Pennsylvania Game News - June 2018 - 29

trunks or the ground. The moisture in both
helps almost any odor maintain its punch.
Have you ever watched a buck hounding for does? His nose is just off the
ground as he zigzags across the forest
floor, hoping to pick up a doe trail. The
ground holds onto scent, just like tree bark
will hold your masking scent, at least for
the duration of your hunt.
A lot of times, the masking-scent trail
you've laid down to your tree stand will
cause passing deer to pause long enough
to get off a shot.
Deer typically investigate - and seem
to analyze - all urine. They're curious. No
one really knows what they detect from
it, but it's obvious there's an attraction.
A deer biologist once told me about a
nature call he had while on his tree stand
one opening day. With an immediate need,
and without a container, he whizzed off
the stand. An hour later he shot a buck that
had come in to his urine.
Luck? Curiosity? Who knows?
But it does make you wonder, especially when others talk about taking deer
under similar circumstances.

Managing Liquids
I'm still of a mind to manage my intake
of liquids before morning and evening
hunts, to avoid an elevated pit-stop.
On ventures three hours or longer, if
I need it, I use a baggie system: I empty
into a zip-lock quart freezer bag and store
it in a heavier zip-lock gallon freezer bag.
I prefer baggies because if you bump
an empty or partially filled plastic container against almost anything hard,
there's usually a noticeable sound.
Baggies also take up less space, which
matters a lot when you're packing for cold
weather. I also prefer to use sports-drink
bottles for carrying beverages, including
carbonated drinks.
JUNE 2018	

Sometimes, there's nothing better than
a cold drink on stand.
But if it's in a can, there's the snap and
fizz associated with pulling the tab.
Hold the can too tightly and it makes
a crinkling noise. And, when the can's
empty, it becomes a noisemaker that drips
leftover soda and is hard to store.
Sports-drink bottles, however, can be
opened quietly, even if they contain a
carbonated drink.
They also can be resealed and stored
without risk of bumping and spilling the
contents.
The bigger mouth on sports-drink
bottles also eliminates the chance for
chugging noises often associated with the
smaller mouths on plastic soda and water
bottles, which also tend to be crinkly.

Smart & Comfortable
One of the smartest additions I made
to my tree stand was adding a neoprene
mat to the platform.
I bought it to get my feet off the tree
stand's cold metal platform, but I found it
to be excellent at muffling shuffling-feet
sounds, too.
If you've not tried a mat, consider one
to help keep your feet warmer, and your
stand quieter.
It also helps keep smaller items occasionally dropped within reach, and
dampens the sound it would have made
if dropped on the metal platform.
Remember, a comfortable hunter is
more in tune with his or her surroundings
than one who isn't. That doesn't mean you
need to "trick out" the rest of your tree
stand, if you choose to buy a mat. Hunting
isn't supposed to be that sophisticated.
Hunt smartly and comfortably. Then
put in the time and hope your scouting
brings you close deer. It really is that
simple.
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Pennsylvania Game News - June 2018

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