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Improve Your Turkey Hunting Odds By Spring Coyote Hunting

Improve Your Turkey Hunting Odds By Spring Coyote Hunting

When two gobbling toms rumbled the early morning spring woods, my late friend and I decided we would have the best chance if we split the difference between the roosted birds. After quietly making our way down a wooded fence row, we made it within one hundred yards of each tom, then proceeded to get into position to begin calling.

 

As the sun lit up the spring woods, I knew it wouldn’t be long until we heard the beat of wings as the two toms flew off the roost. I amped up my calling by cutting and imitating a fly-down cackle on an H.S. Strut diaphragm call to entice them into coming closer. After a short time, we heard the anticipated sound of a turkey flying down and landing in the leaves. A few seconds later, I spotted one of the toms strutting his way down the hill toward the sound of my calls. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the approaching longbeard, my friend stayed motionless as the other tom was still roosting a mere sixty yards in his direction. Trying to stay still, I was baffled when the gobbler heading in my direction suddenly went out of strut, then quickly went the opposite way, eventually out of sight. While trying to figure out what had gone wrong so quickly, I suddenly caught movement a few yards to my front. My instincts took over when I saw a coyote approaching where my tom once stood. After folding the coyote in his tracks, my twelve-gauge shotgun echoed through the bottom ridge. Unfortunately, the echoing of my gun resulted in the tom in front of my friend going silent until it eventually flew off the roost in the opposite direction.

If one has vast turkey hunting experience, it is easy to relate to the heartbreak and the aggravation my friend and I felt after a coyote ruined our morning of tagging a gobbler. Many turkey hunters have had coyotes attack their decoys or, as with our hunt, charge between the hunter who has been calling and the gobbling tom who is not too far ahead. Even though coyotes can be highly frustrating when turkey hunting, it is mother nature’s way for them to find an easy meal during the spring of the year.

Improve Your Turkey Hunting Odds By Spring Coyote Hunting

A coyote’s breeding season typically occurs from late January through mid-March. Once a female has been successfully bred, she has a gestation period of around sixty days before having her pups. With the peak of the breeding season occurring in mid-February, that would make their young scheduled to arrive mid-April to early May. Days before a female gives birth, and through the first several days of the young coyote pups being born, the mother’s requirement for more food increases drastically. During this period, it is typical for the male coyote to be a bit more aggressive as he is hunting for food for the mother and her pups. This is the reason for the increased coyote activity while hunters try to harvest a spring turkey. To help boost the odds for a spring gobbler and prevent coyotes from ruining a turkey hunt, it is vital to spend the month before the season hunting and calling coyotes. When coyotes are in search of extra food to prepare the female coyote for birth and later feed the young themselves, response rates to calls can be highly effective.

 

When hunting coyotes in March, it is imperative to focus on the territorial sounds they make, which symbolize the protectiveness of the area around their den sites, and the sounds of an easy meal. Using coyote vocals such as challenge and territorial howls signal to other coyotes that the area is theirs. If resident coyotes have settled themselves, they often will respond to see who has invaded their area. As for food source sounds, many animals also have their young in early spring. For that reason, using sounds such as baby cottontail, baby birds, and fawn distress all work excellently because they are the natural sounds heard in the wild at that particular time.

 

Due to the increased aggravation that male coyotes often have before their mate has pups, finding areas near a den can be ideal for hunting. As a good scouting tool, I have often placed one or two Muddy Outdoors Manifest 2.0 Cellular Cameras near areas where I plan to turkey hunt or where I suspect a den is located. When coyotes begin showing up on my cameras, I move in as quickly as possible and try to make a harvest. While finishing up the last portion of the coyote hunting season, focus on den areas and coyotes near a turkey hunting spot. By doing so, I have found that I have less pressure from predators when spring turkey season arrives in mid-April; less pressure from nearby coyotes means calling a gobbler into close range becomes less complicated. Improve Your Turkey Hunting Odds By Spring Coyote Hunting

 

Eliminating Coyotes To Improve Your Deer Herd

Eliminating Coyotes To Improve Your Deer Herd

By: Heath Wood

While sitting in a treestand during the fall deer season, I’m the first to admit that if a coyote comes by within shooting range, the deer hunt quickly turns into a coyote hunt.

