In deer hunting especially, it is important to understand where to position your treestand according to the terrain. There are several factors to consider.
The Power of Scent
If you are deer hunting, you need to understand that your scent can easily spook your target. You’ll need to take the current wind direction into consideration when you position your treestand.
Hopefully, you’ve had the opportunity to analyze a map of the area. Where are the natural paths that deer might travel? Are you near a stream or other body of water? Where is that body of water in relation to your chosen tree? Is your location on a hill?
No matter what the terrain may be like, you’ll always want to remain downwind of passing deer so that they aren’t likely to pick up on your scent. An oblivious deer that isn’t concerned about its surroundings is going to be easier to kill.
Interacting with Different Terrain Types
Water is a natural attraction for deer. It’s a necessity for them. Positioning your treestand along shore banks of still or running water can be a good strategy. One benefit of choosing a location near running water is that the noise can mask any rustling you may be doing in your treestand. You’ll want to make sure you position your treestand just inside the edge of the shore bank to avoid being seen.
In fact, positioning your treestand just inside the edge of water, pastures, plains or open fields is a good strategy overall. You’ll remain hidden from sight, but you will be aiming for a target in an open space with little cover. This strategy can reduce the margin for error in your shots.
If you’re deep woods hunting, try positioning your treestand along a ridge of a hill. This will allow you to hunt both the top of the hill as well as the downslope.
Typically, ridges will also act as a wind funnel. While you always want to take wind direction into consideration, it’s a critical factor if you are ridge hunting. If you position yourself correctly, the wind will blow over the top of the hill and miss your location on the ridge’s plateau. That means your scent will not be carried down the slope and spook any deer below.
Other Considerations
There are many other factors in treestand hunting. If you’ve missed some of the topics we’ve covered previously, we invite you to click on the links below.
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