What are your guidelines to your tree stand proximity to bedding? What is the closest you’ve been able to get without kicking up deer? Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
70 yards and I have stands poisoned according to the prevailing winds. That said. They don't always have a "set" bedding and I have spooked big buck bedded directly under a stand...to call them back in in the dark. They blew out snorting. Stopped as I blew and stomped then ran for ladder. Half way up the ladder heard them stiff leg stomp back toward me. And froze. They spooked again and blew I admittedd and blew back. They left and an hour later came back to investigate the intrusion. Shot at 3 yards from tree.
All depends on the deers bed and your ability to go slow. My closest climb was about 5 yards. But I didn't know she was there. She stood up and looked at me just as I was setting my stand. Been successful a few times at 10 yards with does. Then shot them as they get out of there bed. For mature buck my closest know bed and climb while he was in it, was 30 yards. But it takes a very special situation. It usually takes me 2 hours to sneak in and climb the tree I want, sometimes longer. My ideal distance is 30 yards. If I can get that close and setup, I usually always get a shot. You have to get in there bubble with out them knowing. This year's buck I was 50 yards from his bed, that was the closest I could get with out busting him. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
I dropped my thermocell from a ladder stand an hour before daylight one warm November morning. Of course, it hit the platform and the ladder on the way to the ground. Noisy is an understatement. For several long moments, I listened to deer or pigs calmly move away from the hunt area. I'm extremely hard of hearing, so for me to hear animals moving away, they absolutely were inside of my max hunting range of 25 yards. The point of the story is if the wind is in your favor and you aren't a noisy klutz, you could climb into a stand very, very close to bedding areas.