Many hunters confess that they will shoot a coyote when deer hunting to help aid in the fight against the loss of their deer herd.

As mentioned earlier, I seldom pass up the opportunity to shoot a coyote, no matter what I am hunting. However, the truth is, shooting one or two coyotes each fall has little to no effect on improving fawn survival and the overall deer herd on a property. In my twenty-five years of hunting coyotes, I have learned that it takes an extensive predator management program to impact how many coyotes there are on a specific piece of land. Harvesting a mere two or three coyotes throughout the fall deer season does not constitute the fight to thin out the coyote population. Sadly, the truth is that new coyotes will take their place within a week to a month, resulting in no real impact. Yet, there is still hope for those who want to eliminate predators to improve their deer population.

Extensive Removal of Coyotes

 There are two types of coyote populations when zoning in on a specific hunting area. Some coyotes live every day of their lives on or near said land. These coyotes are the ones who breed, den, raise their young, and survive daily in a five to eight-mile radius. Others, however, need a home range or territory, thus making them spend much of their time roaming and searching for an area to mark as their own. The roaming type of coyote is the one that makes managing the population difficult. Coyotes are one of the most territorial animals on the planet, so there is only room for the roaming coyotes to settle after removing one or two coyotes

Eliminating Coyotes To Improve Your Deer Herd

Because new coyotes are always waiting to mark an area as their own, creating a significant impact on the growth of a deer herd requires extensive coyote removal. To successfully remove numerous coyotes, the hunter must spend extensive time hunting coyotes and trapping simultaneously. Many studies that have been completed on fawn mortality state that up to eighty percent of the coyotes in an area must be removed to make an impact.

In most areas across the United States, trapping season typically occurs during December, January, and February, which is also the most sought-after time for coyote hunters to try calling predators into shooting range. Hunters and trappers eliminate as many predators as possible in the months before fawns are born in the spring, increasing the deer herd’s survival rate and population.

Eliminating Coyotes To Improve Your Deer Herd

Spring and Summer Coyote Hunting

If hunting and trapping a vast number of coyotes during the winter does not sound worthwhile, try hunting during the spring and summer when coyotes make the most noticeable impact on baby fawns.

For the past ten years, I have spent significant time calling and hunting coyotes during April, May, and June. In my home state of Missouri, even though it is legal to shoot a coyote when turkey hunting, it is not legal to hunt or call coyotes until the day after spring turkey season, which is the first week of May. Once the spring turkey season has concluded, I focus the next two months on trying to call coyotes into shooting range. It is still possible to increase fawn survival rates by consistently eliminating coyotes while fawns are dropping.

When calling coyotes during the late spring and early summer, hunters can use distress sounds, including a distressed baby fawn, on their electronic callers to bring in coyotes searching for a meal to feed their young. Coyotes have their pups near the same time that deer have their fawns. Female coyotes must increase their food intake to help prepare to nourish pups. Over the next couple of months, mother coyotes need extra food to feed the pups until the young pups are ready to hunt on their own. The months of higher food requirements make fawns a leading target to fill the void. Eliminating coyotes during these higher-risk months and into the summer decreases fawn mortality because fawns are older and less vulnerable, giving them a higher survival rate when new coyotes move into the area.

Eliminating Coyotes To Improve Your Deer Herd

Should hunters still elect to harvest a coyote when given the opportunity while deer hunting? The answer is yes! A pack of coyotes can take down a full-grown whitetail deer at any moment. Eradicating a coyote could very well save a deer’s life. However, to successfully decrease fawn mortality and improve the numbers in a deer herd, it is imperative to hunt and trap extensively during the winter or hunt them when fawns are most targeted.

Setting The Stage And Sealing The Deal

Setting the Stage and Sealing the Deal

By: Aaron Outdoors

Going into the 2022 Whitetail Season, we knew we needed to set the trap for our number one hit list buck. We decided to get some new Muddy Bull Blinds to take advantage of the scent concealment they offer.  We felt this would allow us to hunt our long season most efficiently.

Preparations were made and the stage was set on our home farm in the summer of 2022 to hunt a buck that we have plenty of history with, “Cloud 9”. We have our brand new Muddy Bull Blinds strategically placed and Muddy Trail Cameras deployed to help us catch up to this target buck!

