6 Deer Hunting Tricks to Put Rutting Bucks on Your Map

Posted on October 10, 2014 by HavalonKnives

By Bernie Barringer

Spice up the scrapes for more daytime action!

Like all serious whitetail hunters, I get excited when I see an area that’s all torn up with scrapes and rubs. It’s proof that a buck has recently been there.

barringer with buck after visiting scrape with my urine

I took a photo of this buck checking a scrape that I had freshened with my own urine right before I shot him.

Several studies have shown that the vast majority of scrape visits by mature bucks are during nighttime, but I have some tricks that turn the odds of daytime sightings in my favor. Try my top six tactics for spicing up the scrapes – each one will increase the odds of getting bucks to the scrapes when you’re in your treestand during legal shooting hours.

1. Fresh Urine

The first thing I tried was quite offbeat but it really worked. I deposited some of my own fresh urine in a scrape. Don’t laugh. (And erase that picture from your mind!) I’m dead serious.

Most store-bought deer urine has an ammonia smell to it and it doesn’t have the fresh smell that deer expect to find in a scrape. My urine is always fresh and deer are very curious about it. After several years, I no longer feel weird standing over a scrape emptying my bladder. I have killed bucks over scrapes with my urine in them, in one case, less than an hour after I put it there. If you have the guts to try this out, you will be convinced. I guarantee it.

buck visiting scrape at night

Bucks tend to visit scrapes in the night, especially during October and early November. Using these tactics to enhance the scrapes will increase the odds they will visit the scrapes during legal shooting hours.

2. Foreign Dirt

Bucks and does alike know all the other deer in their home areas. They communicate throughout the year, mostly with scent. If a different deer moves into the area, they notice right away and focus some energy on learning who this new deer is. I’ve discovered how to capitalize on this behavior.

I carry a few clean zipper-seal backs with me at all times. When I come across a hot scrape in an area where I’m not hunting, I often scoop a bag-full of the musty-smelling scrape dirt and take it with me. When I get back to the area where I have a stand, I dump the bag in a scrape nearby. It’s a calling card deer need to check out.

3. Add a Branch

Bucks build almost all large scrapes right under an overhanging branch. They lick this branch and mark it with their forehead and pre-orbital glands.

spicing up a scrape and monitoring with camera

Spicing up a scrape and monitoring it with a game camera is a great way to take an inventory of the bucks in your area.

I like to add a branch to these scrapes by twisting some light wire onto the limb to make an extension. Zip ties work, too. On this added branch I put some doe-in-heat lure. I use a small spray bottle to spray a mist on the branch. Some companies make deer scent in a gel form, such as Special Golden Estrus. The gel helps the scent last longer when globbed on the overhanging branch.

4. Bury the Scent

One of the problems with using scent right in the dirt is that the smell dissipates quickly. Dump a little lure from a bottle on the ground and it soaks into the dirt, then it gets stirred around by the first buck that comes along. It’s soon so diluted that it isn’t giving off much scent. I overcome this problem by using a small plastic container – a film canister or something about that size.

Put two cotton balls in the container and fill it half full of deer lure. Now dig a small hole just large enough for the canister and about a half inch below the surface of the dirt. Put the canister in the ground without the lid, and smooth the dirt back over the top. The buck that comes by gets a more concentrated whiff. You won’t use as much scent, so you’ll even save a little money!

buck checking scrape with scrape dripper

This buck is checking out scrapes during shooting hours. This is what we all want to see! Note the scrape dripper hanging over the scrape.

5. Use a Scrape Dripper

Wildlife Research Center makes a bottle that you can hang over your scrape called a Scrape Dripper. It has a rubber tube on the bottom that allows the lure from the bottle to drip slowly onto the scrape, continually adding fresh lure. It’s designed to drip more when the temperature rises, so it adds more scent to the scrape during the daytime hours. The idea is to condition the bucks to visit during the daytime and draw them to the scrape when you’re on stand.

