It's a bedding area that this buck is using to get to the surrounding areas where they selective cut leaving plenty of feed(browse) and does.This is a big woods buck and when he is in this area chasing does it will be where he will be bedded down.He might travel to different areas chasing does during rut but guaranteed he will be here.Have seen his tracks multiple times.These big bucks will hunker down in these areas where they feel safe.

It seems like there is a disconnect between the southern hunters and northeastern ones, lol. Imagine you guys would have had a heart attack if you'd seen some of the rickety wooden stands I grew up hunting in up north. And yes, metal stands usually got hung in the early summer and left there forever. Shortly before season you'd do a scouting trip to the area and replace any straps if they'd rotted with ones you brought along for the purpose. But the stand I'm using now got 8 years out of the last set of ratchet straps staying out year around.

I bet Bruce hunts wearing a non-camo wool coat, too, lol.

New England is stuck in the 1950s as far as hunting goes, and I think it's great.

May as well take the stand down now Bruce.
The Byrd has spoken.
He assured you. Lol

Safety might be different depending on point in ones life. But any hunter that has chased whitetail know a deers habits change through out the year. With that said any farm I hunted more than a couple of years you can figure out the most used pathways. Farm hunted for 20 plus years had 2 trees I killed 90% of the deer from. Stand went up there every year first week October. I just don’t think 4 months to let the odor leave is necessary.

Of course deer change habits throughout the year. But if a cagey old buck was using one travelway last December, I'd put a $20 on him using it again this December unless the terrain changes.

And no, 4 months to air out scent isn't necessary, or even 4 days, imo. But I personally despise hanging stands in the heat of September so would much rather hang them now.

Also not sure safety is an age thing as it was my 60+ year old Grandpa that put me up in most of them. Maybe he just didn't like me much? LOL

You can sit a very long time in a treestand up here waiting for a 200# buck to come along. You might stumble onto one once a year if you're lucky. Very lucky.

If you have the knack for it, tracking is the way to go. Pray for two to four inches of fresh snow and hunt for a track, not a deer.

Lol