Hi, I'm new to this board an am a novice bowhunter. I recently purchased a new Summit Viper climbing stand and really like it. My question is typically how high up the tree do most of you go if there is minimal coverage around the tree. I have been going up around 12-15 feet. Is this enough to minimize being detected? Thanks
there has been times where i have been hunting at 10 feet with a small ladder with no cover and the deer havent seen me and there has also been times when i have been hunting at 20 feet with cover and the deer have seen me,. i would say generally the higher you go up the better but i think a lot of it depends on the deer
It will also depend on what ground is by you. If you are near the top of a little hill or mound you might want to be higher as you will be near eye level as they are coming up the hill.
There are many factors you should take into consideration when hanging a stand. Cover is the most important thing to look at. If you have a tree with lots of limbs and is multi-trunked, you can get away with 10ft if the cover is good. However, if you don't have much cover, or as mentioned above, you're on a hill, you'll most likely have to get higher, sometimes to 25-30ft. Climbing stands present a challenge because you can't climb into trees with limbs. When I use a climber and I've found a good area I want to hunt in, the first thing I do is look for a tree that is multi-trunked or tucked up against a pine. Anything to get some cover. I don't want to be hanging off the side of a tree in the wide open. But, if you don't having anything available, you have to climb a "wide open" tree. In this case, climb high, say 20-25ft and try to face away from where you expect the deer to come from. This way you at least have the tree you're in between you and the deer. Just keep in mind that the higher you climb, the steeper your shot angle is going to be. If you must go really high, I prefer to get off the trail I expect the deer to be on, maybe 25-30 yards. This way the shot angle isn't so harsh.
