Ultimately it's up to the parent or mentor whether a youngster is ready to hunt out of a tree stand. Be honest about their ability to climb safely and effectively.

The wind was perfect and the scene was set. Three does broke through the brush 30 yards to the east and slowly made their way to within a few feet of Tyler's shooting lane. As a father I had waited for this moment since the day we brought him home from the hospital. Years of dreaming and preparation had finally materialized into reality. It was an experience I will never forget. It changed my hunting priorities and revitalized my passion for the sport.

Watching Ty methodically go through the ritual I had introduced him to was thrilling. He held his ground, patiently waiting for the lead doe to take the last few steps. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she stood at 15 yards broadside in the open. Nothing but air stood between Tyler and his first deer. He drew, shot and missed! My heart sank and I felt horrible for Ty, however, while I was feeling badly for him he was pulling another arrow from his quiver. The shot from his bow was so quiet that the doe only took a small hop and stood again.

Again Ty drew, shot and this time hit his mark, which sent the doe bolting back the way she came. We backed out and took up the trail a couple hours later. Ty told me it felt more like a couple of days. After a short tracking job we celebrated the momentous occasion with high fives, laughing and a big hug. "Dad," he said, "This is one of the best days of my life." I cannot tell you how much joy and satisfaction that one statement gave me­--I was an extremely proud and happy father.

One of the keys to Tyler's success that day was his ability to hunt from an elevated position. Swirling wind and slight movements tend to have less of an effect if you are 15 to 20 feet in the air. We had spent many hours in preparation including practice climbs up and down trees of various sizes, 3-D shooting from a 15-foot platform, studying shot placement, watching hunting videos, etc. Before we ever set foot in the woods I had a high level of confidence in Ty's ability to safely ascend a tree with his climbing stand. We still had one hurdle to get past and then we were on our way...

Allowing my wife's "little baby" to climb 15 to 20 feet up a tree with a weapon in tow was not an easy sell at the outset. To say that it took a little convincing is to put it mildly, an understatement. Of course, her main concern was, and still is, safety. What if the tree stand breaks or slips, what if he loses his balance, what if he gets too nervous and forgets what he is doing and falls, what if... and on and on it goes. Now that I am on my fourth child out of six that will eventually ascend a tree in pursuit of whitetail, my wife has gained a measure of assurance in my ability to protect the kids and bring them back safely. We approach tree stand safety with the following key points in mind.

Tree Stand Safety 101
Safety begins with attitude and brings up an important thought. Before dragging your child out into the woods and ushering them up a big tree it would be a great idea to first ask--"Do you want to hunt out of a tree?" Of course they do, right? Not the slam-dunk that you would think. My middle daughter Rebekah shocked the life out of me this year when she declared that while hunting from a tree stand is tolerable when the situation requires it, she would much prefer a ground blind. She has already been hunting for three years and I just learned this!