90% of our lease is row crop or open, shooting houses work for us. I still climb in some of the small wood lots when that's where I think I need to be.

I grew up bowhunting and later dog hunted and still hunted. When I started really hunting in late 60's there were very few folks using shooting houses. I have usually adapted my gun hunting to the way I bow hunted and that was hardly ever on a greenfield. In later years I did hunt houses/greenfields but usually culling does. I have in alll those years I have seen 2(TWO) fully mature(5) bucks in a greenfield, both time I was not in the shooting house that was there as the wind was wrong to hunt it. Could be why the deer were there?? Ya think?

The first of those bucks was an interesting hunt. The buck lived in a thicket close to the road and could hear anytime you came in. I went one day when the wind was wrong and slipped along the river bank as the wind there will blow up and down the river, not into the woods. I got alongside the field that was 100 yards from the river, wind still blowing 90 degrees to direction at the field. I waited till near dark and just fast walked to the field. As I approached the does in front of me started getting my scent as the wind was now at my back. I reached a spot where I could see down the field and the buck was standing in a roadbed 10 yards out of the field..looking to see what was upsetting the does in front of me. He was 200 yards away. I rested on a tree and shot just as a doe 50 yards in front of me blew and deer took off. Shot was good and I had a 136" eight point, five years old down.

I likem when its cold or rainin. Good for takin little fellers an ladies. I still like to go climb a tree myself but im not against getn in one.

I like treestands hunting as anybody. Trying to figure out deer movement and intercept them is as fun as shooting. But when the rut hits on our lease your wasting time in the woods. We kill most of our mature deer in plots. Granted they aren't eating but following does.

define you idea of "mature deer"....

Not quite that much.out of 28 members i would say 7-8 do not.

4+ 180+ pound 135+ inches.

In the last 3 years we've killed 4 "mature" deer The antler measurement is not an indication of age but it usually holds true

antler measurements are poor indicators of actual age.

Yeah I mentioned that above but on our particular place it tends to be the case. I killed a buck last week that was 5+ and only a 5 point. But he was very mature. All I am saying is there is no one way to kill mature deer that works everywhere especially in alabama. It's about knowing your deer.

I agree about killing mature deer.

To me the type of stand is irrelevant its all about the spot. I put what i think best fits the spot that im trying to hunt and will be most concealing and comfortable for longer sits.

Just think if you are a deer and seen your buddy go down from a boom stick last year from that hut would you go near it?

They see their buddies get hit by cars, then jump in the same road.