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Pre-Season Tree Stand Prep: From the Ground Up

Pre-Season Tree Stand Prep: From the Ground Up

There are two kinds of bowhunters: those who slap up a stand a week before opening day and hope for the best, and those who put in the time, sweat, and miles long before the woods go quiet. For me, tree stand prep starts long before the velvet comes off. It starts in the heat, when the bugs are thick, and the woods are loud. I’m Justin Hunold, and I hunt across New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, and sometimes down in North Carolina. If there’s one thing I’ve learned across state lines and habitat types, it’s this: stand placement and prep are the difference between filling tags and watching deer skirt you by 40 yards.

When to Hang Your Tree Stand

I generally have aimed to have all my sets hung 4-6 weeks before the season opens. In states like Pennsylvania and Ohio, where pressure and public land go hand-in-hand, earlier is better. I want deer to get used to that stand being there. I want my scent washed away by rain. I want squirrels nesting under my ladder. That’s when I know I’m part of the woods again.

For North Carolina or New Jersey—where terrain is flatter and bedding cover can be tighter to ag fields—timing becomes even more crucial. A week too late, and your stand becomes a red flag to a mature buck that’s been unpressured all summer.

Stand Types: Pros, Cons, and Where I Use Them

Each stand has its place, its quirks, and its strengths. Here's a breakdown from the saddle of experience—not just theory.

1. Hang-On Tree Stand/ Lock-On Tree Stand

The hang-on stand is my go-to when I want to slip into an area like a ghost. I’ve packed these into remote corners of Ohio public land, where the hills roll like waves and a bench halfway down the slope becomes the perfect midday hideout. I’ve watched does bed beneath me and young bucks browse at ten yards, all because I got in quietly and stayed invisible.

These are my "tight squeeze" options—the ones I sneak into oddball spots, like a tiny wedge of timber behind a suburban backyard in Jersey or a choke point between swamps in North Carolina. These slimmer-profile platforms let me get creative.


Pros:

  • Lightweight and mobile.

  • Excellent for hard-to-reach or thick cover areas.

  • Quieter than a climber when hung early.

  • Hang high and tight.

  • Camouflage platform with branches post-hang.

  • Keep entry/exit routes bulletproof and quiet.

  • Set early morning or just before a light rain to knock down scent.


Cons:

  • Requires climbing sticks or steps.

  • Can be time-consuming to set safely.

  • Less comfort over long sits.

  • Tougher to hang in low-branch trees.


Best Use: I use hang-ons in New York hill country or Ohio ridge systems, especially where the deer bed on benches. These let me slip into tight cover or overlooked edges. In PA, they shine in pressured woods where getting 100 yards off the two-track makes a world of difference.

Best Practices:

  • Use a lineman's belt while hanging.

  • Always inspect cables, bolts, and platform before the season.

  • Trim shooting lanes to natural size; don’t over-prune.

  • Flag trails during offseason and mark entry routes on GPS—saves you when leaves drop.

2. Ladder Stand

The ladder stand is like your old pickup: not fast, but dependable. In Pennsylvania, I have one tucked into a maple at the edge of a hay field. Every November, does trickle through that corner at first light, and more than once I’ve watched a buck push them within bow range.

Pros:

  • Stable, secure, and easy to climb.

  • Great for introducing new hunters or filming hunts.

  • Excellent for gun season.

Cons:

  • Bulky and tough to transport alone.

  • Needs straight, open trees and room to set.

Best Use: In Pennsylvania or New Jersey farm country, I use ladders where I’ve got long sight lines over cut corn or hay fields. These stands stay put all season. I also keep one in a hedgerow that splits two fields in New Jersey—perfect for intercepting does on early morning walks.

Best Practices:

  • Use ratchet straps top and bottom.

  • Anchor base if in soft soil.

  • Wrap with burlap or camo netting early.

  • Brush in the ladder legs; it breaks up the vertical silhouette.

