I think stands are a great way to go. Especially if you hunt in an area with a lot of hunters. You don't want to stalk a deer and possible push that deer to someone else. Also, stands allow you to see much further. It gives you a better idea of how and where the deer move and keeps (in some cases) the deer from seeing and smelling you. The only draw back is it can be dangerous and the first time you install your stand it can be noisey.