Hi Guys. First post so go easy on me A little background. I am UK based (where bow hunting is illegal) I do a lot of rifle work taking or guiding about 100 kills a year. I have recently got my first bow (bowtech assassin) for international hunts. I have spent a fair bit of time on here reading about bow hunting and I just don't get the whole idea behind tree stands. For me the hunt is about getting close to my quarry, most of my rifle shots are taken under 80 yards, closest so far this year was about 8. To me treestands just look like ambush hunting, you wait around hoping that something will come past. Would you time not be better spent glassing the area and stalking the animals? Please educated me as I love to learn the reasoning behind hunting methods. I assume the treestand is a similar principle to a highseat. On my hunting ground I have 74 highseats and very rarely use them.
For my area its so flat with minimal cover between open fields, there really isnt an opportunity to spot and stalk. You just cant get across the open flat ground without the animal seeing you coming. Also, the undergrowth can get thick making it extremely difficult to stalk up and be able to keep an eye on your prey. We have tried several different approaches and it just about always ends up being a push the deer and an ambush set up at the end.
Most shots with a bow are under 20 yards. Sneaking up on a deer at that range is very difficult if not impossible considering how sharp the average Whitetail buck is. Treestand hunting is more than sitting around hoping something comes along. The key is to find travel routes and areas where you know there will be deer activity. The elevated stand also gives you a much larger area to shoot since you are up above a lot of vegetation. Bow hunters and gun hunters created the treestand to improve their odds and give then a larger vantage point.
Spot and stalk is very popular here in the states as well, for many big game animals. However, whitetails aren't one of them. Most hunting for them is out of treestands or blinds, ambush style. The idea is to learn everything you can about a particular buck, for example, and try to setup on him. It's a cat and mouse game really. Some do spot and stalk whitetails as well, but usually the terrain we often hunt them in, makes it difficult and your much better suited paying attention to wind directions and setting up where you think he'll show up.
Another issue that I just thought of is you may only have permission to hunt 100 acres (sometimes much less). If the deer arent on ground that you have permission to hunt your're screwed. If you try to stalk and push them off the ground you do have permission to hunt, you just screwed yourself again.
All of the above are correct. Good luck trying to stalk a mature whitetail through a forest floor full of honeysuckle, autumn olive, briars, dead falls, etc. I got within 35 yards one time of a 125" 8pt. Still hunting with a steady 25-35mph wind in my face. He was bedded in a dead fall. I probably should have tried to get a shot. I felt he was just too small once I got to check him out. I do think though that if I see a doe in the field this year, I may try my hand at a spot and stalk on one... Well see.
I think all of these are great points - it should be noted that stand placement is very scientific. It's not as simple as placing a tree and waiting on deer to walk into range. Your looking at winds, food sources, time of day, bedding areas, travel routes - all of these factors have to be taken into consideration and even then you might not be able to get a deer within shooting range. I have 4 properties that I hunt in Indiana - all are between 30 and 60 acres, no more - no less. I can't really spot and stalk deer on the property - now on occasion if I see a doe while I'm walking back to the truck during shooting hours I might try and stalk her - but it's not the preferred method of hunting whitetail.
Where I hunt man there is no glassing....I hunt mostly big woods with ag field adjoining. The only problem is the roads that run right beside them and steady traffic. I do not get get to sit on a hill and glass a huge secluded alfalfa field with 100 deer in it. I cannot use rocks or trees to sneak into range of a certain animal. I wish I had that option though because I think that is an awesome way to hunt. Like the other guys said though, It is about first finding the animals and then positioning yourself b/w then and where ever they are traveling or wanting to be whether it's to eat or sleep... I hunt from groundblinds and treestands and as much as I like to be on the ground I prefer the stand...
Spot & stalk doesn't work in my area. If you spot it, it's in bow range. I spend 98% of my time hunting from treestands, though I'd love to go on a Muley spot & stalk hunt out west some day.
Just like anything else sports, business, fights with the wife, etc you have to decide on what the best tactics are for you to win the the battle. Just so happens in a lot of the country the best tactic is a tree-stand. Many reasons already listed the most prevalent being terrain and limited land. Any good hunter, coach, businessman always tries to take advantage of whatever tactics give you the best chance for the win.
There's also an art to calling and rattling them in as to allow a shot that u may not otherwise have. But it seems to me that that also coincides with the art of tracking and setting up in the most opportune places.. Nock em down, Drag em out!!
For me, its the limits of property I hunt. People don't take to kindly to someone coming on their property to spot and stalk. Our low populated areas are probably almost as densely populated as many of the towns out where you are from. This means limited access to land. Another factor is that Whitetail are probably one of the hardest deer species in the world to hunt aside from maybe Coues deer (which I would love to hunt some day) or antelope. They have extremely sensitive noses and their hearing is pretty dang sharp as well. Their vision isn't super but, it doesn't have to be. If they even think they see, smell or hear anything, they are gone. Ive seen video of a house cat scaring a huge buck off. Imagine a human trying to sneak up on one.
Welcome and great question. Most of the good answers have been given but I'll add one more. A treestand allow you to control and predict your shooting lanes and distances much more accurately. In thick areas, this is enormously difficult but from a treestand, you can clear away or avoid possible obstacles before your game shows. It just depends on the terrain you are hunting.
Lol go try and stalk a deer in crunchy leaves and brush. Wtf. Sounds like you have a problem with ambushing. 400 yard shot easier than an "ambush".
Have you not heard of the non-crunchy leaves we have in Europe? Did you actually read my post ? Firstly I would never shoot at anything over 200 yards. If I cant get closer than that then I should not be hunting. Secondly last year I took 2 fallow out of a herd of 10 from about 30 yards with a rifle stalking through crunchy leaves and brush. Everyone else thank you for your answers, I now better understand the problems. The one that makes most sense to me is the size of the land you hunt over.
That was just great. Someone from another country comes on this website, asks a valid question concerning two different types of hunting and for the most part gets courteous, intelligent answers. Then comes the crap you posted as a response. Nice job, ace.
Great response, welcome to the forum. One thing that I haven't seen mentioned that I'm concerned with is safety. I hunt some busy public lands and, for myself, I feel safer in the stand as it's elevated as it keeps me out of the line of fire from bullets/slugs and arrows in case someone else is hunting and doesn't see me. Out of curiosity, why is bowhunting illegal over there?
I still hit the ground from time to time, but stalking a deer in the woods around here is just setting yourself up for failure. I do enjoy what we call still hunting and I do that with a muzzleloader and rifle. This isn't necessarily stalking, but moving very quietly and slowly through the woods hoping to cross paths with a deer or get a shot on one before it busts you. It's just too thick here to glass and move in on one. That stinks you can't bow hunt in England. You guys do have Kate Middleton and her sister... They're hot. Just sayin...
Just out of curiosity what rifle calibers are popular for hunting in England? In Ky I would say 30-06, 270, and 30-30 are the big three followed by the 308 and 243.