6. Add Mock Scrapes and Rubs

One of the best ways to enhance the area and attract attention of deer is to add some scrapes and rubs to make it look like the area is a hub of deer activity. You can do this without introducing any foreign scent or deer lures, which can be an advantage if you are dealing with a particularly skittish buck.

buck checking enhanced scrape

These scrapes have been enhanced and now the bucks are checking them before darkness sets in.

I take out my pocket knife and slice a few small trees down to the white inner bark, making it look like a fresh rub. I often use a knife to freshen existing rubs too. These visible indicators of a buck’s presence really get their attention. It might cause them to come over for a look even when the scrapes alone wouldn’t have been enough.

Choose a site under an overhanging branch, and pull away all ground cover, exposing fresh dirt in an area about the size of a garbage can lid. I like to do it with a stout stick and throw the dirt back from the scrape like it was aggressively worked over. In grassy areas you may need to use the tines of a garden rake to work up the sod.

Conclusion

Don’t be discouraged if all the bucks are hitting the scrapes in your area at night. These six tips can help you activate the scrape clusters and bring out more aggression in bucks. Try some of these tactics this year and I’ll bet you agree that the bucks take notice. At the very least you’ll get more game camera photos of bucks – and at the best you’ll end up in a photo gripping a nice set of antlers!

bernie-barringerAbout Bernie Barringer:

Bernie Barringer hunts a variety of species in several states and Canadian provinces. He has published more than 400 articles in two dozen outdoor magazines and authored ten books on hunting, fishing and trapping. The latest is Bear Baiter’s Manual. He is the managing editor of Bear Hunting Magazine, and blogs his hunts on his website www.bowhuntingroad.com.

 

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7 Ways to Keep Your Hunting Spot Hidden

Posted on October 8, 2014 by HavalonKnives

By Mike Marsh

Never tell another lie, and keep others from knowing where you hunt!

 

“Have you seen or heard anything?”

“Nope,” was the universal reply. Heads were shaking from side to side. Downcast eyes focused intently on what was on their plates.

The question came from my hunting partner’s lips after a day of pre-season scouting for turkey sign. We were eating lunch at a local grill with the local wildlife enforcement officer and some fellow hunters – guys who would soon be our competitors on opening day.

The game warden grinned when he looked at us and asked, “Did you see or hear anything?”

Keep your hunting spot hidden and take pictures without any identifiable features

Daniel Gillespie moved this deer to a location that had no identifiable features in the background before posing for this image so no one knew where he had been hunting. (Photo: Mike Marsh)

My partner started to utter something about the five gobblers we’d seen strutting in a field. I elbowed him in the ribs and interrupted. “No, nothing.” Everyone knew that everyone else was lying – their eyes and posture were dead giveaways.

Wildlife enforcement officers are particularly astute when they question suspects and are able to determine whether a hunter is lying from body language alone. He knew everyone was lying and laughed when he told us so after the others had left. He was also my friend and told me how he knew people were being untruthful. For me, that was a defining moment. The best lies are those you don’t have to tell. I don’t want to lie, so here are seven ways I avoid telling a whopper:

1. Be a loner

Did you find something exciting? Then don’t visit places where other hunters tend to gather. If you’ve seen a buck with a set of antlers like a rocking chair or a field blackened by flocks of Canada geese, avoid all contact with other hunters until after you’ve hunted the area. Too often, your enthusiasm will overrule your ability to keep from giving away the clues other hunters are looking for.

Don't give away your hunting spot by posing for pictures next to signs

If you don’t want people to know where you have found great hunting, don’t pose for photos in front of easily identifiable objects such as signs. (Photo: Mike Marsh)

2. Don’t show off your harvest

If you have a big buck or waterfowl piled in the pickup bed and you want to save that hunting spot for the future, don’t drive around showing them off to everyone you see. They’ll ask where you found such a great spot. Then, if you want to protect it, you’ll have to lie. People will ask questions about your methods and whereabouts and begin piecing together information. Maybe someone saw your pickup parked at the hunting spot. Even a little information is too much when hunters talk to each other, because the best hunters are also great detectives.