Setting The Stage And Sealing The Deal

The story of Cloud 9 really begins in September of 2020 when my brother and I had an early season encounter with the young buck that had some nice potential. At this time, we were hunting out of an elevated Muddy Bale Blind. Throughout the year we continued to see this buck on our Muddy Trail cameras all over the same food plot. Fast forward to summer of 2021… we begin to get pictures of the deer in velvet once again. He had put on some inches and looked to be a nice buck, but we thought we could give him one more year before he became a buck we wanted to target. I was able to have a couple of nice encounters with him that season out of The Outfitter hang-on tree stands, but I knew this was the deer I wanted to hunt in 2022!

During the summer of 2022 after combing through hundreds of Muddy Trail Camera pictures from years past, we zoned in on one area of our farm with hopes of creating a setup that would provide us with an opportunity to get a shot at Cloud 9. This part of the farm has two ridges that has some steep hollows in it that provide great bedding cover. We have a 2-acre food plot that borders this timber in the bottom, a perfect place for us to slide in a Muddy Bull Box Blind. In years past, this field was almost un-huntable because there were no good places for a Muddy Ladder or Hang-on stand. The bottom has several creek drains running through it that makes our access to this blind perfect with a good stand of corn shielding us from any wandering eyes throughout the hillside! The stage was set.

5 Reasons To Hunt From A Muddy Box Blind

A couple of weeks after setting up the Muddy Bull Blind we set up our Pro Cams along the field edge that borders the hollow, we believe that Cloud 9 lives in. One week later we checked the camera to find Cloud 9 right where he was supposed to be! He was by no means a giant buck, but he was the most mature deer on the farm in a relatively low deer density area. He put on some more inches in tine length, and we were happy to see him build up some mass with another year of age on him.

We hunted for Cloud 9 only a handful of times during early October but that was all it took.  On October the 3rd we went in for an evening sit. Conditions were good and anticipation was high.  With twenty minutes of daylight left, Cloud 9 made his first appearance of the 2022 season.  We watched him feed until shooting light faded away with no shot opportunity.  We left the blind feeling as if we had missed our chance.

A few days later, October the 8th, we had one of the best October cold fronts we’ve ever experienced roll through.  We knew we had to slip in to our perfectly placed Muddy Bull Blind and see if we could lay eyes on Cloud 9 again.  As we settled into the blind, we almost knew we would see our target.  With an hour and a half of shooting light left, we looked up and saw Cloud 9 making his way to our set up. As soon as he got into bow range and turned broadside Blake let his arrow fly and sealed the deal.

Cloud 9 never knew what hit him. Chalk that up to setting the stage with the Muddy Bull Blind.  It allowed us to stay undetected to the old bruiser.  We kept the windows shut until it was time to make the shot.  Cloud 9 was a worthy opponent and a true trophy in our eyes but he was no match for a good game plan and the Muddy Bull Blind.

Setting The Stage And Sealing The Deal

 

Muddy Morph Cellular Trail Camera

Written By: Brett Aaron – Aaron Outdoors

Like them, love them, or hate them cell cameras are now one of the most popular pieces of hunting gear in the industry.  I have been a trail cam addict for over ten years now and have used just about every brand out there.  A few years ago, I started using a few cell cameras and I have seen great improvements in the technology in just a few short years.  None has impressed me more than the Muddy Morph!

Muddy Morph Cellular Trail Camera

Like most hunters, I like to be off the grid as much as possible when it comes to hunting.  These remote areas typically lack the most vital part of the cellular camera technology, cell service.  This was the major issue I had when cell cameras first came out.  It did not matter what camera I tried; I could not get cell reception at my home farm.  That was until I found the Muddy Morph cellular trail camera.

I am so impressed with the Morph’s ability to take and send me trail camera photos in an area where I have no cell service on my cell phone.  I had even went as far as buying an extended range 15-foot antenna to connect to other cell cameras in this same location and still had ZERO service.  The Muddy Morph sends me pictures from this same location with the antenna it came with! This is truly a game changer.

Muddy Morph Cellular Trail Camera

The Morph’s gift to send images in such a poor cell service area is, to me, the most important feature a cell camera can have but do not let it overshadow its other awesome qualities.  The Morph takes amazing pictures and video too!  It has up to 26-megapixel photos and 1080P high-definition video capabilities.

