Preparation Is Key
By: Jerry Milos
As the hunting season approaches let’s take a look at a couple of tactics in the field that contribute to better shots and ultimately success that brings meat to the table. Three things that are consistently overlooked are treestand placement, ground blind placement and cover, and creating shooting lanes. It is very important to prepare your treestand or ground blind site weeks before you intend to hunt them. That’s right now for our Wisconsin friends (as their season starts September 15th ) and very soon for most everyone else as most other states the season begins October 1st .
First and foremost, select a strategic location for your treestand or ground blind at a travel route, pinch point, funnel or off some type of feeding location. Always be sure to set up on the downwind side of where you expect to shoot your targeted game. When hanging your treestand (we recommend Lone Wolf for their quality construction, ease of hanging, and their extreme quietness) be mindful of an angle that gives you a comfortable shot at multiple spots that you think game may approach or stage up/ feed. Take into consideration your shot placement and maximum distances you intend to shoot and determine which tree branches or foliage is in the way and mark to remove, both on the tree your in/or at ground level. This is when EZ KUT Products (EZ KUT Ratcheting Pruner and Big Brother Extending Pole Lopper) come in handy to surgically remove large and small branches. We have found these tools to be indispensable to cut live limbs up 1-2 inches for the pruner and up 3 1/2 inches for the lopper. They take the work out of the job with their ratcheting action, they are quiet and do not leave a mess like saws do. An excellent by-product of these tools is using what you cut as cover for your treestand and especially your ground blind. It is essential that you use surrounding foliage to cover up and blend in your ground blind.
Next, it is very important to determine your entry path to your tree or ground blind. This should be a strategic path using topography such as creek/ river bottoms, valleys or hills to cover your entry. They should be located away and around where you think the game will be and they should be cleared to allow for a stealthy and quiet approach. Make sure these paths are trimmed of low and overhanging brush to prevent contact and also reduce the depositing of human scent. The EZ KUT pruner is perfect for this task! Light and compact, it will effectively remove this brush without human contact and you can pack it with you while your on the hunt to get any remnant brush you may have missed preseason.
Another helpful hint while trimming shooting lanes is to do so with a lot of thought. What I mean by this is to not clear all the limbs and branches that are in your way but only the minimum that will allow for effective shots. Remember, this is the animal’s house and they are innately familiar with their surroundings. They will notice big changes and will change their behavior as a result. Cutting limbs on an angle with the raw cut facing up on overhead limbs and facing down on lower limbs will insure the animal will not see that bright, freshly cut limb and alert him of your presence.
Lastly, be prepared to remove other brush and limbs as the season progresses as the woods are always changing and you can be sure a new branch you hadn’t seen before will be in the worst place possible and obstruct that perfect shot opportunity. Remember, with careful planning and good preparation you will be ready to have the best season ever!
