[muzzy90]

pinch points or funnel areas in my opinion are the best

 

[basnbuks]

a funnell surrounded by bedding areas, and lots of rubs.....

 

[phade]

The short answer is:

It depends.

The long answer is:

It depends on the ground you hunt and the time of season.

The real long answer is:

It depends on the ground you hunt, the time of year, the food sources, the bedding areas, hunting/outside pressure, entry/exit, and shooting situations.

But it all boils down to:

It depends.

Edit: There's no real short answer to this question to be honest. Funnels work at certain times of the season, like clockwork during the chase pre-rut phase, but it's not always the best choice. Early season...I'm saving my funnel stands for later and either targeting a specific buck on his travel route or keying in on food sources before they get the idea its hunting season. If I am confident of a specific buck's bedding area, then I will us that to my advantage early season.

 

[glipps]

The short answer is:

It depends.

The long answer is:

It depends on the ground you hunt and the time of season.

The real long answer is:

It depends on the ground you hunt, the time of year, the food sources, the bedding areas, hunting/outside pressure, entry/exit, and shooting situations.

But it all boils down to:

It depends.

Edit: There's no real short answer to this question to be honest. Funnels work at certain times of the season, like clockwork during the chase pre-rut phase, but it's not always the best choice. Early season...I'm saving my funnel stands for later and either targeting a specific buck on his travel route or keying in on food sources before they get the idea its hunting season. If I am confident of a specific buck's bedding area, then I will us that to my advantage early season.

^^^^ This is very accurate. conditions will change as season progresses.

 

[vtbowhntr]

What phade said there are to many variables that go into my stand location selection. It's almost a science I am still working on. For me it changes week to week and day to day. I could go on and on. Early and late season I focus on food sources as they change and the deer change, to transition areas in the pre rut to funnels and topography during the rut, to escape routes and sanctuary when the pressure is high. The best thing to do is spend time looking over topo maps and satellite photos then put the miles on and burn some boot leather. Try to figure out what your deer are doing at different periods of the year with trail cameras and low impact scouting. Know what you have for food sources from year to year and learn how they affect deer movement and where they bed. There is alot that goes into being successful on a consistent basis. The people who put in the most effort are usally the most successful. It is a year round task and not easy.

 

[1231]

The short answer is:

It depends.

The long answer is:

It depends on the ground you hunt and the time of season.

The real long answer is:

It depends on the ground you hunt, the time of year, the food sources, the bedding areas, hunting/outside pressure, entry/exit, and shooting situations.

But it all boils down to:

It depends.

Edit: There's no real short answer to this question to be honest. Funnels work at certain times of the season, like clockwork during the chase pre-rut phase, but it's not always the best choice. Early season...I'm saving my funnel stands for later and either targeting a specific buck on his travel route or keying in on food sources before they get the idea its hunting season. If I am confident of a specific buck's bedding area, then I will us that to my advantage early season.

I agree

 

[bowhntng4evr]

Great thread. Thanks for starting it.

 

[BoneDriven]

So many variables to this question, like already mentioned.. but my favorite stand locations for early season are focusing on food sources or water sources that the does are consistently hitting during daylight hours, just to put some meat on the ground right off the bat.. as the season rolls on, leaves start to drop, bucks begin to seek/chase I would prefer to get deeper back in the woods, find some naturally thick areas with fallen trees and stuff that the deer will bed up in. Focus on where the does are hanging out and you'll catch bucks cruising through... I've never hunted an area with much for bottlenecks/natural funnels but if that's an option later in the season I'll definitely key in on those areas.

 

[elkoholik]

Wait for peak rut, and hunt where you only saw doe in early season.

 

[CAPTJJ]

No matter the time of the season as a bowhunter I am usually looking for stand locations along travel routes that contain one or more features that constrict deer movement and help bring them into bow range. It doesn't always have to be a classic funnel; lots of things, often times subtle, can affect where deer want to go or in many cases don't want to go.

 

[MWest]

There are a lot a variables that make up a good stand site, my personal favorite is a funnel or fence line connecting to blocks of timber. Good luck.

 

[bullfries]

Early season for me is field edges. Pre rut I hunt in the woods around the oaks and, during the rut I hunt funnels between bedding areas, post rut back to the fields.