I hunt only one stand that is at a feeding site. For that site I keep mineral out year around, feed a little corn 1-2 times per month March through July, start feeding corn weekly in August, start feeding apples with corn in late August/early September. My other 10 fixed stands are either near natural browse, acorns, in funnels, or between bedding and feeding areas and not at feeding sites so they are different. As far as priming those areas I like to get the stands up a month or so before I'll be hunting them (late August for early season stands and late September for rut stands), I cut paths at least the last 50 yards to each stand (getting rid of anything that will touch me above my rubber boots), and I cut shooting lanes to all three sides of the stand. Good luck.