Tree stand height
 

I use mainly portable stands and screw in steps. I try and stick them about 16+ feet in the air in large oaks and other hardwoods. How high do you place your stands? Am i too high, too low? I need some feedback to understand the general trend. A lot of guys that fancy themselves as bowhunters around here are dumb as a box of rocks and don't tend to give any advice that seems logical, but there are a select few that have a load of trophies on the wall to prove their knowledge and success. Thanks guys i appreciate your time and advice.

RE: Tree stand height
 

I don't have a load of trophies on the wall so maybe I'm another guy that's as dumb as a box of rocks but here is my opinion. I'm 21 years old, but I've been hunting since I've been able to. Until this year I hunted anywhere from 12 to 16 feet, I hunt in pretty much all types of settings, hardwoods, brush, pines, swamp, etc. I try to learn all I can from the more experienced hunters, so this year from advice given to me I hung all my stands 25 to 30 feet high and would never go any lower. I've seen more deer than ever close to the stand, have only been winded once. I shot two does so far, now looking for the wall hanger! I feel that the hight of 25 to 30 feet keeps you out of the view of whitetails, along with keeping any scent you couldn't eliminate out of their noses. So the advice I have to give for what it's worth is hunt high, 25 to 30 feet, you'll notice great results.

RE: Tree stand height
 

I primarily use 15 ft ladder stands, so I'm not up very high. This is due to a hang on stand failure and resultant terror that followed a few years ago. I do not believe height is as important as background cover on a given tree. Your height should be determined by the tree. Some trees require very high stands, which result in difficult angle shots, others do not. Be concealed, play the wind, stay scent free and don't worry about a specific height in a tree, in my opinion.

RE: Tree stand height
 

I feel 20ft is the perfect medium.I believe that knowing the location the deer travel and stand placement are other keys to being succesful.ie not facing a tavel lane but placing your stand facing the direction of travel so you will not be spotted.Thats why scouting is so important in my book

RE: Tree stand height
 

Back when I hunted places where I could leave my stand I would try to hang my stand "in the tree" -amongst the branches for cover. 15ft high was enough.

Now I hunt out of a climber, I don't get any natural cover unless I cut and wire it to my stand. More often than not I just go up 20-25 ft. Starting tomorrow, I'll have an ASAT 3D suit to help break up my outline.:D

RE: Tree stand height
 

I'm a residential hunter with deer running rampant. 30'+ when leaves are down. There are too many little deer when the big ones come in. Too many eyeballs, ears and noses.

RE: Tree stand height
 

I hunted about 15 feet for years and 2 years ago i started going up to 25 (my pull up rope is that long and I climb till it gets tight) I have seen and killed alot more deer since I went higher. i practice at this hight alot pre season as well. for practice i go up a tree till my pull up rope gets tight and shoot at milk jugs that i have strewn around my yard. have my kids gather up arrows and send them back up to me for another round of shots

RE: Tree stand height
 

I don't have kids....I wonder if I can trian my dogs to do that? That is a great idea, I am going to have to try it. Thanks for the tip.

In answering the question, I hunt 15 feet up, and use bungee cords to strap branches to the standing platform of my stand. I use pine or cedar when available, to help mask any scent that I have. Hope it helps.

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RE: Tree stand height
 

ill be honest, im absolutely terrifed of heights..im really comfortable with my ladder stand 12 feet up with a bar across it. but get me 10 feet in a portable, even with my full body harness i still dont like it. i guess its just something i have to get used it. I shake my head when i see these guys going up 20 feet, sometiems 30 or 40...straight down is already a 10 yard shot...i guess if you're good enough to make the shot, go ahead...wont be seeing me up there to join you for a cup of tea anytime soon.

slayer

RE: Tree stand height
 

I try to hunt 20' with hang on stands. In my viper I try 25-30 feet. In my experience at 20 feet or higher deer have not scented me. Or at least the deer that I have watched around my stand. I had some bed down below me this year which is a first for me. It is also a pain because you have to get the deer to leave before you climb down.

RE: Tree stand height
 

It depends on what type of area you are hunting. If you are in rolling country then 16 is good. If you hunt ridge lines and have climb a tree from under the ridge then you will have to be very high. A good way to determine the height of a stand is stand about 30 to 40 yard away from your stand and look straight ahead. ( like a deer) If you can see the stand in direct sight then you need to go up. If you see the bottom or no part of the stand you are good.

RE: Tree stand height
 

I used to go to nosebleed heights where I carried oxygen bottles . . . :D

Now I use 8 screw-in steps to get me to 18 feet. A little higher when I use my climber. Any lower and I feel like I'm too visible -- any higher and I don't like the angle and I get too many branches in the way.

