Hunt from a tree stand or the ground?
 

What is your preference? I am wondering what most hunters do, since there is a good argument for both sides. What do you think? I personally hunt from the ground, but have decided to try using a tree stand more this year.

with this question it all depends on what terrain your hunting, but if your asking what i hunt in the most its the tree saddle. you can put that places climbers and blinds cant go, as well as where they can so i prefer the tree saddle and my parker compound bow..... let the bodies hit the floor, let the bodies hit the floor

The higher the better...And as m98jack said...Depends where your hunting...pines...swamp..clear-cut...etc..But in Georgia where i am..Higher the better..All my stands are 20 + feet and up

Like everything else things get over-rated
 

Tree sands of course never fit every location. Like west Texas.

But many inexperienced hunters wouldn't always know when to use a stand; when not use a stand. Some just follow the herd, wherever that takes them.

Close in during archery means the deer has a better chance of scenting you on the ground, than you seeing the deer first. If you have a lot of trees east of the Mississippi, it probably a good reason to use a stand.

However during gun season in cold weather, there is more visability, the leaves are off the trees and not having a tree stand enables you to move and change positions, more rapidly. If you have a good chance to see a deer before he scents you, I wouldn't opt for a tree stand. For this kind of hunting, my opinion, tree stands are over sold.

If you sit in one place, year in and year out, a tree stand might be the best solution to a hold fast hunter. But not all hunters hold to one exact place.

Almost always from a tree stand. A real advantage here in the deep south's heavy woods.

I Hunt mostly from the ground, I have only killed 3 Deer from a treestand in 23 years. I also wish at one time or another that I was in a stand as the Big One came sneaking in behind me and I never saw him untill he blew and ran off. But then again a stand will get burnt out FAST! also some may say Im Crazy but if you shoot a Deer out of a stand and there's others with it, they will REMEMBER that spot and teach the other Deer to avoid that spot. If you ever had a permanant stand built in a good spot and shot a bunch of deer out of it as the years go by they will slowly start to use other trails away from it, out of range.
A potable stand is good so your never in the same place a-lot of the time, a climber is nosiy but are good if you can be quiet. I like Hunting from the ground as I can be as sneaky as possible and the Deer have a hard time patterning me, plus there may not be a tree around for the good spot you found. Also others wont Hunt your stand if you have one and burn it out if your not there. So this can go all ways.....but I do Hunt from a Big Permenant Stand Opening Day with My Wife, she's afarid of Bears! LOL
Ron (BP)

I use both methods depending on my mood and the weather/wind conditions that particular day. I use a Ladder and Climber as well as hunt from the ground. I actually prefer the challenge of hunting on the ground, but stand hunting is too effective to ignore, especially during the rut.

I use both. Adequate trees are rare West TX, but I spend most of my time in one stand in one area of the ranch.
I also have 2 other ground blinds set up elsewhere, but typicallly don't see much game on that side of the ranch.

75% tree stand

i usually hunt from the ground. i love getting up close and personal, the rush is soooo intense when you're at their eye level.:biggrin:

i usually hunt from the ground too. it seems the older i get the less i want to be in trees. ive seen alot of deer this past year sitting on the ground with a very small chair and blind material. you have to use the ground to your advantage like the high points of ridges. ive done homework where i got my big one this year, they were coming up in a different area than in years past.so i moved a little. i think the deer used the different route because theres more cover.

Lots of good opinions on here, and I agree with lots that it depends on the location and setup. However, I have to say that I love the rush of still hunting. But then, that's very dependent on the conditions. Wow, I guess I'm saying that it all depends!

While I have both a climber and ladder stands I mostly hunt from a ground blind. The climber is for hunts outside my back yard, the ladder stand is for bow hunting at home.

I normally will hunt from a tree, but will hunt from a ground blind. I do feel you need to get your blinds set up in advance to get deer accustomed to them, but I will use any technique to get me an oppurtunity at a bruiser

It's been my experience that a treestand does give you an advantage however not everyone likes less of a challenge. 90% of my bow hunting is spent in a stand. 100% of shotgun is on foot. That's just the way I like it though :)

98% of the time from a tree stand. Its hard to get away with movement on the ground and leave too much scent in the area creating a ground blind, or if you do put a blind up of some sort it takes the deer a little while to get use to it. Although you can be more mobile on the ground, i just dont feel as comfortable hunting on the ground as up in a tree unless the terrain doesn't allow for a tree stand.