Where to Hang: Terrain Features That Produce

The best tree stands don’t just appear in the woods. They’re placed where movement happens naturally. Here are some of the high-odds locations I key in on, state to state:

  • Food Plots: Deer come here predictably—morning and evening. But you can’t just slap a stand on the edge and expect action. I set up just off the plot, downwind of the main entry trail. In Ohio, I have one stand tucked 20 yards into a cedar thicket that faces a clover patch. I’ve watched does trickle in around sunset, and often a cruising buck will scent-check the edge before stepping out.

  • Cutovers: These are dynamite spots once they get two to five years of growth. New browse, cover, and sunlight create bedding and feeding in one. I hang on the transition edge, where the cut meets mature timber. In New York’s hill country, I’ve had success watching the trails deer use to stage before entering the cut during last light.

  • Swamps & Swamp Edges: One of my favorite spots in New Jersey is a swamp edge I’ve hunted for years. Bucks bed in the waterlogged cover and rise late afternoon. I hang 40–60 yards inside the edge with a lock-on, where I can catch them staging before dark. It’s close work—stealth in, stealth out. These stands don’t get hunted unless the wind and entry are perfect.

  • Military Crest: One-third down a ridge, this is where deer move mid-morning or midday, especially during the rut. They stay out of sight, and thermals work to their favor. In the Ohio hills, I have a hang-on stand facing uphill, and I’ve shot does and a 6-pointer there as they traveled just under the lip of the ridge.

  • Stream Crossings: Deer are creatures of habit, and where trails pinch at water, movement is concentrated. I set stands 15–25 yards off the actual crossing, with side cover to break my outline. Thermals can swirl, so I test the wind on scouting days before final placement. In Pennsylvania’s mountain ground, this has been a clutch ambush point during both archery and rifle season.

  • Rut Funnels: These are gold in November. Think of them as the highways bucks use to cover ground quickly. In Ohio, I have a stand between two thick bedding areas, where the terrain necks down to a 50-yard-wide funnel. Bucks will walk it three times a day during peak rut. I hang early, hunt sparingly, and always have a grunt tube ready.

  • Transition Zones: This is the edge game—where hardwoods meet pines, or CRP brushes up to ag fields. Deer follow the edges for security and food. In North Carolina, I hunt a line where young pine hits old oak. It’s where the does browse, and where bucks follow. I set up back in the cover, watching their movement without being seen.

  • River Bottoms: Low elevation with cover, food, and water. Bucks cruise these quietly during rut looking for does. I’ve used lock-ons hung 20 feet up to stay above the scent pool. In Jersey and Ohio, these river corridors are often overlooked due to thick access but can be gold with the right wind.

  • Inside Corners: When a field bends inward, deer hug that inside edge to enter cover. In PA farm country, I’ve hunted a ladder stand on an inside corner for years—watching as deer funnel through that 15-yard pinch. It’s simple geometry: deer take the shortest path into safety.

Each of these spots has helped me put meat in the freezer and keep hunts close. The more you understand the terrain, the more precise your stand placement becomes.

Cutting Shooting Lanes & Area Prep

This is where most guys screw up. Too many lanes = red flags. Too few = no shot. I walk in with a hand saw and clear:

  • One main lane (20-25 yards)

  • One off-shoulder lane (10-15 yards)

  • One escape lane (in case the deer flares)

Leave brush piles far downwind. Avoid leaving boot scent near scrapes or beds.

Safety: No Room for Error

Every stand I hang, I do it with a full-body tree stand harness. It’s not optional. I’ve seen too many close calls on public land. The safest device to use while climbing or in a stand? A tree stand harness with a continuous lifeline. Period.

When hauling a bow or firearm into a stand, step one is making sure it’s unloaded, pointed in a safe direction, and attached to a haul line before my feet leave the ground.

I clip in before I climb, stay clipped from the ground up, and don’t adjust gear or pull up a bow until I’m secured at the top.

Final Thought: This Ain’t Just Gear, It’s The Hunt

Tree stand prep isn’t about gear. It’s about mindset. It’s about respecting the hunt before it starts. Whether I’m setting up over a scrape line in Ohio hardwoods or hugging the edge of a cattail swamp in Jersey, my stands are silent, secure, and ready before the first acorn falls. Do it early, do it right, and the woods will welcome you like one of its own.

 

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