-
- Species
- Whitetail
- Rut Reporters
- Duck Reporters
- Deer Camp
- Big Game
- Small Game
- Birds
- Special Methods
- Bow Hunting
- Gun Dogs
- Conservation
- Heroes of Conservation
- Hero for a Day
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
- Land for Sale
- Deer & Turkey Expos
-
- Species
- Bass
- Trout
- More Freshwater
- Saltwater
- Catchbook
- Special Methods
- Fly Fishing
- Hook Shots
- Conservation
- Heroes of Conservation
- Hero for a Day
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
- Land for Sale
Print
Email
Share
Two Tricks to Making the Perfect Treestand Setup
by Scott Bestul 
You’ve found the almost-perfect stand tree. It’s ideally positioned for the prevailing wind. It offers good shooting to several trails. But there’s a problem: It’s got no cover. Or it has cover now but won’t as soon as the leaves drop. Either way, here are two simple, inexpensive ways to solve the problem.
Do this using flag brackets (about $6 each). Find an evergreen tree or deciduous species that holds its leaves late, like oak or beech, and cut a few limbs to a diameter that will fit into the brackets. Hang your stand. With a cordless drill and a handful of screws (and permission), install the brackets to the sides and behind your perch. Pull the branches up with a rope and install. Done.
If your tree already has limbs but they’ve lost their leaves, use the existing branches as a framework to add foliage with a handful of zip ties. Again, cut several pine, cedar, oak, or beech branches. Haul them up and simply cinch down some zip ties to hold them in place. If necessary, the added branches can be removed at season’s end—after you’ve tagged that wary buck.
From the August 2012 issue of Field & Stream magazine.
Illustrations by Steve Sanford
ADVERTISEMENT
Bow Hunting
Where to Bow Hunt Whitetail Deer, Turkeys, Bear, and Big Game | When to Bow Hunt Whitetail Deer, Turkeys, Bear, and Big Game | How to Bow Hunt Whitetail Deer, Turkeys, Bear, and Big Game | What to Use When Bow Hunting Whitetail Deer, Turkeys, Bear, and Big Game | What to Wear When Bow Hunting Whitetail Deer, Turkeys, Bear, and Big Game | Improving Your Bow Shooting | Camouflaging Yourself While Bow Hunting | Hanging Your Tree Stand While Bow Hunting | Bow Hunting Whitetail Deer | Bow Hunting Big Game
Need an Answer?ASK A QUESTION
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Commented
Top Rated
Bow Hunting
- I went to a turkey calling contest and there was an archery ranch, I shot some bows and this has got me interested in archery.
- Bowtech Experience Buck Scoring Contest: Round Two
- How Serious Hunters Get Hitched
- I want to learn how to hunt and track animals how do i start ?
- Cheap Huning Pack
- I just want to share the highlights of our 2013 Spring Turkey Season here in Maine... see link below.
- First Look: Two Solid New Compound Bows at Great Prices
- Score Some Bucks, Win New Bowtech Experience Bow
- I know that you can use a thee blade but can you use two or four blade broadheads in a crossbow and can you use expandable or me
- A Couple of Contest Winners (What the Heck Took So Long?)
Bow Hunting
- Score Some Bucks, Win New Bowtech Experience Bow
- Bowtech Experience Buck Scoring Contest: Round Two
- Just wanted to share a turkey (bow) hunting video I shot a couple of weeks ago. It was self filmed. www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_0
- I want to learn how to hunt and track animals how do i start ?
- i have a mission menace and its set at 28 draw length and 50 lbs draw weight was wondering what a good broadhead would be for wh
- I went to a turkey calling contest and there was an archery ranch, I shot some bows and this has got me interested in archery.
- I just want to share the highlights of our 2013 Spring Turkey Season here in Maine... see link below.
- I know that you can use a thee blade but can you use two or four blade broadheads in a crossbow and can you use expandable or me
- First Look: Two Solid New Compound Bows at Great Prices
Bow Hunting
No ContentMessage Boards
ADVERTISEMENT
Today on Field & Stream
Loading...
