The best stand

[hatracked]

Well our seasons over and now its time to reflect.I put up 25 to thity new stands this year in areas I had never hunted.I had a chance to hunt just about all of them,some worked some didnt.I think if I had to put a percentage on it Id say about 20% of the time I get a winning set up that becomes a permanent stand.

This years winner, the "Fat Boy" stand.Named after a 375 lbs client who would not accept the fact that I wouldnt put him in that tiny little loc on 32 feet from the ground.

The fat boy stand is perched on the edge of a 220 acre dry bay or swamp as its called most places. Prior to last year the bay edge was created where the elevation and vegatation changed from swamp to saw timber pines.We logged the pines last year and with a years growth on the cutdown the new edge was prime.The area also is bottlenecked by a private road and another cutdownm making it a preferred travel route.

End harvest results of the fat boy stand this year??6 does, 3 bucks,2 bobcats,4 raccoons, 1 possum and only two sittings where deer were not seen.If only I could pick em all like that!

How about ya'll did you pick any winners this year? What made it a winner? Learn anything your going to try again?

[Shadow]

Stand 10 produced the trophy buck again this year. It is becoming a real hard place get during the rut. Everybody wants to hunt there. I was very mobile this year. I hunted all over. I often used my portable in the afternoons, and never hunted the same place twice, with the climber. I can't wait for our 55 acre cut to get sone growth on it. It will be a magnet, not to mention they are cutting more this coming summer. All in all this season was a learning experience. I have next seasons stradegy all planned out.

[Dan Jackson]

Sometimes the overlooked areas in the past are good producers... we put up 2 new stands in the front of the property and both were great for producing deer sightings. Another good stand that we've had up for a couple of years now is a ladder stand that is on the border of cedar thicket and hardwoods and starts to slope down - it produced numerous sightings.

On the other hand I had put one ladder stand about 25 yards inside the thicket that had good trails in and out - it didn't produce a single sighting...needless to say that one will get moved after the season.

[swoop]

The same old stands produced for me but a couple of new stands turned out to be a bust. Oh well, live and learn. Maybe my timing was off. I got permission to hunt a piece of ground after season started so I was really just scouting this year...I like my chances there next season! :D

[Nightstalker87]

well the new place i hunted this year was very good.Alought some of the stands need to be fixed because they were falling apart. we did see some great great deer. The biggest one was a 13 point 5 1/2 year old monster.Next year we will be do alot more scouting before the season starts and get permisson hunt early.

[CHEVELLE]

I had good success with a forgotten deep dark hollow that I had not hunted since I was 15 or 16.On opening day of early muzzleloader season I seen 10 does.On Sunday I seen 2 bucks and a doe.A 7 point with a 19 1/2" spread was one of those bucks! :D Another stand that produced for me with a nice 8 pointer,is a permanant stand where I have taken 5 bucks in the last 3 years!I discovered a few new honey holes that produced for others in my group that should be EXCELLENT next season!!

[Revclimber]

Since my usual hunting grounds were closed, I was forced to find some new ground. Found a couple of good spots that produced for me. 4 deer all in new spots. Cant wait for the old spot to open though, with no deer kill this year, next year will be insane. This place has some trophy deer. With a full year for them to mature and no kill, bow season is gonna be unreal. :D