Whether you use commercially made tree stands or build permanent stands, before the season is the time to check them out. With permanent stands, wind may have loosened your nails and rain and sun may have rotted and weakened the wood. Repairing such stands makes a lot of noise and you want to get it over with well before deer season. Inspect your commercial stands for rust-weakened areas, cracks, missing or loose screws and weakened straps and webbing. If the problem is structural, such as rusted out areas or cracks in the stand itself, particularly at the joints or welds, consult with the manufacturer about repair. The folks who made it are the only ones who know if it's safe to repair. Minor bolt-on parts, missing screws and new straps can be supplied by the manufacturer. Check for worn areas that might shine and consider gluing on outdoor carpeting for quietness. Lubricate squeaky areas with graphite or mineral oil to prevent strong petro-chemical odor.

Become a line-watcher to catch more fish. Game fish often hit lures as they sink or "drop" and most fishermen miss this light touch on slack line. During the drop, with the line slack, you are literally out of touch with your lure and unless you notice a telltale twitch of the line you never know the fish was there. Spinner baits, jigs, grubs and plastic worms are often purposely fished on the drop by veteran anglers. They are retrieved a few feet and then stopped, at which point they begin to sink. Why this is so attractive to fish is unknown but it works. It also works in reverse. When a diving plug is stopped, it begins to float toward the surface. Again fish will often hit it then. Unless you are watching your line, you will never know. To set the hook, reel the slack out of your line and snap the rod tip upward sharply. Remember, you don

It seems like I write this all the time, so if I'm boring you, I'm sorry, but... You need to start shooting and sighting in your rifles in the summer for best results in the fall. First off, if any mechanical problems crop up, you still have time to get them fixed. If you've mounted a new scope, had your rifle bedded, changed ammo or made any other significant change in your shooting rig, starting your shooting sessions early gets the kinks worked out. Gun writers are particularly sensitive to this because we change our gear so often when testing new optics, new loads and new guns. All sorts of things crop up: Mounts that are incompatible with scope or gun, ammo that doesn't shoot as expected, new guns with mechanical difficulties that range from minor to major. A problem discovered two or three months before the season allows time for correction. However, two or three days before opening day, it's a different story. -- Larry Weishuhn

A late-summer look at your deer hunting area can pay dividends come opening day. Of course for bowhunters these benefits are pretty direct. Late-summer blends easily into early fall and most deer patterns change little before the opening of early bow seasons. However, there is a slight and subtle shift of feeding patterns. Grasses and forbs are beginning to dry out and deer are seeking juicier morsels. Cornfields are good bets as the ears ripen and apple orchards are becoming very attractive. Both of these will remain good bets into the fall. Wild fruits rather than buds are now becoming available. Persimmons, wild crabapples, hawthorns and a variety of other fall fruits and berries are ripening now and deer seem to know these things won't last. They feed heavily on fall fruits while they are available. Bowhunters should take note of what deer-favored fall fruits are available in their area and are becoming available during the archery season. Before the rut, hunting a food source is a good bet. -- Brenda Valentine

To overdraw or not overdraw, that is the question. There is no hard and fast answer. The choice is to hit hard or hit fast. The "overdraw" device extends the arrow rest to the rear. It allows the use of shorter, lighter arrows and may increase velocities up to 50 fps. Higher velocity provides a "flatter" trajectory and more accurate shots at longer range. This is good. However, the lighter arrow has less momentum and less penetration. This is the obvious tradeoff. Not so obvious are some other overdraw quirks. With increased velocity there is an increased tendency for wide broadheads to "plane." Thus, a narrower broadhead, producing a smaller wound channel, may be necessary. Also, due to higher velocity, shorter arrows and increased vibration, overdraws are more critical of bow torque and release technique. A mechanical release is a near necessity. You should understand the special requirements of an overdraw and consider both its advantages and limitations to make a decision. -- Chuck Adams