WHERE DO YOU FIND 'EM???

[5465]

from opening day of bow season to the start of the seeking phase or chasing phase, i was wondering where ya'll might place your stands, aside from the more obvious places, such as, setting up on a field edge to catch them coming to or from the feeding field at dawn and dusk? is it in creek bottoms? is it deep in the woods? or is it over some sort of water source? or none of the above and just in a heavily traveled area? we all know that bucks don't really move much until the rut starts, usually. now, i have a friend who has had awesome luck the last 4 years and has taken 3 bucks scoring in the 140's, and 1(a 17 point) in the 150's on the opening day of bow season because he goes out about this time every year and makes some mock scrapes(10 or 15 in his immediate hunting area) and puts out his drippers, opening morning he picks the somewhat central area of all the scrapes and drippers. i know this is more of a tactic and not a "where do you find 'em" set-up, but it has worked wonders for him. anyways before i get more off subject here "where do you find 'em" in early bow season?
Pete

 

[simplesimon]

Cades Cove

 

[TallTines]

I usually try setting up close to a bedding area because your right they don't move much but when they do move I like to be close. I've had good success with this approach in the past. If you do this method though you have to make sure that you don't scare off all the does or bucks for that matter and enter and exit in a non disturbing way. If you do scare the does out that spot won't be nearly as effective during the rut. Also I noticed that some of your more mature deer will start scraping and claiming the area a little earlier than others. I was after a huge mature buck in the past and he was doing this very early as well. I set up on him near his bedding area both morning and evening with no success. Come to find out from the farmer a little late that this deer was checking and making scrapes in the middle of the day between 10:30 and 2:00 when I was gone. Now I wouldnt say this is normal for mid oct. but this deer knew that in mid day we'll be feeding our bellies and he'll go about doing his thing.

 

[jdavis]

Dirtball- while your finding deer in Cades Cove, watch out for the bears

You want a real adventure, try riding those damn bikes they rent at Cades Cove around the loop.

 

[Liv4Rut]

I usually find them in the woods, once in awhile I will find them venturing out into the fields, hope this helps

 

[alaskanwhtail]

Hope this helps, jeez Mike no advertisment this year.