Going for the first time can be a challenging experience. Not long ago, I was there too: I had far too much stuff with me, hanging from the worst places, more limiting my actions than helping me get into position. I measured, so I know: the first time was on the bow season opening day, a warm and humid Saturday morning. I left the car at 4:30 am and was settled on my climber by 6:30 am, just in time for the 30 minutes before sunrise, marking the start of the season. Those two hours were challenging and made me sweat.
This is what we aim to facilitate for our mentees. Based on feedback from our students last year, the simulated hunt has been incorporated into our curriculum. Today, we actively practiced with Mike: Mike, thank you for volunteering to share these pictures!
It starts with an easy question: once you have all your gear out of the car, where would you put your car keys? Then, raising the challenging question: Are you sure you need all that stuff? A couple of hours of discussion and explanation of best practices to provide one perspective on how I do it. Mike will consult with other mentors during the season to gather more stories, different perspectives, and alternative approaches until he develops his method.
Let me say it here and right now: there is no good or bad way of doing it. There are two major differentiators: being out and hunting, or staying home and not hunting. We encourage you to go out, sit in the tree, and hunt safely and ethically.
After the first inventory, setup, and safety check, we headed towards the woods. Mike would be hunting on public land, so we simulated a longer walk to showcase what it’s like to have full gear on in the 90°F North Carolina summer during a decent walk. Since I had a camera that I wanted to move from our Ridge stand, we had our direction: a comfortable 15-minute hike.
It was Mike’s role to select the tree he wanted to climb; my role was to support him in his choice with advice. Which tree provides a nice view, but only to one shooting lane, which tree conceals you if you are up, still providing you a great view; where the sun moves, what is behind, and where is the Poison Ivy?
Setting up the climber was quick and well-practiced already. Mike was on the tree in no time, pulling up his gear and settling for a demo hunt. Note that the rifle had no bolt – it was a simulated hunt, but with all the necessary tools.
A tiny tree can cover a lot: Mike, in the climber, is not visible at all. Notice the double stand behind him – the only difference was the tiny tree with those small leaves.
We had a great time outdoors, simulating a hunt, discussing practices, reviewing the necessary minimal inventory, and preparing for the season’s opening.
