ORIGINAL: Washington Hunter

On a tree with no existing branches?

8 - 10 depending on how far you space them. I like to have them about a foot and a half to two feet apart. Anything more than that and they get hard to climb wearing bulky, cold weather clothes.

If you're hunting pines with thick [live] branches that you feel comfortable putting your full weight on, maybe only 2 or 3 at the very bottom.