Labor Day Weekend…hot days and cool nights means that September has arrived and the wind down of summer has begun. However another season is revving up as the start of hunting season and fall harvest has begun.

Apples and acorns are starting to drop and wildlife hasn’t let that occurrence go by without notice.

Deer love acorns and apples and if you have those fruits in your hunting areas they will draw much attention from the local wildlife.

Plenty of archery hunters also know that setting up tree stands in these areas can prove to be a successful way to harvest a deer in the upcoming archery season which starts in less than a month away on Oct. 3.

Placing tree stands is an effective tool for hunting but it also can be a legal issue if not done properly. The number one rule is that you don’t place any tree stands up on private property without landowner permission.

The landowner can be pretty irate when an individual decides to squat on their property without permission.

Tree damage may occur with poorly designed climber stands or hunters breaking or sawing branches.

The cost of a damaged tree can be high and hunters have little defense when a landowner involves the law. Remember to ask permission and respect the land owners’ property.

Hunting on public grounds such as the game lands also requires attention to detail when setting up tree stands.

The PA Game Commission is well aware of the effectiveness of using various tree stands and blinds for hunting.

Archery hunters’ start scouting out areas to hunt and it usually means finding the perfect tree to set up on.

In the past hunters might lay claim to a hunting area by placing their tree stands up well in advance of the hunting season and leaving the stand up all season long. Portable hunting blinds or stands are permitted to be placed overnight on State Game Lands but not without compliance with new regulations adopted by the PGC.

Portable stands on any State Game Lands may be placed overnight two weeks prior to the opening of the first deer season within each WMU and must be removed within two weeks after the close of the last deer season. Around this part that means that the first day that you can put up your stands for archery season is on Saturday September 19th in advance of the October 3rd archery opener.

All portable stands and blinds placed overnight on any State Game Land or any PGC Public access program property is required to be conspicuously marked with a durable identification tag. The tag must be legible and have the hunters’ first name, last name and home address in English.

The PGC has also set up a plan that will provide you with a permanent Tree Stand Identification Number that can be used on any of your stands or blinds.

This tag can be used in place of a tag bearing your name and address. Instead you will use your CID number and your PGC Tree Stand Identification Number on your tag.

These tags must still be attached to your stand or blind and readily visible.

Remember it is unlawful to construct, place, maintain, occupy, use, leave or abandon any structures or other tangible property on State Game Lands except under the conditions set forth above.

We all have run across old stands abandoned in the woods along with buckets and chairs sitting at long used favorite crossings.

These items are litter and have no place on our public lands which need to be left pristine in their natural state.

To obtain a PGC Tree Stand Identification number you must go online at the PGC Outdoor Shop. You will need a printer to print the confirmation page of your number as the PGC will not mail them.

The number issued by this application is permanent and can be used to tag a blind or tree stand for the lifetime of the hunter.

The same number will be used each year and on any stands or blinds that you use.

There is an upside to this new requirement as it will assist others in tracking stolen property.

If you permanently mark your stands with the Tree Stand and CID numbers a stolen tree stand is easily identifiable as your property and can be used for recovery and identification.

Until we meet again; get your stands in order, pick out a great location, get permission and be a straight shooter in all things!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.