how high?

[john mc]

i know there are lots of variables as to stand placement,,,,,but how high should be sufficent enough for your stand.

i see on hunting shows were some guys are 30 feet up..............................i'm around 16 feet.


what do u guys prefer?

[pgchambers]

I would guess my average stand is at about 22 feet, so I have to say I look for about that height when I am trying to find the right tree. However, I have stands ranging from 15 to 25 feet(30 feet is too high for a chicken like me). Last year I filled my buck and doe tags from 22 footers, but I missed a giant from the 15 footer. The height of the stand had nothing to do with the miss, so I am happy with both sets. I also have several ground blinds, so zero feet is fun as well, although I have yet to take a deer with my bow from the ground.

[rmontez]

I've always hunted about 20'. Personally I think you would be safe from detection, other than smell, at around 16'. This does not include hunting in an area with hills.

[Jslotter]

Its all about your comfort level. I personally prefer heights between 15-20 feet. Or, set a stand up in the nearest cover and concealment, such as branches, clusters of leaves still attached to twigs. Anything that will break up your outline will work. The key is to minimize your movement while on stand. I had a stand 10 feet in a crotch of tree once and in the right wind, deer would pass by very close and not notice me.

[Ohio farms]

I'm pretty much with Jslotter on this one. I tend to stay at 15 ft or so, the exception is a ladder stand at my buddies place that's around 20. After the first time i hunted that stand I bought a safety vest. Cover is as important as height for me. I've rarely been busted if I'm still. You would have to drug me to get me up to 30 ft.

[Sailfish]

The next question would be..........seat height, base(foot) height or eye (bow height) height?
I have heard folks use all three when they say how "high" they are.

I'm try to have my base at 20'depending on the tree (use a climber) I know that in the 15' range seems deer can "see" me.........sort of.

Ohio Farms, did you check out the thread in Off topic about "Ohio hunting season?"

[shaman]

I was a nose-bleed cowboy for probably the first decade of my hunting career. It just wasn't hunting unless I was 25 feet up. Then I hit a snag one day with my climber and could only get about 8 feet up a tree. I decided to stay and bagged the biggest buck of my life. From then on I got progressively lower.

After 30 years, I find 15 feet to be an ideal height. I usually hunt out of buddy-sized ladder stand now, and the deer could care less about me.

[Woods Walker]

Regarding heights.........

Be aware if you are bowhunting, that the higher you go up in the tree the steeper the shooting angle is (especially on deer that are 15 yards and less). When this angle increases, the size of the kill zone DECREASES. You also increase the chance that you will hit the spine, or the area just under it, which will result in a deer that..."I know I hit hit right in the chest cavity, but he ran off and we never could find him!"

With high angles, you also have to account for the fact that your arrow penetration point must compensate for the angle change in order for you to hit the vitals. On a steep angle shot, if you aim at where the 12 ring would be on a 3-D target, you will most likely MISS a good part of the vitals, as when the arrow got to where the vitals are it would then be UNDER them.

Finally,if you remember nothing else from this thread remember this..........when hunting from an elevated height with a bow, you MUST BEND AT THE WAIST TO GET THE DOWNWARD SHOT ANGLE. DO NOT DROP YOUR BOW ARM!!!

Best of luck to you!

[kellory]

Is a Chinese mountain. 15-25 feet on average, depends on the tree and the shape of the land.

[charlie 01]

Find your comfort level. You get up too high, and you are shakey about the height, you most likely will not be able to make the shot good. The older you get the lower you get. I used to be around 20 ft, but depending on the tree and location. Now a days 10 to 15ft is my comfort level. At higher heights, when you are looking down at that deer (depending on the distance), you are also seeing a good chunk of the deers other side,( past the spine ) giveing you the illusion of a larger target. Which could lead to a poor hit. It's happened to younger friends that do hunt high, and have lost deer. But some hunters do well with it. It's all about you and your comfort level.