When Should You Head To Your Deer Stand?

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When should I get to my stand and how early is too early? Two questions every hunter should ask when preparing for any deer hunt. Some fellow hunters provide their take on when they like to head out to the stand.

“How early is too early and how late is too late when going to and from stands? WOW, that’s a great question that really can’t be answered with a one part answer due to so many factors. To get the right answer you would have to look at the time of year, deer movement, weather conditions, etc. 

As a rule of thumb for me, I like to get to the stand at least 30 minutes before daylight for an early morning sit. One hour is even better. For an afternoon sit, I like to get there two hours before prime time movement for that time of the year, at a minimum.   However, as I said above there are so many factors in answering this question that I would never say there is an absolute answer to it.”

Wade Middleton, Host of Americana Outdoors®

“Well, I’ll start by prefacing my answer that I am not a fan of all-day sits…that considered, in the AM, can’t get in too early (in most cases).  Always good to be settled/quiet for a period of time before the woods officially comes to life for the day.  As far as leaving in the AM, if there is action, stay put.  If nothing is moving, at all or for an extended period of time, and you don’t have pics to show a pattern of late-morning wanderers, get out.  Head back to camp and solidify the plan for the afternoon/evening.

 For the PM, same as the AM…too early is a good default.  No harm in saving the sore backside if you don’t have a comfortable set-up.  Sneaking in just before a forecasted “prime time” is too risky.  I’m lazy but not that lazy!  As far as getting out, dark is the default.  Even with no movement I would vote for staying as long as you can, with a couple of exceptions – you can more easily bail without mucking up the area for future hunts or if Angel is making venison salisbury steak that night.”

Steve Nessl, Yamaha ATV and Side-by-Side Marketing Manager & Avid Hunter

“I’ve always wanted to get in my stands really early in the morning. I prefer about 30 minutes before it actually starts breaking. That may seem early, but bumping one by being a little late is just not worth it to me. Then when the hunt is over, I gauge when to leave by what is around as it is getting dark. I don’t want other deer to see me getting out of the blind during daylight. Usually when it gets black dark, I’ll sneak out.”

Clark Wendlandt, Host of Fishing & Hunting Texas™, Cabela’s Pro Staff

As you can see, everyone has their own preference. However, the general consensus for morning hunts, plan on being squared away at least 30 minutes to an hour before daylight. Regarding afternoon hunts, confirm what the deer are doing that time of year. If you have Stealth Cams setup, check the times of when the photos are taken and gauge from there.

We hope this insight will help you get settled in the stand and ready for when that shooter comes in. Happy hunting!

Stealth Cam Scouting Camera Tips

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Whether you have a few acres or thousands of acres that you hunt having a general knowledge of what game is on your property can be key to successful game management program as well as possible hunting success.  One of the best ways to keep track of what’s going on at your properties is with scouting cameras.   We’ve used StealthCam since they only had models that took photos on 35MM film.  Most of us remember those days of taking the film to be developed and waiting for week or more.  Now we’ve seen Stealthcam lead the evolution of cameras that we can view right then.   The new models do everything from taking still pictures in bursts, operating at night in infrared, taking HD video with sound, and even cameras with the ability to send the pictures to you no matter where you are in the world.

Hunters use scouting cameras for a wide variety of things on their properties from watching their animals to protecting their properties. Most of us cannot be out at our properties 24/7 but our scouting cameras can be our eyes while we are away. With the help of the scouting cameras hunters are able to monitor numerous things amongst their herd such as antler development, fawn recruitment, and keeping track of other game on your property from turkeys to hogs or even elk, bear and moose for our friends up north.

Once you get the right scouting camera for your needs it is time to head out and place your camera on your property, but there are a few things you need to take a look at before setting the camera up.

  • Placement – most hunters are going to look to have their cameras near game trails, food plots, feeders or watering holes.
  • Making sure you have the camera located next to an area with lots of activity will help you better know what is on your property
  • Ensure you place your camera in an easily accessible location

Today’s scouting cameras have numerous ways to mount the camera to fit your needs. Most all the cameras will come with straps to mount the camera to a tree or pole, but we all know sometimes that just won’t work. Other mounting options include:

  • Zip Ties
  • Bailing Wire
  • T-post or Auger type mounts
  • Screwing the housing directly into a tree, post or the ground.

One tip, after you get your scouting camera all set up is to take a few test pictures and pull the card and have a look at them. Make sure you have a clear picture and are seeing everything you want, lots of times in heavily wooded areas you may have to trim some branches or brush to get that perfect shot.

Once you have your scouting camera mounted and in the correct location it is time to make sure all of your settings are set the way you like them.

  • Set the date and time to ensure you can accurate data on your pictures
  • Choose if you are wanting to take pictures or videos and how often the camera shoots them
  • Select how high of quality do you want the pictures or videos. Remember the higher the quality the faster your SD cards will fill up

Once you get all those things done it is now time to sit back and enjoy looking at the pictures your scouting cameras will take and seeing what is on your property.

For more information on Stealth Cam Scouting Cameras visit: http://www.gsmoutdoors.com/stealth-cam/