Just about any kind of game is easily spooked by motion. Even so much as a flick of an eyelid can send an edgy whitetail to the nearest exit in high gear, and anything but ultra slow motion will alert that elk you are stalking. This is why I cringe whenever I see an ad for a “bow hanger” you can attach to the side of the tree you are sitting in.

When that whitetail materializes out of nowhere, how much commotion will you make before you can get your weapon off the rack and into shooting position? The counterpart of the tree sitter with his hanger is the person who hunts out of a ground stand who props his bow against a tree or sets it on their lap. Upstairs or basement level, being caught flat-footed with your bow somewhere other than in your hand can end an opportunity in a hurry.

Years ago, I sewed a little pouch to the leg on my hunting pants. When standing, the lower tip of the bow slips into the pouch, which carries the weight and keeps it at the ready. With a minimum of movement, I can raise it an inch or so and have it in the ideal place to draw quickly when the animal looks away.

Sitting calls for a similar technique only the sewn pocket is replaced by my boot, the stand’s footrest, or the ground. While I wait for my “trophy” (frying pan, usually) to saunter past my blind, the lower limb of my recurve rests just in front of me, and my bow hand is on or near the grip. Thus, raising and moving the bow to drawing position can be done with an absolute minimal movement. In cold weather the other hand is usually burrowed into a pocket, but slowly goes to the string at the first suspicious sound or movement.

Although it may not be as easy, it’s well worth being “at the ready” rather than relaxing with the bow dangling from a holder or in the lap.