Stand Placement

[vipermann7]

hard to say without seeing the area, every area is different. if the ridge is covered with trees and other vegetation, that may be a good place to hang some stands. if its bare and open however, dont expect to see too many deer using it. there may be places where they cross it, but if its wide open, most deer wont just walk on it, not big bucks anyway.

really the best thing to do get out find some of the heaviest travel routes. if you have any trail cameras, just set them out near some heavy trails and see what kind of pictures you get. when its time to hunt, hang some stands near some of the busy looking stands and see what you see. without seeing the area, its hard to say a whole lot more. i would just start by locating any heavily used trails that you can and start watching them.

[Squirrelhawker]

Lots of variables here.
 
If there is a good food supply at the bottom, and deer are using the ridge, I might vote for mid-way along travel routes. But, deer coming up at you can be harder to kill depending on the terrain.
 
Anywhere up on the ridge, be aware that your scent can slide downhill as temps cool off. Conversely it can go uphill as a day warms. Your most foolproof tactic after thorough scouting may be to bushwack them in the bottoms.
 
Also keep in mind that a mature animal may have learned to use the ridge to bed high up where they can see and smell efficiently. A typical big deer tactic is to bed just below the crest of a hill or ridge if the wind is coming over the top at their back. They can see downhill, and at the same time keep tabs behind them with their nose. This is where a properly placed tree stand or a good stalk can pay off.

[DeanoZ]

I think this thread is posted in the wrong area...should probably be in "Best Practices"?  Anyway just wanted to comment on the following..
 

  A typical big deer tactic is to bed just below the crest of a hill or ridge if the wind is coming over the top at their back. They can see downhill, and at the same time keep tabs behind them with their nose

 
I saw this in a show and then saw it first hand last week when I did some in season scounting along a ridge top.  It actually started out as a still hunt but my patience got the better of me and before I knew it I was moving quicker and being still less...and of course that led to jumping what was an impressive 6 or 8 pointer who was just below the top of the ridge..looking down the ridge with his back to me..and yes I was hunting with the wind..another still hunting mistake, but like I said I was scouting and threw stillhunting in half hazzardly.
 
My recommendation would be to set up near the field but inside the treeline perpendicular to where there is a well worn trail into the food source...for a PM hunt you can ambush them when they are on their way down to feed in the fields, just ensure you hunt that spot when the winds are in your favor...for an AM hunt do the reverse and find a spot further up the ridge, again perpendicular to a well worn trail, maybe half way up between the food source and where they are bedded down..  be prepared however to not see  a typical big boy until later in the morning.  During the rut its highly likely that the big boys are chasing does just inside the woods and checking scrapes on their way back to the bedding area...if you find a scrape line along that trail so much the better, set up near, but not on top of it and wait.  Best of luck...sometimes I think I enjoy finding a good ambush spot with good sign nearby almost as much as shooting them...its all part of the experience!

[TwistedX]

How do you like to place your stands? As high as possible? Tons of cover, not much at all? Climbers, ladder stands, chain on? What do you do?

[Patriot]

That's a very broad question....but certainly a good one.
 
My hunting area is fairly barren of trees able to hold a stand, so I take what I can get.  I have 4 ground blinds, one ladder stand (15 footer), one hang on (17 feet), and a few homemade jobs (lowest is 7 feet).  Never used a climber yet, but would like to especially for any public land hunting I may do.
 
In a perfect world, I would like to utilize 17-20 foot ladder stands.  They are just so easy to get in and out of.
 
I'm sure Woods Walker is thinking....."what's a tree stand?"[;)]

[4khorn]

The most important thing to remember when hanging stands is safety. Don't hunt higher than you feel comfortable. Never hunt out of dead trees and always wear a safety harness. If an area does not produce a safe tree to hunt from then make a ground blind. That said...

I have 4 hang on stands that I use but hope to purchase a ladder stand after the season this year. Ive been hunting just 5 years and all of the deer I have taken except one has come out of the same tree. I have never been busted out of this tree either. When I go to hang a new set I always try to model it based on that set up. It hangs at about 17 feet but what makes it so successful is the background cover that the trees behind me provide. Also, deer very rarely ever travel behind me due to several dead falls on the ground. In front there is a young tree to help break my outline even more. I also like to brush up my climbing stix up to about 6 feet so they are not as noticeable.

[buckhunter21]

Most of my stands are hang-ons.  I have about 15 sets I think right now, on two separate 80 acre parcels.  Too many some say, but I have something for every scenario and wind condition.  Plus, I have a sanctuary in both areas that I don't touch at all, so it works out.  I did just put up a two man ladder stand last year though so my father and I can maybe hunt together if we want, or my nephew is getting to be about the hunting age, so he wants to come out with us this year too. 
 
As far as height, if I can, I want to get 25 feet up, give or take.  This all depends on the situation too obviously.

[JPH]

ORIGINAL: TwistedX

How do you like to place your stands? As high as possible? Tons of cover, not much at all? Climbers, ladder stands, chain on? What do you do?

All of the above. I try to let the situation dictate my stand placement.

[Swandog09]

I have all types mentioned as well.  I like to use my climber to try an area out and if I like it I put either a hanger or ladder in place so I can get in and out easier.
 
The homemade stands that we have are usually for rifle season.

[hunt4fun]

I like to be anywhere from 15 to 20 ft up a tree.  The more cover I have, such as a big oak, the less high I feel I need to be.  My favorite stand is probably only 15 feet up, but there is a big v in it right where my stand hangs, allowing for ample cover.  It is right at the base of a bluff, so between ground elevation changes, thermals, and swirling wind, I rely more on being scent free than having my current above a deer's nose anyway.  I agree though, that you should not hang a stand higher than you are comfortable.  Not only does it take the fun away, when confidence is down, your shot may suffer.