Finding Good Tree Stand Locations

[Swede]

I have several tablet pages full of potential tree stand locations. Some may be good, but not very many. For one reason or another, few are good enough to get excited about. Based on my experience, I would guesstimate about 50% are satisfactory if I need to pick one, but only about 5% are something to get excited about. Another aggravation is that the sites can change from year to year. Like a Mexican restaurant, things can be chili today but hot tamale, or next year. The really good locations will produce within a day or two. The so-so ones probably within two weeks.
I would like to hear what some other hunters have experienced with this problem.

[WapitiTalk1]

Watching this one..........

[ishy]

The spot I have sat I only have a couple years on, and on camera for 4 years. It seems like there's a pretty normal cycle of elk most days for anywhere from two to ten days, at any given hour. Then nothing for 2-3 days, then they are there again through the end of September. The year I sat a bunch was the only exception. The next best might have a little better wind as it is about 40 yards from the ridge. The bigger one is 100 yards off a ridge in more of a bowl. Hoping to spend time on both this year.

[Swede]

A long time back I sat in a basin where the elk came in frequently, except when I sat in this abandoned old stand. As long as I was there, no elk would show. The next day they would be right back. That situation is what caused me to place my stand up higher. It worked, and I started getting elk there right away. Since it is a pattern, Ishy, I would guess the area you had your stand in was holding your scent near the ground.

[Lefty]

I was looking at google last spring. Finally hiked into the area. Within 50 feet of what looked good on google was fantastic from the ground. Where a bench and a ridge meet. Good solid 30 inch trees with cover . It would be a place to put a big two man tree stand. the wind could be played a number of ways .
And Swede when I was looking up at the possibilities I was thinking" How would Swede set this up?"
This placed screamed tree stand

[ishy]

What I figured too, it just has too much action at other times. Why I moved the second year to above the wallow and only sat mid day and saw elk both times, imagine that. The one thing that made me wonder was that I didn't even hear an elk that first year no hooves, branches breaking, barking, nothing.

[Swede]

The three main things I consider when selecting a tree and setting up are scent, sight & sun, in that order. By far the biggest factor is scent. I can place some camo brush or something similar in the tree if I need to hide myself. I like some morning sun on me when it is cold, but not so much in the evening when it is hot. That is all I consider for the sun factor, if I have covered the sight thing.
To defeat the scent problem I prefer to go high up. Part of that elevation can be from just going uphill from my target area. Think of your scent the same as smoke. Everyone that builds a house, has the chimney going out the roof or extending above it. That elevation helps get the smoke up and away from the home. If you are in a basin or draw, it is important to get your scent to go up and leave the area. I have filled my basin a few times due to down drafts/thermals. It is a very boring day if your scent fills the basin so the elk can smell you before they come into shooting range.
The perfect tree very rarely exists. Other people place their stands in trees I would have passed on. Still they get elk. Usually I prefer to go higher than most. It gives me a little more margin for avoiding scent pollution.