Treestand hunting for the first time need advise

[Morgan Anderson]

Make sure you give yourself plenty of room to shoot.

[Bob L.]

Thanks everyone, but there has to be more treestand hunters out there?

[lpcjon2]

Tree stand hunting is a learn as you go just make a note in a field book of what happens .Deer movement,wind,entry points,time of year,time of day,ect. and make adjustments with your stand.If you don't take note of your mistakes they become Habits and thats tree stand hunting.IMHO

[Bob L.]

UP!

[bearsfeet]

Bob,

I to am thinking about trying the tree stand out for next season. I have always just used the ground hunting methods. the areas I have hunted in the past have held few deer and that seemed to keep the hunting pressure down, but now that doesnt seem to matter. I think in the right spot even with presure a stand could work out well with people pushing the animals around.

Best of luck with the stand hunting this next sesason

[Hot Hap]

It's been 35 years or so since I've been off the ground, but I would put the stand on the inside of a curve on a game trail.
Hap

[jr1959]

I try to set my stands for 15-20 yard shots.  Get a good quality pruner and prune alternate shooting lanes.  They often meander off the main trail. Bring a friend with to help trim shooting lanes.

[paleFace]

Bob i've been hunting out of tree stands since 1978 when the only tree stand available was the baker... talk about a death trap.. as mentioned the first thing to do is spend time getting used to hanging, climbing up into, sitting and standing in it.

a great way to practice and get comfy with it is to have a buddy move a 3D target around while you are up in the stand.  shoot a few arrows and move the target. after a bit it will feel second nature shooting out of the stand. learn your max range and stick to it.  

as for tactics! scout, scout and scout some more. when you find good sign then you need to locate a good tree.  look for cover to help conceal you. i like evergreens (holly, pine, cedar). picking the right tree is almost an art form.. if you haven't read Gene Wensel's books on hunting whitetails, get yourself a copy.  He mentions that there are many good trees you can hunt out of but there is one great tree that more animals will walk by than any other tree. find that tree and your golden.  much easier said than done of course, but boot time will certainly help.  

Finding food sources and bedding areas will be a good start.  if you know what the critters are eating and where the food is you can put yourself in the right area.  note i said area.  you may and almost will always need to adjust some.  if you are in tree x and all the deer are crossing close to tree z then you need to move.  pay attention to the wind.  

once you find that spot your approach is critical.  use the wind to your advantage and stay in the shadows. i like to get in my stand at least 30 to 45 minutes before day light and i will sit until after dark. that said being comfy in your stand is key. if your seat is hard or cuts the circulation in your legs off you won't be able to sit long. find the stand that works best for you. if need be get yourself a cushion. bring plenty to drink and food to snack on. i keep hard candy and gum in my pack in the event i get a coughing attack.

as mentioned above animals don't always look up but they do sometimes.  because of that i try to move only when i feel they are not looking in my direction. when their head is down or they are looking in another direction is when i make my move. it's not always possible, but i try to determine the path of the animal so that i can get myself situated for the shot long before it presents itself. there will always be the animal that turns at the last minute and you have to do a complete 180 in your stand to get the shot, but that's why you practice during the summer months.

some guys like to bring something to read, or pocket video games to keep them occupied, but i am just so afraid i will miss something that i can't make myself relax that much. i do however bring a note pad and pen to write down stuff.  

i picked up a $1.99 hanging bracket at Lowes that I put in my pack to screw in to the tree.  i hang my pack and bow on these. (tip take a wine cork and screw on the end so when it hook is in your pack it won't punch a hole in it).  get yourself a length of rope and tie it to you pack and put d-clip on the other end to haul up your bow once you get situated and have your safety belt on.  

if you find yourself a good spot but the deer seem to get by you without offering you a shot you can always get a log or some brush and pile it up to create a funnel that will bring them closer to your stand.  I like to do this either just before or during a rain so that my scent is washed away before i hunt the location again. which brings up another thought.  don't over hunt one spot. hunt it a day or two and then move to another spot. have yourself a number of spots picked out for different winds.  

well i reckon that's about all i can think of at the moment. i'm sure you will get some more really good advice.

[joevan125]

All i ever hunt out of is lock-ons and i use the 20ft ladders.

Pretty simple just use a climbibg belt that made for hanging stands, put your stands up so that the game you after comes in from the side you shoot from.

Climb your stand and buckle in once you get in the stand and hunt.

You can read tons of other informationn on this subject but this is the best way to do it.

I once had 32 lock-ons on a piece of property that we leased for years.

[JEJ]

It will likely take some time getting used to looking from a tree at the “tops” of critters instead of their “sides” … they just look different at tree stand angle. One time a coyote ran right by the legs of my ladder stand and looking down on him I swear his momma was a blue heeler! If deer hunting you will be seeing a lot more “top of back” than “sides and shoulders”. Practice shooting from tree stand heights. Bend at the waist, don’t do like I did and drop your bow arm and shoot an arrow over the back of the biggest buck I’ve ever seen at bow range. Wear good safety equipment, someone back home wants you to come down that tree at the same speed you went up it!

[Hogcoots]

I almost exclusively hunt from tree stands in the Southeast.  I think everyone has pretty well hammered home the safety aspect but I will offer one additional point.  Don't go higher than you are comfortable. If you are not comfortable moving around on a relatively small platform that is suspended several feet off the ground, then you probably won't make a good shot when the time comes.  Find your comfort zone in terms of height.  

I scout extensively before I hang the first set.  I look for trails and funnel areas that will bring the deer to the stand location.  Once you are in the air, the deer have to come to you.  You can't close that extra five yards or so with a stalk on the ground.  Also, look for good cover that will break your outline up and be careful not to be exposed by the skyline.  Once I have my location determined, I hang my stands taking into consideration sunrise and sunset, wind direction and trail location.  I want to set my stand at about 15 to 20 yards from where I expect the deer to be.  I don't want to crowd the trail.  But while hunting, expect the deer to come from the least likely area.  That truth seems to never fail me.  

When I hang the stand, I like to have my son go with me and we take one of those extension limb trimmers/saws that you can get from the hardware store.  I will climb into the stand and direct my son on which limbs to trim.  It may be just me but things look different from ground level and stand level.  If I try to trim by myself, I usually end up missing a spot that I later regret.  I hang my stands and trim in July to hunt in mid-September.  This gives the deer plenty of time to acclimate.

As everyone has already said, first and foremost, hunt safely.  Good luck and post some pictures of that bruiser after you put him down.

[Bob L.]

This is great stuff THANK YOU!

[Jock Whisky]

Bob I started using a lineman's belt a few years ago. Absolutely the best addition to my treestand equipment other than the safety harness. It frees up your hands and allows you to keep both feet on the steps when installing.

JW

[Coates Head]

The main thing that you need to understand is that you are not looking for the right area to set up your treestand.  You are looking for the exact spot to put it.  Figure out where most of the deer are coming from and what wind direction that will work best and put your stand up accordingly.  You are better off not putting up a stand than having one in a marginal tree that will educate animals when they bust you.

The only other thing that I can add for someone that has never treestand hunted is that generally animals are more wary outside of 15 yards than they are when they get closer than that.  It is like they don't think anything dangerous to them could get that close undetected.  I feel like i can get away with a lot more movement when they are close.

Good luck and be carefull.

[Bob L.]

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