azarcher

If I assume by best you mean most productive, then treestanding for Coues is by far the best way to fill your tag during archery season. You'll generally see alot more animals when using the spot-n-stalk method, but the success rate goes down. If you've never hunted from a treestand, the first thing to learn is that its all about location. Salt or mineral licks are not a place that I consider to be the most productive, especially during the rut. Bucks seem to ignore them once the rut kicks in. During the early season, water is the key. However, I don't like to set up right on the water. I don't like to be interupted by other hunters during my hunt, plus the animals aren't nearly as spooked. I like to scout out the area around the water and find the trails leading to and from. I put my stand a couple of hundred yards away from the water along a good trail. When the rut kicks in, I scout out ridge tops, saddles and transition areas looking for good, active scrape lines. Check out trails in that area for a good location. The second thing about treestanding is patience!! I recommend staying put all day! This is where you think back to the location you picked. If you know you did your homework (scouting) properly, then sooner or later you'll have the oppurtunity to connect on a buck, but only if you're there when he shows up! I agree somewhat with the earlier posting about skipping the last couple of hours of daylight. If you're hunting near water, then stay until dark. Most of my successful hunts ended somewhere between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. Coues seem to move alot during the middle of the day, especially during the later hunts