A deer hunting thread in August...

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Good stuff Ryan,  I am looking forward to more.

[skychief]

Great thread Ryan.  Most guys wouldn't go to near the trouble you did to post this.  Thanks and good luck.

If you enlist Oskar's help this Fall, hope it's a short trail to a "big'n"!  Good luck and thanks again.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Thanks, guys for the comments.  Craig, that's my lightweight Jack Howard Gamemaster Jet - I get about 55 lbs out of that one at my draw.  Killed that buck with a 2215 and a big Snuffer at 8-10 yards.  Easy track in the new snow.  If you've seen any of my posts over the last couple years - I'm a BIG Jack Howard bow fan.

R

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Like I said above, I'm ambivalent about using screw in steps.  I grew up with them and Lord knows how many thousands of times I've screwed steps into and out of trees over the last 30 years.  That said its just a matter of time and I don't bounce when I hit the ground like I used to.  On my farm in Missouri I've committed to all ladder sticks, I'm farther from help there with spotty cell service.  I suppose in the next few years I'll transition more to them here at home too.  Haven't made the switch towards ladder stands, yet.  I have so much trouble shooting out of them due to being short and shooting longer bows I hate to think about losing my chain on stands for ladders.

R

[Orion]

Excellent thread, Ryan.  Certainly fans the flames.

[Barry Wensel]

Ryan: I always smile when I see your posts. Your dad can be very proud of how/what he's taught you over the years, how you've listened and developed. And you can be very proud of how you obviously paid attention and your accomplishments. I just wish our sport had more fine "young" bowhunters like yourself. Heck, I'm proud of you and I'm not even your father! Keep it up buddy. bw

[cacciatore]

Ryan,thanks for posting. Your threads are refreshing and a lot of informations to save.

[huntnmuleys]

great thread Ryan, and it was about time we actually talked bowhunting on here.

[twitchstick]

Thanks for sharing! After twenty plus years of hunting last year I took my first buck from a tree stand, I've always been a ground pounder. After getting trees ready all day yesterday its nice to see a "stand along" to remember how fun it was.

[Kyle Lancaster]

Ryan,
   Thanks alot for sharing this. I'm getting pumped.

Kyle

[kbetts]

"my overall hunting is a low percentage affair..."

I'd never be able to tell by your success.  Ha!  That being said I've specifically been wondering what you do to prep and how it differs from myself.  I am a whitetail nut too and seeing the largest buck I've encountered on the property I hunt yesterday just turned it up a notch....and I have a 170+" bp kill from that place.  Well timed thread.  I'm all eyes.

[IndianaBowman]

Thanks for taking the time to help us out Ryan!

[D.J. Carr]

Very well timed thread.  I just moved trail cameras yesterday.  I love the strange looks I get, people wondering what I am doing in the middle of the summer entering the woods with a backpack and a walking stick,  I always hope the same person drives by when I'm dragging my deer out in the fall.

[wapiti792]

Great post Ryan! I love the thoughts on stand placement and setups. A thinking man's approach to taking the farm you have and "working" it to your advantage. Thanks for sharing it with us  

[maxwell]

Thanks for the walk along, great pics.

[Tim]

Very Cool Ryan!  Thanks for taking the time to go over each setup, that's a lot of typing!  I had several questions but you covered all of them in your last post.  Fantastic advice throughout each setup.  

I too get super excited over some stand setups, but than one reason or another, usually the wind, I never end up sitting them.  I do it every year, drives my wife (stand hanging partner) crazy.  I just can't help but always thinking about a "better spot", even thought the past two bucks have been killed from the same tree.    

I'm with you on the tree step concerns.  It seems like every year the steps seem to get smaller and I seem to worry more about their integrity.  I like the strap on ladder sections the best, just don't like hauling them in and they really are eye sores in the woods.

I've got one stand hung and about 12 to go!  

Good luck.......Tim

[Joeabowhunter]

Great thread.  I spent a few hours scouting a new property yesterday.  I'll be hanging 2 stands next weekend...  October can't get here soon enough!

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Barry!  Somewhere around here I have a note you wrote me telling me you "were my real father".  Scared me for a bit, then I thought, nah, Mom never drank..HA.  I turned 40 this year...makes you feel old, huh?    

Yes, it hasn't hurt having the Old Man for a mentor.  More and more, though, the "old school" whitetail hunting tactics, and learning/hunting/pursuing a single animal are less and less realistic.  You know it takes access to large acreage and some control of the situation to make that happen.

I don't hunt specific deer or classic scrape/sign lines anymore except on the every-4th-year Iowa tag when I can go to Dad's place.  Around here I'm hunting a "situation".  I think it probably relates to what guys call "funnels" to some extent.  The Old Man told me one time on one of his philosophical days that the only funnels he ever saw were oily and hanging on someone's garage wall.  There's truth to that....there are a million "funnels" out there, but few good ones.  I think lots of times a guy stumbles onto a good "funnel" situation and never realizes the big picture of why that specific spot is good.

Take the second stand above for instance.  There are about 20 draws on this block of timber that pretty much look the same - same elevation change, typical header at the end etc.  None of them show the sign that this one does.  Why?  Is it a "good funnel"....in reality there is at least a 1/2 mile travel situation here - probably more than that I don't know about - that defines this place.  I've never found these with topo maps, aerial photo etc...just lots of boot leather.

A big defining part of this situation is the wind - deer can work it either direction based on the topography quartering into about any west wind.  Southwest is predominant here, so that makes sense over time.  Hunt it on a Northwest wind and it is just about wrong...but I think a guy can get away with it.  Perfect.  Its been said a lot, but I never plan on a mature deer working with the wind behind him.  I hunt them on a quartering - into wind and "almost wrong" is best.  Takes a bit of finesse, but when it works its golden.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

These "situation" stands are the kind that are good forever once you find them...unless something drastic happens to the timber.  That's the beauty of it - I know these good setups - like the Leonard Stand - will be good 20 years from now unless the woods gets bulldozed.  You can tell these places too - rubs of all ages from new to barely a scar on a healed tree is a good tip off.  Generations of deer use them for the same reasons, over and over through the years.

[Sean B]

Great post Ryan, I always love when you come on!!