How often do you hunt a stand?

[Rich3006]

How often do you guys hunt stands? I rarely hunt a stand more than twice in a year. Doesn't matter if it's public or private. Since doing this my success rate has at least doubled. When I mention this on forums guys laugh but I am sold on it. I have seen too many spots dry up for years at a time from over hunting.

Also if I find another guy hunting my spot I usually don't hunt it that season because most guys camp out and burn up a spot.

What do you guys think?

[szwampdonkey]

I would say i’m almost identical to you. I have many many spots, more than i could hunt a season all on public and i just rotate through them. But most spots get one or two sits thrown at them, hang and hunts and i’m outta there. My very best top 5 spots only get a single hunt thrown at them when i decide it’s the best time to do it.

The guys who laugh at your strategy don’t know what they’re talking about or they’re just not after mature animals. Like you, i go in and find any evidence someone else is hunting a spot i won’t come back that year. Same as the mature buck that used to be there but relocated because he knows a hunter is there. If we are able to see and find evidence a hunter is around just imagine what a mature buck is picking up on that lives there. Anyone who thinks they are stealthy enough to hunt a stand multiple times undetected
is delusional. That mature buck will know you’ve been there, period. The more times you do it the less likely you’ll ever see him.

Think and react as mature deer do to pressure and you’ll see more mature deer.

[Moose]

It depends. If I see a big buck or any deer for that matter and it don't know I'm there then I will hunt it again the next day or the next day that has the same type of weather. Wind,temp etc. If I spooked the deer then that spot is burned for a few weeks at the least. I may hunt the same property but not that spot. I have over hunted observation stands to try to figure out new areas.

[brancher147]

If I find a hot area I keep hunting it until I kill something or fresh sign dries up. But rarely hunt the same “stand” or exact location more than twice.
I hunted a bedding area 4 or 5 times in a couple weeks last year before killing the buck I was after. I think I saw 8 other bucks and had another big one move in after I killed the biggest one and I almost killed him too. I bounced around for different winds and thermals but was never more than 200 yards away from the original spot.

I think sometimes it takes more than you think to overhunt an area, especially if you have good access and try to minimize scent. And it’s easy to say the deer left because it’s been over hunted when in actuality there are many reasons deer leave an area.

[Boogieman1]

I will be the odd ball here. But will say I hardly ever hunt a stand more the 4 times a season. The difference for me is I do it all at once. I have no probs sitting the same stand 2, 3, or even 4 times in a row of all day sits . I’m simply hunting a tight spot and a small window of time. I’m also a rut hunter. My logic is i learn which tree, and when through trial and error. From there I rationalize that bucks are on the move during the rut. If he wasn’t home yesterday, the day after, etc… he has no clue I’ve been wearing it out. What I have is a tight spot, and historical data. For me, if I discover part of his circuit I wait him out. Not for everyone. But my favorite thing about big buck hunting is picking a spot months ahead of time and saying to myself I am gonna kill him right here. That’s what’s fun for me.

[Matt Gill]

If I find a hot area I keep hunting it until I kill something or fresh sign dries up. But rarely hunt the same “stand” or exact location more than twice.
I hunted a bedding area 4 or 5 times in a couple weeks last year before killing the buck I was after. I think I saw 8 other bucks and had another big one move in after I killed the biggest one and I almost killed him too. I bounced around for different winds and thermals but was never more than 200 yards away from the original spot.

I think sometimes it takes more than you think to overhunt an area, especially if you have good access and try to minimize scent. And it’s easy to say the deer left because it’s been over hunted when in actuality there are many reasons deer leave an area.

Spot on. If access is good and the deer are there no reason to leave it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m super mobile and rarely ever hunt the same tree, but I’m not leaving that area of they’re there

[backstraps]

If I find a hot area I keep hunting it until I kill something or fresh sign dries up. But rarely hunt the same “stand” or exact location more than twice.
I hunted a bedding area 4 or 5 times in a couple weeks last year before killing the buck I was after. I think I saw 8 other bucks and had another big one move in after I killed the biggest one and I almost killed him too. I bounced around for different winds and thermals but was never more than 200 yards away from the original spot.

I think sometimes it takes more than you think to overhunt an area, especially if you have good access and try to minimize scent. And it’s easy to say the deer left because it’s been over hunted when in actuality there are many reasons deer leave an area.

Spot on. If access is good and the deer are there no reason to leave it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m super mobile and rarely ever hunt the same tree, but I’m not leaving that area of they’re there

Agree 100% with both guys ESPECIALLY Matt not leaving an area if they’re there!!