I am putting up 2 new stands on a property I hunt. I put one up last year, but did not get it up till late. I am wondering what you think the best time is to put up new stands? Thanks for the help.
I don't think there is a perfect time necessarily. I personally like to hang mine at the end of the hunting season, that way I know exactly what the area will look like when it's hunting time. I'll also know what limbs need to be trimmed way before season starts.
Since you don't have them up yet, the sooner the better, if you have a spot they can go. If you do it now the place can calm down and give the deer a chance to get accustomed to it.........Or alter there travel. It usually takes a little tweaking from time to time to get it just right. Just my 2cents
As soon as you can. I don't worry about time of day in the offseason. Just hang as many as you can on the same day, then leave it alone.
Late winter and early spring is when I like to hang mine. The only time I have to tweek my locations is when my neighbor rotates his crops from corn to beans or vice versa or if the acorns are bountiful.
back when i did my hunter safety course awhile back. the instructor said to hang deer stands in the beggining of summer or right after the season ends. He said is like putting a dresser in the hallway at your house for deer. the woods is the deer home and defintely notice new stands in new locations in my opinion. There going to think its strange being there and take time to get used to it. im 22 and that was like 10 years ago and one of the only things i remember from that class.
February/March, when its still cool and the ticks and chiggers aren't out yet. Gives plenty of time for deer to get used to it.
We put ours up two weeks ago. We like to get them out a couple months before the season so our scent is out and the deer will get used to it. (Especially since they're new stands and have that new "odor" that no matter what you spray is still distinct).
Every time I hunt...but I mostly use a climber in PA . Seriously we have had our stands up for awhile already in Ohio. At least a month or two I bet.
I know one guy said he likes to hang his stands after the season. I don't agree with that. Leaving your stands out all summer means the weather can wear your straps or squirels and naw on them. Also the spring and summer storms can make tree's fall over totally making the deer walk out and around your stand. I've had that happen. I like to put up or move my stands 1-2 months before the season. It's a short enough time that I know where the new trees down are and the trails the deer are taking plus it's a long enough time that the deer forget about your intrusion.
After a few months of trail camera patterning. I put new stands up or move existing ones at the end of July. Existing ladder stands I leave out year round (I know a lot of people don't like to do that but I'm lazy like that). The straps get checked and replaced as needed.
