# Tree stands



## catfisherman (Jun 14, 2004)

I just bought my first tree stand this year and was wandering how high should I climb the tree. and help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


----------



## CHOPIQ (Apr 6, 2004)

Hey cat, I assume its a climber. The height you climb depends on where you are hunting. If you are on the side of a hill, on one side it looks like you are only a few feet up but on the other side you are about ten feet higher depending on the grade of the hill. Also on the side of a hill you can be 20 feet up and then you are eye level with anything that is on top the ridge. Sometimes you can climb to high, you get up over the lower limbs and it blocks your view. I usually climb between 15' and 25'. It mostly depends on my surroundings and area I'm hunting in.


----------



## worminator (Aug 20, 2004)

What kind of stand is it? I like the climbing sticks (on sale now at Gander) to get to my API clamp on stand. I go up with three sticks and that gets me up there about 15 - 20 feet. If I know the area and feel safe about leaving my stand out I will leave one stick and lock my stand in the tree. This works if you are hunting in it daily or pretty often. I've never had one of these fail on me but they are not for you if yer a" BIG BOY" (300 lbs +). I go about 185 and feel very safe climbing these sticks. I'll take along a couple screw in pegs for added saftey to get into my stand. The aluminum sticks are light and easy to carry. The ones on sale are NOT aluminum. I have also built some 4 ft ladder sections similar to the sticks out of conduit (sp) that are a little heavier but they don't hurt as bad if someone decides to take it from yer tree.
Shop around, there are alot of ways to get up there. Don't forget yer safety belt!!!


----------



## worminator (Aug 20, 2004)

If it's a climber I guess you won't need the sticks. I thought you wanted "how to climb info" sorry. I read somewhere that you should go 16 ft or higher. The article said that deer walking threw the woods (not looking up) see on the average about 16 feet up. I try to use that as a guage. Tie a knot in yer pull up rope for your heigth.


----------



## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Chopiq did a pretty good job of explaining the height decision here. A lot of it comes down to comfort level as well. Many people are not real fond of going very high and thus they stay fairly low. This can work but depending on the situation it may require a bit more cover around you to break up your pattern. Some areas may have a lot of small trees and getting up very high makes it impossible to find a clear shooting lane and so you may not want as high. On the flip side you may be in a very mature open woods in which case I like to get higher to try my best to stay out of view. One disadvantage that comes in to play when you get too high is that it can actually make a shot more difficult and create tough angles. Adding an extra 10 feet not only puts you 10 feet farther from the deer but it puts you at a much more downward angle on a deer that is very close to your stand. Shooting relatively straight down does not give you as big of a target in the deer's vitals.

I have heard different stories over the years that deer will not look up at a certain height but I don't buy it for a second. I have had many occasions where deer will stop and look straight up at me in a stand and try to figure me out. In most cases my stand is 15-20 feet up. It is not as natural for them to need to look up above but if they suspect anything they will look up to any height. The key is to remain as still as possible and to wear a good breakup pattern of camo.

Whatever height you choose be sure to shoot your bow from this height several times to understand the impact it has on your arrow flight. Many first timers tend to shoot high over their target on shorter shots because of the downhill shooting. I usually carry a couple of field tip arrows in with me and pick a target out on the ground and try it out. Many times on a morning hunt I will take a shot or two just prior to climbing down. It helps add to the confidence and teaches you your limitations.


----------



## Pipeliner (Apr 5, 2004)

It mostly depends on your surroundings, situation, shooting lanes, wind direction, and area you are hunting in. I use a Modified Mini Viper (Climber) from Summit. I will sometimes go as high as 30' to get my scent above the deer. If the wind is in your favor, Stay lower to maintain a better shot angle. Also, try to stay out of the deers line of travel and sight. It is best to give up a few yards and stay out of the way and be undetected. Good LUCK!!!


----------



## CHOPIQ (Apr 6, 2004)

Hey Stan, I see you are from Morgan county. I hunt in Morgan at AEP Recreation land. Some nice deer down in your area.


----------

