Permanent Stand Impact

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mnwild
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Permanent Stand Impact

Unread postby mnwild » Wed Sep 14, 2022 4:56 am

In my area there is a lot of impact during rifle season from people in permanent stands, but very few people bowhunting the area. Does anyone have experience to know if the deer would follow a typical pattern prior to the rifle season, and then as it gets closer to rifle season leave the area.

A large number of stands are on a nice oak ridge with several on the prevalent leeward side. I was thinking of hunting a few areas just off from the stands as they look better but with the significant number of stands not sure if they will also impact during the bow season. I walked the side of the hill for a ways looking at some spots I found but as I got closer to most I could see a rifle stand not too far away.


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szwampdonkey
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Re: Permanent Stand Impact

Unread postby szwampdonkey » Wed Sep 14, 2022 6:32 am

In my experience the deer will use those spots no problem at all during early bow season then completely abandon them once the orange army invades and lays waste to the area.

I’d hunt it now then ignore it completely after gun season is over. In some spots i hunt i won’t even find a track the rest of the year after the gun guys hammer it. A total ghost town right through the end of January thanks to the stupid Holiday Hunts. I think they just relocate to the surrounding private and stay there until spring.
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Re: Permanent Stand Impact

Unread postby Jdw » Wed Sep 14, 2022 6:39 am

The stands don’t bother the deer near as much as smelling ,seeing or hearing hunters does.
If they are only hunting the area in gun season and staying out of the area in bow season than you may see natural movement in close proximity to the stands.
If they are scouting bow hunting or running cameras I would expect the older bucks to be avoiding the area or moving carefully.
Another thing to consider is if the gun hunters are efficient there might not be many older age class bucks in the area.
mnwild
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Re: Permanent Stand Impact

Unread postby mnwild » Wed Sep 14, 2022 6:49 am

Thanks, good points.

I was kind of thinking I might have some time atleast until they start coming in to check stands, etc.

Also a good point, there are enough stands that I am sure a good number of the bigger bucks are getting shot during the rut cruising.
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Re: Permanent Stand Impact

Unread postby Evanszach7 » Wed Sep 14, 2022 10:00 am

mnwild wrote:Thanks, good points.

I was kind of thinking I might have some time atleast until they start coming in to check stands, etc.

Also a good point, there are enough stands that I am sure a good number of the bigger bucks are getting shot during the rut cruising.


Good points x 2.

You probably do have time as long as it holds the caliber you're looking for.

Youd be surprised with bigger bucks not getting shot out. They know to avoid the area during gun if they've grown to maturity. Mature bucks typically won't cruise like 1-3 yr olds. 3 yr olds won't if that's the top end in your area. They might be there early, late, or both seasons. Really depends on if they have what they need to want to be there.
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1STRANGEWILDERNESS
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Re: Permanent Stand Impact

Unread postby 1STRANGEWILDERNESS » Sat Sep 17, 2022 12:15 pm

Not always but I can think of a couple times i shot top end bucks for the area in similar situations. Twice in gun season.

These areas were unique in that it was the food source for the area. Any other food source in the area paled in comparison. 2 bucks I shot that were jumping off an oak ridge out of sight - bypassing 3 hunters via trails in cattails/phragmites. They would then jump back on an oak ridge right by a public parking area I had overlooked for yrs. they would go through a funnel and hit the small section of oaks on the other side of parking nobody bothered with. actually it was 3 i shot in that spot..

Then another time during the rut in big woods I stuck a nice buck that was bedded to surveil does heading into an area of stands and bait that were heavily hunted. Think I was only 150 yds from the one setup but in heavier cover on the edge of the hardwood. He got up to follow a doe right at gray light and that was it. Would’ve been dark by the time they hit the pressured spot.

This may not help you, it’s all situational. That was just the long way of saying sometimes it’s doable.
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1STRANGEWILDERNESS
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Re: Permanent Stand Impact

Unread postby 1STRANGEWILDERNESS » Sat Sep 17, 2022 12:17 pm

Oh and if nobody’s hunting yet then yeah I wouldn’t worry about any of those stands
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Ghost Hunter
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Re: Permanent Stand Impact

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Sun Sep 18, 2022 1:22 am

I hunt on a lease where they use permanent tower stands. Every one of them is set so they can see a long ways. At every stand location they get tons of night pictures of bucks at corn feeder. They hunt it just for so purpose of hoping one comes out chasing a doe in wide open. Yes it does happen from time to time. But, I would go crazy sitting in that stand day after day seeing nothing but little bucks and does.

Just out of view a lot of times (100-200 yards) from those stands bucks will travel in thicker stuff and bed and wait for night fall or when woods are quite and no sxs or atv sitting around to make their move. It so obvious to me over years. Some of stand hunters are aware that deer are moving around just out of sight. But they still sit in those stands and wait!!

I do not hunt in those areas around big stands. But, to answer your question. If you see movement on that ridge when they are not there. Your eyes are not deceiving you. But just keep in mind not far away and just out of sight it could be more active.
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Re: Permanent Stand Impact

Unread postby Brokenarrow1980 » Sun Sep 18, 2022 3:01 pm

I would make a quick search to see what sign is there. My experience is the more mature deer will skirt the stands on the predominant down wind side where the majority of your deer herd will travel through the area as usual. If a person hammers a stand in bow season the deer learn to avoid it quickly but usually there's enough foliage they can go around it by a hundred yards or so and feel safe. All bets are off come rifle season because anything that travel public dry open land that's not a cliff or 6 miles from the truck dies.
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mnwild
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Re: Permanent Stand Impact

Unread postby mnwild » Mon Sep 19, 2022 11:41 pm

Thanks for all the input, I will give it a try and maybe pick a day and walk just down from the ridge looking for sign to sit on. And then depending on how that goes maybe move to the bottom just out of range of the permanent stands which might be where they wait until dark before moving up.

Definitely as people have said all bets are off when they start using the stands or later in October as people start moving around them more to prepare for the season.


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