A tantalizing trail cam photo. A well-placed stand with help from HuntStand. Regular wind checks. Sound like a formula for big buck success? Read on…
Setting a killer deer stand is all about learning as much as you can about your surroundings and making sound decisions based on facts. Kentucky’s Ryan Dougherty did just that this past fall, using the HuntStand app to find and mark a suspected bedding area, then setting up to take advantage of deer heading to a prime food plot. The rest is history; here is how Dougherty scored:
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“I got a single trail cam photo of this buck this past fall, and when I did I wanted him immediately. Throughout the fall I used the HuntStand app to monitor the wind patterns, as well as to mark where I captured the photo of the buck, and to mark the new stand I put up to get him. The stand is in the corner of a food plot.
“November 8 was a perfect afternoon, with the wind blowing from the northwest right at me and back into the woods. I had been waiting for about three hours when the buck suddenly entered the plot, right where I expected him to, about 30 yards in front of me, upwind.
“At that point it was about 30 minutes to last light, and I was shaking like crazy. I slowly came to my feet and came to full draw, when the opportunity presented itself. My shot was a little farther back than I wanted, and we couldn’t find him that first night. The next day I returned with more tracking help, and I used the HuntStand app to walk right to the bedding area where I figured the wounded buck had headed after the shot.
“The bedding area was about 250 yards from the stand to the southeast, which is the direction the buck had come from the day before. After finding the bedding area earlier in the fall, I was able to mark it on the app, which allowed me to see where the buck was likely to emerge, as well as how I needed to set my stand and what wind direction would be best to hunt it. The HuntStand app was crucial in getting this buck on the ground.
“The wounded buck ended up running back past the bedding area that we had marked, and then up into a thickly wooded area where we were able to track and eventually find him. The buck ended up making it some 350 to 400 yards away from the food plot where I shot him. Thank you HuntStand!”
For his Week Eight win, Dougherty will be sent a Team HuntStand-approved Bino Harness X from ALPS OutdoorZ , a $49.99 value. One of the first product extensions to the popular and successful Extreme line from ALPS OutdoorZ, the Bino Harness X (shown above and below) is the ideal companion for your hunting optics. Designed to keep the pocket close to your chest and reduce the amount of movement you’ll feel in your optics, the Bino Harness X is constructed using extra-tough 1680D ballistic nylon fabric, with an easy-to-use one-handed opening mechanism for quick access. A handy lens cloth is included.
Did you score big in 2017? You’re not too late to enter the HuntStand 2017 Big Buck ALERT contest! Simply send us a few clear, high-res. digital photos (three to four) of your 2017 buck, along with a brief story of your hunt that explains how the HuntStand app played a part. Be sure to tell us if your buck was known to you or a newcomer, then describe the area where your stand sits, or where the encounter took place, as well as the fateful day’s wind and weather conditions, and of course, the blow-by-blow account of the exciting action as it unfolded. Include your full name, age, successful hunt date and state, weapon used, and also be sure to include your mailing address. Your e-mail subject line should read: Big Buck Alert! Send your photo(s) and requested info to: [email protected]
