ORIGINAL: Dopler

You're a smart young hunter, you've made some verygood observations. You're right, ground hunting is very difficult unless you have a blind soI'd stick to your climber for this first hunt. I also wouldn't call too much at first, just watch the deer at first and see how they interact with one another. Does are far less receptive to calls than bucks and if you get on a trail, you probably won't have to make a peep, just letthe deerfilter past you and take the shot whenin range. If you see abuck you might try a grunt only if you think he's not coming by your stand. Don't make any noise or movement unless you have to is a good thumb rule when you first start out. Most people call too much, think like a deer and try to sound realistic when you do call.

For an apple tree, there are ways of getting in them. You can use tree steps and put your climber in the crotch of an apple tree,You alsocan make a crotch stand. Take a peice of 24" length of2" x 12" havean adultcut v's in each end andput it up in thethe crotch of an apple tree where two of the main strongbranches split, you can stand on it as a huntingplatform.Have adult supervision when you do this and don't go any higher than 8feet or so and wear a safety belt too. I use crotchstands all the time in swamps or other areas wherethere are only scrub trees. I've shot my three biggest bucks out of riverbottoms in crotch stands, they work and they provide a ton of cover so you don't have to be as high as a climber, they also allow you to get into areas that other hunters can't go like your apple orchard.

Remember to set up with the wind in your favor and sit still, deer pick up movement better than anything.

Let us know how you do. Good luck Bigwhitetail!