Mathews Pro Tips

I use to think that odd-looking “TOPO” maps were just a waste of time. I mean, all I really cared about was finding the hottest sign and throwing up a stand somewhere nearby.

The concern over the lay of the land honestly didn’t mean much to me. Then something happened. After several fruitless seasons I came to the conclusion that something just wasn’t right.  If it were as easy as finding fresh sign and waiting in ambush for the biggest buck in the woods to show up, I would have a wall full of antlers. But I didn’t.  So, naturally I changed my approach in an effort to improve my plummeting success rate. Slowly, things began to turn around; simply by letting the terrain determine where I hung my stands.

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“If you can’t approach or leave your set-up without alerting deer to your presence, your success will diminish quickly, regardless how ‘hot’ the spot may be.”

When using the lay of the land as a guide for stand placement, whether you’re in an entirely new spot or on very familiar hunting ground, the first thing you need to do is realize that there are 2 types of terrain features….Positive and Negative.

Both will influence deer movement.  Your job is to utilize the clues found on your topo map to determine which types your area holds and how the deer are going to respond to them. Then, act accordingly.

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“Always hang your stand where you can shoot at your primary trail while seated, or with very little movement.”

Try to rake in success by removing leaves and debris from trails to and from your treestand. Raking is the key to getting in and out of your tree stand undetected and as a bonus the deer will start using the trails almost immediately.

“I always try to set my stand with some form of cover or obstruction around and/or behind me, so when I am calling or rattling to a deer and he approaches, he has to get closer to see what was making the sounds.”

“Always try to position a tree stand so you’ll be in the shade. Not only will this help hide you from whitetails, it will improve your vision, especially on bright days.”

“While mature bucks use multiple trails to enter a field, they will go to the same spots to feed. Sit back and watch a buck for a couple of days, then set up a blind in his favorite feeding spot and go get him.”

“A ground blind can afford you places to hunt where tree stands won’t work. Better, it gives you the ability to stay dry and warm in bad weather, and can conceal movement for extra close shots.”

”Brush in a blind several weeks before hunting in it. Brush tops and fallen trees work the best for hiding ground blinds.”