just curious.. bow hanging question.
 

Ive been wondering how im gonna keep from spookin deer in a few stands of mine when i reach for my bow on the hanger. it seems hard when youre on a straight up and down tree cause i have to reach almost behind me to grab my bow. so should i just hold it the whole time?

how do you guys do it when its time to shoot

If you can, sit in a tree that has another growing right next to it. It really helps to solve that problem

I have a bow rest mounted on the platform of my climbing stand, yet I still hold my bow more often than not. If I'm holding it, I'm better prepared to take a shot with less movement than if I have to reach, grab the bow, lift it into position, take aim, and shoot. That's more movement than I have time for if a deer comes in from an unexpected direction. Sure, it's more comfortable to use the rest, but if I want total comfort I may as well stay in my living room. ;) I typically just use the rest for the first hour I'm in my stand (e.g. when it's dark) and when I'm letting the woods settle down after taking the stand. After that, I hold it.

Make sure you see the deer before it sees you and you will be suprised how much you can move while the deer is under you. If your baiting..... Youre kinda SOL!!!

I use a Summit Titan, and lay my bow across it. Can still stand without picking it up if needed, and ready for a quick grab.... never liked bow hangers. My first Summit a Viper SS can with a mount to hold my bow, but didn't care for it either. Laid my bow across the front of it as well...

Get yourself one of those EZ-Hangers and have your bow hanging right in front of you

I do everything I can to keep my bow either right beside me, or in front of me. If you watch what you're doing and only reach for it when all deer are looking away, and be slow and quiet enough, you shoudn't have any trouble.

I did that one time and one time only. In a "lapse in attention" I moved, bumped the bow and watched in horror as it fell to the ground. I ended up having to replace a bent cam.

I use an EZ Hanger and have the bow right in front of me. When I hear or see deer coming I'm already on my feet with my bow in my hand turned toward the deer before they get close enough for a shot, and believe it or not that's almost always. Very rarely does a deer sneak in and surprise me. I spend all of my time on the stand watching and listening. I don't play games, text or surf the web. I pay attention and hunt. In my opinion it's the best way to prevent excess movement when a deer is in range.

if i dont have a good spot to hang my bow where i can reach it with very minimal movement then i just hold it the whole time. Cause you never know when you will have to make a split second decision on the buck of a lifetime.

I hold my bow in my lap if in an open stand, and on my climber (Summit Viper) I lay it across the safety bar in front of me.