Trigger speed is also not an issue for the Morph.  I have countless photos of birds caught in mid-flight.  So, no more frustrating series of photos of empty pictures or just the rear end of a deer.

Muddy Morph Cellular Trail Camera

Muddy Morph Cellular Trail Camera

 

The detection range is an impressive 100 feet day and night, and I believe it.  The Morph takes clear daylight photos and with 42 LEDs and the “No Glare” technology, nighttime photos are just as great.

The Morph uses eight AA batteries.  As far as battery life, it has not been tearing through batteries like other cameras I have owned in the past.  I recommend taking advantage of the external power jack and using a solar battery pack or other external power sources that are available.  Having the external power jack and using up to a 32 GB memory card means you can run your camera for literally an entire season without having to physically go to the site and check it.

Muddy Morph Cellular Trail Camera      Muddy Morph Cellular Trail Camera

 

Finally, the set up and monitoring of the Morph could not be easier.  Using the quick scan QR Code on the inside cover, simply scan with your smartphone and follow the prompts.  The Stealth Command App keeps my photos organized and I can use the handy filter settings to go back and review the photos.  In addition, using the app I can easily change the settings on the camera with just a few clicks!

Muddy Morph Cellular Trail Camera

If you cannot tell, I am a huge fan of the Muddy Morph.  I will definitely be adding more of these to my arsenal of cell cams in the near future.  I suggest you do the same.  HERE is a direct link to check them out for yourself.  You will not be disappointed!

5 Reasons To Use A Ground Blind When Deer Hunting

5 Reasons To Use A Ground Blind When Deer Hunting

By: Heath Wood

For deer hunters, ground blinds have become more prevalent in the last twenty years than any other product on the market. They are easy to put up and take down; they keep you, the hunter, hidden better than ever before, and let’s admit it, you can hunt more comfortably when there is room to move without being busted by a nearby deer.

Even though the popularity of ground blinds has increased over the years, there are still some who haven’t experienced for themselves how practical a ground blind can be. When used in certain situations, a ground blind can be the answer to keeping you out in the field long enough for that big trophy buck to show himself finally.

If you’re not entirely sold on the idea of using a blind, below are five reasons to use a ground blind that will make you a better deer hunter.

Muddy G

  1. Youth Hunting 

As hunters, we must pass on the tradition of hunting to the next generation. If one has ever hunted with kids, they know that the time leading up to the harvest is critical when making a good impression on a first-time hunter. Children can get bored quickly; they want to move, they often can get cold, which cuts the hunt short. To make a more enjoyable experience for a first-time hunter, a ground blind can be the answer.

Using a blind such as the Muddy Prevue 3 blind is a great way to hunt with kids or first-time hunters. The Prevue 3 is a three-person blind, measuring 58” X 58” with a 66” standing height. The large area of the Prevue 3 allows youth to take a chair with them to sit comfortably and allow them to move their legs and body throughout the hunt without being seen by wildlife. Being comfortable is essential when wanting to spend more time outdoors hunting.

On colder days when staying warm is a factor, I have had kids bring along a blanket and even a small heater to help stay warm. If they are comfortable, they have more fun.

I also suggest bringing along a good pair of binoculars for youth to use while hunting. Using a set of optics keeps them involved in the hunt, gives them something to do, and makes the entire experience more enjoyable. The Prevue 3 blind features one-way see-through mesh, allowing them to see more of the action from the inside without being seen by wildlife looking in from the outside.

5 Reasons To Use A Ground Blind When Deer Hunting

 

  1. Rainy Days

There is a famous saying; “you can’t kill them from the couch.” Hunters do not like sitting in a stand getting soaked on rainy days. Some hunters even elect to stay inside and wait on more ideal conditions before hunting. The more serious hunters refuse to allow anything to keep them from their pursuit of a trophy whitetail. Especially during the rut when you never know when the big buck will appear, even in the pouring down rain.

Many hunters will keep a ground blind in place to ensure no missed opportunity, saving it for a rainy day. When a blind is in place near an open area such as a food plot or crop field, hunters can sit inside a dry ground blind, watching these open areas for deer movement.

Staying dry keeps the hunter warmer, more comfortable, and like hunting with a child, keeps the hunting time going longer.

