Reflective Tape on Stands??

[Caleb the bow breaker]

Gang,

Was thinking of adding some reflective tape to my deer stands to aid in early morning location.  Especially after walking around for a half hour on Sat to locate my stand.  Does anyone else do this?  Any thoughts on if deer will spook to it or not?  

C

I would not think the deer would spook to it unless they shined their flashlight at it in the dark!                          

They also sell little tacks with a small 1/4" reflective square that you just push in the trees to mark your trail to the stand.

Bisch

[Caleb the bow breaker]

Okay, I might have deserved that on the deer thing.  LOL  

[Pat B]

I've had reflective tape on my stands for years. It works well. I also use push pins with reflective tape on them to get me near.

[Zradix]

some sob's do follow other's tacks to find "treasures" to take home.... just sayin.

[DanielB89]

Originally posted by Zradix:
some sob's do follow other's tacks to find "treasures" to take home.... just sayin.

Exactly!  which is why I never flag anything.  I always use my GPS.  Now finding a stand is challenging in the dark, but i'd rather have problems finding my stand than someone finding my stand and taking it.  

I do hunt public land so I don't really leave my stand hanging, but some times I will leave it in the woods over night so i don't have to pack it back in to climb the same stand in the am.

[Zradix]

Personally I don't like shining my light all over the place..especially up high looking for my stand.

Somebody makes a remote control light you can put on a stand.
..basically like a key fob button you press...let me look for one...

there must be others too..

 http://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/smithworks-outdoors-sport-light-with-remote?a=1585640&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=WX2*0213149000000&pm2d=CSE-SPG-15-PLA&utm_medium=PLA&utm_s ource=Google&utm_campaign=CI&gclid=Cj0KEQiAsueiBRCT8YOM4PDElsYBEiQAaiI4IGyyJAIfKmMD84pQcCAL_pxuLXRZqDU27r_oDsvMIjsaAgtq8P8HAQ

[mlsthmpsn]

gps everything, no markers...on public AND private. Trespassers and thieves are more common than anyone imagines.

I was out this past Saturday. Some guy had been in the area some time in the past 2 weeks...he marked a twig with 12" of orange tape every 10 FEET!!! Right on a 2ft wide, well worn deer trail to boot.

I could see right where he sat;  must get lost real easy...walking out of this spot has 3 outcomes..river to the south and west, railroad tracks to the east, county road to the north. (he came from the tracks about 200 yards away)

I'm lucky in that I have a photographic memory of my walks in the woods. I can remember individual trees on single-day trips I took several years ago...I could go and walk almost the exact path I took.


As for markers, the Bright Eyes reflective tacks are the best I've seen in my walks...I very rarely use a light in the dark, but when I spot a tack, and shine a light around...those things light up like a runway.

[mlsthmpsn]

Oh, and mark singles on the trail...and a double tack on the stand tree.

[ddauler]

Been putting reflective tape on mine for years also.

[Diamond Paul]

I don't do it unless the area is very private, and I am sure no one is going to be on the land but the members/owners.  I've had a bunch of stands stolen off private land with public road access because I flagged trails and stands in order to find them.  Others can do the same, to your detriment.

[non-typical]

Deer don't care.

[hvyhitter]

I,ve got it on mine so I can find it in the dark after tracking. I never leave stands up overnight as I would hate to loose an expensive stand by being lazy...............

[Bowwild]

I hunt private land. For the first time in years I have the reflective twist ties leading near to one of my stands.

It keeps me from straying on to one or more deer trails that are very near my entryway. They work great. I put them far enough away from each other than I can only "see" one at a time. I use a green light walking in to this stand. My other stands don't require a light of any sort.

[gregg dudley]

On private land I have always used reflective trail markers (surveyor's ribbon before that) to mark interior stands.  A calculated, quiet and deliberate stand entry or departure are highly desirable.

On public land, there are two general approaches that I have used:  The first one is to hide from hunters as well as prey.  This approach can backfire if someone comes in and inadvertently sets up right on top of you because they don't know you are there.  The second approach os to flag the heck out of your area and hope that other hunters will respect the fact that you are hunting there.  The danger here is having a confrontation with someone who feels like you are claiming a spot on public land or having someone steal your stand.

I have kind of evolved to read the hunting pressure, hunters, and other factors to decide which measure to use.  I also tend to use cheap stands on public land.

[awbowman]

I gps to stand but hang a piece of reflective tape on stand for when I'm close.  I go in with a green light.  Most of the time I can find it without tape but it's an added help to get setup quick

[DanielB89]

is there any type of tape out there that is only reflective to certain color lights?  like a black light?  might be something to think about.

[DanielB89]

maybe something like this..  http://www.blacklight.com/items/bltape1?Open&CAWELAID=730009480000000925&CAGPSPN=pla&catargetid=730009480000009009&cadevice=c&gclid=Cj0KEQiAsueiBRCT8YOM4PDElsYBEiQAaiI4INTwJS8okvYW D3IHp3FoSjw-RfcZZ43ZlDEqaylBw7YaAgWR8P8HAQ

[JamesV]

I hardly ever hunt the same stand location twice in a row. I carry my stand in and out with each hunt.