Post-Season Treestand Chores

Post-Season Treestand Chores

Deer season has come to an end across most of the country, leaving behind a pile of great memories, along with tattered and scattered gear. And while some quickly shift their focus to chasing turkeys or springtime fishing, now is the perfect time to knock out a few post-season treestand chores. Here’s a quick checklist of what you can do now to be better prepared for the upcoming season.

Pull Treestands

It’s much easier to sit back and enjoy some time on the couch than to begin working on post-season chores in the deer woods. However, it only gets harder the longer you wait. Put it off long enough, and you’ll find yourself letting it sit all summer. Take a day, or long weekend, to get all your stands pulled down and stored away. Getting this gear out of the weather will extend the life of the product and keep it performing like it should, season after season.

Inspect Lifelines

Be sure to pull your Lifelines down at the end of the season as well. It’s easy to neglect these, or just assume they’ll be fine to sit all summer. However, squirrels and other critters will chew on these ropes. It’s not uncommon to find a Lifeline chewed nearly in half if left sitting in the woods all summer. Take them down at the end of the season and give them a careful look to make sure they haven’t been chewed or shredded by the local critters.

Replace Treestand/Ladder Stick Straps

Now is also a great time to replace the straps used to secure your treestand and ladder sticks to the tree. Don’t mistakenly think that just because they don’t show signs of abuse or failure, straps won’t break after sitting in the rain, sun, and weather all year long. These straps can become weak and brittle much fast than what you might think. Countless hunters have fallen from treestands or sticks that were hanging by straps that failed, despite looking like they were in proper working order.

Trim Lanes

Take the time to trim shooting lanes while the clutter and obstructions are fresh in your mind. The limb or branch that cost you a shot needs to go. Don’t leave it until next year. You’ll likely forget about it over the course of the summer months. Clean all limbs, both from the tree, and throughout your shooting lane. This is the perfect time to trim the trail on the way back to the truck. Knock down the limbs that slap you in the face on every hunt, as well as the limbs or logs that trip you up along the way.

Prep New Sites

While you have your saw out, spend some time prepping those new treestand sites you have on your list to investigate. Trim limbs, and prep things to make the job easier when the days for late-summer setup begin. This is also a great time to remove poison ivy vines and growth in and around your stand site. Depending on your sensitivity level, these vines can still cause you to break out in a rash, even in the winter. But it’s still a much better time to knock it out than when green up occurs.

So if you’re struggling with cabin fever, get back to the woods. Knock out the treestand chores that’ll help keep you safe, hunt more comfortably, and put you ahead of the game when the hot months of summer return.