Don't post trophy buck pictures on social media or you could give away your secret hunting spot

Mike Marsh never posted images of this buck on social media. He also made sure the images were generic, without anything in the background to give clues as to the hunting location. (Photo: Mike Marsh)

3. Take photos, but camouflage your location

It’s always great to have good field photos, but make sure the background doesn’t give away any hints about your location. Don’t include any highway signs, buildings, power lines or other distinctive features in your photos. Make sure the background is generic so those detective-hunters don’t uncover any potential clues.

4. Don’t post on social media

Social media is great for sharing news, but it can create a flash mob effect. Maybe you go to social media to get information, but don’t share your own news there until it’s old news. Do not post photos on social media sites until long after the season has passed, or better yet, not at all. Don’t post reports about waterfowl flights or rutting behavior in regards to your favorite hunting areas. If you do, hunters may show up at your deer hunting spot or fill the boat ramp at your favorite duck hunting area before you arrive the next time.

5. Avoid questions

Don’t tell anyone you even went hunting. When you see another hunter at the gas station or convenience store, be in a hurry. Get in and get out. Advise your trusted partners to do the same. Yes, it’s among the hardest of urges for novices to resist a little bragging, but it will be easier after their first bad experience.

Biologist talking to a hunter next to sign

A hunter on a scouting trip speaks with a N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission biologist at a public game land. Biologists willingly share a lot of information, but you may not want to share too much with them because it could be told to other hunters. Biologists are hunters too, so they may also keep their favorite spots to themselves. (Photo: Mike Marsh)

6. Be very general

If you MUST say something to someone, don’t be specific about your location. A made up name that means nothing to anyone but you isn’t a lie. Be modest. Your answer doesn’t have to give GPS coordinates. Someone might say, “I heard you got a big buck,” hoping for more info. Just say, “I’ve heard that, too! Gotta run!”

7. Just the necessary facts

If you can, wait until after the hunting season closes to take your buck to the taxidermist. If you take it any earlier, don’t tell the taxidermist where you were hunting. Give only the required information to transfer legal possession. Other great hunters are also bringing in their game for mounting and they will ask questions that may lead them to your secret hunting spot.

Remember: you worked hard for your hunting spots, so don’t just give them away. But you shouldn’t have to lie about it either.

mike marsh headshotAbout Mike Marsh:

Mike Marsh’s articles, columns and photos have appeared in more than 100 magazines and newspapers. He lives in Wilmington, North Carolina and has written four books about the state’s hunting, fresh-water and salt-water fishing. His latest is Fishing North Carolina. To contact Mike, view his award-winning articles and photos, or order his books, visit www.mikemarshoutdoors.com.

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7 Secrets to Using Deer Decoys Effectively

Posted on October 3, 2014 by HavalonKnives

By Judd Cooney

If decoys don’t work for you,
you probably haven’t tried these
deer hunting strategies!

The monstrous ten-point buck, moving silently up the well-used trail, caught the bowhunter completely by surprise. He stopped fifteen yards from the treestand, hair standing on end and ears laid back. His attention was riveted on the phony forky at the edge of the field twenty yards through the timber.

The bowhunter’s arrow slipped off the string and tumbled noisily through the branches to the ground, but the buck’s attention never wavered from the decoy. The second broadhead-tipped arrow slid through his ribcage, broke his concentration and sent him lunging across the open field on his final run.

Setting up a deer decoy

Always take care to set up your decoy in proper relation to your stand.
(Photo: Judd Cooney)

Deer decoys can be an extremely effective tool in bringing bucks within range. Several of the largest bucks killed on our Iowa hunting operation, including a monster scoring 198 2/8″, were taken as a direct result of the visual attraction of decoys to seduce trophy bucks within range. Decoys should be a part of every deer hunter’s equipment cache – but make sure you use them properly.

