When you are about to put up your stand for bowhunting, what is the first thing you look for? Is there something particular that

[mdhager115]

When you are about to put up your stand for bowhunting, what is the first thing you look for? Is there something particular that you need to hunt over?

[lovetohunt]

First thing is a good deer trail, then a nice tree off of it.

[VT Outdoorsman]

Deer runs or food sources for me. I know where the runs are and where the oak trees are. Thats where i concentrate my efforts.

[Huntandtrap09]

good trails and lots of rubs

[Del in KS]

All of the above but my favorite is a good bottleneck. Bucks hate to leave cover and will use a bottleneck when traveling almost everytime. Also prefer a nice tall straight tree suitable for my Summit climber.

[shane]

Similar to Del's feature, I find stands hung over a good funnel to be the most productive for the majority of the season. By funnel I mean something like a reverse river delta, a place where deer from across a wide area on smaller trails converge because of a common destination or physical features of the land that force them all together through one area.

Rutting bucks are haunting those areas for the same reason teenage boys are at the mall - all the girls will be coming through at one point or another. These are the spots that all the phantom bucks from elsewhere that you only see once during peak-late rut will travel to.

Sit on that stand on the right day, and you might see 5 different big bucks, maybe two you've seen before, and 3 mystery monsters from faraway lands, there check out your local stock of does. Hopefully one comes in range.

Find one of these, and you've found your own "honey hole".

[hjohn429]

Rubs,scrapes, trails, and food sources all play a part in hanging my stand. The most important things are wind and shooting lanes. Doe bed funnels are very promiseing.

[buckeye]

Good trails, food source, rubs, and scraps.

[Big C]

A bottleneck if there is one on the property, otherwise a well used deer trail should work.

[klug3]

a good food source, run ways, rubs, scrapes, and a good sturdy tree over looking the whole area.

[Archery 101]

I like to hunt near a food plot that I put out weeks prior to hunting season.

[scott powers]

when i am setting up my stand i look for a well used trail, rubs, scraps, bedding, cover (for the deer and me), food/ water. for me to set up a stand i need to have at least 4 of these things i will make exetoins if the spot is well know to produse deer. my bets stand is in a old apple orchard that has only 5 apple trees in it left to the left there is a feild for food. to the front of me there is 3 rubs and 1 scrap. there are more rubs around me though.there is cover to my back and to my right. iv seen deer there every time iv gone to it. even the day that we set it up.

[rudyglove27]

Agreed with Del in KS answer above and A + 1 for you sir!!!