Stop Exposing Yourself
Whitetail Deer
whew! thought this was directly addressed to me
I thought maybe another Anthony Weiner scandal!
I hate getting busted. Those old does are the most wary. When my wife was throwing out some 6' artificial trees, I took them to the garage and cut them up to brush in my stands. I also keep my eye out for artificial Xmas trees being thrown out. I used black tyraps to tie everything together. Hoping to get several seasons out of the artificial branches.
Almost as bad as having someone steal your stand is have Joe Shmoe sit in it in the wrong wind. Due to both of the above I've become a mobile hunter, hanging my stand each and every time out. Maybe one day I'll own my own piece where I can control things and have "set" stands, but it won't be in the next 3 years.
I have used artificial and real branches with the same results. If you use real branches, you need to do it in advance as you are invariably going to scent up the area when you install them and the leaves will eventually turn brown. I use oak almost exclusively as they tend to hold their leaves better when dead. I also carry in the branches from another area. I try to avoid cutting or disturbing the vegetation around the stand as the season draws near. We do all of our heavy cutting earlier in the summer and then check the stands a couple weeks- month before season to trim any new growth which is generally not much. We also install any cover branches at that time.
First and foremost I think tree selection negates a lot of the need for this, and even in situations where forced to climb "skylit" trees, I've killed mature deer by moving at the right times and keeping my body pinned against the tree trunk. That said, this certainly has some merit. I think particularly for guys that tend to fidget more or move more by necessity, such as in filming.
However, as a 100% mobile hunter, the solution in the article just doesn't fly. Further, as I hunt 95% public land it is also illegal, as noted. My wife however, in setting up our "fall decorations" (sidenote - my absolute favorite decoration series of the year. Damn I love fall) has some artificial oak limbs that are fairly light. Coincidentally I was thinking yesterday as I was getting all my stuff ready for season that I may head to Michaels and pick up a few to play around with something like this that works for a mobile setup.
What I do on my own time is my business ... lol .. carry on ...
Oh, I thought you were referring to this:
who needs treestands, just get it done on the ground. Much more fun.
Are we talking about exposing ourselves xbow or hunting?
Pat, Great article and video. I do the same thing. I have had good luck with artificial Christmas trees and plastic leaves. haven't had much problem with fading and leave them up. The cover has made a big difference in being spotted on my place.
Put this one in last season. (Before)
Put this one in last season. (Before)
Been brushing in some of my more naked stands this way for quite a few years now. The past couple of years I've started using woven wire fencing (where possible) to weave the branches into. They are easier to attach and seem to stay put better than the screws and zip ties. I use oak leaves exclusively. They hold their leaves way better than anything else in my neck of the woods.
I doubt it makes much difference to deer. I have used electric green straps to hang stands and bright orange ladder to get up to that stand and till killed plenty of deer from it. Thieves that may different. Shawn
I usually hunt from tripods or ground blinds, but the same principal applies. I usually brush blinds in pretty well, and hang camo netting on the backside of tripods to break up my outline. I tie brush to the legs also and it makes them much more acceptable to deer.
OK, I knew someday I would tell this story. My Dad was hunting a buck he called the "Gray Ghost" a very old and light colored buck. He would get busted trying to hunt from a tree because of the lack of foliage and small trees in the area that the deer was passing through. Then he got a brain storm. He tied several trees together with rope for stability and then wore a set of light baby blue coveralls to match the sky. I laughed so hard that tears were rolling down my face. ( He killed the buck and I quit laughing.) Heck I even dragged the deer out of the woods for him. Now that's concealment!!!!!
I really enjoyed the article but need more details on how to install or hang the branches. Any pictures?
I've been doing similar for years. I don't use deciduous limbs however as the leaves fall off way to quickly. Have lots of scrub cedar that stay green all season long and do a great concealment job.
Great Feature !
i make what i call Brush Hangers.
i made up a dozen a few days ago and have them stored in my tree stand hanging bag.
i'll snap some pics at lunch and post them. they are game changers for me. it does exactly what Pat did with that tree except they screw into the tree and holds the branch in place.
I thought that one picture was Ned, but then I realized it was not a corn field!
Great feature but I think it will benefit you more if you put more brush behind you higher up rather than piling it up in front of you.
