[ronn]

Do you guys use climbers, hang on, or do you hunt from the ground? How far up do you normally like to get? I always thought 15, 16 feet was good but now know that 30 or 35 is better. With these mountains around here if the deer is up hill he and looking at you, he is close at 16 feet. Not to mention the scent control issue. For that reason I'm now using climbers. wmi was the one that taught me that and it is better being that far up the tree.:wacko:

 

[timberghost]

I use both but I like the climber the best because you can haul it anywhere and take advantage. I will go up as far as the tree will allow. I love being way the heck up there the view is awesome. Even with the hangers I try to use trees with natural ladder branches so that I can save some screw in steps or ladder extensions. But I may have to change the height when I get into bow.

 

[wmi]

Ronn use to kid me about nose bleeds until he found out it worked. Should have seen him the first time he hit 20'----His knees were knocking. BUT ask him how many deer he saw. Every now and then I think about it and it makes me chuckle.:smile:

 

[joel the signman]

i dont believe that you need to go that high i go bout 20 the trees in my area tend to have lots of branches..i play the wind so i see no reason to climb any higher than 20 sometimes i only go up 15.to each his own

 

[wmi]

It really depends on terrain and folage.

 

[Turtle]

That reminds me supposed to try and find good harness for next season.:shocking:

 

[BruceBruce1959]

You also have to keep in mind, the higher you go into the umbrella the less shooting circle you have to shoot in,
Example: if you go up 20' and look from left to right you'll see you have about 40 yards out from the base of your tree to shoot from accurately.

Now go up to 25' and you may only have 25 yards from the base of your tree to shoot in. I hope this explaination is understanbable...

 

[WHITETAILFEVER]

I Prefer The Ground.i Have A Well Camo,ed Shack That I Use Its Well Insulated Carpeted And I Have A Heater For Those Long Cold Days.i Use Cover Up Sprays And Scents.i Guess I'm Afraid Of Heights Lol.250lbs Hits Hard On The Ground And I'm Known To Fall Asleep On Stand I Guess I'm Not Much Of A Hunter Lol Must Be The Fresh Air That Puts Me To Sleep?now If I Ever Use A Treestand I Would Put A Safty Harness On.years Ago I Never Used Them

 

[wmi]

You also have to keep in mind, the higher you go into the umbrella the less shooting circle you have to shoot in,
Example: if you go up 20' and look from left to right you'll see you have about 40 yards out from the base of your tree to shoot from accurately.

Now go up to 25' and you may only have 25 yards from the base of your tree to shoot in. I hope this explaination is understanbable...

Not the way I hunt. I crowd bedding areas sometimes hunting in the middle of them at 15 to 20' you cannot see a thing. By going higher I am able to look down onto the unseen hidden trails that most hunters over look. Deer feel comfortable in these areas and move about all day. Big bucks thought to have gone nocturnal brows all day in these areas. A well placed scent rag will cause a big buck to go crazy trying to locate the doe eventually giving me a shot that hunting anywhere else would never happen. In my heavily hunted state this technique has allowed me to harvest a trophy class buck 13 of the last 15 years. You might want to give it a second thought. Most shots are made through the back and out the chest at less than 10 yards:wacko:. No tracking and I will figure a way to get him out one way or another. If you want trophy bucks sometimes you have to hunt where others are unwilling to go or do.

 

[joel the signman]

makes sense in that situation

 

[Hunting Man]

15' max, its worked for me for a very long time.This is for a bow stand. A gun hunter may elect to use the stairway to heaven ladder stand as the height isn't as critical. An archer will dramatically reduce the kill zone by going too high. If you don't spend hours at the practice range you have no business limiting your kill zone by going up over 20'. It just not good ethics. Wounded deer happen to the best of us, increasing the potential of a poor archery hit by climbing to high makes no sense to me. Experienced, great shooters void the above, the rest of us please use common sense!

 

[wmi]

Sounds like an expert.

 

[ronn]

Hunting man, I asked a simple question. How high do you go. What you are implying I find insulting regarding being an ethical hunter. The steeper the angle the more you shoot like the target is closer not he other way around, so a 40 yard shot at say a 40 degree down angle you should use your 30 pin high. But if it works for you more power to you. Just don't denigrate others for doing what they know they can accomplish. Right equipment, right man, right shot.

 

[Turtle]

Hey Ronn, Heard alot about extreme heights lately with a lot of success. Seen some great footage in fact. Just like you said most shoots were almost straight down and through the back. Not a lot of angle there, a shot I would love and have begun to practice from lock-on stand at my uncles. But I do have that little fear of heights thing and really need a good harness before I try the climber.:no:

 

[ronn]

Hey turtle I have never had to take a straight down shot but I understand its one of the hardest to make. maybe because straight down distance is irrelevant. In this Mountain country here in NH, being only ladder stand high puts you in direct view of the deer and your scent is closer to the ground. I have one of those range finders that have the angle compensator in them. The Bushnell elite 1500 with arc. Leupold makes one as well. It works very well. You'd be surprised what a difference angle makes. It is still wise to practice those shots no question. And then there is the canopy. You would think because you can not see through a tree looking at it horizontally that there are no holes in it. If you get above it and look more vertical you will find that there are lanes an arrow can go through. It does take some getting use to climbing that far up and that to takes practices. NEVER EVER go without a harness, I don't care if its only 5 ft, and pick a good tree. Don't under estimate the benifit of height.

 

[timberghost]

Hey ronn, I've seen a range finder thingy with the angle compensator on Realtree Roadtrips w/ Michael Waddell. He also had a commercial with the same product. I don't know if it's the same one as yours but it looked like a real good tool for archery hunters.

 

[ronn]

When it first came out it was only the 1500 that had arc. now there is an 800 with arc. That's right he shot a deer or pig that was 50 yards out but used his 40 pin. why, because of the height he was above the target. had he been on the ground he of coursed used his 50 pin. The 1500 I have was a little pricey but MUCH less than the Leupold. the 800 should be even less.

 

[Turtle]

Yeah the height thing. As far as a Difficult shot I shoot every shot on the range before I ever attempt in the woods. The bow is what winds me down after work. I'm a truck driver fighting traffic all day then it's just me the arrow and the target till I relax enough to spend time with wife and kids. My cousin and I get together almost every weekend to bust small balloons from various yardages and angles, year round. It's not just practice, It's peace of mind.:crazy:

 

[wmi]

These range finders are a great tool, I have one as well. Hunting from these heights are NOT for the pie plate shooter. Most shots are under 20 yards and your target is about 4" in diameter. Placement is for a quartering away shot slipped between the spine and shoulder blade. This is a heart and main artery leading to the brain shot. Your deer will go less than 20 yards if that. I practice a lot from 5 to 60 yards every week. For the record I have not lost a deer in 15 years. I have lost deer, every hunter has or will if you hunt long enough. Tree stand height is a tool therefor use the right tool for the right job. Ethics start with a hunters expertise in thier shooting ability as well as knowledge of shot placement.

 

[wmi]

Thought of one other thing about hunting high. A deer (jumps) a string by dropping vertically. If he jumps your string he is still toast.