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What should you be putting into your pack when you head up to a tree stand, beyond your gun or bow and ammo, to hunt whitetail deer?

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You're going to be up there a while... maybe a good book? :D – Timothy Strimple Jan 27 '12 at 17:16
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@TimothyStrimple not too good, or the hunter won't notice the hunted. :P – studiohack♦ Jan 27 '12 at 19:25

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You're making a big safety mistake by putting your gun in your pack when you climb into a tree stand.

In reality, it is safer to haul up all of your gear, including your pack, and your gun unloaded with the action open by a rope, rather than have it on your back where it could a) go off or b) hurt you when you fall. You could also damage the gun.

As for other things to bring, the list is subjective:

  • Hot thermos of coffee/other hot drink - you're gonna be sitting in one position for a while - as well as food with lots of carbohydrates and calories in it.
  • Binoculars to scan the ground below and the surrounding territory.
  • Depending on your game, a turkey call or some other animal call relevant to the game you're hunting.
  • Plenty of warm gear, including hat(s), gloves, a number of layers, and warm boots, etc.
  • The rest is up to you.

You can bring more items, and leave them at the bottom of the tree stand, say in your pack, and use the rope to bring up just what you need. You can always go back down to get something - as it can get awkward sometimes having a lot of equipment in the stand with you.

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Sorry didn't mean to imply that the gun was actually in the pack. But, you make a very good point. – J Lundberg Jan 27 '12 at 18:24
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It's all good, I recently took a hunter safety course, and so we specifically talked about tree stands and guns, etc... so just wanted to make sure. Perhaps edit your post to ask more along the lines of what you should have in your tree stand with you, not necessarily what you would bring up in your pack? Cheers and happy hunting! :) – studiohack♦ Jan 27 '12 at 18:52

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