Over Hunted Stand?

[Scioto]

Would you consider the following stand location to be a pressured, lightly pressured, or not pressured stand location? I have seen deer but have not killed or shot at any out of this stand so far this year. I have not been busted to my knowledge (at least not by any of the deer I have seen from it).

I've hunted out of it 3 times this year - 2nd day of ML, 2nd day of rifle, and 11/29. Mornings only and probably 3-4 hour sits. I'm planning to hunt out of it this Sunday afternoon, but am wondering if I've overhunted it even though it will have been 16 days since I was last there. I don't think so, but interested in other opinions.

Also, do you think it matters to my stand that another guy has hunted out of his stand that's about 350-400 yards away almost everyday since Nov 1?

 

[Headhunter]

I have stands I hunt 8-10 days in a row and see deer most every hunt and when I kill a mature buck out of them it is always the first time I hunt it or on the 8th to 10th day. Killed many nice bucks after hunting a stand many days, every single day. This is gun hunting and is generall located where I can see a long ways. Funny thing is I will usually kill the nice buck insie of 100 yards.

 

[easy45]

nope, if I have a spot that is hot then I will stay with it

 

[WestTn Huntin man]

I would say you are good if you are just deer hunting.If you are hunting a mature trophy buck it maybe too much ?? .Wish I had a set up to allow me to hunt the same stand so infrequently.I have 4 stands on 50 acres and try to switch off often .Changing it up to a afternoon stand sounds like a good plan.Seems like after I shoot 2 or 3 deer off the same stand I have to ease up for a couple of weeks. The guy hunting the same stand every day could possibly be sending a few your way.

 

[BSK]

I've hunted out of it 3 times this year - 2nd day of ML, 2nd day of rifle, and 11/29. Mornings only and probably 3-4 hour sits. I'm planning to hunt out of it this Sunday afternoon, but am wondering if I've overhunted it even though it will have been 16 days since I was last there. I don't think so, but interested in other opinions.

If this is the first year you've hunted from that location, you should be able to get 4 or 5 hunts out of it before older buck sightings decline dramatically. If you hunted from this stand last year as well, you may have already over-hunted it with those 3 hunts this year.

Also, do you think it matters to my stand that another guy has hunted out of his stand that's about 350-400 yards away almost everyday since Nov 1?

Nope.

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

This is a loaded question and cannot be answered with a simple yes and no. Alot depends on your disturbance going in and getting out of the stand area. I have seen spots that you notice a decline after the first sit while others you can hunt a dozen times a year. If it is one of those spots you will cost your self alot of bucks by not hunting a honey hole enough. If it isn't one of those kind of spots you can hurt your chances of killing a mature buck by hunting it too much. Think about it like this. If you hunt a stand 6 days in a roll and you don't see a shooter is it because you ruined an area or is it simply because one hasn't shown himself yet. Then when day 7 rolls around you kill a 140" buck because he is following the same doe you have seen every day that week. It's a roll the dice situation. I will never understand some of the guys I know that move off of good deer activity because they hunted there yesterday, only to go hunt a dead spot just for the sake of not hunting the same stand twice. Seems silly to me.

 

[BSK]

Hillbilly Hunter makes an important point. Much depends on the set-up of the stand. If a stand is intended for long-range shooting across open fields, I don't think you can over-hunt such as stand, as deer hundreds of yards away (but still within weapon range) never know you are in that stand.

 

[Scioto]

Stand is in the woods. First year hunting out of it in the area.

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

The types I mentioned above exists in the woods as well. Sit in the stand and find out

 

[BigPete357]

You never know.

I hunt Yanahli and this is the tale of two blinds that I experienced this year.

I have a spot that I was busted in opening weekend of muzzleloader, have been to it 6 times since then and have only seen 2 deer and they did not give me an opportunity. Before that day, I was seeing many deer right by the stand regularly. I don't bowhunt, but almost every scouting trip during bow season in that spot I saw multiple deer and sign was everywhere.

Another spot I have hunted a lot this year is the opposite. Saw few deer during scouting, but knew they use the area from past seasons. I hunted it a few days during muzzleloader season and killed a smallish buck at the end of the season. I saw deer every time I hunted, but couldn't shoot for one reason or another. I didn't hunt opening day of modern gun, but went down and drove around to see where the weekend warriors were hunting, and to keep an eye on my blinds. On Saturday I saw 2 bucks being loaded up that were killed within 150 yards of my blind. On Sunday 2 bucks were killed that if I had been in my blind, I could have shot. Another buck and a doe were killed about 200 yards the other way from there. The guys on Sunday told me that Their friend killed a doe there on Saturday as well. I killed a nice 8pt there after Thanksgiving. I have not been back since then since I have been busy with family stuff, but had a friend hunt there last weekend. He shot 2 does.

Go Figure.

I will be hunting does on my lease through the end of the season, but if not I would go to the second blind, even with all the pressure.

 

[BHC]

I have a different view point than many probly do, but I think certain stands are ok to hunt 8-10 times in a season.. Scent control regimen is very important. If others are hunting there with less strict scent control regimen it hurts.. I feel gun shots have less impact than many may think, but tracking and checking cameras are detrimental! Being able to walk to stand without impacting the deer much at all is very important! If your running cameras being able to check cameras with out impacting deer is very important! Some stands this all is impossible and should only be hunted with a very strategic reason 3-5 times in a yr. those spots shouldn't be scouted or trail cams be ran very much at all.. In these spots I put cams out say mid October and will check it the first time I hunt it in mid nov and maybe again 1st of dec. when I am hunting there anyway... So to answer your question to me it depends on the spot and how cautious you are with scent control and entry and exit...

 

[BHC]

Also, do you think it matters to my stand that another guy has hunted out of his stand that's about 350-400 yards away almost everyday since Nov 1?

I think this can potentially help you, ruined you, or had no impact at all... Just to many factors at play.. How deer travel, what he's shot, his hunting practices, etc.
30 days in one stand is way to much almost anywhere and will drive deer to only come through at night. Again tho that could potentially help you..

 

[JeepKuntry]

The biggest key imo is wind direction. If your using the stand with optimum wind, then you can hunt it harder. I'll usually hunt an area a couple times, then let it settle for at least a week. Gonna try getting back in the field edge overlookin the ridge where I killed my 7pt. Only hunted it once in the past month and it's been a spot where I've seen deer travel for the past 3-4 years.