Tree stand or no tree stand?
 

I was talking to my dad who use to do a lot of deer hunting and he doesn't recommend a tree stand. His reason was because it's too much of a hassle and not entirely safe. Accident's can happen. He have shot many deers using his 12 gauge and cross bow standing on the ground..

how many of you deer hunt without a tree stand?

RE: Tree stand or no tree stand?
 

I predominantly hunt from ground blinds, both natural and manufactured, but I also own climbers and ladder stands. Your Dad is entitled to hunt the way he pleases, but limiting himself is not a good choice. Hunting from elevation has significant advantages over ground hunting, and stand manufacturers has vastly improved their products over what he's probably recalling. "Hassle" is relative to the end result, if a little more effort produces a much greater gain then the effort is worth it.

RE: Tree stand or no tree stand?
 

With guns I hunt mostly from the ground.With bows usually from a portable hang on tree stand.I always wear a safety harness when I'm off the ground.

RE: Tree stand or no tree stand?
 

Deer stands give several clear advatages to me....especially when your hunting an animal that can catch movement so well and can smell better than a dog. If you insist on huntingon the ground, there are many different makes and models of ground blinds now that help give the hunters an edge.

RE: Tree stand or no tree stand?
 

I hunt mostly from climbers and a few ladder stands,but I've killed a lot of deer on the ground.I'll use a ground blind that is a manufactured one,and I also use the old fashioned"make one in the field".I see more deer when I'm high up a tree,but a climber can be dangerous.I always use a saftey belt to minimize the chances of falling.And yes it is a hassle to haul a stand in and out of the woods,but it's well worth it.I'll set up my climber and leave it for several days rather than hauling in and out every day.

RE: Tree stand or no tree stand?
 

Tree stands today are not much of a hassle and are very safe if you follow the basic rules if safety.
I hunt above the ground about 90% of the time with both gun and bow.

I actually feel vulnerable once I hunt from the ground. The deer now has an advantage....Of course it's just my opinion but I always
feel better hunting high off the ground, keeping my scent above the deer in my main concern.

RE: Tree stand or no tree stand?
 

I prefer ground blind because they're less work and you can move around more while avoiding detection. But I like tree stands also. A lot of the risk in using a tree stand can be mitigated by using a good safety harness. But unfortunately a lot of people don't invest in one until after they've had an accident.

RE: Tree stand or no tree stand?
 

i hunt from the ground we never used tree stands in my family because none of use archery hunt yet but i want to get into it

RE: Tree stand or no tree stand?
 

Honestly I didn't start hunting out of a tree stand until 5 years ago. The first 20 years or so I hunted on the ground, and I still do on occasion. It's nice being up a little higher, gives a whole new view of things. I use two 2-man ladder stands placed in various locations. One is 15ft and the other has a bad ladder section so I'm only up about 10 feet or so but even at 10 feet there is a difference.

RE: Tree stand or no tree stand?
 

Whitetail = treestand most of the time with a bow.
Whitetail = 50/50 ground or treestand with a rifle.

Mulie=almost always on the ground with a bow.
mulie= almost always on the ground with a rifle.