Finding the Best Deer Stand Locations Over Time

It is very rare when the first tree you select for your stand is actually the best one in the area. The best stands evolve over time, ideally over the course of several seasons. Each year, you learn something new about how deer move through the area and how your own coming and going affects their natural movement.

I am going to use my own best stand as an example of how this process works. It started on a whim, but over the course of four seasons, it evolved into the best spot I have ever hunted.

I started hunting this spot in 2009. The setup is a one-acre food plot on the edge of the timber attached to a long, narrow tail (probably another 1.5 acres) that circles around and...