It depends, but most often in the average area I hunt I find myself about 15 feet off the ground. There is one place I hunt where deer come from an adjacent section of woods, across a small field and right to me...which is on the downside of the hill. I'm right at the edge of the field and the terrain drops off steeply like at a 45 degree angle. Therefore, in this particular setup I'm up about 25 feet in the tree which is only about 10 feet above the level of the field the deer are coming off of. I don't like going that high sometimes, but sometimes youhave to go to be successful and sometimes it doesn't bother me that high.

To high for me is not being able to get an easydouble lung in close becauseI'm attoo steep of an angle. Also remember that you can only bend at the waist so far. Another point to remember is the steeper the shot, the more bone you have to shoot through.

Geometry should also come into play here. The pythagorean theory states that in a right triangle the length of the hypotenuse(the shot) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the legs(distance from ground to target and height). So the distance on ground to target (a) squared and height(b)squared = shot distance (c)squared. So lets say your target is 30 feet (10yds) and height is 30 feet.
30(squared)+30(squared)=c
900 +900=1800 ft
now take the square root of 1800 = 42.43ft
the shot distance is now 14 yds

The higher you go the more dramatic this change is.

15' to 20'

I stop climbing when the tree starts to bend over.

Seriously, I usually climb about 25+ feet. Terrain has a lot to do with it. If you setup on a ridge, you might be 20 feet up, but the deer above you are looking straight at you. If you are on top of a knoll, 15' might be sufficient.

I ususally go as high as my faith will take me. I have a great fear of heights. Twelve feet is juuust about it. Once I'm seated I'm fine. I have a Bullet backpacker Summit. I love the safety harness. Wouldn't go up a tree without one.
Chuck

about 25

I go as high as it takes but try to remember that too high will result in tougher shots at closer distances.One thing I don't hear mentioned here is what manyhunters used to say all the time,and that is to aim for the back lung.Also smaller game at closer distances is even harder yet at higher heights.I shot a hog from about 15'up and just under my stand recently ,and should have waited till the hog got away from my stand a few yards more.The vitals at that angle are extrreemly small especially on the smaller meat hog that I killed.It is best to wait for animals to be a distance away from your stand and you not being so high up.In other words like some said, and we all should know this a double lunger is paramount.

If the deer look like ants you might be too high.

Seriously, where I hunt youhave tobe 30'+ when the leaves are off the tree. There are too many deer and too many eye balls around. You won't get a shot at the big boy if your below 30'. You will only be ableto watch him walk through. If you hunt a place where they come through one or just a few at a time, that is a different story.

This, taken from 1475 feet above the ground, would be considered too high: