Whitetail Deer Hunting

Whitetail Hunting Thoughts and Recollections. Deer hunting pictures, stories, tips, advice.

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Location: Michigan, United States

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Whitetail Deer Hunting: Stand Hunting in a Travel Corridor















These are a couple of mid-November views from one tree stand I have in place in a travel corridor. In the above-left picture, I am facing south toward a small bedding area. To the left about 50 yards is a crop field, typically plowed-under by mid-November. Behind me is more bedding and a couple of secluded crop fields, cut but not plowed under.

The reason that this is a hot spot is that it connects two bedding areas, plus it serves as a staging area for deer waiting to feed or returning to bed from feeding. Bucks cruise this area during the rut. They are typically looking for hot does in the bedding areas, as the small buck in the upper-right picture is doing. Some years there is a nice rub line connecting the bedding areas, and some years there hardly any buck sign at all. But regardless, it is always a hot area during the seeking phase of the rut. At that time of year, I rarely go an hour without seeing deer from this stand. That being said, it's not the luckiest stand for me; I have missed deer and hit some poorly from this stand.

To give an you an idea of the kind of action I have experienced from this stand, one November morning in 2001 a mature 8 pointer came in from the south first thing in the morning. I shot him and he ran off. Five minutes later a huge twelve pointer came in from the north. Both were doing the same thing, cruising from one bedding area to the next looking for does.

A side note: this stand is a sturdy, comfortable, metal ladder stand. I have read that deer spot and avoid ladder stands because they are too conspicuous. I disagree. This stand is hard to spot. I have a difficult time spotting it, and I know where it is. Also, I don't fidget in it like I would in a smaller hang-on stand. I sit or stand still, keeping as close to the tree as possible. Deer don't notice me unless I move around too much or make noise.

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