heres the situation. just put up a stand by a bunch of hickorys that border a thick field where the deer are going to bed. best tree is a ash that is bear of leaves and i stick out pretty good. it is by far the best placement for this stand as it is by 2 trails leading to the field. i am relying on controlling my movement and using the burnt cork camo. i usually don't use face camo but this is a great spot and i want to do everything i can. any advice on what else i could do to blend in? no doubt i will see deer here.
one option is a "squirels nest" type blind. its a fake tree branche with synthetic leaves and mounts to your stand. Its not a cheap item but works well this time of year. You can aslo try and place your set tot he back side of the tree to use it as some sort of blockage, but sometimes it makes the shots harder. what about a ground set up?
cut some brush and take it up the tree stand with you and somehow fasten it to the stand. I had to do the same thing and it worked out well so far just not any bucks does, pigs, and turkeys. I used zip ties to hold them up and will replace them when they turn brown.
Shawn
Go higher in the tree
Jim Hamm (and wingnut) recommend hunting from stand facing the tree. use the tree as a blind. I think but don't know for sure that Wingnut and Jim both shoot standing ???
rusty
admtnken-
simple as Dmxshawn said, however you can also use synthetics very cheap by going to a craft store and using the fake leaves that have flexible wires attached for fall decorations.
You can get even get oak and maple leaves. Jo-ann fabrics around here, around ten to fifteen bucks to do a stand. aside- is that a fisher in your avatar?
i auctually did face my stand "backwards" to use the tree for cover and wait untill they pass me. think i'll try the zip tie and branches. i'm up about 13-15 feet or as far as 4 sections of ladder steps go, can not get higher. thanks for all the advice and keep it coming! i'll take a picture tomorrow.
yup it a fisher. was not going to trap this year but decieded i want a fisher back quiver and will catch one.
Don't know what your stand looks like so I don't really know what to tell you....you may not need to do anything.
Are you at the base of the forests canopy?
Do you feel like you are sticking out?
Have you ever hunted from a tree stand before?
not a canopy much at all, leaves are all of the hickorys. yes i feel like i'm sticking out but i know the best camo is NO movement. have hunted from stands for a loooooong time. i pretty much only hunt from stands as i love the view and i am ver adapt at using them. just trying to pick the brains of the fine folks here to see what they do.
I'm going to be in a setup similar tonight. I'm going to be on the edge of a field where I spotted a nice buck last night. Wind has me in a stand of small trees that won't break up my outline much at all. I'm planning on wearing my ghillie and stand as still as possible.
i do %99 of my hunting in the Northern zone where it is THICK and it is easy to blend in while using the canopy and other trees. this set up is in a new area in the Southern zone where things are much more open. the stand is an API, grey in color which i placed on an ash tree blend in.
Can you get your hands on a recent TBM issue (1 or 2 ago)? There was an article done on Roger Rothar (sorry if I killed it in spelling) where it shows him using a modified ladder stand with some cover built around the "platform". Excellent picture of what you might consider....
Found it!
It is in the August/September 2008 Issue
i'll try to find one, funny as Rogers book is the one i have been reading on stand latly, leaves are so LOUD i get to enjoy a book.
I would add to the great suggestions already given to use as light a camo as possible since you will be up against the lighter sky. I love the older predator camo, as I think it breaks up the human form, but both Realtree and Mossy Oak have new lighter colored patterns. I have removed the seat from my summit climber and stand the whole time leaning against the trunk so I am not a seperate object, or at least hope I am not.
i am wearing a heavy grey sweater that blends in well. i do not wear factory camo, i use a lot of plaid and earth tone color clothes. i too changed seats on my stand, took the factory plastic off and replaced with ply wood.
On cloudy days, go with the original Skyline or a similar camo. That can be very helpful, especially if you think other suggestions would be too noticeable on short notice on this stand. Wait for a cloudy/rainy/snowy day, and wear some whitish/gray camo.
