Pennsylvania Game News - May 2009 - 57

blows, I can still hunt one of my favorite locations. How high to place a stand is an individual decision, but I prefer placing a stand 15 to 18 feet off the ground. A stand this high will allow better shots at deer and a wider target. Hunting from a stand placed too high may make the shot difficult, because even if it is well placed the shot angle will be too steep. A shot taken from a very steep angle may catch only one lung and that could result in a lost deer. The majority of bowhunters hunt from treestands and many have portable climbing stands that allow them to hunt just about anywhere. Climbing treestands were the vogue a few years ago, but the problem with a climbing stand is that the tree must have a limbless trunk for a hunter to climb it. Currently, there is a growing trend among bowhunters to use fixed position stands, because they can be placed in just about any kind of tree. As a result, Summit’s Copperhead, along with the Lone Wolf Alpha, or the newly designed hangon stands by Gorilla and other manufacturers are becoming more popular. These stands, and those made by other manufacturers, are extremely lightweight, portable, sturdy and quiet. Climbing ladders or strap-on tree steps make ascending trees easier than ever because a set can be quickly attached to any tree. They offer a safe, stable and quiet way to climb trees, so it doesn’t matter what type of tree is available. With a hang-on treestand and a set of climbing steps, a hunter can choose any tree he deems appropriate for the hunting site and doesn’t have to settle for a tree less than perfectly straight or in a less effective location. My favorite tree in which to put up a stand is an evergreen tree. Hemlock and white pine trees are common in the northern part of the state and when possible, I use them to my advantage. Hemlock trees are dense, have numerous limbs that make climbing easy, (I always use a climbing harness and safety rope when climbing) and MAY 2009 offer excellent cover for the hunter. White pine trees are less dense, but I still like them because they, too, are easy to climb and, with their many branches, finding a place to hang my bow is never a problem. Sometimes I’ll have no choice but to select a hardwood tree to hang my stand, but a hardwood tree offers little cover. Consequently, I find it imperative to camouflage the stand with some brush or camouflage material so that I’m not standing in plain sight. Simply put, concealment makes a stand far more effective. A stand placed in a hardwood tree may offer some concealment early in the season but it can mean a hunter will be standing there fully exposed once the leaves fall in late October. Conversely, I’ve learned by standing in a tree watching a trail makes me vulnerable to being spotted by any deer approaching from the rear. I learned this lesson the hard way years back when a nice buck bolted before I even knew he was there. Now, I take great pains to break up my outline on the backside by hanging cut branches all around my stand. Camouflaging the stand so that it’s not visible by an animal approaching from the rear is important, but keep in mind, any deer approaching the stand from the front can still detect a hunter, even if he’s standing still. After blocking my silhouette from the rear and side, I hang a tree branch (I have permission to trim trees on the property I hunt) or place some camouflage material in front of the stand so that I’m not easily seen. The camouflage material works well because a fairly large piece weighs almost nothing and I can carry it with ease. Just about any camouflage fabric will work. I found camouflage burlap material at a local fabric store but some larger outdoor stores carry it as well. Twist ties are handy for suspending the material from branches but plastic locking strips like those used to bundle wires together work well. When using the locking strips, make sure the locking end can be easily released because this will make removing the material much 57

Pennsylvania Game News - May 2009

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