Best set up for once you are in the tree stand.

[Swill]

Ok, with all the different types of hunting stands out there, does anyone seem to have a good system for once they are in the tree. I hunt out of a lone wolf hanging stand, with climbing sticks. When I have an all day hunt, it usually will involve the hip backpack, grunt call, other calls, some food, water, and my gun or bow, depending on the season.

So once I climb the tree, I have a rope that is attached to all my gear and pull it up. Then I strap the bag to a hook that is screwed into the tree, I have another hook for my extra heavy coat, and one for the gun or bow.

So I am just wondering if someone else has a good system, idea or product that had made the all day hunt easier to pack in, hang in the tree, and is easy to get to stuff, without making a lot of noise.

Thanks all-

Swill

[SDbowhunter]

I dont know where your hunting but I prefer to hunt out of stands setup early before season. Typically I find the cheapest ladder stands I can and setup up multiple stands sometimes on opposite sides of a trail to account for different winds.

I have been trying to go light. If I cant fit it in my fanny pack I dont need it. I will strap my fanny pack right to the tree no pegs involved. The gun or bow are in my hands at all times. Ill flip my my fanny pack around on my back or attach it to my climber... since its light I don't have hoist it up. Then it just my bow or rifle to worry about.

[CodyDawg]

Well experience has taught me to bring an empty pop or water bottle. What experience you say?

Well one year I forgot and I was on deer all day so I decided to sit all day. I really had to whiz and I had nothing except my full water bottle. Hmmmm. this calls for a little thinnin'. So even with cold hands and multiple layers of clothes, I used a sandwich size ziploc. It worked, but I dont recommend this approach as there were a few, shall we say interesting, moments. The mental picture you have is about right.

I tuck my backpack under my seat.

[BigWadeS]

holy [PoorWordUsage] that's quite the image I have in my mind right now of that...I know for me I take 2 immodium the night before, because experience has taught me, 20 minutes into the stand the urge for that usually came on, other then that, I have a hook to hang my pack on and another to hang my coat on if it gets too warm

[UdeLakeTom]

Used the ziploc also, then forgot to bring it down from a permanent. The stand was put up by our family, but when the surveyers came along, it was about 50 ft the other side and on state land, so it is free to anybody that knows about it. Anyway when the next hunter came along, he wasn't too happy with the present I left him.

He must have thought I did it to discourage him from using the stand, because later that evening, there was TP all over the brush surrounding the stand.

Anyway, back to the portables, they are not the friendliest for trying to drink a cup of coffee, or have a snack, but they do have other advantages. They are portable. The year it was dry all over, we used the portables to get closer to water and had good luck doing it that way.

[SDbowhunter]

+1 on the empty bottle. I have wondered sometime how much letting it go really affects the deer. I know there was a topic on this about a year or two ago here. If it were raining I probably wouldn't care.

This year I bought a tree saddle so that is going to change my tactics some. I havet quite figured out what I'm going to do with my bow and rifle in the stand. I am thinking about adding an Ameristep Step right on my fanny pack to hang my weapon of choice on.

My standard gear is:

paracord

waterbottle

empty bottle

gerber saw

knife

grunt tube

rattle bag gps

1 apple

1 sandwich

matches

compass

small bottle of scent eliminator

head lamp

gutting gloves

hand warmers

cell phone

I try to minize all this junk depending on where or when I'll be hunting.

Edit: Oh yeah this year I will be bringing my digital camera to try to capture some of the wonders of nature.

[mrklean]

Last year i just stood up and let it go right out of the tree stand instead of a bottle or anything. About 45 min later a doe came along and kept sniffing right where i went didnt scare it just made it curious. In the past a made a few mock scrapes with my own urine and there were tons of deer tracks around it. Personally im gonna let it fly everytime im in the stand until i notice a difference.

[BobT]

I sometimes think too much emphasis is placed on one sense or another. Take scent for example. I have never seen a deer catch a human scent and then from that alone take for the hills. The same is true for movement or sound.

I believe deer, in most cases, will need to experience at least two of these before making the decision to go into flight. They might hear us but until they actually see us move or catch our scent they may only be alerted but not ready to flee.

I once came across an old-timer that had a little camp fire where he stood. I asked how he figured he'd have much chance with that. He indicated that I'd be surprised at how many deer he has taken using this tactic. He said deer are curious. If they catch a scent or noise, they often will check it out and that's when he gets his chance.

I saw evidence of this one time while bow hunting. I was kneeling in tall grass along a hay field when two does and three fawns walked out about 100 yds downwind. After a little while one of the does somehow made me. To this day I can't explain how. Anyway, rather than take flight with her fawns, she meandered down toward me until she was less than 20 yards out. Being downwind she hadn't scented me yet and I was motionless. She stood there staring at me, stomping her feet, blowing, and dancing around like I've never seen before. I had all I could do to not bust a gut laughing at her. After doing this for a while and not getting me to move, she worked her way downwind and the instant she caught my scent she raised her flag, ran to her fawns, and left. Not until she had covered two of her senses did she realize me as a potential threat.

I have been made by other deer in similar situations. One time I was right out in the open standing up and had three does and a buck within 25 yards in the height of the firearms deer season. I was wearing solid blaze orange and no scent blockers or attractants. They did the same dancing, blowing, and stomping act and eventually decided I wasn't a threat. By not moving, not making any noise, and being downwind, I was not revealed completely and they eventually relaxed and went about their business. I eventually got an opportunity to take that buck when all of them were pre-occupied.

