The proper use of timing is another way to keep stand sites in a more pristine state. Almost without fail, each stand has a phase or two during the season when it's most productive. Although the previously mentioned ideas may help extend the life of a stand location, you can rarely beat the first time in. Because each trip to a given stand location increases the odds of educating the deer, good stand locations should be hunted only when their odds of producing are judged to be the highest.
Jake and Justin Roach, who run one of the premier trophy buck operations in the upper Midwest (www.performanceoutdoors.com), wholeheartedly agree with this line of thought. The Roaches' farms in Iowa and Illinois consistently produce between 40 and 50 percent success rates on P&Y bucks, making two things obvious: The Roaches control incredible hunting grounds, and they are doing things the right way. One of the methods they use to keep their stands producing at high rates of success is to try to hunt each stand when its odds of producing are highest.
"We put a lot of work into determining the best timing for each stand," Jake says. "When selecting stand sites, we determine what phase of the season each stand will be best suited for. We also make sure we have enough stands for the entire season. That way we can save each stand for the time when we feel it's the hottest. If we put a hunter in a rut stand on opening day, there's still a chance that it could produce later on during the rut. But that chance would be much less than if we had waited. Besides, there are better choices for opening day. By being selective, we can make sure that our clients are always hunting fresh stands when those stands are at their peak. I know that's one of the reasons our harvest rates are so high."
In order to take this approach, the hunter has to know for what phase of the season each stand will be most productive. The following is a brief guideline to help categorize various stand locations.
Early season: Stands placed on or near prime food sources are good choices.
The lull: Because bucks typically move less during this phase, stands placed close to bedding areas and covering routes to feeding areas can be big producers.
Peak scraping: Placing stands near heavily used scrapes, located in areas where bucks feel safe, is an excellent choice for this phase.
Chase: Although there's a risk factor, stands set in the thickest family group bedding areas are tough to beat.
The peak of the rut: Good options include the downwind edges of family group bedding areas, funnels separating doe groups, and inside corners of open food sources 15 to 20 yards inside the woods.
The second rut: Assuming getting in and out of an area without being detected is possible, hunting the edge of the food source where bucks enter is a good choice. It allows for natural buck movement and for does to lead bucks past the stand site. In the southern regions, where the second rut tends to blend in with the first, regular rut stands are also still good.
Late season: The trails that mature bucks use to access prime food sources are tough to beat. Setting up far enough away from the food source to allow undetected entry and exit is a must!
By hunting a stand during its prime time of the season, you may be killing two birds with one stone. First, you're hunting the stand when the odds of success are highest. Second, you're helping to keep that stand in a pristine state by not wasting unproductive time in it. That combination can be deadly.
DOING TIME
As I've tried to indicate, limiting the number of trips to any given stand is an effective way of keeping it productive. A stand's productivity also can be lengthened by sitting in it all day. From the peak scraping phase through the peak of the rut, a mature buck may pass that stand at any time. If you intend to hunt the same stand both morning and afternoon, staying put all day long effectively cuts the disturbance of coming and going in half.
Sitting in a stand all day long can be very important for those hunters who hunt relatively short firearms seasons. In areas of heavy hunting pressure, stands guarding thick, protective cover are often excellent choices. Usually you'll find one stand site that is vastly superior to all others. If you do, stick with it and you probably won't be disappointed.
Stands guarding thick cover during peak rutting activities often are very challenging to enter and exit without being detected. The trick here is to beat your buck in early in the morning and wait him out until after dark. In this situation, a buck could show up at any time of day. So staying put all day long is a smart way to go.
Finally, during periods of heavy pressure, one goal for every stand-hunter should be to use other hunters to his or her advantage. In other words, allow them to push the deer in your direction. Remember, making trips back and forth to the truck can result in you being responsible for helping someone else fill his or her tag.
If you take the time to choose your travel routes carefully, select your stand sites with adequate cover and favorable winds, and exercise enough restraint so that you don't over-hunt any given stand, you'll find that it's possible to hunt pristine stands from opening day to the close of the season. Furthermore, by knowing when to hunt each stand at different times of the season, you'll greatly improve your chances for success. Then, instead of spending the last days of the season desperately trying to fill your tag, you can spend that time admiring the big buck you already harvested.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
To learn more about hunting trophy whitetails with Justin and Jake Roach of Performance Outdoors, visit them on the Web at: www.performanceoutdoors.com.
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