If your property is large enough to hold deer, West Monroe bowhunter Curtis Simpson believes you can help hold more deer by setting up a system of stands that move progressively deeper from the outside edges of the land to the interior where bigger bucks are likely to be.
“Depending on the weather and if it’s hotter than usual, I’ve got some stands I might not even go to until late November,” Simpson said. “I definitely don’t want to jump the gun and run in there the first day of the season and blow all the deer on my place over to my neighbor’s.”
Simpson usually has his stand locations picked out by February, and he sets them up in July or August.
“If you’re confident in where deer are going to travel, you can pick a tree 25 or 30 yards away and have it in the perfect spot once opening day comes,” he said. “And getting that stand up in the middle of your property (early) will allow you to leave that spot alone until you’re sure it’s an entirely perfect scenario for hunting that far in.”