  1. No Place For A Tree Stand

One of the best tips for finding the top stand location or blind set up is not looking for a place or a tree that looks good but finding a place where deer travel. I am guilty of finding an area with a large number of deer signs, then starting to find a good tree for my stand. The problem is that sometimes that best-looking tree may pull me from the specific area where deer travel. When there is no tree in the exact spot to be a good treestand set, I elect to use a ground blind instead.

When using a ground blind, hunters can place it where the deer sign is prominent. Better blind placement will provide more shot opportunities when deer travel through the area, especially when bowhunting. Unavailable trees for hanging a stand can also occur when hunting near a crop field; white-tailed deer often feed and travel along the edges of the crops. To ensure that you are in the right place to provide a shot opportunity, you must be set up near the edge where there are no trees. A ground blind tucked up next to standing crops allows excellent concealment to get close to the deer.

Another great location to use a ground blind is when hunting an area that has been logged or features a lot of brushy areas. I have hunted areas that have been logged and found that deer movement is still good, yet there are often no trees big enough to hang a treestand. When no trees are available, I find where deer are traveling, then set up my ground blind instead.

Muddy ground blinds

  1. Cold Weather

It is common for temperatures to start falling below freezing in the mornings and evenings during the late season. Late-season hunters usually sit on food sources to catch deer storing up on food to stay warm and prepare for the winter ahead. Long sits in broad open areas such as crop fields, or food plots can become challenging to sit for an extended time.

To catch mature bucks up on their feet during the late season, one may have to sit until the very last light of the day. To sit all day and stay warm, a ground blind can make the hunt more enjoyable. Inside a blind, the hunter can keep out of the bone-chilling wind, plus one can use a small heater or dress heavily in insulated late-season gear. When sitting in colder temperatures while in a ground blind, I take my Yeti tumbler with hot coffee to help keep my body warm. If in a treestand, I could not get by with the movement, compared to sitting inside a concealed blind.

 

  1. Scent Control 

Scent control is on the top of my priority list each time that I deer hunt. I am a true believer in using a complete scent elimination regimen. My system consists of using Scent-A-Way laundry detergent on my hunting garments, spraying down my clothes, boots, and gear with Scent-A-Way odorless spray, as well as spraying down the exterior of my Muddy Blind with Scent-A-Way. To further my scent control practices, when hunting in an area where many deer will be at one time, such as a food plot, I like sitting in a ground blind to help control my human odors.

Sitting inside an enclosed area such as a ground blind helps mask the human odor from drifting in the breeze throughout the area you are hunting. Even though I still pay attention to wind direction and the use of scent elimination products, being inside of a confined ground blind is one more step to gain an advantage against one of the best noses in the wild.

When sitting in a ground blind overlooking a food source with several deer, I determine which way the wind is blowing and then close the downwind side of the blind to help deflect human scent away from nearby deer. In doing this, I can draw deer within bow range without them ever knowing I’m in the area.

The ground blind can often mislead hunters into thinking it is only to be used for the lazy hunter who wants to sit in a chair and wait on deer to appear. Today’s ground blinds are lighter weight than ever before. They are easy to carry and set up, and as explained with the above tips, hunters have discovered that they can be used as an effective tool in a deer hunter’s arsenal to become a more successful hunter.

5 Reasons To Use A Ground Blind When Deer Hunting

Summertime To-Do List For Hunting Season

Getting Ready For Fall

It’s hot!  With heat indexes soaring near triple digits in much of the country, that last thing on your mind might be the fall deer hunting seasons.  Preparing for them shouldn’t be, however.  Regardless of the heat and humidity, if you expect to have success this fall, then you’d better get busy checking off the boxes on this summertime to-do list.

Trail cameras are a big part of your summertime to-do list:

As each day finds the buck’s antlers adding more inches, setting up and placing trail cameras is important if you want to know what kinds of bucks you have running around.  They will also let you know where they are – and are not – frequenting.

If you want to make your cameras a larger player in your summertime to-do list, be sure to place them strategically.  Water sources are always good places to set up a camera or two.  Beyond that, of course, look for well-used trails and set one up wherever you find one, especially if you find an area where more than one trail converge.  This will increase the number of pics you get, as this is an indicator that deer are coming from all areas your hunting property to this spot, or that it is a focal point in different travel routes for deer for some reason.

