[steveo19]

I have a few spots in some nice bottlenecks that are very good all season if I don’t over hunt them. What I do is usually hunt them a few times early in the season in Sept then let them sit until the end of Oct.

 

[Viper69]

I totally agree. I have two really good funnel stands that I am going to hunt the first couple of days and then I will stay away from them until around Oct. 31st.

 

[letemgrow]

I have a stand that is set up in the funnel and it rarely gets hunted until late oct, but then we will hunt it probably 7-8 times by mid nov. It is up on a bluff and the mornings there are dynamite as your scent goes up and the deer never know you are there.

Also at that time I think there are deer coming through that have no idea what is going on so you can gamble and hunt it more. I am sure the resident deer pick up on it, but not the big boys cruising in a natural pinch point. We shot godo bucks of it the first year I got the farm on the 6th and then 7th day it was hunted.

A lot of a stand site depends on location I think some can be hunted more than others. Obviously if you are setting up close to bedding areas I would not recommend hunting them too often.

 

[Bunger]

Many Variables with this issue

This subject gets kicked around with a lot of people I know. We have some stands that we only hunt late (Once Nov. hits), some we only hunt early (food dissappears) and some we can hunt anytime. Wind is a factor for two reasons: 1 is the obvious, you don't want to let them smell you and 2; is the fact that deer movement is directly proportional to wind direction. There are some stands that the deer will move by during daylight hours only on certain winds. Find those right winds (as long as you can go undetected) and you're golden! Of course, if you don't sit there on a few different winds in the first place, you may not understand what wind is the best for deer movement and/or detection. Then there are the stands where deer show up from every direction. The other factor is your entry/exit route. Are you getting in quick and quiet? or are you bumping deer every time you go in?
I rarely hunt a stand a lot early, let it cool off and then hunt hard late however. Don't really know why, I just don't have any like that.

Good Question Steveo!

 

[steveo19]

I asked the question because I have had many discussions/arguments with the people I hunt with. I have friends that will hunt a good spot even if the wind is bad if they have the chance and honestly it pisses me off. Depending on the wind I have about 6 stands on two properties I can chose from. I always try to play the wind and not over hunt a spot until Nov even then I still try to rotate my spots. I learned quickly that deer can pattern you easier than you can pattern them.

 

[slinger09]

I try to hang enough stands that I do not over pressure one of them. During the rut I usually key on travel routes and funnels and they normally are left alone during early season.

 

[mn5503]

I have one stand that overlooks a 5 trail crossing. Pretty much rack your brain trying to figure wind on that one. Sits in the middle of timber where bedding and feeding and travel are all one in the same. Needless to say it has been my best spot in 25 years of hunting, with the exception of "anywhere" I sit my butt in southern Van Buren Co. Iowa:wink:

I think it's harder to "overhunt" a stand in thick timber but I do believe it is still possible to do.