Other ideas: Also, a few days after a big windstorm in the summer, I often go through our woods and there will be these big branches from cottonwoods that will have fallen and the leaves die but stay attached. I literally drag some of these up into the tree and place them both around my stand AND above and behind me (from the deer's perspective).
On another stand, I actually took some woven wire and wired a bunch of it out in front of me in the shape of a C (bulge pointing outwards) so it helped form a nest. Originally I was trying to 'train' an already-present wild grape plant into colonizing this wire and making a nice nest for me. The progress was too slow, so I eventually just gave up and put in some of the fake branches others have talked about here and it works VERY good.
It may sound weird, but I think putting up a tree umbrella just above your head creates some "canopy" and also puts you in the shadows. Being another 2XL sized guy, I always feel like I stick out like a sore thumb even if I'm in a hemlock tree. I feel your pain. Good luck!
I've taken to using a gillie in the tree stand. Worked great last weekend.
You could make on out of old sweaters. ..LOL
Mike
Ken, I think your worrying about something you don't need to......sounds like you're right where you need to be,set up on the back side......just be still as possible and hunt it!
Just my 2 cents worth, hunt from the ground :) .
i will be putting somew good, long hours in this stand the next few days, we'll see how it goes! can't wait as there is a TON of sign and the owner sees deer evry morning and night, this will be the first early morning that i hunt it.
I have the same situation when using my climber. All the trees seem to have a small diameter with little cover around. I saw that you don't wear factory camo, which is cool, more power to ya! If you do decide to try it, ASAT 3-D suits work awesome for that situation. I get away with insane things in this pattern.
Maybe grey and white plaid in a big pattern, like the checker board kind. From what I have learned, when you look up at your tree that has minimal cover, you mostly see the sky and a few limbs. Anything dark would stick out bad.
i think i will wear my Ron Leclair grey longhunter shirt, should blend in nice with ash and hickory.
I'm in agreement with Curt on this one, I would just hunt the stand and see what happens then make your adjustments from there.
Most will disagree but a deer's eye sight is not what many think. They pick up movement, if your still, your fine. I've even climbed telephone poles with my climber, absoultely no cover around them and been fine. Plese dont cut me down to much guys for this.
i %100 agree, best camo is NO MOVEMENT! i am just looking for any advice that might help, my main plan is to stay still and put hours in the stand.
I took a piece of ghillie netting that was left over from a project and attached it to a limb above and to the side of me to provide backcover. Seems to work well for me.
Ken....your on track no movement and play the wind I had stands in the wide open stay still and put some wood in the air...ED
Sit on the ground. When the deer looks up at your stand, pop 'em :bigsmyl: ...Van
got the wind in my face with this stand. between the bedding area ( thick field )and food, very good set up here, looking forward to tomorrow morning! funny thing is there is a TON of deer and sign but absolutly no buck sign, not old rubs or scrapes. this does not bother me as i am hunting meat just thought it was a little odd. the land owner sees bucks, spikes and small racks at night in the field but i can't seem to find buck sign. only a few more weeks and i know they will be on the does and this spot will be dynomite!!
Yer outa my territory Brother, I'm a ground pounder.....
Good Luck Kenny!!!!! You'll get it figured out!!!!!
Id use a camo like Predator Fall Grey OR Predator snow...yes snow - if you are outlined in sky and use it you will be very surprised at just how well the pred snow camo is at breaking you up in the sky....remember - camo works best against a backdrop - if sky is the back drop then...use a background to match it...
put a dummy in your stand when not in use. that is why wingnut takes me hunting :)
rusty
In my hunting area we are blessed with lots of oak trees. When I put a stand in a tree that leaves me feeling exposed I cut branches from nearby oaks and tie them onto the tree above me. The oaks hold there leaves long after they have been cut, especially if they are cut while still green. Really helps to break up my outline.