RE: Tree stand height
 

I use a 16' climbing stick and my stand is right at the top of the stick. I try to stay in larger spruce trees or balsam so I have the extra branches for cover and for climbing.
Right now my stand is on a 15' high nob that tapers into hardwoods and has pines on top so when I am looking out I feel alot higher than I really am.

RE: Tree stand height
 

18 to 22 ft for bowhunting. Any higher and the angle is too steep for me to be confident of a double lung hit. My gun stand is 38 ft up in a spruce tree and makes it very easy to see down into the heavy cover. I think I could do jumping jacks in that stand to stay warm and the deer would be none the wiser. It is crazy high but with all the branches around me I am very comfortable up there.

RE: Tree stand height
 

That's about the way I do it too...I have one of those seats that strap to the tree, and I carry climbing spurs with me. Too many times I'd have a stand in one place, and after a day or two, I"d realize that the big one passing just out of range...with the spurs I'm able to be very mobile...as high as you feel comfortable shooting from is how high you should sit...IMHO. :)

RE: Tree stand height
 

20' is good enough for me

RE: Tree stand height
 

the base of my stands are 15 feet max. Shot angle and poping both lungs on deer is very important to me.

RE: Tree stand height
 

I'm not meaning to snuff my nose at anyone man. I've only got one deer on the wall worth hangin and most people would probably pass him up. I'm just tired of some of my buddies around here who have never spent more than an hour in the stand trying to give me advice. I figure that if someone who goes through the trouble to join a forum is taking their hunting very seriously and i appreciate that. Most of the comments on this forum seem very thought out and those who write them seem to know what they are talking about.

RE: Tree stand height
 

sek_trophyhunter-------we hunt the same woods, and IMO the answer is just hunt the deer! s.e.k.'s diverse lanscape makes it impossible to determine a "hard and fast" rule for stand height.
when i hunt the river bottoms (mature decidious trees), my stands are 20-25 feet from the ground. i rarely go heigher than that b/c of bad experiences w/ poor shot angles....
i have stands that are only 10-12 feet off the ground in osage orange (hedge) trees in an abandoned cattle pasture..i would prefer to be higher to reduce detection, but prefer the "medium high" stands for clean double lungers ....this year, i'm going to try to hunt a new spot (tall native grass that's full of cedar trees, but no good "stand" trees) from the ground using a ghillie suit...time will tell if my "ghillie suit scheme" works, but the the river and hedge stands have resulted in a couple nice bucks over the last few years.
again, hunt the deer...if that bruiser is passing 50 yds from your stand, then i would find a tree 20-30yds downwind of his trail and ambush 'em there from whatever height possible for that given tree......

there's a lot of monster bucks in our neck of the woods, good luck and happy hunting!!

RE: Tree stand height
 

I would have to say that 20' is about the medium for all of my protable stands.

RE: Tree stand height
 

I am another one who does not like heights. I make my own ladder stands, and they are about 10' to 12' to the seat. I know that it is better to get higher than that, but you need to feel comfortable up there, and thats where I feel the best. Trust me, I get lots of crap from the guys at work, when I am building them.

RE: Tree stand height
 

I honestly think you should hunt with what you are most comfortable with. I only have my stand to about 10' to 12' from the ground and have shot and missed plenty of deer from that height at about 15 to 25 yards away. I have even shot deer as close as 5 yards away. A lot of it comes down to stand placement and how little movement you make.

RE: Tree stand height
 

I agree with Lucius111. Put your stand wherever you feel comfortable. I've hunted from 10 to 30' off the ground, but I'll tell you when you're clinging to the tree scared to death about looking down, there's no way you'll be able to grab your bow and shoot!!! I personally feel that watching the wind and picking a tree with some cover, wether it's at 10' or whatever, are the most important things. Good luck!!

RE: Tree stand height
 

I sure hope you're right!

I too hate heights, and would really rather be around 12 - 15 up. Otherwise, I think I"ll have a hard time settleing down enough to shoot.

The only problem is that the only good stand tree I've got is totally bare already.. no cover for me.

RE: Tree stand height
 

I have a tree lounge I usually hunt between 20-25 feet depends on the area that im in.

RE: Tree stand height
 

I've used all kinds of stationary and climbing stands and my tree lounge is the very best and most comfortable I've ever used. I feel. through experience that the higher you get out of them there deers sinus passages, the better you'll be in seeing more and bigger deer. The one thing I haven't seen anyone write about is the fact of areas that are heavily hunting in---the deer get very used to looking "UP" all the time for tree stands. If you hunt alot in one of these areas you know exactly what I mean. So being able to get 30' plus up in a tree is a very valuable asset. So all in all I feel the higher you get in the tree the better your odds of getting one of them "Wall Hangers". Good luck all with your hunting this season!!!!