Getting In And Out Of Your Stand Undetected

© By Othmar Vohringer

As hunters we invest a considerable amount of time in scouting and finding features that promote deer travel, locating food sources and the perfect stand locations. Yet, few hunters pay any mind whatsoever to finding out how they will get in and out of their stand locations undetected by deer. I lost count of how many times I heard stories of hunters that got busted by deer on their way to and from their stands. It happened to me too, more often then I care to admit.

But I learned from my own mistakes and for many years now pay close attention to the routes in and out of my stands. Choosing the perfect route to access or depart your stand is just as important as finding the perfect stand location. Before hanging a stand, find out how you can access and leave without letting deer know that you’re in the area. Because if you can’t do that the best stand location will be ruined for future hunts, you might just as well pull it.

When I chose a stand location I make careful notes of where deer will be during those times that I hunt a particular stand, pre-season and careful in-season scouting will reveal these areas. If deer can hear, see or smell me on my way in or out I am done. Deer stay alive by exactly knowing what is going on all around them and who’s coming and going.

When choosing entry and exit routes we have to pay close attention to wind directions and how air currents behave in the area. That is the reason why it is so important to know your hunting area so well, not only to figure out deer movement patterns but also to figure out how you get undetected in and out. Finding the perfect stand access and departure route means that we often have to choose several routes, quite often the route we come in to the stand might not be the same we can use to leave the stand. Quite often it also means that we have to walk a considerable detour. One of my best stand locations required a boat to access and depart from it. It took me an extra half hour instead of the 15 minutes the direct route would have taken me. The extra minutes and requiring a boat was well worth the effort and time as the stand kept producing deer hunt after hunt and season after season. Seldom is the shortest and easiest way also the best way.

The next time you experience that your stand doen't come up to your expectations give it some serious consideration about how to get into and out of your stand location without alerting every deer in the vicinity to your presence.