setting up on the backside of trees

[Terry]

I don't know what to think about it. I personally set up to ware I hope he is to the right of me that's how I feel comfortable. I have a good friend that is a straight up killer he has at least ten deer over 160 inches and he hangs his stands on the back side alot he loves doing it. I guess I'm not going to say it's bad only because I've helped him drag an arrow ed buck alot and I can say I don't remember a time he wasn't on the back side. Personally I don't feel comfortable. I do feel it would hide you better but also feel thear could be a lost opportunity.

[ Post made via Android ]

Don't take anyone's word for it. Try it and see what works for you, or what works for each situation.

[Brett]

Yeah I see what you guys mean by watching that video. Obviously the video is there to show "how easily you can move" while hunting out of their product. Ive never had a problem being spotted, but that has come with a lot of practice and conscious planning with my set ups. I love bow hunting period and love using my lone wolf stands and will hunt off the front of tree too. But just like everything in bow hunting, theres no product out there that is going to make us some amazing hunter, but rather how we learn to utilize our available equipment to our best advantage and figure out what works best for us as a hunter IMO. Obviously, hunting on both the front or back of trees works, theres no right or wrong way and i think a lot of the time it comes down to more of how each hunter individually plans their attack given a particular location.

-Brett

[Thermals]

You have to remember that the tree is between u and the buck he can't see much.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Thermals]

The buck I shot last year I was on a small limbless tree about 8 inch in dia but being on the back side it took so much of my profile away.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[iowa whitetail]

I don't know what to think about it. I personally set up to ware I hope he is to the right of me that's how I feel comfortable. I have a good friend that is a straight up killer he has at least ten deer over 160 inches and he hangs his stands on the back side alot he loves doing it. I guess I'm not going to say it's bad only because I've helped him drag an arrow ed buck alot and I can say I don't remember a time he wasn't on the back side. Personally I don't feel comfortable. I do feel it would hide you better but also feel thear could be a lost opportunity.

[ Post made via Android ]

Don't take anyone's word for it. Try it and see what works for you, or what works for each situation.

not sure what your saying . I didnt take anyones word i said im not comfortable doing it

[dan]

That brings up more obstacles to shoot around. Safety harness will cause grief

I did not hook up my safety harness yesterday when on the back side of the tree cause it would of obstructed my shot...

I disagree. At least in the extreme pressure area's around here. I find that in many places around here the big bucks tend to just stand and watch for danger for long periods of time. So when they do come in they seem very confident there is no danger and they do not seem to be very attentive (even though I know they are) so I rarely get busted by them. I am more likely to get picked off by a yearling buck or doe and far more likely to get picked off by a mature doe than a mature buck. It think just depends on where your hunting.

There is no way anyone could convince me that mature bucks are the same as little bucks and does. Yes. on pressured public a 1.5 year old buck can be pretty smart, but no where near the caliber of the older bucks. When they get in tight and mistake will cost you. I spent a lot of years learning from those mistakes till I came up with a system that works. When I was young I got about 1 out of every 5 big bucks that came in range, now about one in 6 gets away.

I have been picked off many times sitting motionless on the front side of a barren tree by deer and I don't remember ever getting picked off sitting on the other side facing the tree by a mature buck.

Pretty rare I get seen on the front of a tree, maybe one out of 100 deer, or 1% but on the back of the tree I get busted a lot... maybe one out of 10, or 10%.... Now again, I have never mastered the tree sling or ever gave it a fair chance, but I don't fix what ain't broke and my set ups kill deer after years of perfection. If backside works for you, do it... It don't work for me. I know most of Andraes stands face the deer too. I can't remember ever seeing one that faced away, but like me, I would bet there are certain instances when he does.

you can't get a shot if you get busted before he gets in range.

Absolutely correct, and I get busted 10 times more often by trying to let a buck walk past or by moving to much trying to shoot around or see around a tree.

[PK_]

Eberhart is hard core and the real deal. He has a rigorous scent control routine which involves scent lok and claims to never worry about his scent (he also hunts 25-30' high) or wind direction. It works for him, the guy has put down an ungodly amount of heavy pressure big bucks with stick and string.

I think the moral of this thread is that there is more than one way to skin a cat. That is for sure.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

That sends a red flag to me. You still have to get to the stand site. If I was to talk with him personally I would call him out on that one. He is obviously a good hunter but not paying any attention to wind direction may be a small fib to promote the scent Lock? I have heard that one before.

