I have had some bad mornings on the way out to my deer stand before and made way too much noise. Over the years I have compiled some tips to help you out. If you apply just one or two of these tips to your early morning walk you can reduce your risk of getting notice (in the dark).


1. Use a head lamp instead of a flash light. This way you always have light where ever you look and you also have your hands free to move branches out of your way. Don’t forget about climbing you don’t have to put the flash light in your mouth to have light.

2. If you have the option of using a red light it on your head lamp or flash light use it. Using red light makes it harder for the deer to see the light. (Remember they are color blind.)

3. Ware cloth clothing most any other type of clothing will make noise when you walk.

4. Make sure you have gotten rid of any branches or brush that may be in the way of your ladder or path to your ladder. (Or tree if you have a climber).


5. Before climbing into your deer stand make sure your ladder/pegs are all secure if not the may cause unwanted noise when climbing your tree. Not to mention you may fall.

6. Put your safety harness on before you go out into the woods to avoid getting noticed by putting it on at your deer stand.

7. Avoid clothes with Velcro they can be bad news out in the woods. Instead use clothes with buttons or magnets.

8. The best thing to do is know the area you are walking to get to your deer stand.


9. If you don’t know the area well, make sure to go over the walk in your head. If you visualize it, it will help you avoid braches or holes that can make noise when you run into them (this goes for #8 also). I’ve actually fell in a hole one morning and I made a ton of noise when I gasped. If I would have just mapped the rout out in my head prior I wouldn’t have tried to take a short cut.



10. Just remember sometimes going the long way will help you from being noticed.

You know you are doing a good job when you almost step on a sleeping deer in the dark. One morning about five years ago when I was walking out to my deer stand a deer jumped up off the ground no more than five feet in front of me. Needless to say I almost had to go change my pants.

Feel free to lend me some advice for my Hunt this Saturday



~ Ben G.
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