# How High Can You Go?



## fshnteachr (Jun 9, 2007)

Curious how high you guys bowhunt from? Particularly those of you in climbers. I am still relatively new at this game, and have come a long way in learning to use all the equipment and what not, but I still get learly climbing up that tree in the climber. I don't mind sitting up there at all, just don't like the climbing part. A ladder stand would be more suitable for me, but I have to hunt public land and love the versatility of the climber.

My head is at about 15 foot or so with my foot platform obviously a couple feet lower. Is it pointless to climb if I am only 12-15 foot up? I guess I am wondering if I might as well stay on the ground if I can't get up the nerve to climb between 15-20 feet. Yesterday I was totally busted a couple times once they got within 30 yards of me, they would look right at me and snort off.

Please share your thoughts on the prime heighth to hunt from.


----------



## powerstrokin73 (May 21, 2008)

i have always used the as high as i can get while still having good shooting lanes, sometimes i'm 20-30 feet up the higher the better IMO. the deer don't have the tendancy to look up that high especially with their perifial vision(spelling) i hunt public land also and it amazes me how the darn things know to watch up in the trees as well as the ground


----------



## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

I like to hunt pretty high...25-35 ft...But if you don't feel comfortable going that high look for trees that hel break up your profile. Try and climb fatter trees so you don't stand out as bad and also try and setup on the oppsosite side of the tree you expect to see deer, that way you can somewhat hide behind the trunk of the tree. I usually end up standing mosta the time with my chest and shoulder against the tree watching for appoaching deer from behind me. Late season can be tough, not only is alot of the cover gone but the deer are one edge from being hunted all season. Good luck.


----------



## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

when i hunted,my stands were all fixed/permanent.just weren't many options for climbers in many of my spots. none were above 15 - 20 feet tops.i had lots of deer within range and directly under me over the years and very seldom was i busted.location,cover,wind etc will all come int play,as well as your ability to remain motionless.a lot of deer are killed from ground blinds,so height isn't always a determining factor.but if you can't take advantage of the other factors,it could make a big difference.


----------



## squid_1 (Jun 2, 2005)

I have never had a problem with 16-20 feet. Like carp said its more about the position of the stand on the tree. After I put my stand up I like to walk a 30 yard circle around it to look at it from the ground you'll notice the vulnerable angles real quick. Anything over 20 seems to make vital pass thru shots a little tricky for me. But there are plenty deer shot from 12" ladderstands also. Gun vs bow factor in also.


----------



## Wannabitawerm (Apr 13, 2004)

The less wind I have, the higher I like to go. I aim for at least 20 feet when possible. If you are uncomfortable, give yourself time and stay calm. Keep your fall harness tight and have some faith in your equipment and abilities. I was like you the first time in my climber. Now I can be ready to shoot in less than 5 minutes. (Being over 6 feet helps as I can move about 2 feet at a time.) You're only 5 feet away, so, keep your head straight and be safe. Just remember, when you make your shot from a tree, aim for the kill zone on the opposite side of the deer. The angle from the tree can make a kill shot a low miss if you aim on the side facing you.


----------



## MuskieMan35 (Mar 5, 2008)

I like to be up 20-25 at all times but climbers are tough to get that high- the tree never seems to be perfect...
But again I second what carp said- I ALWAYS position myself in ANY stand where I'm not facing the approach- at least when I'm sitting in the stand.
I always liked shooting from a stand over the back corners while standing...
I've also used fake plastic limb and leaf combos, I tied mine to two corners of the climber- they've since been removed cause they were beat to sh&t...
If your hunting a field edge- NEVER, EVER place your stand right on the edge for all to see- especially facing it. If you have to face the field then put your stand at least 10 yds or so back off the edge... This worked great for me this year on my doe- But I also had them patterned from summer so I was really able to set up an ambush off the edge and in a clump of trees where i was free to pull my bow at any time as she approached.
Try setting in grave vines or brambles that will help break your outline up.. good luck!


----------



## Danshady (Dec 14, 2006)

thats the thing, if you are in a lonely tree by itself, you will get busted at 15 feet. a cluster of trees is better or tress with lots of limbs in it ofr ladder stands, crabapple trees are good.. for my climber i use a 25 foot rope and clip it to my stand and the bow and then when im 25-26 foot range the bow starts to move off the ground and i stop there. seems you can be in a lonely tree without many others around if you that high.


----------



## fshnteachr (Jun 9, 2007)

Thanks everyone....some good things for me to think about as I head back out tomorrow morning. 

I'm getting a deer with my bow this year!!


----------



## wildman (Sep 3, 2008)

With all the wind damage the leaves stay on dead branches I use zip ties to give me extra cover I try to use several different colored leaves. As for height
I would like to get really high but I don't feel comfortable. and I don't like to use safty harness. so 15' 20' is my highest. but I like to us fat trees and take it to a branch. Also I like to do what some one else said and that is to post up on either the opposit side or in direct line of where the deer r coming from. 

