by Daryl Gay

Through nearly 30 years of chasing whitetails all over Georgia, I can look back with crystal clarity and recall particular stand placements that produced time and again. Even if no deer was taken, there was almost always a chance at a shot, or several shots in the span of a single hunt in some cases. There was one, at the junction of several logging roads deep in the woods, that I don't recall ever sitting on without seeing deer, and as many as 17 over the course of two consecutive afternoons. This, remember, was deep in the woods: no fields, no food plots, just a major highway confluence of both bucks and does. This season, I'll be hunting some new territory, and with two boys tagging along, the spots we'll be sitting will either be productive or quickly replaced. So just what do you look for when undertaking to set up for the season ahead? And I'm talking firearms season here. For starters, I'm not a big fan of hunting directly over food plots, nor do I care to lay out monstrous high-level jobs that require a crane and construction crew. Just give me a creek bottom and a few dropping acorns and I'll make do.

Secondly, deer stands are different things to different hunters. The simplicity of large metal tower stands is nice when lounging, but with less than a month to go before opening day, I'm not about to erect anything to spook a big buck who has not quite yet become aware that he's about to be hunted. That element of surprise is the greatest thing we have going for us right now, and building a new house in his neighborhood is sure to shoot it down. Last season, for instance, two days before the season opened I found just such a creek bottom as mentioned, then began looking within it for THE spot. The first thing I want to know is prevailing wind direction within this area. In other words, which way is north relative to where I'm standing? I want that wind either in my face or from left to right of the stand. Why left to right? I shoot right-handed; think about it. Next, which way will I be walking in? I want the shortest, easiest, quickest route without the breeze announcing my presence to everything in the trees. I will slip as quietly and slowly as possible in, get comfortable, then go into statue mode. Wind and weather are always iffy; they simply require adaptation as they change. Where's the sun? Several years ago in northern Laurens County, three of us were hunting a single buck that slipped onto the edge of our property and back across a forbidden (to us!) fence pretty much as he pleased. I found where he bedded, but because of the way things set up, it was seemingly impossible to catch him coming or going . But I finally discovered that this was due totally to my aversion to facing east on a morning hunt.

If you've ever seen sunburst in a scope at a critical moment, you'll know why. But there came a morning when a pair of us decided that this would be the buck's final day of bamboozling, and I went up a pine with a climbing stand, facing the dreaded direction and hoping the deer would move before the sun got up over the trees. No way. It was nearly eight when I heard him come crackling through the leaves, and turning in his direction, all I could see was a gigantic ball of fire straight in my face. Luckily or, more accurately, thanks to a canister of Tink's 69 he stopped directly under my tree. Finally able to see his broad back, I touched off and the bullet actually grazed his neck before entering his shoulder and exiting below his heart. Turned out to be the largest buck I've ever seen taken off this property. So, let's put the sun at our back if possible. An added bonus to you not looking into it is that any deer headed your way will be. That opening day stand from last season consisted of two small saplings cut down and lashed with black trotline cord to the sides of three larger trees in a small triangle. The saplings formed shooting rests for my son's rifle while also helping hold up a dozen or so small bushes and green, leafy limbs propped there to hide us. We then cleared out all the fallen leaves underfoot and got out of the place. On opening morning, as my son and I sat there on a pair of dove buckets a few minutes after eight, up walked an eight-pointer to within spitting distance and was duly dropped for his troubles.

On two occasions, that buck looked right at our little blind. And both times, the rising sun was directly over my right shoulder; no way he could make out anything . The only other adjustments to the area I remember are clipping a few saplings and limbs to open up shooting lanes. Whether on the ground or up a tree, this is always a must, although on that same piece of property the big buck fell on I killed a smaller one after shooting THROUGH a pine as thick as your forearm. I never saw the tree in the scope, but it's still there. Just a lucky pop with a 165-grain bullet! Every hunter will suit himself when it comes to his favorite type of stand, and I'm certainly not averse to a ladder or platform that I know and trust. But more and more hunters are injured each year in falls from stands, and there's just no sane reason for not checking everything out safety-wise well before you put the stand in place. While you're at it, be sure there are no squeaks or rattles when you move, or maybe all you'll see is that big white tail flapping. Now all we have to do is find the right spot to put that stand ...

—————— Order your autographed copy of Daryl Gay’s new book, “Rabbit Stompin’ And Other Homegrown Safari Tactics” today! It’s the perfect gift! Send check for $19.95 plus $3 shipping and handling to: 16 Press, 219 Brookwood Drive, Dublin, Ga., 31021. Copies are also available in Dublin at the offices of The Courier Herald; Clements & Keen Insurance and The Olive Branch.