If you are lucky enough to find a licking branch, this is an absolute must for a camera.  And if you’re ahead on your summertime to-do list and already have all of your cameras set, pull one from somewhere else to place here.

If there has to be one thing to avoid on your summertime to-do list of setting out trail cameras, it would be to avoid putting them out in windy or weedy places.  If you do, every time the wind blows the weeds in front of your camera, or a leaf in front of it, it will snap a photo of nothing, and those get boring really fast.

One more no-no about trail cameras when thinking about your summertime to-do list is to try to avoid putting them in areas that will cause you to be too invasive in order to check them.  You don’t want to spook deer or allow them to pattern you before the season starts.

Scouting is a big part of any summertime to-do list:

Scouting doesn’t start as the season draws near; it should be a continuous process through the year.  Scouting in the summer is as good as any.  It allows you to identify travel routes and feeding areas that the deer are using when there is no hunting pressure, which can be invaluable for early season sits.

It also enables you to see how many, and what types of bucks, are hanging around.  Often, they are in bachelor groups this time of year, making getting an eye on them easier.

There is no need to go deep all the time on your summer scouting trips.  A lot of the time, you can spot bachelor groups of bucks and does feeding in crop fields from the road.  Or consider parking and walking a short distance to a fencerow, hill or other easy to get to spot where you can glass the area without tromping through the woods.

You’ll be surprised what a little scouting can do to improve your summertime to-do list, that even trail cameras can’t do for you.  Putting boots on the ground allows you to see well-worn trails, old rubs, and scrapes, identify water sources you may not have known were there and observe deer in areas where your cameras aren’t.  It also helps you pinpoint bedding areas, fence crossings and the like.

Treestand preparation and placement should be a part of your summertime to-do list:

A lot of people put it off until closer to the opener, but when going through your summertime to-do list, putting your treestands up and preparing them now should be on your list.

There are valid points to wanting to wait until closer to season to hang stands.  Deer patterns can change between summer and fall, requiring you to move a stand or two after putting them up, but overall, where you place your stands now will still be the right decision come fall.  For those always occurring instances where you notice deer using an area during the season where you don’t have one hung, keep an extra or two in the garage for just this reason, but you don’t want to wait until season approaches to hang them all.

If you have properly done your scouting and studied your trail cameras, you should already know where you need to hang them.

Sure, it may require torturous hikes through standing crop fields to hang them now versus later, but the extra work now will not only make you more prepared come fall, but it will also allow you to leave the area less disturbed as the season approaches.

 

Hanging stands, and all of the trimming, etc. that goes along with it takes a ton of time; time that really isn’t available as hunting season approaches when there are other things to do and get ready.  Doing it now may be hot and sweaty work, but will be so worth it come fall.

Besides just hanging a stand and trimming shooting lanes, think a bit deeper.  Add clearing brush, weed-eating or weed-killing entry and exit trails to your summertime to-do list also.  Obviously, this isn’t necessary for stands on field edges and the like, but for those hung in the timber, think about getting rid of as much of the debris as you can along the trail in order to make those calm morning entries as quiet as possible.

Food plots should be on your summertime to-do list:

That’s right, depending on what you intend to plant, summertime is the time to plant food plots if you intend to have any.

A wide variety of crops can be planted this time of year, so along with all of the other things, there are to do, planting food plots are another item on a summertime to-do list.

Plants such as beets, oats, tubers, alfalfa, and greens like brassicas are all best when planted in the summer heat.  They are heat and drought-resistant and come up in time to coincide with when you plan to be hunting over them.

Safety, the most important thing on your summertime to-do list:

With all of the important things to get done on the summertime to-do list, none are more important than safety.  Remember that.  Whether scouting, tending plots or hanging stands, practice safety first.  Never ascend a tree without the proper safety gear, such as a Muddy lineman’s belt, and never check or sit in stands without a Muddy safety harness.  Once stands are in place, secure a Safe-Line to the tree so that on your first hunt of the year, you will be tied in the moment your feet leave the ground.

Conclusion:

There really is no off-season when it comes to serious deer hunting.  In fact, if you do it right, there is a lot more work to be done now than once it’s time to be out hunting, so don’t let summer slip by without taking some time to create and knock out a summertime to-do list for a successful fall.

