Effective November 18, 2009, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission changed their guidelines for distance learning. Students are now required to spend a minimum amount of time on each course page before proceeding to the certification exam.

Click here to go to the latest version of the Today's Hunter in North Carolina online course—the official hunter education course of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

The following course material is for reference only. Please go to the new course to complete your North Carolina certification.

Hunting Strategies: Posting, Ground Blinds and Elevated Stands

Posting

Posting involves sitting or standing in one spot. The location may offer a vantage point or a spot near the animal's trails.

Posting is effective when you know where game is traveling each day and you're not allowed to use a blind or stand.

The key to setting up a posting site is finding a location that allows you to freely swing your firearm or draw your bow.

Hunters posting in a marsh

Ground Blinds

Ground blinds are makeshift or temporary structures located on the ground that conceal the hunter. They're made of everything from plywood to branches.

Hunter in ground blind

Ground blinds, often made of branches, conceal the hunter.

You should situate ground blinds:

Downwind, based on the normal wind pattern during a given time of day, such as morning
Away from the sun
Where the foreground and background are safest

Elevated Stands

Elevated stands (tower stands or tree stands) offer a number of advantages to both firearm and bow hunters. Tower stands are above-ground seats or blinds that conceal the hunter above the level of the quarry. Tree stands are stands placed in or against trees.

You should check the condition of elevated stands routinely. Also, inspect for insects, owls, and small mammals before entering the stand. Read more in the Hunting From Elevated Stands section.