Had a debate yesterday at my local watering hole. which is better? setting up on top of a food plot or 50-100yards down a trail leading to the food plot. Please give reasons why either would be better. Thanks in advance for all responses. I am of the opinion that setting up leading to the Food plots would is the better setup because the deer are more comfortable in the woods instead of out in the open and you are going to see them earlier in the evening instead of right at dark in the Food Plot.
I think setting up in to woods as opposed to right on a field because deer stage in those areas before moving out into the field and a lot of mature bucks wait back in the woods until dark before moving out to feed in the field. So you have a better chance if you set back in the woods a bit.
I would go with the woods instead of the food plot because of coming and going of you not the deer. If you are on the plot and they are there you will bust them and make the more weary. If you are 100 yards off you can slip to and from your stand better. If I hadn't gotten anything and season was nearing an end I may move it closer to the plot. Trial and error man good luck
Another reason for hunting staging area, last weekend i was hunting my plot(right on top of it) and deer were still in the plot at sundown and i ended up sitting in the dark an extra 1.5 hrs until i could sneak out unnoticed. If u have the option set up on the side where u have the easiest escape route, as deer filter through staging to the plot u can quietley make your escape at dark.
thanks for the replies I am going to be moving some stands a lil farther in the woods this weekend. When you grow up doing one thing and it is all you know it is hard to change old habits.
I have done this so many times it is hard to count or I have spooked deer fedding, while going into the stand.
I have to agree with most posters here. I would prefer to be off the field a bit. Maybe not quite 100 yds though. 30 yds into the woods is more what I prefer as i get the best of both worlds. I think those bucks that wait till dark to come out will do it where they can see and smell what is in the field. If you are 30 yards from the field edge, you have a shot at a buck cruising the edge of the field checking scrapes, licking branches, etc. and you have a comfortable shot at a buck up to 60 yards off the field in the woods. If you can find an oak dropping acorns or put in a small plot of forage in the woods, set up on that as deer will stage at a food source and actually spend time there before moving into the field offering more shot opportunities. JMO. Best wishes. Nock em dead!
It depends on what you are hunting? Hunting field edges can work very well if you are hunting does, fawns, and younger bucks. If you are after a mature buck I like your odds much better hunting back further into the woods. I rarely hunt field edges unless I'm looking to fill a doe tag.
ok one follow up question, what do you guys put on you Food plots to keep the deer from decimating it before the pea, beans, clover, etc get up big enough to actually yeild something
This is a pretty big debate for me actually, I like to set up on field edges early in the year, you see more deer, get more action, see farther, its just overall more bearable then sitting in the green Ohio woods where you may only be able to see 10 yards. Alot of the deer will be too far to attempt shots, but you get the ability to watch them. I love nothing more then being on stand and watching deer, even if its through my binos. There are also ways to improve your odds, such as location to trails entering, corners, pinch points etc. Now later in the year, around mid October, ill move deeper in the woods to trails between food and bedding. Then eventually move to pinch points near bedding areas, also the downwind side of bedding areas, where bucks will cruise to scent check.
Back in the woods..not only because where I hunt they stage like others have said but I believe its also easier to play the wind... Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk
I think this depends on the size of your food plots. If you have some really small kill plots, then I would hang stands on them. On bigger plots I would set back in the woods off of the main trails.
No brainer. "on top of a food plot" If you we hunting human, would you hunt at McDonalds or 50-100 yards away?
I think you are good either way if you have them down to a pattern!!!where is there better cover for a stand?
So those who are at the field edges, how many shots do you get? Around here they wait until it's dark or very close to it to enter the field. I like it further in, say 100 or so yards.
