frequently, our chances to intercept them will dry up. That's often what happens on pounded pieces of public property. It's also why we all should strive to hunt where others don't. Another important way to maintain tree-stand stealth is climbing and descending trees quietly. Too often we're in a hurry to climb or descend trees - either racing to beat dawn or hustling to get home. Both hurt our chances to take a deer. When it's cold, those suspicious scampering noises travel considerable distance in the woods. They can influence deer behavior. But hunters often assume they've gotten away with it, or deer aren't that jumpy, because they don't hear or see deer reacting. Take your time. Don't take the chance. It's always better in hunting to be a few minutes late than to let the countryside know you're there. Tree Diary If you hunt out of a lot of trees with a portable tree stand, one of the most important references you can assemble is a tree diary. I use mine to keep track of how to set up my stand at the dozens of trees from which I hunt each season. It's impossible for me to remember these settings from week-to-week, let alone season-to-season. In the dark, a tree diary is indispensable, because you can't size up the tree without shining your flashlight up on it at a time when being unnoticeable is important. Tree-stand hunters really should have daylight experience with a tree before their first hunt from it. Scaling a tree when you can see allows you to orient on it, and with your surJUNE 2018 27