Kenny, hunt the DOEs and the bucks will come.
Go to wally World and get some of the camo netting they have. Attach it to the tree and some branches. Then get some branches from the hickory tree that has leaves and weave them in to it. This will help brake up your out line better.
did not see a deer today, couldn't believe it, beautifull day though. took a couple pic's of the stand. would be hard to attach anything to it as you can see, 2 heavy trails right by it leading to beadding so i will give it a good few hunts before i move it.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v119/adkmountainken/bow%20hunting/st2.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v119/adkmountainken/bow%20hunting/st1.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v119/adkmountainken/bow%20hunting/lhunter.jpg)
I hunt an identical stand and use fake branches. I bought several bags from Michael's Arts and Crafts. The are imitation pine with wires inside for molding to whatever shape you need. The are about 2' long and have little braches down the entire length that are about 3" long. I use the little branches to wire them to the frame and uprights of my stand. The little branches sticking out really breaks up the outline of that stand. I plan to load up on more of these after the holliday season. I think they are used to build wreaths or something similar. They work awesome for me.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/mysticguido/st1.jpg)
That's just going by what I can see in the pic...
I do like Whip and use oak branches to brush in the stand. Rope, zip ties or elec tape can be used to hang the branches in place. The deer in my woods would bust me quick out in the open like that stand is. I'll get some pics of a few stands this weekend.
Sorry it took so long to get back to you, Ken. Here's some pics of a few brushed in stands. These stands are all in the 15-16 foot range, which is about as high as I like to go. Higher helps with not being busted, but the shot angle gets bad quickly with the close shots I like. I'll hunt as low as cover will allow.
This one has most of the cover attached to the stand platform. Deer tend to travel from in front of the stand along the left side.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/Fletcher610/PA300010.jpg)
Here's a deer's eye view of the Sweet Gum Ridge Stand.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/Fletcher610/PB010015.jpg)
This ladder has since been brushed in some more from the front. The large tree really helps.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/Fletcher610/PA310012.jpg)
This stand could use some help, but is OK if I don't move. It faces SSW which doesn't help either.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/Fletcher610/PA300009.jpg)
Like that shirt Ken, looking good!
I might scarecrow some surplus military netting behind you. Is the sun behind you at the witching hour? Deer can get blinded by it if they look up the same way we do. I had cover coming out from my base once and a great buck came right out under it and wouldn't move beyond it! :thumbsup:
Whether you use camo or not, look up in a tree when the leaves are down. What you see is a lot of white or light color (sky) and branches. Instead of the normal wood or dak colored clothing, consider using light colored plaids or winter camo.
ChuckC
Roger Rothhaar used different technique in his tree stands when he was taking all those Ohio whitetails. He tended to choose trees with multiple trunks, and rarely got over ten feet in height. The object is to become the environment; you can't do that in a tree stand that sticks out like a turd in a punch bowl. :saywhat:
I agree with the folks who mention more cover. Find, if you can, multiple trunk trees or ones with more branches to hide your form. Pines are very good if there are any in your hunting spot.
Get lower if you have to Ken....even with that tree stand near ground level among a set of trees.
Ken ,have you been busted in this stand? If not, just hunt it till you are. If you get busted the bustee will likely allready have your arrow thru it's chest....Good Luck...
TTT
Hunt from a tree stand and face it the opposite direction you think the deer will come from. This will put you behind their line of sight as they pass.
As far a natural materials go, I've found that oak limbs cut in late summer and hung early before the season hold the leaves through out the season and even on through winter. Use it even when my stand's in softwoods - by adding before the season it's just part of the landscape. Good luck and have fun!
Brushy tree limbs and bungee cords.
I carry a couple of different length bungee cords and select them based upon tree diameter. Wrap the cord around the tree so that it is snug. Then slide the butt end of a small tree limb under the cord, and on the back of the tree so that it sticks out at natural angle. Adjust the position height as needed for shooting lanes