I have permission to bowhunt a small parcel (10 acre woods and 20 acre marsh) that I have gun hunted in the past. I have a pretty good idea of what the deer do travel wise, and have set up 3 stands within 200yds of each other. I have no food on the property, and it is basically 3 bedding areas. I have had good activity in the mornings, no shooters so far, but the afternoons have been slow. Based on what I've seen gun hunting, the deer seem to filter through the woods in the morning, and travel straight through the cattails in the afternoon. Couple questions.... 1) Am I overdoing it with 3 stands that close together? Each one has it's benefits depending on the wind, none are good in northeast or north wind. 2) Can you sit decent in the cattails and not spook everything in that small of a marsh? They slip in and out of a 10-20 yd stip of cattails on the way to feed in the afternoon, I could position myself 80-100 yds on that strip. How do you sit in 8 inches of water? I really want to gamble on the cattails the next afternoon I get a stiff wind, but I just don't know how to pull it off. If I get busted I could really screw myself in the woods too for awhile. 1st post, been lurking for a few months. Learned a ton from many of you already. 1st season with a bow. Snort
The land i hunt is barely 3 acres of heavy woods but it is surrounded by great land & the deer funnel through morning & night. they bed to the north & feed to the south. I have 3 stands & a blind on the property all of which are within 100 yards of each other. I'm always careful with scent & hunt the stand/blind which works best with the wind.
Thanks for the confidence boost. Keep in mind total newb here, platform like 2ft square high enough to stay out of the water, or see over the cattails? Snort
My spot is about 15 acres, with it all being CRP except about 5 acres of it being an over grown gravel pit. I have a total of 6 ladder stands.
Small platform would work. Make sure the legs don't just sink into the mud though. I'd personally avoid the cattails, especially since you know where they move in and out of them. Hunt downwind of the travel route.
