Returning to the field....

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mcdonl

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Well, I have hunted off and on my whole life, but the past few years the hunting pressure has gotten out of control in my area so I have pretty much just been doing night time coyote hunting in the winter months. I value my hide.

Anyway, my 14 year old daughter was looking for a way to spend time with me :) can you imagine? My youngest will just do whatever I do... she casts, reloads, knows how to pull a draft from a hydrant, etc... but my oldest has her own interest and rarely enjoys what I enjoy. So you can imagine my thrill when she signed up for a hunter safety, arranged her own rides and everything so she could hunt with me!!

So, anyway... I knew I didn't want to hunt the way I have in the past with her in tow (side by side I should say!!) so I decided this would be the year that I hunted from a tree stand. After much searching and researching I came up with the decision to use a two man ladder stand.

Then it was the decision of where to put it. Well, on the way back from a rescue call one night I was talking with a co-worker and pretty much told him the story I just told you... He suggested I put the stand on his private 150 acres about 10 miles from my house!

Turns out he posted it, but with the hunting by permission only signs. No one has ever asked, they see the signs and keep driving. Not that you would drive by his house anyway, his private road is pretty out of the way.

So, we got the stand setup on a row of oak trees that is right (30 - 50 yards) off 2 major game trails going from the heavily hunted apple orchards down below to the swamp they use for hunkering down!! Lots of signs, and the landowner says he sees 8-10 deer a day, and no less then 2 or 3 different bucks on a regular basis...

Youth day is October 23rd, and the following Saturday is opening day.

So, we have the spot. The guns, the clothes and the stand in place. But I am a little unsure of what to do next. I have never hunted from a tree stand so if anyone has any suggestions for me :) let 'em fly!!

Thanks!
 
Full Harness Safety System!!!!!! Other than that, just let nature take it's course and try to make it as enjoyable as possible for her.

My 6 year old daughter (her grandmother is doing all she can to "girl her up") still asks me almost daily "when will I be big enough to go hunting with my daddy!!!???" I still smile big when the "Mother in Law" gets that look on her face when my little one says that. She is always trying to tell her that hunting is not a "girl thing". Even though my oldest daughter has taken many deer and in the past few years has hunted strictly archery!! Says it's more of a challenge when you know you can't pick one off at 350 yards!!

Love each and every moment you get with her as those times are fleeting. They grow up fast!! My 6 year old is 12 years apart from the next youngest of 5 and was a "Uhhh honey you are NOT going to believe this" child if you know what I mean.
 
Oh yeah. We are doing a dry run with the harness system this weekend. We will be leaving the strap that goes around tree in place so that when we get there in the dark we do not need to mess with it. Just hook up too it. Is it save to have the harness under the blaze orange vest?
 
Is it save to have the harness under the blaze orange vest?
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Sure as long as you have the "riser" positioned properly extending up from the neckline in back.

I have 2 Hunters safety vests. One in camo and one in blaze. Have to admit, I really like those vests. Makes life 100 times easier. NO TANGLES!
 
Is it save to have the harness under the blaze orange vest?
Click to expand...

Sure as long as you have the "riser" positioned properly extending up from the neckline in back.

I have 2 Hunters safety vests. One in camo and one in blaze. Have to admit, I really like those vests. Makes life 100 times easier. NO TANGLES!
 
As other have mentioned be sure to "hook in" with straps and that the stand is secure. I have tried ladder stands before and was uncomfortable with thier movement, just didnt feel secure enough for me, but then again, I'm about 6'1" and 270 and probably shouldnt be up in a tree anyway. I have since started using a platform with a blind box atop of it. When I visit my stand before season, I carry some cover scent with me to spray blind after I leave. Something you may want to do as well.
 
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