Setting Up Portable Stands Safely

EDITOR'S NOTE: Brad Harris, of Neosho, Missouri, the vice president in charge of public relations for Outland Sports, the mother company of Lohman's and M.A.D. Calls as well as API tree stands and other outdoor products, has hunted deer avidly for three decades. He knows where to put tree stands up to give hunters the best opportunity to take bucks.

Question: Brad, you said yesterday that you like small tree stands -- the lock-on, chain-on, latch-on type. Those tree stands are usually the most difficult to put in a tree. How do you get those stands into trees safely so you don't have any problems?
Answer: By far, the easiest and safest way is by using Climbing Sticks from API. You can stack the ladders together. They strap to the tree every 4 feet with a cinch-type buckle. Once you get them in, they're solid and allow easy and quiet climbing. I also like to use them with Climbing Steps, which you screw into the tree. If I'm in a tree with green, secure limbs, I can use limbs to climb and put steps where I need them. The most important thing is a quality belt, and API makes a belt designed for hanging tree stands. It has pouches to hold steps, and the safety strap harnesses each hip. It comes off one hip, goes around the tree and snaps quickly to the other hip, and that keeps your weight balanced.

As I climb, I wrap the belt around a tree and hook it, and it keeps me square with the tree. I have everything I need: the saw, the pouch with all the steps and ropes, as well as a secure strap that is built to keep me square with the tree, which is very important. You never want to climb a tree stand without a safety belt, particularly when you hang steps or stands. Once I get to where I'll place the stand in the tree, I make sure the belt is secure and strapped in. Then I haul the stand up and hold it against the spot where I want to place it. API has a T-hook that you screw into the tree and use to pull the stand up and set it in place. This T-hook holds the weight for you while you pull the strap around and cinch it up.

Question: So the real secret a lot of people fail to realize when putting on a strap-on or a chain-on stand is using a safety belt to put the steps in as they go up?
Answer: Right. A lot of guys don't use a safety belt as they go up a tree to tie a knot or put in safety steps. You need to use a safety belt because if you make a mistake, an accident will happen. You also need to use a safety belt while getting in and out of your stand. When I get ready to step up into my stand, I lengthen my belt so I don't have to unhook it. The length allows me to move from the step to the ladder or to the stand and still have the safety belt around the tree. If you make any mistakes getting in or out, the safety belt will catch you.

To learn more about Outland Sports, call (800) 922-9034 or check out their website at www.outland-sports.com.

Tomorrow: The Secret to Being Comfortable in Your Tree Stand