hey all - my only tree stand is one I got at a yard sale for $30. I've been out of work for a while so nothing else is an option. when I hunt from it, I see nothing. yet I've started sitting on the ground, (about 80 yards from stand) and have seen deer daily (most in range, but hard to get a shot) is 12 foot just tall enough to let the deer see me? or what? I noticed I do sit more still on the ground, but still movement is minimal at best. I plan on moving the stand to where I am seeing deer, but am afraid I'll be to open and bust the deer I am seeing out of the area. what would you do? ground or stand?
I personally wouldn't go any less than 15 feet and ideally I like to go between 18 and 20 feet. That's where I feel most comfortable. But that's not to say 12 feet won't work. If you put it on a hill side looking down, playing the hill will help. It all depends on the path the deer take so don't hesitate to move your stand if you have a good tree with a decent backdrop behind you. Also consider wind when deciding where to put it. I'm not sure what type of stand you have but they do have extension ladders that you can add to existing ones. I would look up the brand or model and see if they have extension ladders and attach it to the bottom. Good luck!
it's an OLD one, honestly I have no clue what brand it would be. when I get some $$ i am getting a hang on and ladder stick.
Imagine you are a deer walking through the woods. As you walk along you are cautiously looking ahead as you go. Your biggest advantages are your sense of smell and seeing movement. A hunter in a tree at 12 feet is almost at eye level from 40 yards away and is VERY easy to see if he moves. On top of that your sent will drop quickly unless there is a good breeze or sitting in the morning when air currents rise. 12 feet is a real benefit to the deer in most situations. When sitting on the ground you can kill deer but you really have to hunt the wind and like you said, minimize your movement. I think movement gives away more hunters than their scent does because their movement can be seen from almost any direction. The deer have to be down wind to smell you and you can put the odds in your favor by setting up down wind of where you expect them to come from. Hope this helps.
I think i only go up like 16 feet at max so 12 feet is fine. The higher you can get the better though but i also use a ladder to get to my hang on so you should be fine.
I go to where there is good cover. I just moved my stand to a food plot and didnt go very high, maybe 13', because I had good cover and shooting lane.
I would hunt from the tree stand, I have killed plenty of deer from a 12ft ladder stand. When you move your stand make sure you pick a tree large enough that the deer can't silhouette you as easy.
well, as I said it's an old stand, the chain included with it minizes the tree size I can use, certainly nothing as wide as I am. not that I am really wide, the chain is really short. birthday is coming up, so if bills don't take the "bday money" I'll try to get some ratchet straps and get rid of the chain altogether. will also allow wider trees. i moved it to where I am playing the hill to my advantage, the tree I am in, is about 30 yards from the trail they've been using, however as I walked along (in rubber boots and trying to be as scent free as possible) i tried to see how I'd look. the ladder portion of the stand is concealed fairly well (not that it matters) and I think I have enough cover behind and to the sides of me to break up my sillohette. we'll see sunday or monday.... thanks for all the advice.
You can put your stand 3 feet off the ground and still kill deer as long as you have cover. Also it's not only about having cover in front of you, without limbs or brush behind you to break up your outline, you'll stick out like a sore thumb. My property doesn't have hardly any big tall trees on it because it was logged back in the day. It still has plenty of trees to support treestands but it's rare to find one that can hold a treestand past 15 feet, so most of my stands are a little under 15. Still kill deer
I dont like heights, so none of my ladder stands are over 12'. Sure it makes it harder to stay undetected, but it can be done. I have killed many deer from these heights.
I regularly kill deer from stands 8-12ft high and most shots are less than 20yds. Movement and playing the wind is crucial
I've killed plenty a deer at 15'. Never as low as 12' but I agree it will work fine in the right tree.
Killed plenty of deer at 10-12 ft high. Like others have said, it depends on scent, wind, and cover alot. You have to use your best judgement as far as cover goes.
If you have a ridge to set up on that could increase your height to hide you from the deer following the bottom of it.
