Deer Hunting Tips: How to Choose A Location For A Tree Stand

The purpose of these deer hunting tips is to help you find that perfect location for a tree stand so you'll have a successful hunt.

Before the season starts, you need to spend some time scouting where the deer are. You'll want to do this about four weeks before the season starts, but not too early as the deer may have changed their trail routes (because of changes in food sources or due to water sources drying up etc.). Of course you can scout much earlier to become knowledgeable about the area you want to hunt, but just make sure you re-evaluate the area before the season starts. Just be careful as possible not to leave much of your scent behind, and make as few changes to the surrounding brush as you can. Once you find your spot, get your tree stand mounted so deer can get used to seeing it.

You want to find food sources that the deer will actually be eating during hunting season. Nut-producing trees should be dropping nuts by the time the season starts so try to locate deer tracks where there are acorns, hickory, or beechnuts lying around. Deer also eat foods such as grass, berries, apples, herbs, clover, farm crops, raspberry cane, ferns, mushrooms, red and black mangrove, and Indian mulberry. Look for trails that lead to food sources such as these.

Also look for areas with thick brush where deer like to sleep. You'll find trails that lead out of these beds towards the areas deer like to feed. Keep in mind that large bucks tend to go further off the well established trails into deeper brush so you may not see well-worn trails into these beds. When these bucks go off to feed, that's when they'll usually join the more established trails, or at least follow parallel to them.

You may want to look for multiple sites to place a tree stand since over-hunting one site will cause too much scent to be left behind and deer will then avoid the area.

One of the problems with tree-stand hunting is that it can be pretty boring while you sit and wait for a deer to arrive. When you're bored you tend to get drowsy or fall asleep. Of course you want to make sure you are fastened to the tree so you don't fall out. But the other problem is that you won't be ready when a deer approaches. A hunter who isn't alert is more likely to make noise or sudden movements that spook the deer, or make inaccurate shots. Or worse, you'll sleep right though a deer passing. One solution is to get out of the tree stand when you get tired. But there is another solution too.

By finding well-defined trails that you know deer follow, you can set up heat and motion detectors that will alert you when deer are approaching. You can get a deer hunting trail monitor system that has remote motion sensors that can be placed thousands of feet away from you. These sensors send a voice command back to a handheld radio (with earphone) so you'll be alerted to approaching deer. You'll even know what direction the deer are coming from. If you plan to use these, make sure you find well-established trails.

With these deer hunting tips you can confidently know where to select a tree stand for the best chances of a successful hunt. Combine these with other deer hunting tips you find on the Web and you'll have a winning season!

To find out more about about a trail monitoring system, look below in the tagged products.