He states adamantly that he is not affiliated with scentlok in his DVDs. His DVDs are old, that situation may have changed, IDK. He doesn't pay attention to the wind because of his faith in his scent control routine. I can't remember if he purposely avoids the deer trails or not, it has been a long time since watching the videos. But at the time when he put out his videos he was an average 9-5 employed die hard hunter, NOT a hunting celeb (much like Dan). Keep in mind he is mostly if not all rut hunting, If I remember correctly he hunts doe groups in early season then goes after bucks in the rut.

I actually highly recommend his DVDs, right behind Dan's. If nothing else it is a different perspective on hunting big bucks from someone who has done well at it...

[Terry]

I don't know what to think about it. I personally set up to ware I hope he is to the right of me that's how I feel comfortable. I have a good friend that is a straight up killer he has at least ten deer over 160 inches and he hangs his stands on the back side alot he loves doing it. I guess I'm not going to say it's bad only because I've helped him drag an arrow ed buck alot and I can say I don't remember a time he wasn't on the back side. Personally I don't feel comfortable. I do feel it would hide you better but also feel thear could be a lost opportunity.

[ Post made via Android ]

Don't take anyone's word for it. Try it and see what works for you, or what works for each situation.

not sure what your saying . I didnt take anyones word i said im not comfortable doing it

Sorry I wasn't clear, sometimes that happens when I am on my phone.

Your post made you sound indecisive. My point was basically to just try both ways and find what works for you.

[ Post made via Android ]

[DEERSLAYER]

...Things are almost always easier on does and small bucks.

I disagree. At least in the extreme pressure area's around here. I find that in many places around here the big bucks tend to just stand and watch for danger for long periods of time. So when they do come in they seem very confident there is no danger and they do not seem to be very attentive (even though I know they are) so I rarely get busted by them. I am more likely to get picked off by a yearling buck or doe and far more likely to get picked off by a mature doe than a mature buck. It think just depends on where your hunting.

Wow, so you are saying you find it easier to kill mature bucks than does and 1.5 year old bucks in the areas you hunt?

No, your putting words into my mouth. I find it easier to get a shot off on a mature buck once he is in range compared to other deer. Actually killing a mature buck is far, far harder. It's hard to get an encounter with a mature buck around here, let alone get one in range.

There is no way anyone could convince me that mature bucks are the same as little bucks and does. Yes. on pressured public a 1.5 year old buck can be pretty smart, but no where near the caliber of the older bucks. When they get in tight and mistake will cost you. I spent a lot of years learning from those mistakes till I came up with a system that works. When I was young I got about 1 out of every 5 big bucks that came in range, now about one in 6 gets away.

I'm not saying little bucks and does are smarter. Quite the opposite. They are not as smart as a mature buck or most of the time they wouldn't be there in range in the first place. Young bucks and does are often indecisive. They will often come in very alert on pins and needles when something doesn't seem quite right. A mature buck doesn't do this. He is more like Mr. Meagie from the movie karate kid. Either karate Do or karate Don't, but NEVER karate Maybe. I have seen mature bucks stand in place for what seems like an eternity surveying an area. Then they either confidently come in or they turn around and walk off back the way they came. There is NO "maybe". It's either safe or it isn't. They don't normally come in super jumpy, paranoid, looking around 3-4 times more than normal for the distance they cover and ready to come unglued at the drop of every leaf because something didn't seem quite right in the first place, but young bucks and does often will.

Pretty rare I get seen on the front of a tree, maybe one out of 100 deer, or 1% but on the back of the tree I get busted a lot... maybe one out of 10, or 10%.... Now again, I have never mastered the tree sling or ever gave it a fair chance, but I don't fix what ain't broke and my set ups kill deer after years of perfection. If backside works for you, do it... It don't work for me. I know most of Andraes stands face the deer too. I can't remember ever seeing one that faced away, but like me, I would bet there are certain instances when he does.

My busted rate varies a lot depending on where I hunt in Michigan. Sitting with my treestand facing the deer in a tree with zero cover around it will range from 5%-20%. Like you I have never hunted out of a tree sling and like you I almost always have my stand facing the deer. I Actually face it a little to the right since I'm right handed. Where I have hunted in Iowa I'm finding out that I can get away with a lot more. So far my busted rate is zero there and unless I do something foolish it will probably stay that way or close to it (while motionless). Right now I don't think I will need use a tree truck for cover over there. When I have had a chance to hunt a low pressure spot here in Michigan it was the same way. I think it boils down to pressure. If I can get back into an area only accessible by foot for a long distance or some private lands then pressure is lower and so is the pick off rate.