Bob

[fishermn]

Last year I let fly not 2 minutes before I arrowed a 154" 10 pointer. (I just couldnt wait any longer without rupturing something ) Before I sat back down, I figured what the heck, I will hit the doe bleat a couple times. Sure enough I got a response. After a couple aggressive grunts he was coming right to me. He was within 20 yards when I shot him and obviously the scent didnt bother this buck in the least.

Actually I still wonder if the sound coupled with the later bleating and grunts didnt help to fool that deer...

[mrklean]

Last night i was out walking a field doing some scouting right before dark i was out in the open and though i saw some deer about 70 yards ahead so i put the nocs up and there were 2 doe, i just stood watchign them, one was a little spooked and ran, but the other stood and watched me, i ducked down for a bit and the other one came back out with the other for a bit before i had to move then they jumped. If it was late gun i would have had one easy shot at some meat. Just suprised me, they are smart probably know they have a month before the real danger comes with arrows flying, then a few more till lead starts flying, then they will be spooked by shadows.

[SDbowhunter]

I have had deer come up and lick tobacco spit from under my stand. I know that most young deer are quite curious. But I have allways figured that the big boys probably have many of the common human odors figured out and plain old just stay away from anything thats not right. I have also heard that a female on her cycle will also attract deer. I'll continue to bottle for now I'm not about to do any expirements as I have been seeing more and larger deer in recent then ever before.

[BobT]

I do believe that using doe urine and other attractants probably is helpful for drawing deer to a given area. It only makes sense or should I say scents. I can also go along with the notion that using scent blocker and taking other precautions to eliminate scent will improve the odds to some degree.

I just don't follow the hype that deer will bolt at the scent of a human.

Bob

[UdeLakeTom]

We pulled into our field in a truck, the doe just watched us. Then I clicked the phone camera, when she heard the click, she trotted off to a safe distance, after which my nephew said, "if we hadn't taken the picture, she would have just stood and watched us." Another one came walking in later, and was ok until I started moving.

[CodyDawg]

I have the luxury of trying a lot of things on deer while on stand and many times I have had deer explode at my scent. All of these have been older deer; young ones have licked my steps. But the old ones know the game and scent is all they need. Eyes and ears not so much, they will look for confirmation with another sense like BobT says. But scent seems to scatter them quick if it is an expierenced deer...at least in my experience. The other thing I believe is timing plays a big role. A deer that will stand and look at you in June turns itself inside out getting away from you in November.

[SDbowhunter]

One thing I have noticed is the deer seemed to get smarter the less we are in the woods. When I first started hunting my uncles used to do alot of grouse hunting, morel hunting, general walking through the woods. I used to have tons of deer come in with the wind in the wrong direction. We have since done much less grouse hunting and try to avoid the woods except to set up stands and scout. The deer have gotten smarter. It is more critical now to play the wind and limit movement then when I first started. But we have also seen more big bucks and more deer in general. They just bust you if you accidently walk 50 yards in the wrong direction and leave scent behind. I have had it happen to me multiple times.

[Coach1310]

To get back on topic...

I use a fanny pack.... although sometimes it doesn't seem to give me enough room for all the stuff I would like to bring.

I usually use a couple screw in tree steps for hangers. They are nice and long and allow you to hang a couple things on each one.

I wonder if you could fabricate something for the side rail of a climber that had hooks on it for hanging???

[BigWadeS]

I'll try to get some pics, but my uncle did this to have a little shelf off the side so he had a place to put his thermos and other small stuff...he got the metal hooks and welded them onto a piece of steal...I'll let you know if he has any pics of the ones he has built

[USPENAMC]

i am one of those that thinks too much of the situations specially of the COLD. i pack a full backpack of extra clothing.

i usually set up the portable the day off and attach a cord to my backpack and raise it and put it down as i need to.

As far as doing my necesities i go at the bottom of my tree stump i dig a small hole pee cover it up then as extra i put a bit of doe pee or whatever cover scent i have.

i have one thing i havent heard anyone talk about YOU KNOW THOSE EXTRA CELL PHONES YOU HAVE LYING AROUND WITHOUT ANY SERVICE. they can be a life saver i take one of my extra charge it fully the morning of the hunt turn it off and throw it in my pac. WHATS THE USE YOU SAY? well it is well known that ANY phone whether it has service or not will dial 911. when your phone dies cause its cold out there or for whatever reason and youre stranded you take out your phone in your backpack and turn it on dial 911 if its an emergency... might help and might save your life some day.

[Swill]

Great idea with the extra cell phone. I also carry a compass and GPS unit, and extra batteries. You never know if the batteries die, and you need to use the old school mehtods.

One thing I have not heard a lot on is weight. If you pack in gear, and your portable stand, things can start weighing a lot. It is ok for 1/4 mile, but I have worked up a sweat walking in 1-2 miles with my gear.

[BigWadeS]

Great tip, I didn't know that,

[USPENAMC]

SWILL, i forgot to mention the reason i take so much clothes in my pack is because no matter how cold it is i try to use only a thin short sometimes even sleveless but a thin long sleeve shirt is good too and some thin pants. when i get to my stand i take the shirt i was wearing and hang it up to dry up on top of my stand. I get dressed at the foot of my stand. AFTER I PUT UP THE STAND that is because if not you get sweaty again. once you take off the wet clothes put on some nice dry clothes and sit in your stand it is alot better. you know how the wet cold clothes sticks to you and youre never happy with that scenario. I do the same with my boots. i wear some thin dress socks to my stand when i get there then i take those off and put on my other thin pair and thick socks. This is one reason to go in there extra early put up your stand get dressed and go up your stand

[BradB]

I'm one of the fanny pack guys. I tend to sit all day, bring water, food, and clothes.

I have a Blackberry this year so I'll be able to surf the web, do my fantasy football lineup, etc. I hope I'll be able to even spend some time watching for deer.