You may decide to stalk your prey, or to take a stand. The biggest advantage to stalking is that you are moving around and you have a great chance to spot an animal that is on the move, mainly because you are covering more ground, But it also has its disadvantages. The main ones being your chances of gettingwinded or spotted by the animal are much higher.

 If you take a stand, and you have chosen the site carefully where you are hunting and are confident that you have chosen a good spot, you have the advantage that comes with height. You can let the game come to you. If you use a ground stand you will need to construct some type of blind (you can make one from the natural materials around you or use a camoflauge material). If you prepare, you can make the blind in advance (if you own the property) and please ask permission to hunt or make a blind on someone else's property.

 I choose a tree stand, the chances of being winded or sighted are slim if you know how to sit quietly. The main reason a lot of people don't like tree stands is a fear of heights (myself included). I have used permanent stands (preferred) which have a large shooting platform, and side rails. When I use the portable stand (and yes, my boyfriend puts it up for me) you must use a safety strap. More bow hunters are injured from falling out of tree stands than other reasons (they usually fall asleep).

 Another word on a portable tree stands, make sure it is set up properly, if you do not trust yourself to put one up, get someone to do it for you who you do trust.

 Try to place a stand a little away from the game trail and at an angle where you have good visibility and more open shots. That is a big advantage over ground hunters, you can see for a long time before the animal gets to you, and prepare your stance.

 How high do you want your stand? Me, not too high, usually between 10 and 12 feet,which is above the animals field of vision, without making for too much adjusting in your shooting. When you aim down with an arrow, at close range you need to 'compensate' and this is tricky. This year we are building a permanent stand that looks down on our practice target. Hey, anything helps.

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