[Arrowslinga]

Hey everybody, I'm new to this forum and wanted to introduce myself.I hunt in Arkansas and wanted to know how high does everyone get in the tree while bowhunting.

 

[buckfever]

Welcome to the site.. I tend to get as high as my stomach will allow during bow. Not really that high but I do try to get a several feet higher than I do with a gun. I am probably 14 to 15 ft with a gun. I usually just try to find a better tree during bow that will allow me to get 18 ft or so.

 

[Rozman62]

18-20 ft for me works. I have a 15ft treestand and was picked off in it. That stand comes down in the spring with another 4 ft extension going on it. I think 15 footers are ok if your up on a knoll or high point.
Most experts say 18-20 ft gets you above there line of site but if that height makes you uncomfortable then you will most likely not be effective when the critical time comes. Go 12-15 ft up but set up on the high spots if able.

 

[joel the signman]

i take my climber up to 20" after that the angle is too steep for the shots i like to take if im rifle hunting ill go higher just to see better

 

[bigcnybucks]

higher the better

personally I like to be between 30 and 40 feet. It gets you out of the deers periphreal vision. It let's you move a little more and it'll help disperse your scent more before it reaches there noses. I'm not saying you don't have to worry about movement or scent but i promise it will help with both. most deer when they look up really only look up to about a 15 to 20 ft level. If you've positioned your stand right this won't effect the angles of your shots. You're going to be 15-20 yards from where they are going to be coming from. So, you'll be shooting at roughly between a 30 and 45 degree shot. Either way I promise you'll see more deer. And If the angle does make you nervous just practice from an eleveted spot at different angles. I'm fortunate at having a flat roof on my house thats 32 ft. I can shoot off of it and position my targets at all sorts of distances and angles.

 

[piercebowman]

how high

for sure higher is better,but dont forget if you have asetup with great back drop,dark pines etc,15 or 16 feet is great.deer are poor at picking you out with a good back drop.providing you DONT MOVE.then the gig is up.ive had them 10 feet from me on the ground with a dark back drop.it works.ive found that when im lower to the ground to pay closer attention to your scent.beat the nose and its to yuor addvantage.i hunt in maine and its thick and nasty so alot of times i like getting high to watch the tops of cover move when the deer arte moving in my direction.its a cool trick.good luck and happy hunting

 

[newhunter]

I try to go at least 20/25 ft up so I can stay above the deers scent range, also I can see things a lil better.

 

[Hunting Man]

I go all the way to the top of my ladderstand 15'. With proper scent elimination good cover backdrop and wind direction observation you really don't need to go any higher. Archers reduce the kill zone area by increasing the shot angle by going to high, which is not a good thing. This small shot angle requires accuracy far greater than a lower shot angle. I have not had a deer scent me in many many years at the 15' height. Remember hunting is about choise, we get to do what we want and what works for us. That's the fun part of hunting. Enjoy!

 

[Pahunter0213]

I hunt in different stands. And it kinda depends on the terrain. I hunt in a places where I am on top of a hill, and I don't have to hunt that high Maybe 12 to 15 feet. and I hunt on side hills, where I prefer to get a little higher. Maybe 18 to 20 feet. I take a lot of time to take care of scent control. I wash my clothes in scent killing detergent, I have the dream season suit. Pants and Jacket. It works pretty well. The deer seem to be more comfortable around me since I have been wearing it. So I say it depends on terrain, thermals, and wind direction, and comfort with heights. But no matter what your height, I make sure to wear my safety harness. Good luck and good huntin.

 

[Hoggaphobia]

I, too, am a new hunter in Arkansas. This is my first season and I have certainly scared off a few deer this year. My problem is movement. This may sound like a rather juvenile question, but how am I supposed to look around if I don't move? Two other quesitons: First, by moving farther up the tree, am I not shortening the circumference of my shooting range? My father (God love him) tried to tell me that 20 yds is the same from the ground or 20 ft. up in a tree. Second, he someone also told me that arrows tend to rise a little during the shot. This seems rather counterintuitive to me. I've never shots consistently rise during targets...why should they when hunting from elevation?

 

[timberghost]

Welcome to the site Hoggaphobia, glad to have you here. About movement, use your eyes to scan the area and move your head slowly. If possible position your stand to see the trail or trails/field, food plot etc. It's easier to look 360 when you stand upright in a stand and move slowly and smoothly without any sudden motion.

 

[Hunting Man]

Depending on how your stand is set, you normally don't have a shot behind you. I always sit in my stand moving only my head and scanning with my eyes. I shoot from a sitting position also. I try to get into a nice pine with a lot of back drop. I also grab a few small branches and crush the needles then rub them on my outside clothes. This is scent that is common and does not alarm the deer. I then hang a few larger branches around me to break up any pattern that the deer might see. You don't have to see the deer out far if you are quiet and not moving like you have a bee in your shirt. The deer will move into your field of view and you will pick up movement prior to them being in range. If its raining or the woods are very quiet you may not ever see them untill you look down and there they are like ghosts. That's the game enjoy!

 

[muleskinner]

I agree with several of the other postings that are telling you to break up your silouette. I was picked off last year at 20 feet high because the tree wasn't big enough to break up my outline. I will never waist my time in this type of set up again. They will see you. I think the higher you go the better chance you have of your scent dispersing or driffting away from or shot zone. It is usally your smell that draws the deer to pin point your location and then they verify what they smell by sight.

 

[Buckshot]

I, too, am a new hunter in Arkansas. This is my first season and I have certainly scared off a few deer this year. My problem is movement. This may sound like a rather juvenile question, but how am I supposed to look around if I don't move? Two other quesitons: First, by moving farther up the tree, am I not shortening the circumference of my shooting range? My father (God love him) tried to tell me that 20 yds is the same from the ground or 20 ft. up in a tree. Second, he someone also told me that arrows tend to rise a little during the shot. This seems rather counterintuitive to me. I've never shots consistently rise during targets...why should they when hunting from elevation?

How much you move has a lot to do with how much cover you have around you. I have never been busted moving my head around. What you have to watch for is movement that is outside your outline. If you move your hands close to your body deer won't see that but if you raise your hand above your head or hold it straight out they will see it.

I always try to have something solid behind me and something around that breaks up the outline. How high depends on the site but I generally like 20-25feet.

And about the 20 yards being the same as on the ground as 20 feet up a tree? I wish I had a dollar for every discussion I have had on that one. Bottom line is your father is correct. The actual distance on a straight line may be farther but the shot placement is the same. Gravity will have the same effect on the arrow from the ground or from the stand at a fixed distance.

If and arrow rises during the shot It could a mechanical problem like a broad head that is skipping. Some guys think the arrows hit higher on the deer when shooting from a stand when usually it's because they don't bend at the waist and keep their form.

 

[TA HYBRIDS]

Hey everybody, I'm new to this forum and wanted to introduce myself.I hunt in Arkansas and wanted to know how high does everyone get in the tree while bowhunting.

I try to stay in between 18 to 20 feet provided I have good cover. Sometimes I have to go in between 20 to 25 depending on the terrain. Any higher than that and you're really messing with your shot angle and that could present a problem. Welcome to the site. TA HYBRIDS