Tree stand min height?

[RIFLEMANZ]

I hunt deer at about 17' up in a tree.Sometimes i get busted by a whitetail looking up.What height do you guys hunt from a tree?

 

[NWBuck]

I hunt from stands ranging from about 8 feet to around 17-18 feet. I've been busted at 18 feet and gone totally undetected at 8 feet. I don't think there is a minimum height. I know alot of people are fond of getting higher and higher, but I am not. Number 1, as I get older I become less comfortable at heights near 20 feet. Number 2, if you get too high the shot angle is tough on very close deer. Anyway...my advice would be don't get locked in on a specific height. Rather, look for how you and the stand blend into the background based on where you expect to see deer and use a heavy dose of common sense. Good Hunting!

 

[GunnerJon]

I usally hunt from stands that are around 15 to 16 foot high. The ladder stands my family constructs out of oak and uses are from 14 to 18 foot and are all excellant stands. Good luck and good hunting!

-GunnerJon

 

[wisco kid]

The minimum stand height we have on the land I hunt is about 10' and the highest that we bow hunt from is around 26'. We build our stands in trees, and build ladder stands from treated lumber. Most of our stands are the ladder type, and we make them 16' high. That has proved high enough. However, I prefer getting up around 20' to help with scent dispersion if I can. The problem is finding the right tree in the right spot so that getting up to that height is safe enough.

When I was younger, I had stands that were no more than a seat nailed to a branch while I stood on other branches or crotches as high as 20' up. Now, I have much more of a fear of heights and falling as I get older. I like the fact the ladders are much safer and we've even been building frames with railings around them.

 

[Pupster]

I think stand height also depends on the lay of the land. If the deer are coming up a hill they're more likely to be looking up. I keep at least one tree in front of my stand, so I can draw when they get behind it and plenty of backdrop to blend into. Most of my stands are around 15' but one is about 6' where the deer are going down a steep embankment, they are so focused on the terrain that they never look my direction. Obviosly there is no min. or max. just make sure you aren't silhouetted or skylined.
Pupster

 

[guitarzan]

I have a multitude of stands and stand heights. The height I hunt from depends on the lay of the land, and where the straightness of tree is. My stands range from 12' to about 27'. They're all in oaks and somtimes it's hard to find a straight one.

 

[hawkeye68]

The higher up you get, the less of an angle you have on the vitals.

 

[Admin]

I will never forget in '93 when Big Ern and I hunted in Mills County. We ran from work to a small creek ( new spot then ) surrounded by corn. We both had portables no steps and just found a tree. I wasn't in my treestand for more than 20 minutes when he came back to find me. After giving him hell for getting out so early he told be he plunked a nice P & Y buck. We walked over to his tree and I looked up about 8 feet and said "that's all the higher you were" he laughed and walked over to where he heard the buck fall. There laying in the creek was a beautiful 126 inch Iowa whitetail.

To me the key to any kind of hunting success is movement or the lack of I should say. You can be 20 feet in the air but if you squirm around alot you'll get busted. Sure it helps to get higher but is it worth your safety? I guess I average 12 feet off but there are so many variables. I just make sure my outline is what's NOT showing, so bigger trees, comfortable stand, the wind right and you never know what can happen.

Just me and my 2 cents,

TLH

 

[Guest]

Up here we have lots of undergrowth and the terrain is very hilly so I always go over 20", some of my stands are as high as 30". Hunting with a gun, I have to worry less about shot angles although when it's windy and my tree is blowing around I wonder what the heck I'm doing that high.