Visit Our Sister Sites at Bonnier Corporation
| Active Interest | SKI | Skiing | Skiing Business | Scuba Diving | Sport Diver | TransWorld Ride BMX | TransWorld Business | TransWorld Motocross | TransWorld SKATEboarding | TransWorld SNOWboarding | TransWorld SURF | TransWorld WAKEBOARDING | WaterSki |
|---|---|
| Travel | Caribbean Travel + Life | Destination Weddings & Honeymoon | Islands | Florida Travel + Life |
| Lifestyle & Epicurean | Garden Design | SNOW | Saveur |
| Marine & Aviation | Boating | Boating Life 360 | Cruising World | Fly Fishing in Salt Waters | Flying | Marlin | Marlin University | Sailing World | Salt Water Sportsman | Sport Fishing | Yachting |
| Outdoor | Field & Stream | Outdoor Life | SHOT Business | Cycle World |
| Parenting | Babytalk | Parenting | Conceive | Working Mother |
| Technology | Popular Science | Science Illustrated | Sound + Vision | Popular Photography | American Photo |
| Entertainment/Events | Warren Miller Entertainment | World Entertainment Services | World Sports & Marketing |
Fieldandstream.com is part of the Field & Stream Network, a division of Bonnier Corporation.
Copyright © 2012 Bonnier Corp. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Comments (9)
This does work fantastic! good article
Cutting evergreens and hanging them up is fine camo, for a short period of time till the branches and limbs die, fade and break up.
I have a better solution and my family and friends do it all the time. After Christmas people throw away green artificial christmas trees in their trash. They look like the real thing. They are perfect around your treestand and blinds for camo. Tie them on with sting.
Please note, if you give up on an area please removed the artifical trees from your old treestand or ground blind. If you don't it would be left there forever.
That the one bad problem with this idea, if somebody doesn't clean up their own mess afterwards.
I hope I don't regret posting this idea.
that's an awesome idea!
Cool! I know I am going to have trouble this fall in one of my new stands so i think i might try the zip ties
for public land where you can't screw into trees or if you do want to take the chance of killing it, you can use zipties or paracord to strap the flag hangers to tree instead of screwing them in.
Hi...
Agreed...it does sound like a workable idea...although I find it hard to believe that any hunter would leave himself as exposed as the the hunter shown in the illustration...!!
Just a thought. Any craft store carries nice size artifical limbs with fall leaves. These are available for fall decorating. They could be used again over the years. They are light weight and easy to assemble.
Texas granny
This is a funny story and I laughed when my Brother told me. My brother stopped his vehicle to pick up green artificial Christmas tree, that was lying out in the neighborhood trash. My brother had his wife with him in the vehicle at the time. He stopped his truck, got out, picked up the Christmas tree from the trash and placed it in the back of the truck. When he got back into the cab of his truck he told his wife camouflage for his tree stands. His wife stared at him and said "I have never been so embarrass and mortified in my entire life.
We use post oak (black oak) branches for this purpose. Even after te leaves brown out, they still stay attached throughout the winter until new foliage pushes the old leaves out. Great camo for duck blinds too.
Post a Comment
Just a thought. Any craft store carries nice size artifical limbs with fall leaves. These are available for fall decorating. They could be used again over the years. They are light weight and easy to assemble.
Texas granny
Cutting evergreens and hanging them up is fine camo, for a short period of time till the branches and limbs die, fade and break up.
I have a better solution and my family and friends do it all the time. After Christmas people throw away green artificial christmas trees in their trash. They look like the real thing. They are perfect around your treestand and blinds for camo. Tie them on with sting.
Please note, if you give up on an area please removed the artifical trees from your old treestand or ground blind. If you don't it would be left there forever.
That the one bad problem with this idea, if somebody doesn't clean up their own mess afterwards.
I hope I don't regret posting this idea.
This is a funny story and I laughed when my Brother told me. My brother stopped his vehicle to pick up green artificial Christmas tree, that was lying out in the neighborhood trash. My brother had his wife with him in the vehicle at the time. He stopped his truck, got out, picked up the Christmas tree from the trash and placed it in the back of the truck. When he got back into the cab of his truck he told his wife camouflage for his tree stands. His wife stared at him and said "I have never been so embarrass and mortified in my entire life.
This does work fantastic! good article
Hi...
Agreed...it does sound like a workable idea...although I find it hard to believe that any hunter would leave himself as exposed as the the hunter shown in the illustration...!!
We use post oak (black oak) branches for this purpose. Even after te leaves brown out, they still stay attached throughout the winter until new foliage pushes the old leaves out. Great camo for duck blinds too.
that's an awesome idea!
Cool! I know I am going to have trouble this fall in one of my new stands so i think i might try the zip ties
for public land where you can't screw into trees or if you do want to take the chance of killing it, you can use zipties or paracord to strap the flag hangers to tree instead of screwing them in.
Post a Comment