1. Sound, Scent and Sight

Sensory perceptions reinforce one another, so combining the sound effects of rattling and grunting with the olfactory attraction of deer scents, plus the sight attraction of one or more deer decoys, can be the difference between success and failure.

Adding scent to your decoy setup in the form of urine, buck lure or smoke scent sticks will give it another dimension and make it even more effective. The more of a skittish trophy buck’s senses you can overwhelm with your setup, the better your chances of luring it within range.

2. Positioning the Dekes

Deer facing off with a deer decoy

A buck will come in facing a buck decoy. He will approach a doe decoy
from the rear. (Photo: Judd Cooney)

I utilize both buck and doe decoys and will often use a small buck and doe at the same time, especially during the peak of the rut. My favorite setup is a buck decoy in the open to maximize visibility, with a doe and/or fawn decoy set broadside to the field at the edge of cover.

I often use the Feather Flex soft foam fawn decoy as a confidence decoy. Its lightweight construction and staking setup allows it to swing back and forth in the slightest breeze, imparting vital realism to the setup. I bracket the hindquarters of the fawn with two sticks about 15″ apart to let it sway in a light breeze, but not spin around if the wind picks up.

Decoy positioning is one of the many important deer hunting tricks for bowhunters. An incoming challenging buck will generally circle a buck decoy and approach head on for an eye to eye confrontation. Position your deer decoy so a circling buck will present several shot opportunities. A buck aggressively facing off with the decoy will provide a nice broadside shot.

Deer decoy in corn

A doe decoy “feeding” on the edge of a cornfield is deadly! This doe decoy has photographic reality.
(Photo: Judd Cooney)

3. Location, Location, Location

For bowhunting in thick cover I generally set a doe decoy at 20 yards, angling away from my stand or blind. Don’t set a decoy where a deer facing either the front or rear of it will be looking directly toward your stand.

If you’re a right-handed bowhunter you should offset the decoy to your left to facilitate ease of drawing and shooting with minimum movement. The opposite would hold for left-handed shooters. A buck will usually approach a single doe decoy from the rear quarter. Position it so that a circling buck will pass between the decoy and your stand and present a broadside or quartering shot.

4. Visibility Rules

I prefer to set decoys along the edges of fields or clearings where they have maximum exposure to draw distant deer. A decoy spotted at a distance piques the deer’s curiosity. Reinforcing that with judicious rattling, bleating or grunting is deadly for bringing bucks close in. A brushy dense background behind my stand helps keep a wary trophy buck from circling to pick up scent. Even when in heavy cover I try to keep the deer decoy as visible as possible. When a wary buck or doe is surprised by a decoy, it can spook them enough to nullify any curiosity.

If possible, place the decoy where an approaching deer will give you a shot opportunity before it’s too late. This is easier to accomplish in open areas than in heavy cover, but can play a major part in putting a responding deer in the best position for a clean shot.

Bowhunter with deer decoy in the field

A decoy can be very effective when a buck can see it from a long way off.
(Photo: Judd Cooney)

5. Movement Adds Realism

Decoy movement adds a lifelike dimension to your setup, and I’ve tried just about everything imaginable, from toilet tissue taped to the underside of the decoy’s tail, chin and belly, to fringe material velcroed along the ears and tail. For me, a stationary head-down, feeding decoy spooks a deer more times than not. It’s unnatural for a deer to remain immovable for extended periods of time.

Hunter with deer decoy setting up

One reason hunters don’t use deer decoys is that they’re bulky and hard to carry. But a well-placed decoy can do wonders for your overall deer hunting experience.
(Photo: Judd Cooney)

6. Planning Ahead

Full-bodied deer decoys can be a pain to transport and haul around, and for this reason they are often ignored by hunters – a big mistake. I often take a decoy to a stand or blind location well in advance of the hunt and cover it with a camo net or brush. This makes it easier to get the decoy in place, lessens disturbance and eliminates scent contamination.

