Your typical “Mountain” buck is different than most of the deer you see on television or read about in magazines. The variables surrounding what they eat and where they sleep are countless. As a result, getting close to one can be tough. Getting close enough to consistently kill a mature one can seem nearly impossible. But it isn’t.
This is the deer hunter’s calculation. You ask yourself if there are low-impact entry and exit routes that will take you to and from a stand. Can you get a true wind in/near the buck’s likely bedding area? If you’re bowhunting, will you have to cut shooting lanes? Can you afford to risk making this buck even more nocturnal in October?
While we know to hunt our treestands with discretion, knowing how much is too much is the key. Before we blow our cover, research sheds light in time for fall.
The surge in popularity of bowhunting brought the use of deer based scents to the forefront. We now have a multi-million dollar industry based on deer pee. Over 60 companies produce and sell deer urine and gland based attractants in one form or another. Unfortunately, everything is not rosy in the world of cervid secretions.
In typical whitetail country much of the debate over where to hang a stand revolves around wind direction. However, once a likely stand location is chosen predominate wind direction will most likely be the only thing left to ponder. Not so if you happen to be hunting the rugged mountains of the east.