Here is an aerial of land that I can hunt. It is 160 acres in Kansas. There is a corn feeder on the land to the north. There are wheat fields in several directions around the land.
The green areas are creek bottoms. Some run during big storms. The center runs year round no matter how dry it gets.
Where would you start looking for places to hang stands?
Genesis. I camp in the clump of trees in the SE corner. It is one of the ravines and pretty secluded from the rest of the property. It does take away one of entry fingers but it seemed like the least disturbance...
I also enter from the road on the east. There is a gate in the middle of that edge.
JL's Link
1. I don't know what part of Kansas you're hunting, but I'd get on Weather Underground and research what the almanac's prevailing winds have been at the time you will be hunting it this year. (See the link...it's for Dodge City, KS)
2. Based on what you can expect for "the usual" prevailing winds, ID some spots that you can enter/exit without your scent contaminating the area. Have a stand or two set up for the opposite of what you expect (or the almanac says) for prevailing winds so you have a stand to hunt regardless of wind.
3. If the neighbors will also be hunting, find out where they will be setting up so you're not competing for the same location/deer.
4. If the neighbors will be gun hunting, it may be helpful to know where the deer's escape routes are on your property.
5. You said the main creek runs year round. The deer have to cross it somewhere...find that out and see if there are any stand spots overlooking that crossing(s).
Looks like a great property.
I would focus on six stands to play the winds, get two for S/SE, two NW And two for SW. I personally like to hunt the edges in KS and focus on intersections. In the south end, focus on that bend in the river that narrows down the woods. Mid map I love that cross section area, that’s gonna be a great rut spot and I would hunt it high. To the north I see a bunch of great intersecting pinch points with what looks like good bedding potential. Just have to figure out where you are at most risk of bumping deer in morning and eves. I put a few of my suggestions in red.
I have hunted this land for about 15 years. The winds are 50% from the north, 40% from the south, 10% other directions.
The creek is fairly easy to cross in most spots. But there are some difficult spots. In the offseason, I think I will walk the entire length of the creek and map out the easy/hard sections. Here is a rough map of the creek. The orange sections are harder to cross (but still possible for a deer)
