Hardcore Treestander?

[Ryan Avery]

2rocky, I have killed them from both. I get just as amped in a tree as I do on the ground! When that bull is screaming it really don't matter!

 

[2rocky]

Ryan, I just noticed North Idaho was your stomping ground. Now I understand... you have to get above the alders and brush!

Where do you call Home? I was a Vandal for 5 years and Spent Summer on the St. Joe.

 

[RUTTIN]

Having never hunted from a tree stand, I can't imagine why someone would want to cheat themselves out of being on eye level with such a majestic and adrenaline inducing animal?

I like Maxhunter live in Utah and the hunt starts so early that a lot of the bulls have not started to rut yet. So I find a treestand over a wallow or water hole very productive during the early season, but like you when they start to sing I love to hunt them on the ground.

 

[Ryan Avery]

I live in Coeur d' Alene. I do love the North Idaho hell holes!

 

[slim9300]

My dad and I have two Lone Wolf Alpha treestands about 6 miles back in MT on the best series of wallows you can imagine. It's in the middle of a blowdown hell hole about 2/3's the way up a north facing slope. My dad hunted the spot for 5 day last year very early Sept. and couldn't get a shot at a nice 320-330" 6x6 that walked through on opening day without stopping (he thought it was going to wallow) and couldn't find a equally nice 6x6 that came in with a heavy 5x5 a few days later. He said the elk never knew what happened and the shot was exactly where he aimed. He looked for 3 days straight and couldn't find the arrow, a drop of blood or the elk obviously. My partner and I helped look for about 6 hours with the same result. Either way, that wallow system isn't even heavily used until about Sept. 10th though the 18th. At that point there are normally 2-3 bulls using it daily.

And of course we pack the treestands in and out every year.

 

[Ryan Avery]

Bring this back up. Did anyone have any luck from a tree in 2012?

 

[sneek-ee]

ryan, the bull i killed here in utah was over water in a stand. not exactly on the water, cause the water is in the wide open with no cover around it, the trees stop a hundred or so yards from it, but just on the trail to the water.

p.s. i did not pack it in on my back! my horse did. i'm not THAT tough.

 

[Blackcow]

At least that far,every year,for elk coues and sometimes mulies . Either for my use or others. It worked in2012, 2011, 2010,etc, and I suspect it will work in 2013. I like a lone wolf,or a gorilla, with sticks. Just stash it till it's needed,usually .

 

[big10hunter]

Ryan, have you ever had any success with a treestand?

 

[Ryan Avery]

I have killed 5 bulls and a cow from a tree. Plus one unlucky bear that happen to walk by!

 

[HellsCanyon]

I have killed 5 bulls and a cow from a tree. Plus one unlucky bear that happen to walk by!

Holy bull! You actually posted some pictures... keep up the good sharing bud!

I've never hunted from a stand but have thought about it for those Idaho panhandle elk. Getting up out of the wind a bit and having a few more shooting lanes could be pretty successful I imagine...

Mike

 

[armyjoe]

I think after this thread I'm totally gonna give this treestand thing a go. There is a very small meadow in this bowl by where I hunt and it has a very active wallow in it but the dang wind is beyond horrible to get in and hunt it. I've thought about trying one of the heavy hit trails going into the bowl but its really really rough. I think the treestand on the trail might be a good deal. Its 4 1/2 miles in (SUCKY!) but through the spotting scope I've seen two HUGE bulls always in this wallow so probably will be worth it.

You guys hunt trails with the treestands or water sources? Just trying to see where my setup would have better placed.

 

[Ryan Avery]

Swede that comes on this site wrote a book about tree stand hunting for elk. It's a very good book. You can find it on Elknut's website. I always use a water source of some kind(wallow, creek crossing) I have a few friends that have killed some monsters using a stand. I like it as a change of pace from running and gunning.

 

[armyjoe]

Thanks Ryan, I 'm gonna check out that book for sure. I definitely agree with you about the change of pace.

 

[Blackcow]

Water or a wallow,usually,if possible. I know of a couple rock drinkers that make a treestand or blind unfeasable so I set up on the bench above or the saddle leading to.

 

[robby denning]

The only archery hunter we guided this year killed his bull from the treestand. Last year's archer only chance at the herd bull (BIG bull) had him at 60 yards from the same tree. In a week of calling and chasing from the ground, never got that close.

In this day/age of bugle shy elk on public land, I think a treestand should be in most hunters arsenal. I can think of a half-dozen spots in the backcountry of Idaho/Wyoming where a treestand would be deadly.
Way way back in the day when I still carried an elk tag while buck hunting, I found a couple dandy bucks using a basin. In it's lower end, there was a saddle with three trails coming in so I set up a treestand (backpacked it 3 miles from the trail). I sat in it first evening, 5 point bull came in, I wasn't ready, and spooked him. Hour later, three cow elk came by, I was ready and killed the back one. Per hour hunted, it was the most succesful method I'd ever used. Gave up elk hunting and then never went back. Oh yea, the bucks never came by.
If you can stand the boredom, I think you're smart to employ a treestand.

 

[Jon Boy]

Hmm never thought of it as an excellent way to spend a rest day. I have a spot just for this about 5 miles in on a heavily used wallow. When ever I get beat I usually just head out, this would be a good way to keep me in longer, doesnt take a whole to talk myself into sitting the whole day Also, it will be a good little training exercise to have some extra weight in the pack this summer.
How do you guys compensate for the wind when your placing your stand? The problem with my spot is that the thermals dont switch until 1.5 hours after light. They head down hill for the first 1.5 hours and then switch up hill. This has screwed me up a couple of times now because the elk are coming up out of the bottoms and bedding at tree line.

 

[Blackcow]

Man, the wind and stands could be a book in itself. But, for elk and muleys I check the water,lets say. I try and see what general direction they are coming in from, and see what the wind is doing during the hours I expect them to come in.
Knowing a bull may come by to wallow when they feel like it can make it a major PITA, but a herd bull with cows and satellites coming in to drink I figure it'll be a late afternoon to more likely,right before dark thing. I'll set up then in the most likely spot down wind of their anticipated approach and the water. Clear as mud?

 

[Blackcow]

I guess I could have said set your stand up exactly how you would over a corn feeder in Texas, just plan on a longer hike to it!

 

[Swede]

Jon Boy: The way I generally compensate for the wind is to go high. If you are over a spring, wallow &/or trail, consider in your height calculation how high the base of the tree base is above your main point of observation. On occasion where I consider down drafts and swirling winds to be a problem, especially in basins, I may go up over 30 feet above my targeted location. I am about 1/2 squirrel, so height is not normally a problem. Not everyone is the same. If height bothers you, then leave the area when down drafts become frequent. Even at 30 feet I have been busted, but I win more by going high. I check the wind in the morning and evening using a squeeze bottle filled with corn starch. If the corn starch floats away, then I am ok. If it drops off directly, then I have a problem. I have found it is easier to beat swirling winds by going high up a tree than by anything I can do on the ground. I very rarely have to back out of an area.