Tree stand height

[Asutcliffe]

When you guys set tree stands do you have a set height, minimum height, maximum height, or just let the location dictate your height? I have some stands that are only 10' off the ground and others that are almost 30'. I can't say that the height makes as much difference as the available cover at the given height. Just want to hear others opinions and experiences

 

[SneakyThunderCat]

Depends on the tree and the lay of the land. I always bring 4 sticks, but sometimes I only need 3, and I’ll leave one at the base of the tree. Some guys bring 5. All preference I suppose, but I like to shoot for 20 ft if I’m hunting a relatively flat area with a nice straight tree.


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[4rcgoat]

I'm between 16-18 feet up,never had an issue with being seen.

 

[KnuckleChild]

Depends how tall the ladder is and what cover I’m trying to use up in the tree

 

[Trial153]

Depends on the location. Back home in NY with the pressure we have tend to set my stands way higher. On the property’s I hunt in the Midwest I can get away with sets that would never fly back in NY

 

[Stevendearden]

Depends on location, I typically go higher if I’m on the edge of a draw since anything behind me will be closer to eye level. Other than that, I look for good back cover/ something to break up my outline.

 

[Quackshack]

I'm looking to get just below the cover to break up my silhouette. All depends on location.

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[*zap*]

Cover is important, things to hide your outline....many different ways to achieve that.

Sure higher is going to make you less visible but there are also downsides to that. You need to get up/down safely. if mobile hunting you need steps and a safety line...maybe a bigger platform depending on how comfortable you are with that.
Earlier in season you can get away with being lower easier because of vegetation.
Later in the season you could use trees that may still have leaves (oaks) or evergreens..with the later you may need to cut a place for yourself...just always be safe first. Always use a safety line that reaches the ground.....jmo, ymmv.

Lastly, weapon choice may allow you to get away with being lower.....

 

[camping1601]

20-30 for me.

 

[Watrdawg]

Depends the lay of the land. If I'm on a ridge I never silhouette myself. Typically I try for a min of 15' preferably 20.

 

[knale87]

Lately I’ve been right around 15’. I used to bring 4 sticks with me but found myself not using that 4th stick most of the time so I stopped carrying it. I’m usually trying to get up in the ugliest trees and tend to not need to get too high with the cover that’s available.

 

[Thess87]

Location. If no cover is available I go at least 20

 

[Travis907]

Depends on the tree and the lay of the land. I always use atleast 4 sticks but usually try using 5 if possible. All depends on the kind of tree I’m in and if I’m hunting a hill or flat ground.
If I’m using my climber I typically get as high as possible while being safe!

 

[YelojktBob]

As some have said, it depends on where you are putting the stand up. There is no magic height. In WV when I am setting stands or saddle hunting I try to put myself in some cover for any deer that may move down from the ridge above me and try not to be silhouetted by open sky to any deer coming from below me. In ND I primarily saddle hunt and I try to be 25’ or more just so I can see further into the sloughs or corn fields unless I am in a shelter belt or tree row that is thick with cover. In thick trees I try to position myself with the focus being on shooting lanes along the deer trails. Being too high up can put me too far in the canopy. The highest I have hunted was 30’ and I thought it was too high for where I was because it shrunk the vital area of the deer due to the angle. The lowest I have hunted was 10’ in a saddle and though I felt I was too low and scared I was going to get busted I was able to use the tree as cover and didn’t. Whatever you decide the height should be, just keep movement to a minimum… and watch your wind and/or thermals.

 

[timekiller13]

Rarely more than 16-18ft. Some set ups are 8-10ft off the ground. It’s all dependent on the area and situation.

I have climbed as high as 35ft but not doing that anymore.

Quite honestly, I find myself being just as successful hunting from the ground.

 

[rolltide05]

Really depends on the situation. I prefer to be in the 18-20ft range but have some places where 10ft is about all I can get. Taken a LOT of deer from the ground to so there’s no real constant.

 

[*zap*]

I can get 20' with two sticks and a ball of twine.....

 

[Boarmaster]

I use a climber so I adjust height based on the situation.
Last year I hunted a trail up on a ridge and I only went up about 10 feet to clear the brush in front of me.
Any higher and I would have been sticking out like a sore thumb as the trees behind me were short.
Im rifle hunting so I dont have to be right on top of the deer right high enough to see.

 

[WCB]

anywhere from 15-25' I have a 25' bow rope on my platforms and rarely have had it more than a couple feet off the ground before the bow is hooked up. I have killed deer being only 5 or 6 feet off the ground if the situation calls for it.

 

[Bloodonthevanes]

I get asked about treestand height a lot. I tell everyone to focus on understanding wind and thermals of your location before focusing on a tree height. That nose is more of a concern to me than eye sight. you cannot beat their nose, but you can mitigate them looking around for what smells out of place.

after that, I want cover. what breaks up my outline as much as possible.

Sometimes that is 8' up, sometimes 18'.

I prefer to hunt corridor/edge funnels and that leads me to usually one shooting spot. In my youth I was the guy that wanted to see all the deer and be in that tree that allowed for my visibility. Sound familiar about seeing deer and not having shots?

I forget when it all clicked in my brain but now I typically set up in the funnel with the shooting lane as small as I can get away with. Only hunt when the thermals and wind are appropiate and zero movement in the stand.

back to the how high, most of my stands are 18', but as others have said I range from 6' to 22'. I find the higher stand I use are me needing to be above the line of sight on a ridge and to carry my scent where I want on the given hunt.

and have piles of set ups, don't over hunt a specific stand. dont leave your scent all over the place to smell at night. the more you are there the more they raise an eyebrow. I have several stands that may only get sat in 1-2 hunts the entire year.

man I could talk for hours on this