They can help and hinder. I bought one and used it for the first time this year. One of the places I hunt is a river bottom and the stand sites are very limited. I have a stand in one of the few trees available that is big enough to support one and on the correct side of the wind. Got pictures of 5 different mature bucks and several smaller ones on the camera and 0 were during daylight hours.

Try setting in a stand for hours with any kind of confidence when you have 3 weeks worth of evidence that you won't see a buck during legal light.