land I'd take them down after each hunt.
I do the hang and hunt thing now, so they come and go with me every time.
Used to leave mine in all season. Just a board in the fork, high up. (10-14') Then hid a knotted rope nearby with a weight at one end to throw over a branch, then tie off at base of tree and crawl up. That was in Indiana in the 70-80's when that was no a problem. Now in Texas hunt predominately tripods.
In Iowa the rule is one week before your season to one week after. Leave them longer than that, the chances are very good that they will be gone before tick season and at the DNR auction in July.
On the property I lease I prefer ladder stands, so they're there permanently. On public land I use a climber and take it in and out with me.
I hunt private land so . . .
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hang mid afternoon hunt the set that night, hunt it next morning then take it down and repeat new location. All on public land.