I finished hanging a set today... with plans for the deer to come from behind me and around... Any thoughts on this strategy... it's an open woods and I thought the best cover I could offer myself in the exact spot I wanted to be, would be the back of the trunk... Anybody do this? Thoughts? Tomorrow will be my first hunt with a white ground... though It will probably melt while I'm in my stand(high of 46) I'm pretty excited about the experience...
I do this too, whenever the opportunity allows. It worked great for me once this year. You need to be standing most of the time, or at least during prime time. The tree hides you much better when you are standing.
here in mo. we only get a few snows a year and when it does snow the deer seem to stay bedded for a couple days in shear terror wondering what is going on, but i always put my stands facing the direction the deer will be coming from,i like to sit on stand and i find i move around less this way and also seems like deer catch me peering out and around the tree if i set it up the other way. best of luck also are wind is s-w or n-w if the wind comes from the east i stay home,deer here just dont move during this east wind change... just me?
I have been using the tree trunk as cover for many years, but I do it with my climber because it has a bar I can sit on to face the tree. Faceing away from the tree in a hang on has caused more problems than it's worth for me. That's why I always have a sit and stand style climber. By seeing the deer coming from a distance I can move a little to keep the trunk between us better and/or get tight to the trunk when if need be. Plus I can be ready so that by the time the deer has enough of an unobstructed view to possibly see me it's too late. For me this has worked very well over the years.
I believe it is the best way. Cover to me, it most important. I figure I can make it work if I hear or see them before they see me. One of the reasons I LOVE my climber. I can hunt facing the tree, with cover and see them coming.
Aaron I hung a set in the summer like that in the summer. It worked for me. It's the stand I passed up a good 7pt and then killed my buck out of a few days later.
I like it if they are coming from behind, but still walking by. If that is the case, they will be 1/4ed away from you as they walk in front of your set. As opposed to most sets where the deer is walking toward you 1/4ed to the whole time. Like others have said, you have to be ready to go and a moments notice, because they will sneak up on you.
Cover is the #1 thing I look for when picking out a spot. If hiding behind the tree is best option at cover I will take it.
That's a great way to set up. I do it all the time but be ready because it will happen fast. I tend to stand facing the tree the whole hunt.