7. Gun Season Caution

Decoys can be very effective at getting deer into range during firearm seasons when pressured deer in the area are ultra-spooky. However, I only do this on private leases where I have absolute control, and then only under the right circumstance and with extreme caution. I keep a blaze orange cover on the decoy when moving it and until I get it set. Here again I often leave the decoy in the field and simply set it in position when I have a client for that location. I place the decoy about 100 yards from the blind or stand location where it has maximum visibility.

A little experience in the tactical use of deer decoys will increase your success at putting a buck right where you want him. Once you have a trophy buck respond enthusiastically to a decoy, whether bow or gun hunting, you’ll be hooked on this aspect of deer decoy deception forever.

judd-cooney-head-shot-457x542About Judd Cooney:

For the past 30 years Judd has been writing and photographing full-time in addition to running his guiding and outfitting operation, spending 18-20 hours a day trying to avoid working an 8-5 job. He says, “I wouldn’t change it for the world!” He has articles or photos in many of the outdoor magazines every month, covering bowhunting, muzzleloader hunting, big game, small game and predator hunting, plus turkey, waterfowl and upland game hunting. He can be reached through his website, www.JuddCooney.com.

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It’s In the Bag – 5 Steps to Simplify Your Deer Hunting Preparation

Posted on October 1, 2014 by HavalonKnives

By Mike Marsh

The easiest way to handle your hunting checklist is to have the right pack!

In my business as a full-time hunting and fishing communicator, I occasionally need to grab a firearm and head out for a hunt within hours, even minutes, of a telephone call or hot tip. The backseat of my pickup truck has several hunting packs, each full of all the items I might need to participate in a certain type of hunt.

Ambidextrous hunting pack with a single shoulder strap for deer hunting preparation

Having one shoulder strap that can be adjusted for either shoulder makes this MPI Outdoors backpack ambidextrous. With all the packs out there, it’s surprising that a good pack is hard to find. (Photo: Mike Marsh)

All too frequently, when riding in someone else’s vehicle, I used to arrive at a hunting spot and discover that I had forgotten something important like insect repellent. This would happen again after switching back to my own vehicle and arriving home to find I’d left a map or GPS unit in the other hunter’s truck.

It makes sense to have a “go-bag” with commonly used gear, and that’s why every dedicated shooter I know has a bag like this, full of cleaning tools, hearing protection, shooting glasses, targets and other gear. I carried the concept a step further, applying it to specific hunts. With all the different kinds of equipment out there, practicing good hunting preparation is crucial for those times when opportunity suddenly strikes.

1. Pack Selection – “Poppa’s Got a Brand New Bag”

If “the hardest workin’ man in show business” needed a brand new bag, I need a good one too. My big game hunting pack is a backpack designed specifically for gun hunters. It’s an MPI Outdoor Products backpack with a single shoulder strap. I’m a right-handed shooter, so I adjust the strap to go over my left shoulder, leaving my right shoulder free to mount a firearm. The best example I can give of perfect pack selection happened while I was hunting black bears in extremely thick cover in eastern North Carolina. I had been sitting on a stool when, with just five minutes of legal shooting time left, I slung my pack and headed out of the swamp along a bear trail. A bear materialized 20 feet away. I simply shouldered my rifle and took the shot. When you select your pack, not only should you think about what you’ll put in it, but also what you’ll do when a shooting opportunity arises.

Single-shoulder hunting pack is essential in deer hunting preparation

A pack with a single-shoulder strap lets you shoulder your rifle quickly and the strap won’t get in the way. (Photo: Mike Marsh)

2. Many Convenient Compartments

Make sure your pack has plenty of variously-sized compartments, inside and out. I hunt deer, bear and hogs with my big game pack, and its side pockets are perfect for calls, flashlights and other long, slender objects. The mesh rear pocket holds a ThermaCELL® insect repellent device to keep the vapors out of enclosed pockets when it’s cooling down after a hunt. The mesh exterior pocket also carries bottles of scents. I use a plastic peanut butter jar to hold scent bottles, swabs, scent bombs or anything else that would stink up my pack and the items inside. That idea will pay off, I guarantee.

