# How far do you park your atv/truck from your tree stand?



## switchbackmat (Feb 2, 2007)

just wondering how far dose everyone park theire mode of transpertaion from there tree stands. i know there are alot of varibles with wind directions and what not, i just want a good rule of thumb.


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## waiting4fall (Sep 20, 2007)

.5 - 1.5 miles depending on the spot.


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## mfr22 (Feb 24, 2005)

I always park my truck about a 1/2 mile from where I hunt, but it is easy walking back to my stand locations. Last year, a neighbor, hunting for his first time of the year , shot a huge 10 pointer withn sight of my truck (100 yards away!). He said it walked right by it!


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## Bill Junior (Jul 30, 2006)

Most stands on our lease we park about 1/4 mile away. But there is one stand due to the wind and location that we park within 100 yds of and believe it or not it is our most productive stand.


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## Lonestar63 (Mar 19, 2007)

Everybody's gonna tell you they park a mile from their treestand, but is that really the case?








Ok, some guys may that hunt large tracts, or public land, but i doubt most walk in as far as they think. Most of my stands i try to park at least 400 yards or so out, get my scentlock and scentfree stuff on at the 4-wheeler, then walk on in. One of my favorite stands i cant do this, and i have to park about 100 yards from the stand. I hide the 4-wheeler in an old corral, but the bucks aren't bothered at all by it. I've nearly bumped them in the dark, and they just move on out at a normal pace. In farm and ranch country, bucks hear and see trucks and atv's all the time, and its no big deal to them. Some of the hogs i've run into at night walking out made me wish that atv was a little closer!


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## old Graybeard (Nov 3, 2005)

It varies on the property I plan to hunt but I try to stay as far away as possible. I would rather take a long quiet walk in, scouting as I go.


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## dave E (Sep 11, 2007)

It varies but my one main spot is 1.5 miles measured, as it is a golf course. this is the furthest one.


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## nywell (Feb 21, 2005)

*Parking*

On most stands I hunt, my truck is less than 100 yards from my tree. On one site, the truck is in sight and the deer walk right past it to get to my stand. 
I really do not think machinery scares deer. But, I hunt mostly in residential areas where I can see the houses and the people driving to work. .


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## RxBowhunter (Feb 16, 2005)

about 17 miles :wink:


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## BingoFlyer (Jul 13, 2003)

Believe it or not, it is not neccessary to hunt with an ATV let alone drive it to your stand.

I have hunted for bowhunted 59 years and don't even own an ATV, nor have any desire to, I park my truck aprox. 700 yards from my closest stand and nearly a mile from the farthest.


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## cameron (Sep 15, 2005)

I don't, they spook deer.


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## Skeptic (Dec 11, 2005)

Usually I'm parked .5 to 1 mile away from my stand. I do have a couple real close to the road that I'll be within 100 yds of though.

Every year shotgun season there is a big bunch of guys that hunt about 2 miles from my family ground. It never fails that if you drive by during gun season you'll see 6-8 deer standing within 10 yds of their vehicles.:tongue:


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## Sleazy_E (Mar 3, 2006)

The spot I hunt the most (only have 40 acres) you can see my truck from the stand when the leaves are off the trees.... it does not seem to bother the deer at all.... but then again I am parking right off someones driveway that lives right there so they are used to seeing vehicles there...... that is the stand I ahve the most luck out of.


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## Midlife Crisis (Mar 24, 2004)

30-150 yards - I mostly hunt the suburbs, so deer are used to seeing vehicles around. My parking spaces are pretty much out of sight from the stand or normal as it would appear to a deer.


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## butter21 (Jan 7, 2008)

idk whats right but there is one blind that i shot with my buck out of this year (with a gun dont hate) that i had to make sure that i didnt have it in the scope when i wanted to shoot its like 75 yards away the deer dont care at all.


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## guckie (Jul 26, 2007)

You're going to think I'm crazy, but I have no problem parking my 4 wheeler close to my stand (20-30 yds). I've had several deer walk up to the atv, look at it, and keep calmly walking by. Plus, it helps me get to my stand without being scented. We ride frequently arounnd, so it's not a big deal.


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## sbooy42 (Jan 2, 2007)

Well it all depends...I actually park fairly close to most my stands...Have a couple that I can keep eye on my truck from.


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## archerycharlie (Nov 4, 2002)

*Don't own an atv*

I hunt mabe 2 or 300 yds from my truck as i hunt 2 differant farms about 25 miles apart and can see my truck from the stand on either farm. I am not very far off the gravel road either at either one. See lots of guys road hunting in the mornings and evenings as they drive by my truck. AC


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## IChim2 (Aug 20, 2006)

It's a 3/4 mile walk to the end of the logging road and another 15/20 minutes through the woods to get to my stand site...by some growed up feilds.


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## mike-uswest (Oct 6, 2002)

Well, if you take your truck, you can take two ladder stands, put them up facing each other and strap them together and hunt right out of the back of your truck.:wink: That way you don't have that long walk, and you can sit on either side so you can get 360 degree coverage. Works like a charm.:thumb: I don't know why I didn't get a deer or elk this year.

Mike


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## Hunter2005 (Jan 27, 2006)

*400 yrds-1.5 miles for deer stands*

I am headed to Idaho on a bear hunt and we are going to try to use a deer cart and some old logging trails to get our stands and bait a long ways back...Not off the subject but has anyone tried this....


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## CTA (Apr 13, 2006)

I feel strongly, based on observation, that deer will react to vehicles they are not used to seeing. We never, ever drive ATV's or trucks onto the farms we lease. We walk in, and although the farms aren't huge, 200-1500 acres per farm, that's just what we do. 

In fact, finding the right spot to park is part of our strategy. I feel it helps. I made the mistake of parking on what I didn't realize was a crossing several years ago, and it made a negative impact on deer sightings.

