Finding Killer Stand Sites

In Chapter Seven of my book, “Rub Line Secrets”, I wrote that finding active rub lines isn’t a guarantee that you’re going to kill monster bucks. As I’ve become fond of saying, there are far more unproductive than productive stand site possibilities along any rub line.

The way I see it, the major stumbling block for hunters, no matter their depth of knowledge, is that when attempting to pick killer stand sites, they believe that all rub lines are created equal. What they fail to keep in mind is that when scouting and hunting a buck’s various rub lines, the productivity of one rub line will never be the same as another’s.

Finding productive rub line stands involves more than just locating the most active rub lines. You must locate a specific productive site along the rub line. Believe it or not, this might mean guessing, almost to the yard, where some daylight activity will occur. Making this task even more difficult is the fact that each big buck has a unique temperament.

In order to pinpoint killer stand sites along rub lines, you must first locate the end of rub lines that lay near bedding areas. As I’ve so often stressed in my books, the absolute best time to do this is during the post season period. At this time of year you can explore rub lines from one end to the other without fear that it will have a negative effect.

In fact, once you locate the bedding area “ends” of rub lines, you really should walk into the buck’s bedroom. By walking around in the bedding areas, you can learn how a buck prefers to enter and leave his daytime hideouts. This information is invaluable when trying to locate killer stand sites along rub lines.

Some of my most productive stand sites stayed productive for many years. That’s due in great part to the fact that I fought the temptation to hunt those spots unless all conditions were absolutely perfect. Trust me, it takes a lot of restraint to stay away from a certain stand site when you know for certain that a big buck is routinely walking by the spot. But remember, you’re most likely going to get only one chance at that deer. Don’t blow it by being careless.

Killer stand sites aren’t an urban legend. They certainly do exist. Finding them takes a lot of hard work. And ensuring they stay productive takes a lot of personal discipline. But I’m confident you can do it. Remember, hunt hard, but always hunt safe!