Must Have Tree Stand Accessories

Essential Tree Stand Accessories

For a whitetail deer hunter, there is no place you would rather be during deer season than in the tree stand. Countless hours are spent in preparation for the time in the stand: running trail cameras, tending to food plots, creating habitat, and studying the wind to find the perfect spot for tree stand locations. When the time is right, when the wind is perfect, and the deer are on their feet; it’s time to get in the stand and make something happen.

Time in the tree stand is magical, it is where hunters long to be, but it’s not always the most comfortable. Long hours in the tree stand waiting for that bruiser buck to make an appearance can take its toll, but with a few tree stand accessories you can make those long sits more comfortable, more productive, and hopefully fill that tag.

Tree stand accessories can be broken down into a few categories to help you determine what tools make the most sense for your setup and your hunts. Accessories for hunter comfort, for organizing equipment, and for your weapon are all important details to polish off your tree stand setup and insure you will be ready when that critical moment arrives. 

 Accessories for hunter comfort help extend tree stand sits, making sure you are in the woods when that hit list buck makes an appearance.

Seat Cushion – A good quality seat cushion is a must when you plan to spend much time waiting out a mature buck. The added comfort will not only help you stay longer in the stand, but also help you to sit still during the hunt. Squirming around trying to find a comfortable way to sit is a guaranteed way to get picked off by a wary buck.

 

 

Waterproof Seat Cover – One of the drawbacks of using a foam seat cushion is when they get wet. Rain and morning dew will soak into a seat cushion like a sponge. A sure way to ruin your days hunt is to sit down onto a wet cushion first thing in the morning. By adding a waterproof seat cover you can be sure that your cushioned seat will be dry and comfortable for your entire hunt.

Lumbar Support – Supporting your lumbar during long sits is the ideal solution to a stiff and sore back due to long hours spent hunting. A quick attach, lightweight support that works with any stand is a fantastic way to make sure you are focused on the hunt, and not aches and pains.

Accessories for organizing equipment make effective use of the limited space available when you are in the tree. Keeping your gear organized and at the ready can make the difference between notching a tag or going home empty handed.

Screw-In Single Hook – Non-slip rubber coated screw in hooks provide a variety of uses like: hanging a pack, quiver, or rattling antlers. Keep a couple of these in your daypack all the time and you will find a variety of uses for them.

Multi-Hook Strap On Holder – Using a strap on accessory holder that fastens around the tree gives you the flexibility to put up multiple hooks quickly and quietly. Drilling into heavy bark is no issue, and they easily fold up and store in your daypack between hunts.

 

Pivoting Multi-Hanger – Every tree and every tree stand setup is unique. Having the flexibility to adjust a gear hanger for the situation at hand can be paramount. A pivoting hanger offers the flexibility to adjust the hanger height and angle quickly and quietly during the hunt.

Accessories for the weapon are designed to provide hunters with greater accuracy and reduce motion in the stand. By having your weapon at the ready and steady for the shot, these tree stand accessories offer hunters an edge of confidence.

Universal Platform Bow Holder – Having your bow at the ready, out of the way, and in a vertical position reduces delay and motion in the stand to make the shot when it presents itself. A rock solid support that is rubber coated not only prevents damaging the bow, but is silent as well.

 

Gun or Bow Organizer  A safe out of the way place to keep your rifle or bow helps to keep you comfortable in the tree stand. It’s critical to keep your hands free for glassing and calling, but to still have quick access to your weapon. An adjustable quick organizer designed to keep your weapon at the ready will make you a more effective hunter.

Shooting Rail – For firearm hunters, nothing affects accuracy more than steadiness. Having a solid rest is crucial to executing an accurate and lethal shot. Whether you are hunting with a centerfire rifle, a muzzleloader, or a shotgun; a stable and sturdy rail to shoot from is imperative. Look for one that is easy to set up, and flips up out of the way when you are entering and exiting the stand.

 Using a tree stand to get the upper advantage on a wary whitetail deer is a fantastic proven tactic. After investing so much time and effort to find the right tree, and make that stand location perfect for the hunt, be sure to bring along the right tools to help you stay comfortable, organized, and accurate in the stand!

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