Since then, stashing my truck is part of the gig. I'd say the average walk in by GPS reading is 1/4 mile. Not very far.


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## The Guardian (Mar 4, 2007)

We just moved here onto our 220 acre farm last December.We also just bought a new 08 diesel Kubota 4 wheeler(very cool 4 wheeler if you havent already seen one-has an enclosed cabin with heat/ac,pop out windshield and a dumptruck style 4 foot bed)It is much quieter too than our Artic Cat!


Anyways,I am just planning to use it this season and toss a camo cover over it when I get to my stands on our property.I don't see a need to park any further than 75-100 yards away.There are very large herds of deer on our property and they are already used to seeing /encountering farmers and vehicles.Come on October-I already got my big bucks picked out here!! I have been watching these 2 guys everyday for 3 weeks now-I definately need to thin out the does here too-we have way too many I have already established! :wink:


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## cameron (Sep 15, 2005)

sbooy42 said:


> Well it all depends...I actually park fairly close to most my stands...Have a couple that I can keep eye on my truck from.


Hunting from your truck does not count.:tongue:


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## seminolewind (Nov 15, 2007)

I usually park between 400-500 yards away from my stand. If I am hunting our swamp bottom with my climber it is alot farther.


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## whitemarlin (Oct 27, 2007)

we use to have plenty of deer on the farm i hunt but now the kids ride there 4wheelers on it and the deer don't come on the farm till after dark now and we have always had people and tractors working on the farm and that didn't mess up anything but the 4 wheelers ruined the farm. imo


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## the hacker (Jan 11, 2007)

to where i can see my truck and see biggest bucks of my life


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## walleye rev (Nov 24, 2003)

Because of all the surgeries on my leg, I have had to park closer to the stands........This year in Illinois I parked within 40 yards of my stand, and all the deer I seen except 2, came within 3 or 4 feet of the ATV. they all acted like they never even saw it......

Rev..........


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## ZebraHunter (Jan 22, 2008)

We have a house on 200 acres (in a strip). I always walk to my blinds. Closests ones are about 200 yards, farthest are almost a mile.


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## ZebraHunter (Jan 22, 2008)

My dad drives me crazy. Drives his atv to a garage he built under his rifle blind.


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## jrmsoccer32 (Feb 22, 2007)

Depends on the stand some are 100 yards some are half a mile max we have a lot of good trails and logging roads so you might as well use them


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## steadyeddie (Apr 27, 2004)

*not far*

Not very far at all, it stays at home on the farm. But when I do use it, the deer hear it every day and do not even mind it. Sometimes I leave it by the woods or field. They get used to it, and so do the turkeys.


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## FallVitals (Nov 7, 2004)

You mean you all leave your trucks to hunt?



:wink:



depends if its public or private. public.... any where from a quarter mile to 2 and a quarter mile. no choice there, thank goodness. atleast for law abiding folks.

private, about a 10-15 minute walk.


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## muzzy125acc (Oct 20, 2005)

My first step is off my atv to start up my tree.......:rockband:


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## bowhuntermitch (May 17, 2005)

Where i hunt the deer are surrounded by vehicles.
The smell does not bother them at all. 
Last year my buddy shot a mature doe coming into my
grandparents yard about forty yards from his parked truck.


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## Airhead (Dec 19, 2005)

Bill Junior said:


> Most stands on our lease we park about 1/4 mile away. But there is one stand due to the wind and location that we park within 100 yds of and believe it or not it is our most productive stand.


My best tree this past year was 75yds from the road. I parked my truck right at the road crossing. I had 20+ deer stop right in front of me and stare at my truck, some crossed the road to me and turned back to look. Killed 2 from that tree.

Farthest tree on my lease is 3/8 mile.


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## The Guardian (Mar 4, 2007)

bowhuntermitch said:


> Where i hunt the deer are surrounded by vehicles.
> The smell does not bother them at all.
> Last year my buddy shot a mature doe coming into my
> grandparents yard about forty yards from his parked truck.




It is the same here on our 220 acre farm.We have them eating in the backyard and the first field adjacent to our property all the time(less than 60 yards away) -nothing seems to affect their daily patterns here I have noticed.We are building a new skateboard ramp for the kids this weekend in the mentioned field .The previous homeowners had a ramp up as well and they said the deer never had any hesitation coming out to eat no more than 60 yards from the ramp while they skated,the kids making all the racket,etc!The deer here don't even mind the John Deer backhoe rolling by!Really amazing how easily they really can adapt to their surroundings after time!

Another fine example ,I just came home from work for lunch & I counted 17 deer in the same field ,6 does were hanging out right in the backyard off our porch.Really amazing,mannn do I love the new country life here! And I had never seen deer graze fields along with cows & horses until we moved here! Gonna be one heck of a great hunting season!!:wink:


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## lungbuster601 (Jan 24, 2008)

I usually park about 400 to 500 yards from my stands I have around my house, but on my lease, I have to park at the gate. That gives me about a mile walk on average.


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## CREEKER (May 23, 2006)

It depends on the stand, I've parked as close as 75-100 yards and still had no problem seeing deer, but I typicly like putting some distance between my stand and the atv. Here in southern WV it's not uncommon to park at the top of the hill and walk just about 100 yards down the hill to the first bench, most of the time the deer aren't walking up and down the hill but around it so the atv doesn't seem to have that adverse of an affect given that particular situation. It all depends on the stand location.


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## cooter1391 (Feb 5, 2007)

I usually park the ole' Jeep anywhere from 1/2 to 1 1/2 miles from where I hunt at. It depends on where I'm at that day. It feels about like 5 miles though walking on a few of my spots since they're at the top of a mountain at a 70 degree angle.  haha.


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