I have 60 acres of thick timber in the flood bottoms on Southern, IL. On this ground I have 4 stands to hunt. I have a (Stand 1)two man ladder stand on a, mostly, failed food plot, but it’s also on a funnel that leads to a large (300 acre) bean field that was planted in July and it always has does running on it. Stand 2 is located at the entrance to my property, where I planted “Throw N Grow” early June and it is growing well. It’s on an old logging road that lead out to a small bean field (4 acres). My stand is about 75 yards into the timber on the log road. Great place to hunt in the evenings during the rut. Stand 3 is a new stand never hunted before and it sits on top of a hill at the farthest corner of the property next to a thicket of small trees and two corn fields, plus there is a pond about 100 yards on the neighboring property. I like this area the most, but the stand I put up there is not that big (due to having to crawl under and over trees to get up there. But I think this is my number 1 choice. Stand 4 is at the bottom of that same hill at the farthest corner. Here is where I had the majority of buck pictures from last year; however, I haven’t one picture of a buck this year there. There is a natural spring that comes out of the hill and dumps into the bottoms. What are you ideas?
Everyone can give you their opinions but just go with your gut feeling. That is the best way because you know the land better than any of us and there's atleast one spot that you favor above others. You got all season to try the other three stands. Hunt where the deer are lol. Never know that gut feeling might put a nice buck on your wall.
I would find out what the wind direction is for that day and pick the stand area that best fits that wind. I woud not pick out a stand and hunt it "just because". What is the typical wind direction for your hunting location the first week or so of the season? Also, are you hunting in the morning or evening?
