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An Outside-The-Box Late-Season Deer Drive
By Mark Melotik
Across most of North America we’re now down to the last few weeks of archery deer seasons. And if you’re still holding an unpunched bow tag things might be looking a little bleak. Fear not.
One proven way to infuse a little energy and excitement into your next hunt is by following a rather unique stand-hunting strategy — first brought to my attention a few decades ago by a think-outside-the-box co-worker, longtime Minnesota-based outdoor writer Jeff Murray. Murray had adapted the strategy he called Musical Chairs, based on a similar plan used by his old gun-hunting clan. He swore by its effectiveness for late-season bowhunting.
Murray told me Musical Chairs requires two to six bowhunters and a stretch of hunting land that, ideally, all participating hunters know more or less intimately. The basic premise of the plan is that all hunters begin their morning in treestands set up in a large circular pattern, and then take turns climbing down and moving to another, predetermined stand/location, in an extremely orchestrated pattern. Hence the Musical Chairs moniker.
As stated, the participating hunters take turns climbing down and making a move, and at very specific, predetermined times — so no more than one hunter is moving around at a time. And it’s important that, once down, hunters don’t rush in an attempt to push deer, but rather pick along slowly, and merely nudge them. If all hunters have knowledge of the area, stands can be set in time-honored escape routes.
Murray further advised that all hunters use either the same clockwise, or counter-clockwise pattern as they make their moves.
So what does this Musical Chairs strategy accomplish? First and foremost, it keeps participating bowhunters in the woods, warm in the coldest temps, and keeps them focused. And with a bit of luck, it’ll get local deer up and moving, offering opportunities lone bowhunters might never see.