turkeyhunter ewing

I'm kind of new to bow hunting and I bought some Hang on treestands... I was wondering if any of you had any tricks you use to hang the actual stand or even down to picking a tree or preparing yourself or the stand...??

daystalker

you have a little bit of time still if your hunting private land, go scout first. find some runs and even if you can a junction of two runs. find teh runs that get used more often or show more signs. picking a tree pick one that sets up for a good clean shot to both of the runs. take a ladder with you because nothing is harder than trying to hold your self onto a tree and attach a stand to it one handed. get yourslef a harnbess and anchor yourself to the tree, its just better to be safe than sorry. get yoru self a couple of small wooden wedges because sometimes the tree doesnt set up the way you need it at any perticular level. i personally hunt only about 18' up i dont think there is really a need to hunt higher than that! but that is up to you and yoru preferences. if its private land get yourslef some pegs you can leave in the tree. just mek the steps as far as you can reach apart and take out the bottom one at night when you go home.

i dont know what kinda of hang on stand you have but the ones i have i added soem grippy tape to them. kind of like the scate boards have on them. just adhesive that has really good traction. especially for rainey weather. after that just use yoru ladder to hang em and enjoy yoru time alone in the woods!

turkeyhunter ewing

THANKS!!! tthats very helpful..

livbucks

First, pick trees that would have you facing North or South. This eliminates the annoying sun in your eyes. Then pick ones that are your ideal range from where you expect the deer to come by. Finding ones with vegetation already on them at your height helps to breakup your outline. When installing steps, never put them on a side of the tree that leans toward you as you climb, makes it hard and dangerous to climb. Buy alot of steps and put one for each of your feet at the top so you can stand at the top and hang your stand. Install your steps in a V configuration going up the tree. If you spread them too wide it makes it tough to stay on the tree when climbing. When you stand on one step, put your next one at the height of your knee for good spacing. Put a step on the tree at a good location above your stand to hang onto while entering and exiting. This makes you feel real secure when entering or exiting in the dark or when it is wet. Trim shooting lanes. DON'T put your stand in a dead tree or one with alot of dead branches above you. DON'T put your stand in a tree that is home to a honeybee hive (take my word on this one!). You will have to give and take on these suggestions but they are something to guide you. Good luck!

bigbutteredbuck12

i agree with daystalker...use the runs that are more beated down and have signs with a good tree above..ull never go wrong!!

akaSharkey

I always put the steps higher than my platform that way I can just step off the steps onto the stand. I also put in a step directly above where I want my stand, and use that step like a pully. Once I have all my steps in I tie a rope around my stand. I then climb the steps get to the proper higth and put my safty harness around the tree. I then take the rope and wrap it around the step above where you want your stand. Pull the stand up with the rope sliding around the step. Once you get it in place tie the rope off to one of the other steps and this will hold it in place while you strap the stand to the tree. When thats done I put a extra rachet strap to help hold the stand. Climb up on the stand and remove the extra step so it does not poke you in the back while hunting. When its time to take it down I do the opposite.

Jbra

I just put my stand up yesterday, 15' up inbetween where the tree V's. Its very comfortable and feels secure, first time I've ever done that. Plus its the only tree in the area where I want to hunt thats big enough.

MNRut

Setting up on the beaten path is a mistake if you are hunting mature bucks. Find the not so obvious trails that parallel the deer highways or look for a staging area where big bucks hang out until dark.

If your hunting small bucks and does go with daystalker's plan.

goodluck!