How early into stand

[jonsimoneau]

I've found over the years that there are A LOT of variables to this.  Here in the midwest, I PREFER to be in my tree and ready about a half hour before first light (I'm talking November rut here), but often I'm hunting tiny woodlots that are surrounded by agricultural fields.  If I'm hunting a 20 acre woodlot that is completely surrounded by flat ag fields it can be very difficult to get in there without the deer knowing you are there.  They are out in the fields, and you must walk through the fields to get there.  In this case, I'll often wait until its light enough to see and to make sure there are no deer in the fields.  Then I'll go as fast as I can across the open field and quietly slip into position.  On another area I hunt the farm is like 650 acres and it's hilly. In this situation, the fields are up top and down in the bottoms, and the woods are on the sides of the hills.  This is much easier for me to get into pre-selected stand sights as I simply move through the timber early in the morning when the deer are in the fields.  I do the reverse in the afternoon meaning I access through the fields on the way to the stand and will move through the timber on the way out after all of the deer have moved out into the fields.  After a few years of hunting that particular property its a pattern that now works for me year after year because I was able to learn where the deer will and wont be during my movements and simply avoid them.  The result is deer in bow range nearly every day of November on this property due to fairly high deer numbers.  Where I hunt near my home, the habitat is greatly reduced, there are much fewer deer, and it's not uncommon to hunt for 2 or 3 days in November without seeing a deer.  Different stand approaches for each area.

[degabe]

I drive my quad back every morning before daylight and throw out a few cans of corn on the way. they get to be just like a herd of cows waiting on their breakfast. On days that I hunt I have the wife drive so I can slip into my blind while they watch the boss go to the house.