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how many is enough ?

You work a 5day week and are married with a family . Your bowhunting consists of the weekend with a week's rutcation from work first week in Nov. Mobile hunting is not for you so fixed stands are pre hung during post season scouting. You have a climber to hunt early season when you're a bit mobile at times but stay away from rut stands until the time is right. How many stands (approximately) are enough considering you may hunt a spot more than one day during the pre rut -rut ? I've often wondered how most bowhunters would answer this question .

I think the rut can happen in any place, not just your designated rut stand. Bucks you've never seen before can show up at a stand you use frequently. But anyway, I try not to hunt a stand more than once a week. Twice if wind is perfect.

Are you hunting state or private? How many parcels? At the moment, I have 11 stands and a couple natural ground blinds set up. Only one I consider a rut stand, the furthest one on private. But, I will hunt it before or after the rut. And on a rare occasion, I will pull out the climber, which was usually more productive anyway. Using the climber during the rut is not a disadvantage IMO.

When I had good private property, I had two great stands. I hunted them from Halloween until I shot two bucks. I don’t think you need more than two or three rut stands.

On state land, I have a bunch of spots. But two or three always produce and I gravitate to them. I am scouting for different areas all the time. But if I find a spot, that’s the spot. ;)

Every time I go out I cant help but think that the deer learn a little about my pattern just as I learn about theirs. I recall a study where they monitored deer with gps and they tended to avoid treestands that were hunted for about 3-4 days before they started to drift back to their prior movement pattern. Over the course of the season they gradually changed their travel to avoid the stands that were hunted often. We often think the deer disappear by late season but they are still there, they have just learned to adjust to the pressure and in the study they traveled further away from frequently used treestands. Maybe having early season stands and a set of late season stand sites in deeper cover would make sense?

N8, good conclusion. I do that. But I've noticed over many years certain stands are repeatedly productive and I ask myself why. A key element is perfect access but I think there's more to it than that. Topography is key to moving them within my bow range , approx. 25yds in thick cover . When the bucks are moving it behooves me to put in a lot of time in a well scouted funnel . The belief in my spot is key.

I have 4 stands currently hung. I have 3 more to still hang. Then I'll just bounce around from there. I have a set of hawk heliums with an aider, and I just bring them in and take them out with me. I didn't want to buy 7 sets of sticks. They cost too much these days. Also still need to check a camera I hung back in February and switch one out that crapped the bed, but I didn't know it till I got home and it was just taking pictures ever 5 minutes or so. Some time in early August I'll put out a few cell cameras. Thinking I also need to move one of the stands. Crazy that it's just over 3 months away. When I was walking around in February I thought I'd be all set by this time.

Murphy, good post. Some guys leave the sticks and remove the stand feeling the stand is usually more expensive than the sticks (but not always. ) With my light little Millenium M7 stands I'd leave the stick and the mounting bracket up in the tree. Next hunt I'd get to the tree in early AM , climb the stick and insert the stand (8.5 lbs) in the bracket then add an extra ratchet strap for peace of mind and hunt. But you're right to say even some sticks are expensive today. I've noticed when I leave my old Summit climber at the base of the tree covered with leafy branches it's almost invisible.

Bigdog, I wouldn't leave an M7 out there either. I have an Xop vanish evolution and there's no way I'd leave that there. I did the climber thing last season. Hunted with a buddy. Went and found my spot. Put my climber in the tree, but as low as I could go. Stacked a bunch of brush on top. The morning of the hunt I couldn't find it lol. Brushed it in too good. I ended up finding it after most likely stinking up the spot.

Now Lone Wolf Custom is coming out with a $1000 climber ( and people will buy it). I don't think I'd leave it on the tree ,LOL

DayyyyUMM! At that rate, it’d be cheaper to buy a chainsaw to cut down a tree to steal one…

Tree saddles are looking better all the time…

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