Screw-in hangers and screw-in steps are prohibited on most public hunting ground, because anything that penetrates bark damages the tree. What is allowed is anything that wraps around it: paracord, Amsteel, or webbing.
So the whole question is which wrapping system you carry, and where on the tree you hang the bow once it is up.
Both answers are below, and the legality part is messier than it looks.
It is not one rule, and that is what catches people
Hunters treat this like a single national rule. It is not. It is a stack of rules set by whoever manages the dirt you are standing on, and the same state can say yes in one place and no in another.
National forest. Forest Service guidance is that tree stands have to be portable and removed when not in use, and that you cannot put nails or screws into a tree. On the Hiawatha National Forest the wording is blunter: it is unlawful to use any item that penetrates through the bark of a tree to construct or affix any climbing device. Federal prohibitions sit in 36 CFR Part 261.
National wildlife refuges. Refuge-specific hunt regulations routinely prohibit screw-in tree steps outright.
State forests. Delaware's administrative code is a clean example. No permanent stands, platforms, ladders, or blinds, and no screw-in tree steps, spikes, screws, or nails.
State wildlife management areas. Here it flips. North Dakota permits screw-in steps on state WMAs, defined as steps you thread in by hand without tools, while still prohibiting them on national forest system land. One hunter, one weekend, two different rules depending on which gate he drives through.
That is the pattern. Federal ground is almost always no. State ground is a coin flip that depends on the agency and the specific unit. Private ground is usually the landowner's call.
Pull the regulation for the unit you are hunting, not the state you live in. And if you are driving to a new piece of ground, pull it again.
Penalties are real. Fines commonly start around $100, and some agencies will impound the gear.
The simple way out of all of it: carry a system that never touches the inside of the bark. Then you are legal everywhere and you never have to look it up again.
Three ways to hang a bow without penetrating bark
1. Strap systems
A nylon or polyester strap wraps the tree. Hanger and gear hooks slide onto the strap. A cam buckle or roller cam takes up the tension.
Good for: heavy loads, any trunk diameter, and modularity. If you run both a saddle and treestands, one strap covers both.
The cost: 6 to 8 oz once you count every component. The strap is a separate thing to carry and a separate thing to forget. Buckles rattle. Figure 90 seconds at the tree.
2. Cordage systems
Paracord or Amsteel wraps the tree. The hanger rides on the cordage. A quick hitch or a trucker's hitch takes up the tension.
Good for: weight and silence. A complete cordage system runs 3 to 4 oz, has no metal touching metal anywhere, packs flat in a pants pocket, and sets in under 30 seconds with a hitch device.
The cost: without a hitch device you need to know a knot, and tension is less adjustable than a cam buckle once it is set.
3. Wearable hangers
A hook that rides on your own kit rather than on the tree. Clips to saddle webbing, MOLLE, a belt, or a gear loop. Nothing goes on the trunk at all.
Good for: zero setup, always with you, and it weighs almost nothing. The Bow Hook is under half an ounce and cow-hitches to anything you already carry.
The cost: the bow hangs close to your body, and it does not solve where your pack goes. Best as a second option or a short-sit setup rather than your only one.
Where to hang it once you are up
Legal is half the problem. Position is the half that costs deer.
Chest height, seated. If you reach up for your bow, you add movement above your own head, which is the movement a deer catches. Set it where your hand already is.
Inside arm's reach, same side. If you shift weight or cross your body to grab the bow, you have added noise and motion to the one moment that has to be quiet. Think through your shot angles before you hang anything.
Off the trunk, not off a thin branch. A bow on a whippy branch swings in the wind all afternoon. If you are using a branch, use a thick one and load it with your hand first.
Test it before you trust it. Hang it, pull down on it, then let go of it. Every time. Not once at the truck.
Your hanger is not life support
A bow hanger holds gear. Your lineman's rope and your tether hold you.
No hanger on the market is rated for body weight, including mine. Do not step on one, do not use one to pull yourself up, and do not put any part of your weight on one at any point in the climb.
What to carry
Working backward from everything above, a public land bow hanger needs to be legal on any ground, light enough that you actually bring it, silent, fast at the tree, and complete in one purchase. That last one gets skipped and it is the one that bites: if the hanger needs a strap you buy separately, you will eventually drive two hours and find the strap at home.
The Wayward Wire is the cordage version of that. 3.7 oz for the complete system, which is one bow hanger, two gear hooks, a quick hitch device, and seven feet of paracord or spliced Amsteel. Nothing penetrates bark, so it travels to any unit without a regulation check. No metal-on-metal contact. Collapses flat and rides in a pocket instead of catching branches on the outside of your pack. Made in the USA with a lifetime warranty.
Designed by Green Beret Jake Roberts, who hunts public land with the same gear he sells.
Frequently asked questions
Are screw-in bow hangers illegal on public land?
On most of it, yes. Federal ground is nearly always no, including national forests and national wildlife refuges. State ground varies by agency and by unit, and a few states permit hand-threaded screw-in steps on their own wildlife management areas while prohibiting them on federal land in the same state. Check the regulation for the specific unit.
What is legal instead?
Anything that wraps the tree without penetrating bark. Webbing straps, paracord, and Amsteel are all fine, as are hangers that attach to your own kit rather than the tree.
What is the penalty for using a screw-in hanger where it is banned?
Fines commonly start around $100, and some agencies will impound the gear. It also leaves a permanent hole that a land manager can trace back to a stand.
How much should a bow hanger system weigh?
A cordage system runs 3 to 4 oz complete. A strap system runs 6 to 8 oz once you count the strap and hardware. Compare complete systems, not hooks, because the hook is never the whole weight.
Paracord or Amsteel?
Paracord is the standard and works fine. Amsteel is stronger for its diameter and does not stretch under load, which keeps tension where you set it.
How high should I hang my bow in a saddle?
Chest height while seated, inside arm's reach, on your shooting side. High enough to clear your platform, low enough that grabbing it does not raise your hand above your head.
Can I stand on a bow hanger?
No. Nothing sold as a bow hanger is rated for body weight.
Do I need a hanger if I only hunt short sits?
A wearable hook covers a short sit. Once you are sitting all day with a pack, binos, and a quiver, you want something on the tree that holds more than the bow.
Hanging your bow legally is a gear problem and it is solved.
Finding the tree worth hanging it in is the harder half.
Ghost Country gives you the skillset to self-recover if your phone dies and you are lost in the woods. Plus, it teaches you how to actually read maps and their different layers. Plus you get a master course in e-scouting for the highest probability setups. And an additional course on map & compass if you want to take your outdoor skillset to the next level. Lifetime access, 60 day guarantee.
Written by Jake Roberts, Green Beret and founder of Wayward Ridge.
Stay lethal,
— Jake