Chapter 6: Basic Hunting Techniques
Special Concern: Hunting From Elevated Stands (continued)

Elevated Stand Location

• Place stands by clearings, cut paths, or anywhere that gives hunters a clear, unobstructed view.
• Never place stands on fence lines or near another landowner’s property.
• Look for a tree with the following features:
  • Alive
  • Straight
  • Rough bark
  • Large limbs
• Select the right species of tree.
  • Safe trees are oak, cedar, ash, hemlock, large pines, and maples.
  • Unsafe trees are birch, poplar, aspen, willow, shagbark hickory, beech, and small pines.

Hauling Hunting Equipment into a Stand

Never carry your hunting equipment up or down the tree with you as you climb. Always use a haul line.

Before attaching the haul line to your hunting equipment:

• If using a firearm, unload it and open the action.
• If using a bow, put the arrows in a covered quiver secured to the bow.

Use a haul line of heavy cord attached to your stand to bring up your hunting equipment or to lower it prior to climbing down from your stand.

• If using a firearm, attach the haul line to the firearm's sling so that the firearm hangs with the muzzle pointed down.
• If using a bow, attach the haul line so that the arrow fletching points down when raising your equipment and points up when lowering it.

Slip the end of the haul line through your belt—leave it untied so that it can pull free if you fall. Put on your FAS full-body harness, secure yourself to the tree, and climb to your stand.

After you are in the stand and secure, haul up your hunting equipment and untie the haul line.

Before hauling a firearm into a stand, make sure it is unloaded. Also, you can avoid getting debris in the barrel by placing a cover over the muzzle. Once you are securely in the stand, check for obstructions before you load.