o.k. this i am a master at. when you find your area look for a tree with alot or bushy branchs especially around the platform height. the more rough and scragly the better! i like pines because there leaves dont fall off like the oaks and maples but any single tree with natural break up helps much. stay away from open bare trees. if you can find a close group of trees i prefer it because it helps with the camo and for some reason makes me feel safer. i guess if i ever lost my balance while wearing a safety belt the tree next to you gives you something to grab in theory anyway. you can also go to a dollar store and get like 9 or to 15 foot tree garland. i run this up and down the ladder and around the platform. unless your stand has one i highly recommend a foam seat cushion because the metal will be a pain in the butt[] only trim out branchs the bare minimum. the most important thing though is deciding whether you are going to shoot out of it sitting down or standing up. my opinion is that most ladder stands are roomy enough to allow shooting sitting down. this means facing and or baiting a spot that you think the game will most likely come. if your righty i tend to favor setting up my ladder stand so i can shoot at my game on the left