Ten tips on safe & successful tree-stand hunting.

Pick the right tree to hunt from, and if you don’t move, you’ll shoot deer.

Some great story ideas come from my readers, and one that came in last week asked me the question: what are the major things that bow hunters must remember when hunting from an elevated coop or a tree stand?

It’s a good question and worthy of an answer. I put some thought into it and  here are common things to remember. They are in no particular order except for No. 1. It is very important for all deer hunters to remember.

These tips will keep you safe during a hunt and increase your success.

1.)   Knowing how to hunt the wind is paramount to hunting success and to keep from spooking deer. The really savvy deer hunters test the air movement several times during each hunt because the wind seldom stays from just one direction. To be an effective tree-stand hunter, one must either be directly downwind of the deer or across-and-downwind. I use milkweed seeds once they have dried out, and release  one or two several times during a hunt. If any seeds blow toward where the deer come from, get down and leave
rather than spook the animal. Learn to play the wind, learn how to stay downwind, and more deer will provide you with better opportunities.

2.)   Know your equipment. It’s always nice to have a new bow, but a hunter must become familiar with their bow. We must know what the bow will do under any given circumstance. If we shoot an unfamiliar bow, and find ourselves having a problem hitting the sweet spot of our anchor point, the chance of a miss or wounded deer is possible. Become very familiar with the bow to the point where drawing, aiming and shooting becomes mechanical. Good shooting makes deer hunting much easier.

3.)    Know your ideal shooting distance. It’s important to know our limitations and never exceed them. Your ideal range may be 30 yards, but in a wooded environment during that 30-minule period just after sundown, judging 30 yours can be tough. Most hunters find their effective shooting range is shorter in a shadowed or wooded spot. Never try to stretch your established shooting distance because it seldom pays off.

4.)   My favorite trees for a stand are cedars or pines, but it’s not always possible to find such a tree. Hunting from hardwood trees can be equally productive if the hunter chooses the right tree. I prefer that deer  come from behind me and on my left side. I can usually hear them coming, and there is no need to move until it’s time to shoot as the buck walks past and is quartering-away. Obviously, this means knowing exactly where deer travel and then choose a tree wisely with success in mind.

The “right tree” is very important when choosing which tree to hunt from.

5.)    Any hardwood tree can work but it must be positioned absolutely correct. Make every attempt to situate the stand so that you can achieve full draw without being seen and with a minimum of movement. Reach full draw, allow the deer to walk past and shoot when it is quartering away. If it sounds easy, it’s because it is easy. It just requires patience.

6.)   Check your tree stand before each use. If it squeaks or makes noise when climbing into or out of it, it will make noise when you sit or stand to shoot. Eliminate any and all noises while checking for any defects. A squeak at the wrong moment will send bucks heading for thick cover far away.

7.)   Avoid cutting wide shooting lanes around your stand. Instead, look for holes in the vegetation where a killing shot can be made. It’s one thing to remove a few twigs, and still another to remove all the brush. Deer travel where they do because of the brush.

8.)   Always wear a safety harness. Most tree stand accidents occur when climbing into, out of or when moving up or down the tree. Even with a harness, always maintain three firm contact points with the tree. This means two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand. Falls can occur when only two contact points are used. Wear the safety harness, make certain it is securely attached to the tree and get accustomed to wearing it. The life you save may be your own. There is no excuse for not wearing one whenever hunting from a tree.

A safety harness is cheap life insurance when hunting off the ground.

9.)   Practice shooting from an elevated position. Shooting at a steep downward angler can cause your anchor point to shift. Learn how to shoot sitting down to remove most of the movements required. And know how your arrows fly when down at a steep angle.

10.) How high is too high to hunt? It’s a matter of personal comfort and feelings,             but most of my tree stands are fixed at 15 feet/ A hunter who sits will be       shooting  from 18 feet while a standing hunter will be shooting from about 21       feet. I      know people who hunt 35-40 feet in the air, and such heights can be       very dangerous. Learn to play the wind, know how to sit still, know when  and how to draw on a deer, and 15 feet is plenty high enough.

Title: Ten tips on safe & successful tree-stand hunting.

Tags: ((Dave, Richey, Michigan, outdoors, hunting, up, high, safety, how, when, to, shoot, a, deer))

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