How to Pick a Site for a Tree Stand

EDITOR'S NOTE: Brad Harris, of Neosho, Missouri, the vice president in charge of public relations for Outland Sports, the mother company of Lohman's and M.A.D. Calls as well as API tree stands and other outdoor products, has hunted deer avidly for three decades. He knows where to put tree stands up to give hunters the best opportunity to take bucks.

Question: Brad, we know what an avid deer hunter you are. Tell us what you've learned about the fine points of hanging tree stands to help other hunters have more success bagging deer.
Answer: The first thing I search for in a place to put up a stand is deer sign. Because we hunt bucks, we look for scrapes and rubs, which indicate bucks in an area and their sizes. Then we look for general deer sign such as tracks and droppings to see how many other deer are in the vicinity. Then we look for things that will channel or funnel deer, such as benches, fingers or points coming together, or spots in the woods that will funnel deer through narrow patches of woods. I try to put all these factors together and see what the deer situation is. The next and most important thing is deciding what wind is best for the stand and positioning the stand to give hunters the opportunity to see deer and get a shot when the deer come through that section of land.

Question: So you always hunt into the wind?
Answer: I always make sure the wind blows away from where the deer will come and blow hopefully into the hunter's face.

To learn more about Outland Sports, call (800) 922-9034 or check out their website at www.outland-sports.com.

Tomorrow: How to Select a Tree Stand