I hope that helped. A friend texted me and asked if I had seen any. I responded by taking a pic of a doe 4 ft. from my tree and sending it. Of course I was 15ft up. ha ha


----------



## Bluefinn (Jan 26, 2007)

I hunt in fixed, ladder, & climbers. 10 to 15ft max. & arrow deer every year. Movement is key. Only move when deer are behind trees or brush. If you stay still even if they look at you they usually go back to their normal routine. This is the first year wearing a safety harness & feel much more comfortable. Good luck.


----------



## rackman323 (Jul 13, 2007)

I like to get as high as possible as well, but I find if I climb too high then I start to restrict my shooting and sometimes visbility due to the canopy (with or w/o leaves). I try to get as high as I can with the best shooting lanes / visibility. I also too like to find a large tree to conceal my silouette.


----------



## bulafisherman (Apr 11, 2004)

20 to 25 feet for me with my climber,with my ladder stands I always try to position them on a tree that has plenty of cover to breakup your outline, as treestand hunting become popular over the years whitetails have adapted in my opinion and mature deer know danger comes from above and have no problem picking you out in a tree.in the early 80`s when I bought and hunted from my 1st climber (a primative baker) I was never spotted as often as I am now,this fall one evening I was in my climber overlooking a hole in a woven wire fence about 30 yards inside mature hardwoods, because of the wind direction I had one tree that I could climb,it was maybe 40 yards from the hole and pretty much directly in front of it, instead of waiting for another day and the right wind direction I decided to climb it,I had 3 bucks come though that night within 10 yards of my tree, 2 out of the 3 spotted me, being young they never spooked but I know had a mature shooter buck come though he would have spotted me and likely not offered me a shot, a reminder to me that I knew better and to make every effort to setup at least 25 yards off to the side of a travel route.


----------



## ostbucks98 (Apr 14, 2004)

Lots of variables to consider.15 feet up is great if you have plenty of cover around you.20 feet up puts you above alot of the smaller growth improving visibility.25 feet and higher your risking alot more in a fall.I dont choose to use safety harness.So i dont go higher.Also a good tip is to clear anything you could fall on away from the base of the tree.

35 feet up? I would like a picture of that,lol.


----------



## bgpark1 (Apr 23, 2004)

i hunt a hill side and normally get up between 25-30 ft.... sometimes higher... if flat land i go about 20-25


----------



## icefisherman4life (Aug 5, 2007)

i usually go 20 to 40 ft. it depends on the tree, shooting lanes, and branches and leaf cover.


----------



## Fish-N-Fool (Apr 12, 2004)

As touched on in a few posts here - height is not as important of a factor as picking the "right" tree. You want a location that breaks up your outline and in a perect situation hides you. Look for either larger mature trees with large, thick limbs or trees with multiple "trunks". My favorite stand locations are in large multiple base trees that allow you to hang the stand in the middle of 3 or more bases. You can brush in some natural cover by simply positioning some additional limbs around you.

Also, always place your stand on the "backside" of the tree - especially on a single truck tree without large limbs for concealment (Carpn mentioned this). You want the base of the tree to hide you. You will need to stand for the majority of your hunt and peer around the base to scan the woods for approaching deer. I stand for 30 minutes to an hour and sit for 10-15 minute "breaks" to keep the legs fresh.

Not all areas have 'best case scenario" trees. If you are forced to hunt a stand in such an area - go a little higher than normal, position the stand on the "backside" as mentioned above, and create some additional cover (I like to gather limbs and position them directly under my stand so if you look up you see nothing but a pile of limbs). Make sure your sticks/steps whatever you use allow you to climb from the opposite side and pull your bow up.

I would caution you regardless of experience in hunting much higher than 25ft. Shots within 20 yards are steep and create a low percentage shots by shrinking the kill zone on even a broadside deer. For all practicle purposes 14-20 ft. is typical. The lower the stand, the better the shot angle. I've hunted stands as low as 12ft. you could get away with a lot of movement in due to the factors above. 

I've been bowhunting for 19 seasons and have hunted multiple states and I am VERY seldom busted by a deer while on stand. Sit still and move slowly as IMO most bowhunters move much more than they think and are too often spotted by deer they haven't ever seen.

Good luck, be safe, and get out there and hunt!!!!


----------



## Fishstix (Aug 16, 2005)

15 to 20 is my limit. I don't usually see any reason to go any higher.


----------



## One Legged Josh (Jan 27, 2008)

I have killed several deer (bow) from a 12 foot buddy stand with a blind around it. Im pretty new to the climber thing too but last year I killed a doe and I was only 8 or 9 feet up. Just above the brush.
This year with a safety harness I hunted about 15 feet up and only got busted once.
As stated break-up/wind direction is the key not height (IMO).


----------



## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

Ever been to a Reds game? Ever seen the seats way at the top? My stand is up there and if you look close during gun week you might be able to spot the orange. Hope this helps you out.


----------



## OhioHuntr02 (Jan 2, 2006)

I hunt almost exclusively out of a climer stand and I'm climbing to about 25ft.


----------



## Captain Kevin (Jun 24, 2006)

I go as high as I can get for a couple of reasons.

Higher elevations allow more movement without detection.
swirling winds makes your circle around your stand of no detection bigger
back drop foliage helps hide you


----------

