Marking stand trees

[GreatWhiteOak]

Just got back from a scouting trip found two stand sites but not sure the best way to mark the trees I want to hunt out of. I had a spot last year that i marked with a single bright eye didn't get to hunt it but went in after the season and someone had taking it. So what do you guys do mark specific trees to hunt out of in the fall. One a side more I hunt public land so trying to be as secretive as possible.

[Josh_S]

I recently started marking stand trees on my handheld GPS. This helps with access as well. I mark it as "Lone Wolf" or "Climber" so that I know which stand is more suitable to throw in the truck.

[isitseasonyet?]

GPS and memory for me, I mark a few notes in my scouting journal too and take a picture to help jog my memory...

[tgreeno]

I don't...but I would guess a GPS would be the best.

I need to get me one of those!

[Dewey]

I recently started marking stand trees on my handheld GPS. This helps with access as well. I mark it as "Lone Wolf" or "Climber" so that I know which stand is more suitable to throw in the truck.

Same exact thing I do. Also add notes in my gps data for best wind directions as well.

[tbunao]

Gps, log in the journal, black or brown paracord and a picture. For morning stand sites I'll switch the paracord to one with a reflective strip in it. Also the paracord is tied around the tree where the stand needs to be placed, knot where the v bracket goes. Only times the paracord is used for visual is the am sits, you can't see the evening sits even when looking hard for it and knowing its there

[Horizontal Hunter]

I mark mine at stand height with a strip of orange surveyor tape. I tack the tape to the tree with a few reflective tacks. My GPS gets me n and out.

Bob

[Jonny]

GPS for me. I need to hide my trees from my family members. Learned that the hard way.

Might try the reflective paracord for some of the swamp spots I am looking at where I am not really worried about somebody finding my spot. Will still use the gps cause it never lies.

That being said, I always mark a couple routes with tacks. Nice to see some dishonest people get turned around in a nice thorny raspberry patch or get a nice swamp dunk opening day. Probably pretty low of me to do, but I have had lots of issues in the past using surveyors tape and tacks.

My one exception to this is my gun spot. I have the last couple hundred yards lined with tacks for safety purposes. I put the tacks up friday and pulled them down monday. Nasty area to walk through and nobody ever goes down there.

[dirt nap giver]

Access route is GPS or memory. If it's big woods, tree is marked at stand height as well. I don't tack route or human height anymore.

[<DK>]

Like the others said, GPS will get you pretty close. Also a reflective trail marker and red light better than anything iv found.

[PK_]

Nite Ize Reflective Nylon Cord, Woven for High Strength, 50 Feet, Green https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004MMEHTC/re ... TybDQFZ3NE

Cut it about 6" lengths and burn the ends. very discreet during daylight. Lights up like crazy at night.

[Octoberjohn]

For all of my trees here close to home I can usually get pretty close without any type of aid. I guess I have a decent sense of direction. Another thing that I like to do is get a couple of larger branches that have fallen and make an X against a tree that is close to where I want to set up(never at the exact tree). If this is done correctly nobody would ever even look twice at this and think it means anything. But it can really help as once you find that landmark then you can get to your tree really quickly.

On a side note I was amazed at the amount of glow in the dark tacks/tape/ and whatever else that I found on my hunt in Iowa this past fall. I guess its one thing to put a few up to keep you on the right track, but a couple of the trails I use to get into where I was hunting would light up like a Christmas tree on the walk in in the morning. I didn't follow any of them to see if they led to stand sites but with as much marking material as there was in the woods there must have been 20 stands back in there.

[GreatWhiteOak]

I have a GPS so I'll use that to get close. I do like the paracord idea and the tape at stand height plus the X made with sticks. I'll be trying these on the next trip Thanks for all the good ideas or anymore that might get posted.

[tgreeno]

I have never needed anything in the past. Just my memory and years of walking thru the woods in the dark. But I've never had more than 8-10 spots total. Now this year, I've doubled that already. And still have alot of scouting to do. So I'm thinking about investing into a cheap GPS just for plotting stand positions & access routes.

[Bonecrusher101]

I mark the tree on my gps. I use abbreviations in the title of my gps. Also if it needs a little trimming I add in the word saw so I make sure I pack one on my maiden hunting voyage. I also add in preferred wind direction.

Ex. Vipersw or lwsawne

I guess if I slowed down a bit and made better notes I could make it a little more precise like Dewey mentioned.