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2018 Poor Tree Stand Locations

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2018 Poor Tree Stand Locations

Postby Swede » 09 17, 2018 •  [Post 1]

My cousin, and his cousin are good hunters, but not familiar as they should be with tree stand hunting. They make some green horn errors when doing their own set-ups.
I had my elk in the cooler, and only had a deer and cougar tag left to fill. I suggested changing locations with my cousin Jim. Elk were coming to my stand on a fairly regular basis, and he had seen none. When I arrived at his stand I was surprised. The stand was at the "hub" of about six different trails. Jim had placed the stand about 15 feet up and in line with almost every incoming animal. That stand was in the wrong tree, and should have been about ten feet higher, or camouflaged in somehow. The biggest problem I noticed was the absence of fresh elk sign. I appeared no elk had been around since early summer.
Apparently my cousin thought that trail coming together would be a likely place to see elk again. That was a poor gamble given the situation. Go to a location that is experiencing current and recurring activity. I soon took Jim to a place that had trails beat to dust from elk passing. The first and second day there he saw several elk near by.
Another problem I observed was patience and persistence. Jim's cousin found a good location, and we set him up in a good tree. The problem he made was not staying long enough. He hunted the stand four days then left. On day five he had a herd of elk come in, and obviously stayed for awhile. In the area we hunt the elk move around. They may be a week before they return to one particular spot. You never know what time they will arrive either, but they generally move around during the day time. At night they do not travel far, so arrive at your stand early, be patient, and wait them out.
If you are tree stand hunting in a good location; be patient. If you are not sure about your location; find one that gets more use. If your tree is not fully satisfactory; either fix it or find another. You want to be at a location where elk show up on a regular basis and you want to be in a position to shoot one. Don't waste your time. Even though you are waiting for hours and even days, know you are settled in and productively using your hunting time.
Swede
Wapiti Hunting - Tree Stand Tactics
 
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