I like the premise, although I've never done it myself. I try to do all my stand prep in January and February. Then leave my stands alone until I sit them in November. Or I hang right when I hunt.
I have some stands that no doubt would benefit from this. As I get older and fatter, I tend to be way way pickier on the trees I hang in. I like to hang lower, in multi-trunk trees. I feel a lot safer with another trunk to lean on, and feel a lot more hidden with another trunk to hide behind. My favorite couple treestands are in trees with 7 or 8 trunks all surrounding my stand. One of them is only 9 or 10 feet high and I love that stand. It could probably be brushed in a little though and it would only help it.
I'm also fortunate to be able to hunt a large area with extremely low pressure, and I really don't ever have a problem with deer looking up. Not unless I do something stupid and move at the wrong time.
I'm branching out though, and starting to hunt some more farmland type deer, and I wonder how those deer will be for looking up :)
Years ago I used to... a few limbs here and there, but nothing like the photos Pat posted.
It got me to thinking, why not use every single available resource to our advantage.
I realize it takes time but think of all the time you invest then have a buck or doe pick you off.
Good stuff Pat
Looks like that guy is braless too, Map Trapper!
Brushing in the stands really pays off during the late season here. The deer are really wired by then and if they even think anything is amiss, they blow outta there and ask questions later.
The bow hunters nest!
The bow hunters nest!
We cut oak leaves in Mid-October after they've turned color but before they've dropped. We then stack in piles at various locations until needed. I call it building a squirrels nest. Must have for certain stands especially in January on food plots.
Pat, started doing the limb thing a couple years ago, sure makes a difference when all the trees loose their folage, also works good on the ground, also.
When late season arrives those leaves will sound like a baby rattler when if you can any movement from the tree. Good feature though.
I too have been doing the cut tree limb add on concealment for years,but a different angle on using living small trees as concealment.one stand I have at maximum I can only be 9\12 ft at bow shooting height due to terrain,ability to see at distance ,shot angle. I found that having from my knees down hidden by the heavily lower scub trees,i only need to have 1 or2 upper tree branches as help hiding me.last season I had 17 deer pass in one morning set and was never seen by one deer,had the right wind ,a must.my point is using " different techniques"rather than stand height works in some situations.keep an open mind ,I'm always scouting areas for a different type of setup,when scouting ,Damn sometimes I stand there for an hr moving around just slightly looking at different shot angles,stand heights,terrain,stand on tree position,and how much conceilment I'll need..
Been doing this for years....agreed that the oak branches last all year...I've been using black zip ties. The difference is night and day...especially on public land and wired deer.
I started doing this on "exposed stands" 3-4 years ago after seeing the idea here on Bowsite...come to think of it, pretty sure it was Charlie and his "squirrel's nest" concept.
Good thread and it works great!!
Oak limbs are the best as they hold their leaves a long time......
Mark
here are what I make. I call them brush hangers.
I started building them to help brush in dog stands when I used to guide duck hunts.
I now use them to brush in lock on stands and even use them with my climber every now and then.
it's simply some scrap pipe welded to an old lag bolt.
Olebuck, nice idea ! thanks for sharing.
Olebuck.....do you ever have any problems with the lag bolt snapping off in really heavy winds, or the branches being top heavy and causing the bracket to unscrew or screw in 1/2 of a turn and the branch wanting to fall out? I welded several 1” pipes at about a 45 degree angle on a homemade hang on stand to stick the branches into. They worked similarly to your brackets. I had to whittle the ends down sometimes to get them to fit the pipes, but they worked pretty well until the tree blew down a few years later.
I’m a glass is half empty, guy sometimes;-)
T-roy,
these are made with 3/4" emt conduit and 5/16 let bolts. I have bent some the the leg bolts to get the angle I need but never had one break.
most of the cover limbs I use are between 1/4" and 3/4" in diameter. I usuay just cut them with snips and slide them in.
I hung stands this evening and used 6.
I'll send you some if you want to try them....
Leafy suits are your friend.
Lol my dumbass Gay nephew did that got a $650.00 fine and 3 days in jail!!!
olebuck, How much for a set of 4? No kidding, PM me if you are willing. Thanks.
