Jack O'Malley Interview w/ Dave Richey
The first step is to determine if deer are still using the area. I’ve got a good looking spots in one of my hunting areas, and I spent some time today under a hot sun looking around. I was checking for deer tracks moving through or near this spot, and deer are moving within 15 yards of my chosen stand site.
Check areas where trails enter or leave an open field.
The nearby ground cover is so thick that deer trails can be difficult to see, but dogged determination found a few trails moving through the fallen trees and the heavy growth of berry bushes and underbrush. This area was logged off a few years agi, and the deer less spooky about moving through.
I need at least two ways to move in and out of the area, and this area offers two solid choices. A third possibility exists if the wind in from the south. The closest bedding cover is 75 yards away and it means easing in and out quietly and I removed some of the small logs and rocks that could be ankle twisters after dark. The rest of the cover remains unchanged.
In one of my other locations I’ve got a ladder stand to erect, and even though deer are moving through cedars and pines, the woods are rather open. This spot calls for some work and a bit more study before placing my stand.
The problem here is that plenty of deer move through this spot every day but placing the stand anywhere near where they exit heavy cover means the possibility of spooking them. And it’s fairly close to a house.
A buck and doe move through this area but it’s too close to a residence.
I can’t go deeper into the heavy cover, and the trees along the outside edge are too sparse. A deer could hear a hunter climbing softly into their stand, and the wind swirls badly in this location. I may have to give up on this site.
A third location is a no-brainer. Three heavily used deer trails merge like the lanes on a freeway, and there are actually spots for two stands. One could be downwind on a southwesterly or westerly wind, and the other stand site is only 50 yards from a dog-leg in the trail. This spot would be perfect for an easterly or southeasterly wind.
It’s not possible to always find good hunting spots along a trail through heavy cover. Some allow stand sites that are perfect for hunts when the wind is from the predominant direction and by moving just 50 yards, one can find a great place to hunt when the wind is from the east. Hunters should always have a decent spot for those nasty east winds.
My first location will probably see a new stand go up early tomorrow before it gets too hot or a thunderstorm moves through, and then I’ll stay away from it until hunting season kicks off. It’s in one of those spots where the stand must be approached quietly and only when the wind direction is perfect.
Make certain you’ve chosen your spot wisely before putting up a stand.
The other two locations still require a bit more study to determine wind directions and how the animals travel morning and evening. New stands are always a bit dicey the first two or three times they are hunted.
Putting up and taking down stands are not enjoyable things to do. Once I do it, I want to make certain that everything is right. Making a change once the season starts is never a good idea. It only educates the deer.
Deer learn to pattern hunters, and once that happens, the hunter becomes the big loser. The deer just learn how to avoid that general area, and their travel pattern takes them to an area where they are not spooked.
Pretty logical actions. And then the hunter must find another spot to hunt. It’s best to be certain of the spot and deer travel through it before the stand goes up.
