Tree stands were best utilized by a dedicated goup of primitive hunters in upstate NY. Gravity played a big role in their hunting strategy. Feeling that other self-styled primitive hunters- archers, black powder enthusiasts, crossbow persons-had strayed form the cause of true primitivism by adopting in-line shotgun primer ignition systems and multiple geared compound leveraged bows, these doughty folk chose to return to the roots of primitive hunting. They hid in trees, dropped down on passing deer and throttled them with their bare hands. The most dedicated hunted unclothed, though this did present some challenges in wearing the hunting license back tag required by state law. Fortunately, the naked hunters found that the game wardens tended to avoid them anyway, so it never became a problem. As in all primitive pursuits, the movement evolved to tolerate increasing technological "improvement", as hunters began using sharpened sticks, rocks, manufactured tree stands, and, ultimately, clothing. This gutted the core principles of the movement, and it gradually faded away. Mostly. Adirondack deer hunters still occasionally report seeing naked folk perched on branches deep in the wilderness preserve, but the stories are generally dismissed as deer camp legends, or just some of the guys from Fort Drum doing their cold weather survival exercises.