Treestand placement is critical to every big buck hunter. You hang your set with dreams of what is to come. And that means that moving your treestand once the season starts is nothing short of a nightmare.
The entire idea of keeping the woods undisturbed is the end goal. However, we all know it's just not reality.
Hunting is just that: the unknown. You can't control the outcome, and that's part of the draw. You hunt because you love adventure.
Treestand place is no exemption. It's a chess match of adventure. And sometimes what seemed to be the perfect stand location turns out to be just a tad bit off.
Then the question looms in your mind like a cloud, "Now what? Do I hope it will work out and just stick with it or do I move the set and take a risk?"
What if I could tell you about a way to take the risk of moving your stand while simultaneously reducing the risk of disturbing the ecosystem where the buck you're after resides?
Why you should move Your Treestand Midseason
The secret? It's not rocket science. It may not be that much of a secret at all. The answer will surely surprise you, no doubt.
What's a buck's best weapon? Without question, it's his nose. You're just not going to fool the olfactory glands of a mature buck.
When you move your stand, you're spreading scent. There's no way around it.
So the simple secret is ... move your stand on a rainy day.
THE SIMPLE GENIUS OF RAINY DAYS
In a nutshell, let nature wash your scent out of the woods.
True, you can't get away scot-free.
True, humidity makes your scent linger in some cases.
However, rainy days are a solid option for when to take the risk.
Rainy days typically mean less deer movement.
Hold on before you start throwing darts. Yes, deer move in the rain. We all know that. I've had some stellar hunts in the rain. However, we all know that deer movement, as a general rule, slows down during the rain. And, during heavy rain, deer movement is all but shut down.
Which is when I'd be out there moving my stand: in the hardest rain possible.
RISK AND REWARD
There are so many competing worldviews when it comes to big buck hunting. Truthfully, every view has its merits.
For me, I'm a bit more of a risk-taker simply because your "non-pressured" hunting area is not nearly ... not nearly ... as non-pressured as you'd like to think it is.
Coon hunters go wherever they want to go in the middle of the night. Which means they bust your "sanctuary" wide open. And you can't stop that.
Kids ride bikes and ATVs all over God's creation. And you can't stop that.
Unless you own thousands of acres and can control the fringes of your hunting area, the woods that surround your hunting area is getting pressure on every side.
Now, true, you can't be cavalier and throw caution into the wind. We all know that.
However, most hunters I know can, and should, take more risks. Yet most hunters sit in their stand frozen with fear of what might happen if they bump that buck they've been chasing.
Think of it this way: what do you have in your pocket right now? An unfilled tag.
You have nowhere to go but up in terms of the odds of the outcome.
Focus On What You Can Control
Bill Winke, founder of MidWest Whitetail is, in my opinion, in the top tier of the greatest whitetail hunters of all time. Bill could very well be the best that's ever been, and yes, I know that's a huge statement. You'll be hard-pressed to find a hunter that puts down more big bucks, more often, than Bill Winke.
Bill's theory of treestand access is what gives him the success he repeats year after year after year. [Click here to read]
I've heard Bill say on more than one occasion, "I'd far rather hunt a marginal treestand that has bulletproof entry and exit routes than a hot spot that alerts deer to my presence."
If you adhere to that strategy, you're simply going to kill more deer, more often.
And guess what? Very, very few hunters are obsessed with entry and exit.
So, if you work hard on bulletproof entry and exit, you risk going down tenfold.
That way, when you are forced to move a stand midseason, move it in the rain when you can be assured that fewer deer are on the hoof anyway.
By working hard to stay undetected, you've done all you can do.
When you find a stand that just isn't working, wait until the next weather front and take the soaking! It's the best chance you've got to move that set to what could be your next wall hanger.
Arm Yourself with Information
Every year there are stories of serious injury, and death, from treestand accidents. Mossberg strongly encourages anyone who hunts from a treestand to always follow Tree Stand Safety Rules.
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