How do you? Get to/in your deer stand best.

[USN_Sam1385]

Any tips guys on the most successful way to get into your deer stand in the morning or afternoon? I use a climber and simply try to get in as quiet and scent free as possible. Any interesting tips?? 

[Woods Walker]

The most successful way? Without falling. [;)]

[JPH]

I think there are two, equally important factors in getting into your stand undetected. Noise control and scent control.
 
On noise control. It is imortant to have every bit of equipment in your entire inventory "tied down" in such a way that it will not rattle as you move. I use tape to pad hard edges so they will not bump against each other. I also think it is important to avoid snapping a lot of twigs or crushing leaves. I carry brush trimmers in an easy to reach pocket so that I can snip small limbs I find in my way. I will also go in ealy in the season and push leaves out of my path so that I can walk quietly. Finally, I carry a small light so that I can light up my path when I need to. I would rather shine a light in the dark than go crashing blindly.
 
On scent control. Simply put, you cannot take scent control too seriously. Go to the other threads we have running on the topic and do everything the scent control freaks do. Granted, occaisionaly you have to save money or time, but do everything you can to control your scent at all times. But as far as getting to your stand is concerned, I suggest that you determine what areas you want your scent to stay out of, then find a path that keeps you downwind of that area at all times. Print off a stack of areial photos of your hunting areas. Shade the areas you want to avoid and mark your stands with dots, once you know the wind direction the path to your stand should be self-evident.

[nhdeerchaser]

As far as getting into my stand, I'm in well before daylight. I mark my trail with reflective tacks, and go in quietly and slowly.
On the second part, I make sure to wear rubber gloves, so whatever I touch, I leave no scent. Secondly I make sure to at least spray down my boots and at the very least spray scent killer from the knees down.
Another little thing I will do is to to drag a scented drag rag with estrous scent during the rut, and pre-rut I will do an apple and doe pee scented rag, then hang it in a tree 30+ yards away. If a doe or buck cuts my trail, they might follow the rag and hopefully present themselves for a shot.

Mike

[msbadger]

I agree with JPH on the equipment prep...nothing worse than clanking all the way to the stand...I also wish ..hope and wait for an early leaf fall because I mow all my trails and if it's not raining  in the fall to quiet the leafs I do a trail mow after a heavy leaf fall....it also removes some of those pesky twigs that sound like m-1's going off on a dark quiet morning...[;)]
 
The other side of that...well sometimes I just can't be stealth...so I don't try...instead I'll scuffle thru the leafs and stop...scuffle and stop....trying to sound like a raccoon or skunk....if busted I'll snort and trot to my stand...doing the same start stop thing....some times I'll shake branches lightly and crumple leafs in my hand...and blow lightly on a grunt tube...there are sounds in the dark... deer are use to....but they are also aware that things in the dark want to kill them...which is why they are on constant alert...preditors are always trying to be stealth this they know by instinct.....I was busted this one time ...so I stopped and snorted stomped my foot and then trotted off to my stand...not 5min after sitting in the stand I hear all kinds of grunting and leaf rustling...I see the out line of a deer coming straight to the stand...and behind her grunting ...she stopped under the stand and peed...then the woods exploded and I had 2 big buck...one was a big 8pt( he came back during day light but out of range)run into where the doe had been ..she took off and they proceeded to have an all out battle ...directly under the stand!  this went on for a few min. and then they moved off ..right to another one of my stands and I heard them go at it again ....they continued this all around the woods ....then when it got light the 8 came back to the edge of the gully to have a look see on what else was in his domain...I'm pretty sure ..those were the deer that originally busted me...but in total darkness ...I was just another deer passing thru....and I was scent free...as that goes...
Sometimes it's gut instinct we have to go by and experiance to decide which method is best

[msbadger]

PS...I need to say you also have to be careful...I've stomped snorted a few times and was charged for my effort...thats a bit scary when you can't see more than a couple of feet infront of you....which is why I start trotting away imediately now....Oh which ever route you take...don't walk in the steady strides of a human...break it up

[fasteddie]

I was watching a hunting show the other day and the guy gave a good tip . He said that if your stand or blind is across an open field or food plot , walk straight across the open area to the stand / blind . His reasoning was that if you walked around the perimiter , you would be leaving scent where the deer might be entering the area at different points whereas if you walked straight across , the deer wouldn't scent you trail until they were in that area and crossed your trail . It sounded like good advice .
I will give this a try . In the past I had always walked the extra distance around the perimiter ............
Then again , I know that deer have walked in my tracks in the past as when I have come out of the woods I have seen their tracks imbedded in mine . Go figure !

[DeanoZ]

One more thing I would add, is if at all possible try not to cross any of the deer trails leading to your stand.

[DeerCamp]

I walk into my stand as quiet as possible, Ill try to take a few steps, pause and look around. I try to act like a deer when coming in. Ive been shocked at how many times, a deer has come in after just getting settled in. While in the dark..Ill use a light but only to a certain point. I then shut it off, as I know how to get to my stand (about 60 yards away.) I will also take and cut of a branch or two of a pine tree and stuff it in my coat..helping kill the scent, eat on some needels and rub my body on the tree as well. I like to spray my self often with scent killer while walking..Im kinda a big freak when It comes to scent control.

[DeanoZ]

eat on some needels

ok you had me up to that point, lol....I'm all about scent control, but I draw the line at eating pine needles!!!  I'm definately going to try walking in more the way a deer and other wildlife do...makes sense to me!