your thoughts on stand elevation ??

[DES]

12 - 15 ft in ladder stands for me.

[luckymike]

lots of variables involved.terrain,wind,cover.nothing crazier than trying to make a shot 30ft up with a 25mph gusting wind.love sitting in tree stand but age is catching up with me so now i mostly use ladder stands(15-18ft) or sit on ground with leafy camo suit.really getting into sitting on ground.had small does and bucks within 10yds several times last weekend with out being nailed.gets pretty exciting!

[Kegbelly]

I have 20' pull-up ropes on my climbing stands, so that's as high as I climb. My ladder stands are 12' to the bottom of the platform. Most of our shooting houses are only 8' high but we have a couple that are maybe 16' high.
The higher you go, the better view you have, it gives you a better vantage point over brush, undergrowth, etc, and you can see farther than at ground level. I think it also helps to keep your scent up above ground level. From the deer's perspective I don't know how much it matters... I know around here they have learned to look up and I've been busted plenty of times at all different heights.

[gendoc]

I use ladder stands.I take out one section and put em up.That is about 10 to 12 ft high.Have deer go right under me and all around.Just don't move when they are looking around toward ya..So y'all have fun in your 30ft stands.While I will still keep on peeing off my 10 ft stands and the deer don't seem to mind.

I feel the same way trapper, but my son seems to like to play with climbing
to the clouds.....

[Ont_Excal]

To each their own preference.
Going higher has a cost of diminished returns attached.
The higher one goes...............the smaller the kill zone.
I've had buck so close to me on the ground that I could have spit on him. Eventually shot him broadside at 18 yards.

During a muzzleloader season I was having trouble in a tree stand.
Got down on the ground and took a prone position in the goldenrod.
The next deer coming through the funnel was mine.
It never knew I was there.

There is no right or wrong answer.
I make my choices of stand position based on hunting pressure and the lay of the land.

[Pintail]

I use a 30 ft haul rope and climb to 25-28 ft. I practice this shot all summer long with a couple of different deer targets I have in the yard. There is a huge difference between 15 and 28 feet when it comes to getting busted. Sure it happens from time to time but no where the number of times when I hunted lower. Go with what works for you in your location.

[Riflemanz]

Gendoc, your son really takes a chance putting up a stand with no safety harness on.One fall and life is changed in an instant!

[amythntr]

I use ladder stands.I take out one section and put em up.That is about 10 to 12 ft high.Have deer go right under me and all around.Just don't move when they are looking around toward ya..So y'all have fun in your 30ft stands.While I will still keep on peeing off my 10 ft stands and the deer don't seem to mind.

I feel the same way trapper, but my son seems to like to play with climbing
to the clouds.....

....I heard the original name of "Stairway to Heaven" WAS "Climbing to the Clouds"....


Anthony

[gendoc]

your right, it won't be the first time he has fell.

he has his "snatch harness" attached to the lock-on which he has control of.
it comes off the right side of the tree which you don't see
attached at his waist. that's why his shirt is pulled up on the left side.

thanks

[Riflemanz]

Glad he had that on!

[gendoc]

[/quote]
....I heard the original name of "Stairway to Heaven" WAS "Climbing to the Clouds"....
Anthony [/quote]



was that when you were in your adolescence with conforming substances ?

[cevans]

I was up 20ft in stand last nite,,,small 8 pointer looked like he might weigh 100lbs wet,,fed in front of me and round me for about 30 minutes, within 10ft of the tree,,,then fed away,,then all of the sudden, hit my scent trail and tracked me right to the tree,,put his nose on ladder stick,,then went nuts,, and ran about 75 yrds to top of ridge, looked back and blew,,he never did look up and see me or hear me but he sniffed me from my hands on the climbing stick and halled his butt up the ridge. Busted no matter what height your at sometimes..now I have to move that stand for sure. Will make the move in the rain to kill the scent. He will be a good buck next year if he survives the season.