I had 1 ladder stand at 8 feet because of cover--shot 8 point 2nd time I sat it----Normal stand height for me is 12 feet---works for over 50 years of hunting-----P.S. I get dizzy after 15 feet
I doubt if I have ever killed one from higher than 16 or 18 feet. The lower the better for shot angle. I have seen a lot of stands that guys told me were 30- 35 feet high. It might feel like it to them, but they were much closer to 20. Thirty feet up is a very long ways and provides for a really crappy shot angle.
Many hunters make the mistake of setting up too close to the food plot or travel hub path. Sit back a little and have good screening cover and it's an easier shot. I need to rephrase that it was a mistake i made early in my food plot days and I have seen other hunters do the same.
Situational dependent. Sometimes 3' is high enough other times you need to be 20', or somewhere in between. I want good cover, no exposure to be silhouetted, not too close or too far & good shot angles. I look for the best combination of all of these.
I have one stand that is positioned on a drop off. the deer on the river bank are 30' down. Honestly, it's too high. but I have no other option in this area. The buck in my profile pic was shot out of this stand.
Situation determines how high I will climb, but I typically like 15-20 ft. I'm afraid of heights, so I get braver as the season trucks along.
I think you can get away with a lot more wind issues and movement when you are up 25' plus, but I usually just pick the best spot to ambush and then take whatever the best tree with the best back cover. Going up too high will give you tougher shot angles. The age of our woodlots typically let you get up to 20-25'...any higher and you are in the branches...any lower you can't see through the undergrowth.
It depends o your surroundings really I have a tripod stand surrounded in brush and thick that's I can almost guarantee a doe out of once a week and it's only 8 feet up lol if I have a spot by a hill side I wanna be higher and use my 25' stand just depends really buddy Mike4christ
With my hang ons I like to go 20 feet or higher. That being said I have killed many deer only 8 to 15 feet up a ladder stand. No/little movement is key. Bowtech Rpm 360 - 71 lbs 29 inch draw, Gold tip velocity xt arrows, HHA Optimizer, Rip cord rest.
I really like my 21 ft stands. Much higher steep shots get more difficult Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Another thing with height and scent. In the mornings as the sun comes up, the thermals carry your scent up and away from noses, in the evenings when it cools the air carries your sent down. There are a lot of other variables, but I'm more apt to push a questionable wind stand in the morning than in the evening.
