Stand height and shot picture

[KentuckyTJ]

Don't know about you guys but all my buddies make fun of how low I hang my treestands. Two years ago a friend nicknamed one of my stands "The Ground Blind" if that tells you anything.

I like them low because first off I think I get a much better shot picture when drawing on a deer. Secondly and more important is I believe if you are to high hitting both lungs is much harder or impossible.

Am I alone? Do you all go low or high???

[ken denton]

About 8'. How high is yours? Ken

[KentuckyTJ]

Ken, that's because you don't have any trees over 12' in Texas, you don't have a choice. Haha.

[Big Ed]

My stand heights get lower every year. If they are in the right spot considering wind and cover there is no need to get a nose bleed.

[Guru]

I try to stay as low as possible in a given situation...that could be twelve feet early in the season when I have good cover or 25ft in a climber in late season hardwoods...it all depends

[reddogge]

My feet are usually at 12-15'.  One hole high and one hole low left a pretty good trail to follow, at least for me.

[SlowBowke]

25 feet............YIKES.  One arm would be wrapped around the tree and it's a sucker to shoot that way, for me. LOL

Mostly on the ground now but 15 foot was TOP for me, and Ive shot em with my feet low enough to kick em in the head if a bit closer.

Ill agree on shot angle. Lower is better.....and why I hunt on the ground. *grin*.

That and when I fall its not so painful now. LOL

God Bless

[Landshark160]

I used to average between 20-25 feet, but for the last couple seasons it has dropped down to around 17 or 18.  I can usually feel, while I'm hanging the stand, if I need to go higher.  Every tree is different.  Background, trunk diameter, shadows, etc., etc.

[mwmwmb]

kinda like Guru said. it depends on the woods and time of year i am hunting in. last year i hunted in a lot of different stuff and ranged from 12-30 feet. that was with a wheelie. I need to get the climber out and practice with the curve.

[James Wrenn]

It don't matter how high you go you can get the same picture and arrow angle at entry if you just shoot them a bit farther from the tree.I hunt with platform 20ft. If a deer walks too close to the tree I pass untill he is out far enough for a good shot angle.I had much rather have a 20-25yd shot on a deer than one at 10yds anyway.Close shots are great on the ground but the under the feet stuff is not the best shot from above. jmo

[Kingwouldbe]

KentuckyTJ, That is a vary good question, I have only hunted out of a tree a few times, 99% on the ground, still hunt & spot and stock all my life.

Because of Tradgang, I been looking into the trees, even got the  Wensel's tree stand book.
 

I have shot about 4 bucks from a tree, I like how unaware they are, this 5x5 came to 11 yards and I was about 12-15 feet up, standing on a branch ( no stand).
 

This was the Hope bow for 2007, this buck came in to around 14 yards.
 

We have a lot of geography out west and I am putting my stand up high, around 15-30 feet depending on the situation, because of the wind, it swirls a lot.

I do like how you can really wait for the perfect shot to unfold, on the ground you don't get that all the time, I usually take the first shot I know I can make.

I know I'll learn some great stuff from this thread.

[joevan125]

20-25 feet unless i have a lot of cover. I like to be able to move around without being spotted.

[Orion]

I like to keep my feet 12-15 feet from the ground.  The higher shot angle as one moves higher in the tree actually reduces the kill zone size.  It also increases the likelihood of a spine hit, which doesn't always bring the animal down.

[Jack Denbow]

I am with Orion. 12-15 feet.
Jack

[Apex Predator]

I used to go 20+, but now try to get around 13-14'.  I may go higher if needing to get into the canopy some more.

[allan f]

I am of the 12-15 ft camp......I like being able to get a side shot at 8-10 yrds.  I have found if I go higher it becomes a shot through the top of the back as an option and I have clean missed a couple of those that if I was lower I think I would have made meat.  So I like to stay low so I can't fall as far, and so I increase my chances of a good hit if my arrow is a little off.  Having said that each situations different, maybe high is the only spot in a set up then you gotta do what you gotta do.

Allan

[billy shipp]

I can't remember how many deer and hogs I have killed sitting in an 8' tripod....but it has been a bunch.

Billy

[Kingwouldbe]

A few questions please, I'm a newbie to tree stand hunting: why so low? (other than shot angle is better).

What about wind if your 8-12 feet off the ground?

Why go in a tree if your only 8 feet off the ground?

What about being seen coming to full draw?

The few I have shot were from much higher than most, it seems the higher the better, with a high quartering away shot, especially with heavy hunting tackle, the exit is usually coming out it's hart, on the bottom with massive leakage.

Thanks

[Mo. Huntin]

around here it helps to get above the foliage to see what is coming.  If I get 2 high I have to cut a lot of branches usually and may be very limited on shot distance.  It may matter where people are at and what the trees are like.

[Mo. Huntin]

that wind is tricky stuff.  I have sat in a tree with the wind in my face and got busted on deer.  So I came back and used some of those wind floaters and holy cow the wind was circling back and going right to where I was looking.  terrain really messes with me here.  I don't buy the getting high and deer won't smell you.