3. Safety First, Always

My backpack has a camouflaged exterior, so I carry a hunter orange poncho, vest or MPI Outdoors “See Me” backpack cover that fits over the pack because the pack can obscure hunter orange clothing. Other safety items to keep in a dedicated hunting pack include a Space Blanket, fire-making materials, water container, flashlight, spare batteries and a whistle or other signaling device.

4. You’re Gonna Need Spares

Useful items in a well-stocked deer hunting preparation pack

A backpack dedicated to deer hunting preparation carries everything a hunter needs so nothing is forgotten. You’d be surprised how much Mike Marsh’s one-shouldered pack holds: a folding stool, two pairs of gloves, plastic gloves, scent, ThermaCELL®, matches, safety vest, watch cap, poncho, compass, cleaning tools, hand and foot warmers, ammo, calls and other items. (Photo: Mike Marsh)

If you’re anything like me, you lose gloves. A lot. Therefore, I always carry an extra pair. If one glove is lost, one from the spare set replaces it. An orange sock cap provides cushioning for other objects, takes little space and is a quick replacement for a lost cap. If you’ve never run out of ammunition or forgotten it completely, you are a rare hunter indeed! Carrying spare ammo in a rattle-proof carrier prevents the problem – but remember to swap it out if you change caliber.

5. Necessities and Nice-To-Haves

In my big game backpack, I also carry toilet tissue, a compass and/or GPS unit, maps, a roll-up jacket, face net or warming mask, dehydrated snacks such as homemade jerky, Sterno canned heat for warming a blind and heating food,  and plastic zipper bags and gloves for using hunting scents and cleaning game. A ball Bungee on the pack handle carries a folding stool or seat cushion.

If you hunt a variety of game, invest in enough packs to keep your essentials organized and ready to go. If you properly prepare for your hunt, it will pay off not only in the time you’ll save, but also in having everything you need right at hand.

mike marshAbout Mike Marsh:

Mike Marsh’s articles, columns and photos have appeared in more than 100 magazines and newspapers. He lives in Wilmington, North Carolina and has written four books about the state’s hunting, fresh-water and salt-water fishing. His latest is Fishing North Carolina. To contact Mike, view his award-winning articles and photos, or order his books, visit www.mikemarshoutdoors.com.

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Hang ’em High! 5 Ways to be Safer in Your Treestand

Posted on September 25, 2014 by HavalonKnives

By Mike Marsh

Make sure you live to hunt another day!

Hunting safety includes wearing a safety harness or vest

The best time to strap on a harness or vest is before you enter the woods. Walk to your stand wearing the harness, secure it to the line, tie your weapon to a separate line and start climbing. (Photo: Mike Marsh)

Hunters love to hang ’em high. I’m talking about treestands, not the movie. Don’t be one of the hunters left dangling after a misstep when transitioning in or out of a stand. You may not know it, but that’s the most dangerous part of treestand hunting. And did you know 10 percent of hunters fall while hunting from a treestand every 10 years? That means even if you’ve fallen before, it could happen again.

I’m guilty – and lucky to be alive. I fell while setting up a lock-on stand because I wasn’t wearing a restraint. Back then, restraints tailored to treestands were not available. I broke my left wrist and four ribs, and made it out of a swamp where no one knew I was hunting. Back then, a hunter who tied himself into his stand with a rope was ahead of his time. Today’s safety advances eliminate virtually every reason to fall.

