RE: 1st year in a treestand...
Wear a safety harness and practice from a tree in a simulated hunting situation.
I have a tree out behind my house in some woods that I climb about once a week. I usually go up with full gear and a safety harness and shoot until I begin to get too sweaty or tired. I usually go up about 15-18' and shoot through a small path to my 3D deer target that is set-up 20 yds away.