Just going to ask if any of you have some tree stands ideas? My bow hunting tree stands always been set up on creek crossing fence crossings and white oak trees. I thought about trying to scout out some tree stands locations on saddles. Any tips for tree stand set-up on saddles would be much appreciated. Thanks

I like hunting close thickets watching where few trails come together and having acrons dropping.

if its a true saddle my best thought is to set up on one side of the saddle and approach perpendicular to wind direction....
Ex: Lets say you have a ridge running north to south ( high side being north dropping off steadily to the south) that has a saddle in the middle of it that the deer frequently cross. Likely those deer are bedded on the east or west side of the hill toward the point of the ridge dependent on wind direction and crossing over when they get up in the evening or on their way back in the morning.
Assume you have a west wind. Approach from the North and set your stand up on the same side as your approach.
This will hopefully help keeping your wind from getting to deer bedded on the points of the ridge your hunting.

Just my 2cents

Just go next to there bed without them smelling u and be on the route to there food source..I promise u will kill one if u can shoot a bow

They'll travel directly over the top of the ridge at the saddle but also the saddle serves as a pinch point for deer traveling the length of the ridge. Sit where those two directions of travel intersect and always close to bedding areas. Not all saddles are created equal. If there's no secure bedding close by (within 100-200 yds) then I'm not gonna bother. SouthernRoots had great info.

I always start by identifying bedding and work my way out looking for pinch points.

Also the points where long ridges peter out can be good, a bench on the downwind side of a ridge, and where multiple vegetation lines come together.

Thanks guys. I never have hunted close to deer bedding areas. I have always left those areas alone scared I would spook deer into other areas. I will see if I can locate some next time I get in the woods. I have been looking at topo maps and have circled three Saddles that I can see I will start with those three Saddles and see if I can find bed and close to them.

I have just started looking hard for specific beds as well. I have always used the idea of Bedding areas when hunting but now start thinking about specific locations a deer would bed. I started doing this on the WMA close to home to give me practice on locating them and so not to encroach too much on my lease if I didnt like the method. Heres what Ive figured out so far........

1) Think like a deer. Why do they ( particularly bucks ) bed where they do? SAFETY! so look for places where THEY have the advantage.
2) Most of the beds you find this time of year are either a) not being used because its summer or b) fresh but likely wont be used during season. Figure out if a bed is likely a warm season or cool season bed based on the food source closest to it. ie Acorn trees vs fresh cutover/ Ag.
3) the best intel is found in Feb. I guess I always knew this but really applied it for the first time this year.

at the very least if you can get a good idea of where they are bedding you can get even closer to them without spooking them. Aim small miss small right?

Disclaimer: all this is based off of about 6 months of experience so it could be totally off the wall. Just what I've started doing.

Good Luck!

You can hunt near bedding areas you just have to play the wind and thermals properly, not over-hunt it, and have multiple stand sites. I only hunt a spot a handful of times per year at the most. Always rotating new pieces of public as best I can. Hunt only on good winds otherwise go somewhere else for that day. Also fresh poop is a dead give away for me if it's an active pinch point. Open hardwoods I don't bother with it. Identify different bedding areas, then identify saddles between bedding areas, these are good stand locations for cruising bucks in the rut. Thick secondary points on the south side off east to west running ridges are ideal bedding areas. The deer face south and look down into the bottom while having the predominant north wind hit them in the back.

The bucks are killable at every point of the season if you can ID patterns in behavior. I've killed a handful of racked bucks on Alabama public over the past few years by picking up on patterns and reading forums and books.

Yes February is the best time to scout

Don't get hung up on February scouting. February the deer will typically have a different routine than they do in early season. Food sources change as well as hunting pressure.

absolutely... the sign I see in February is showing me rut/late season patterns for the following year.

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