I need some help placing a stand when pre rut and rut hunting. What areas are you guys looking for the land that is mostly pines and hard woods
Thats a very broad question and almost impossible to say with out boots on the ground. Some places I hunt its pines others it may be cypress or scrub. But more often than not I find myself in or near a transitional area where two habitats meet.
Im just trying to find out what im looking for that says put a stand here. Ive hunted hard rub lines ive hunted heavy trials but nothing in return
When you say "the rut", it is also a broad term. I say that only because there are different phases of it and they get hunted slightly different.
All of them have one thing in common....you need to sit where you can see the farthest. That may entail getting as high as you can, or even sitting on the ground if there is a canopy. You want to get the farthest vision you can get, because you are in "survey mode". You want to be able to see does. Once you find a doe, or more than 1, you start moving closer. Pattern the does, hunt the does, and you will see bucks
I agree with the comments and suggestions already made and if you'll add to them "food source", you'll even have a better chance to see some ol' does being checked out by a buck! Private lands always seem to provide a better opportunity to modify food sources, but there are always natural food sources to discover, gall berry patches, persimmon trees, oaks droppin' acorns, etc.. Does still eat while bucks have somethin' different on their minds during the rut.
Treefarmer
