(A) 14 Step Season Prep: Step 3- Pulling Stands

I know that pulling tree stands after the deer season doesn't seem like a subject that will improve your deer hunting, but trust me on this one. For years I have asked people if they pull their stands every season or if they leave them in place all year. If they left them in the tree, I asked them for how long. One year, three years, how long is too long? All of the answers that I received were different and no one seemed to have a good answer. So, I contacted a few tree stand manufacturers and their suggestion was to leave a stand in a tree no longer than two weeks. A very safe answer but not necessarily a realistic answer. I know that certain trees can grow significantly in diameter over the time frame of one year. This can place a lot of stress on the tree stand straps. Weather and the sun can also deteriorate the condition of tree stand straps. So let me share with you what I do and let me know if you have better information.

Like you, I have various styles of stands. I like to use tie wire or old ratchet straps to hold my ladder stands and hang on stands in place. I only do this if I am going to keep the stand in the same tree for next year and I am not concerned about the stand being stolen (private property). I also must have a stand that allows me to temporarily remove the straps that are made for the particular stand (I replace the original straps in late summer). Otherwise, I pull the stand and hang it again in late summer. The only stands that I hang in the spring, regardless of circumstances, are the ones in or on the edge of bedding areas. I hang these stands in April or May and leave them alone until November. I still lock these stands down with a cable and lock.

I usually hang approximately 25 stands each season. So it can be a lot of work pulling them all down and keeping track of equipment. I don't like hanging stands at the last minute or in the hot summer sun so I try to do as much ahead of time as I can. The two things that take the most time while hanging stands are finding the right tree and trimming in shooting lanes. These two things jobs can leave a lot of scent in the area, spooking deer. So, I try to do these two things in the spring for my stand locations (we will discuss this in further detail in Step #9). This time of year the woods are very open and you can really gain an understanding of the topography of your hunting area. Deer seem to change their patterns slightly every year but usually the bedding areas and feeding areas stay the same.

This time of year I like to analyze how a stand worked for me prior to pulling it down. Was the wind right for the stand? Did I see good deer movement or shoot a deer from the stand? Was the stand right for the phase of the rut that it was intended for? Would I hunt it again in this particular spot or do I need to make a change? Was it trimmed in appropriately for good shooting? Did the sun blind me in the morning or evening? Did I usually bump deer trying to access the stand? Did I have enough back cover once the leaves dropped or did I sit out like a sore thumb? What trails were the deer using? Can I shoot those deer trails from this tree? Do I need to move the stand 20 yards or maybe 70 yards? All of these are the questions you should be asking yourself to save time next season.

Once I determine the effectiveness of a tree stand location, I make modifications prior to pulling the stand. If I like the stand location then I improve my shooting by trimming it in again. If I must remove the stand for reasons listed above, I will then pull the stand and mark the base of the tree with a small circle of white paint. This helps me find the tree in the late spring or summer when the vegetation has returned to the woods. If I need to make a minor move with the stand (within visual distance of the current stand location) then I will climb up in the stand and point out the exact location that I want the new stand location to a buddy. Once I have the person in position for the new stand location, I will climb down from the stand and walk over to the new location. I make sure there is a tree to accommodate the move. Then I will pull the stand from the old tree after identifying the new tree stand location.

Now let's talk about safety. Make sure that you are always wearing your safety harness when your working on your tree stands. I fell 18 feet off of a ladder once and I have paid dearly for it. I use a large diameter rope to hoist my hang-on stands up and down the tree. I also always have my cellphone on me in the event that if I were to fall, I can make a phone call for help. However, I strongly encourage you to take someone with you when you are working on your stands. They can help you carry equipment, cut shooting lanes, point out deer trails, etc. It is also a good idea for someone, other than you, to know where your stand locations are in the event that an accident happened while you were hunting.

Let me take this opportunity to give you one last tip. Create a stand inventory system for equipment. I like to number my stands and assign them to certain farms. If the stand requires ladder sticks, I give them a number assigning them to a particular stand. I keep all straps in a gallon size Zip lock bag. Inside the bag I also include a pull up rope, cable/lock, and hook for the pull up rope. I like to hang my back pack from this hook once I am hunting in the tree. Then I number the Zip lock bag to correlate with the tree stand that it belongs to. This may seem like a lot of work but it is much easier to manage this at home rather than out in the woods.

So get out there and start pulling or moving your stands. The longer you wait the warmer it is going to get and the closer it is to turkey season. As I previously stated, the spring would be the busiest time of year for us. You will soon see that we have 6 more steps to accomplish before summer!