Curious how high everyone tends to go. My ladders for 3 stands go 28 feet, ill be lower, likely about 25-26 or so. I like being up there, get out of the line of sight. But I also hunt ground blinds and have killed a deer 15 feet of the ground. Cover being the obvious decision maker on this subject, but im asking if you have a rule of thumb height.?
My rule of thumb is always be higher than 12 feet. I usually hunt the 12-15 foot range and make sure I have a good backdrop and cover and really haven't had any problems
My bottom stand height unless nothing is even remotely possible but the site is so good I must hunt it is 19feet. I believe every stand save one is around the 23ft mark or higher this year...with one being at about 28. Activity witnessed and deer who waltz around me has increased a ton since going higher than what we used to do (12-15 foot range).
I have had success out of my 17' ladder stand but most of my hangons are 20-25 with an exception to a 12ft platform my father inlaw put up several years ago. its in good cover and puts a half blind up for the kids during gun season.
We have several 15 ft ladder stands, two 12 ft double-wide ladder stands, a tripod (just added by another guy not sure how high), and several hang on stands at around 18 feet. My buddy picked up two new ladder stands for $50 a pop on a 1 day flash sale from the sportsmanship guide and they are sweet. Solid construction, padded seat and arm rails...great deal.
I like to be at least at that 20 mark, I feel that being a little higher helps with your scent stream going over a deer if he comes in and works to the down wind side for some reason. most of my stands are 20-25 with two others being 28-30
I use this routinely...example I have a stand in a maple 25 feet high along a North South two track trail they utilize as well as a deer trail through the wood section to my right (two track on my left). There is beddding to the North and South of me all along me western side...however I can hunt a rare East wind just fine there because immediately west and across a creek where they funnel from the bedding to cross and enter the woods is an open pasture....my scent stream is high enough that it blows that way, over their heads, hits that field edge opening and experience a chimney effect! Low stand would probably equal lower scent stream and not being high enough to "blow at them".
I generally try to get all of my stands between 20-25 feet high. I used to use ladder stand from 15-18 feet high. When I switched I started seeing deer walk right under my stand and before I would never see that.
Well, I'm Deathly Afraid Of Heights. So, I Only Use Ladder Stands Because I Feel SaferAnd Never Above 15 Ft Lol I Know I Know, I'm Pathetic
Worked good for me all last year. My lease is made up of a crop fields and small wood lots, so i have to hunt the edges otherwise i would blow the deer out. I always hunt with the wind blowing into the crop fields so eventually the deer will walk past me into the crops downwind. Being higher up My scent was able to go over them and never had a problem. I also do everything in the book to try and stay as scent free as possible so doing those two things I was able to successfully hunt with no problems
yeah like TY said thats smart you dont want to push your limits if you are not comfortable. I only hunt hunt higher because im comfortable with. But I only use climbing sticks (safer then screw in's I think) and of corse saftey harness and linemans rope so when something does go wrong i will be safe hopefully.