If you aren’t using adequate safety measures, you’re at risk.*

1. Prusik Hitch Tethers

Staying tethered to the tree from ground to stand is your goal. One way to accomplish that is with a harness and climbing system that uses a Prusik hitch. The hunter slides the knot up or down while he climbs. It works best with ladder-type stands, but also works with self-climbing stands.

Prusik hitch for treestand hunting

A harness paired with a Prusik hitch is one of the best ways for a hunter to stay tethered all the way from the ground to his stand. (Photo: Mike Marsh)

The Prusik hitch and its safety line are mated to a vest or harness, such as the systems made by Hunters Safety Systems. The company offers safety lines in packs of three, that way hunters with one harness or vest can use it for entry to multiple stands. It’s inexpensive insurance.

2. Retractable Safety Lines

Retractable safety lines, similar to retractable dog leashes, have made inroads into the hunting safety market. One of the best is the Rescue One Controlled Descent System. The problem with other systems that stop falls completely is that they can leave a hunter in a position where he cannot re-enter his treestand. “Positional asphyxiation” can be the result, an outcome that’s just as bad as if the hunter had suffered a lethal fall to the ground. The Rescue One system has a loop over the hunter’s shoulder that he pulls to control his descent.

3. Knotty Subject

With any system, tying the safety line to the tree is the tricky part. When climbing with a self-climber, slide the strap holding the safety line up with each movement of the stand. Therefore, using a self-climber is great way to attach the safety line to the tree before erecting a ladder stand. Another method is to use a lineman’s belt and climbing spikes.

Climbing treestands safely is one of the biggest concerns

Climbing with a Prusik hitch and harness can be tricky because the hunters must let go with at least one hand to slide the hitch up the line between steps. With practice, the technique of wrapping an arm around the ladder rung as the hitch is moved can be mastered. Another trick is adding a weight to the lower end of the line. This allows the hitch to be moved with one hand. (Photo: Mike Marsh)

4. Erecting Ladder Stands

One of the easiest ways to fall hard is by climbing a ladder stand to secure it to a tree. Reaching around the trunk to secure the seat with a ratchet strap is quite unnerving if the ladder leans backward. This re-emphasizes the need for putting a fall restraint in place before doing anything else.

Modern ladder stands use crossing straps in their erection. The process works best with three hunters. One hunter tugs each strap, which attaches to the bottom of the stand and goes around the tree, until the ladder is firmly against the tree. They hold it while the third guy walks the ladder up against the tree. A low ratchet strap and brace secure the ladder against the tree while the third hunter climbs the ladder to add the final ratchet strap at the top. If your ladder stand does not have a crossed strap system, do not use it until you acquire appropriate straps.

5. Put It to the Test

Testing your restraint for hunting safety is crucial

Look Ma, no hands! The best way to test your fall restraint system is at ground level. Simply strap yourself in and raise your feet to test for comfort and ability to breathe and move in order to regain the stand or the steps. A method for climbing down after a fall is as important as the fall restraint system. (Photo: Mike Marsh)

Every hunter should check his safety systems before beginning a hunt. Keep your original instructions with your climbing gear and stands, and read them every season – that’s the best way to stay familiar with their use.

I once received a new safety harness for testing. Smart enough to have someone along to help with photos or if something went haywire, I tested the harness from the ground. The harness was quite constrictive, especially in the groin area, when I raised my feet to simulate a fall. If I had actually fallen, I wouldn’t have lasted long. I was happy to have someone assist with removing the straps. If you are not comfortable with your harness and confident in its use, chose another system.

 

 

*Note this isn’t a complete guide to treestand safety. Make it your business to research the topic before climbing a tree to hunt.

mike marsh headshotAbout Mike Marsh:

Mike Marsh’s articles, columns and photos have appeared in more than 100 magazines and newspapers. He lives in Wilmington, North Carolina and has written four books about the state’s hunting, fresh-water and salt-water fishing. His latest is Fishing North Carolina. To contact Mike, view his award-winning articles and photos, or order his books, visit www.mikemarshoutdoors.com.

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