|
|
John's Journal...
Entry
62, Day 5
The Secret to Being Comfortable in Your 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, what's the secret to hunting comfortably from a tree stand?
Answer: The secret to being comfortable in your tree stand is taking
the time to put it in right, and that's where many hunters fail. I fail
sometimes at that, too. I may hang 50 stands a year, and I push myself
sometimes, thinking, "Okay, I've got to hurry up and get this one in because
I've still got three or four more to put up today." I can tell you that
the key to hanging a stand properly is taking your time and putting your
stand in right. Put it in square, and make sure it's level, tight and
secure. See that all four points -- two at the top and two at the bottom
-- touch the tree and are placed solidly into the tree so that there is
no give. When you get into the stand, take time to trim away the limbs
that may give you problems. You don't want a limb sticking you in the
back or a limb about head-high that forces you to bend every time you
look under it. I think most hunters get in a big hurry when putting in
a stand, and they forget the small details that will cause problems. Take
care of all that when you put in the stand. Then when you go back to set
up, it'll be ready to go. Also, make sure you have a good seat, such as
a foam seat, because you can't stay comfortable sitting on a straight
bar or a straight bench seat. Once you get a comfortable tree stand, you'll
be able to stay in it longer, and your success rate will go up with bagging
deer.
Question:
I notice you carry an extendible pruning saw with you. Tell me about that.
Answer: That's one of the best things I've ever found. It's an
extendible saw with a 6-foot handle and a second 6-foot handle that slides
inside the first one. I can extend the second handle, tighten the knuckle
and have a 12- to 14-foot saw. I carry handsaws for limbs I can reach,
but there always seems to be a limb blocking my shot that's just out of
hand reach. With the extendible saw, I can cut a limb that's 10 feet from
my stand.
I
also can use it from the ground. With a 12-foot saw, I can cut limbs 15
to 20 feet off the ground that are at an angle from an 18-foot tree stand.
At different angles, depending on the distance, this saw easily reaches
some of the limbs 10 or 12 feet off the ground that I can't reach by hand.
I carry this tool with me every time I set up a tree stand. It's worth
its weight in gold.
|