Absolutely correct, and I get busted 10 times more often by trying to let a buck walk past or by moving to much trying to shoot around or see around a tree.

Maybe I'm just lucky so far, but then again I don't do this often. Maybe only a couple times a year. Some years not at all. Usually there is an option to hunt the ground, there is another tree within range that has some cover or it's heavily wooded enough to hunt with the stand facing the deer.

[headgear]

Absolutely correct, and I get busted 10 times more often by trying to let a buck walk past or by moving to much trying to shoot around or see around a tree.

I think this is may where things get confusing, when I'm on the back side of a tree I'm usually standing facing the tree ready for a shot towards bedding, especially during prime time. I don't want to let the deer get past me, I'm either setup to shoot to the back and just off to the side of the tree and I can swing out from there and shoot at any time. Now its very possible the buck gets behind the tree and I have no shot in a small area but obviously I try and manipulate my setup so I have the best shooting possible. If the buck should veer off course and cross away from expected staging and behind the tree its something you have to be ready for.

Just to give an example of the one time this year I setup on the back side of a tree, I was setup facing the tree and bedding with the staging area off to my right. I can see the bed and the buck approaching so I can be ready for a shot, I can also see if the buck veers off course and gets behind the tree, then there is an area of thick brush where I can make an adjustment to shoot on the other side of the tree.

[kenn1320]

Absolutely correct, and I get busted 10 times more often by trying to let a buck walk past or by moving to much trying to shoot around or see around a tree.

Not to get off topic, but this brings up a good point. It "appears" in some of your vids Dan, that you are shooting deer quartering towards you. I saw that in some other vids with your old cohorts as well. Is it camera angle, or are you shooting them before they get to you as eluded to in the quote above? Many of us could be missing out on solid shot opps, waiting for that perfect broadside or quartering away shot. I know the quartering angle I wont take, but doesnt mean there isnt a lot of angle Im avoiding for know good reason. If your taking quartering towards, could you give us an idea of the angle? for example describe it as a right triangle in yards and Ill set up my 3d and see what it looks like. So maybe 20yds if he was exactly perpendicular to you, but your shooting him 10yds prior to that location. Make sense?

[Stanley]

I disagree. At least in the extreme pressure area's around here. I find that in many places around here the big bucks tend to just stand and watch for danger for long periods of time. So when they do come in they seem very confident there is no danger and they do not seem to be very attentive (even though I know they are) so I rarely get busted by them. I am more likely to get picked off by a yearling buck or doe and far more likely to get picked off by a mature doe than a mature buck. It think just depends on where your hunting.

Wow, so you are saying you find it easier to kill mature bucks than does and 1.5 year old bucks in the areas you hunt?

No, your putting words into my mouth. I find it easier to get a shot off on a mature buck once he is in range compared to other deer. Actually killing a mature buck is far, far harder. It's hard to get an encounter with a mature buck around here, let alone get one in range.

I think I understand what you are saying. I still read you find it easier to kill mature bucks once he is in range over a doe or a yearling buck that are in range. You cannot get a shot off at a buck if he is not in range. This is where you have me confused.

My point is it is easier to kill a buck sitting on the front side of the tree. Is your point you find it easier on the back side of the tree? I did say on the back side of the tree my safety harness will goat rope me. Are you saying yours does not? I find this topic very interesting getting all the different views on the subject.

[Thermals]

With a tree saddle you will not have that problem of getting goat roped as it pivots as you move

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[dan]

Absolutely correct, and I get busted 10 times more often by trying to let a buck walk past or by moving to much trying to shoot around or see around a tree.

Not to get off topic, but this brings up a good point. It "appears" in some of your vids Dan, that you are shooting deer quartering towards you. I saw that in some other vids with your old cohorts as well. Is it camera angle, or are you shooting them before they get to you as eluded to in the quote above? Many of us could be missing out on solid shot opps, waiting for that perfect broadside or quartering away shot. I know the quartering angle I wont take, but doesnt mean there isnt a lot of angle Im avoiding for know good reason. If your taking quartering towards, could you give us an idea of the angle? for example describe it as a right triangle in yards and Ill set up my 3d and see what it looks like. So maybe 20yds if he was exactly perpendicular to you, but your shooting him 10yds prior to that location. Make sense?

I can't specifically remember one on film that was quartering to me, so it might be camera angle... But, I am guilty of taking that shot a time or two. Though I try to avoid it.

[dan]

Again, just to be clear. Im not saying don't hunt the back of the tree. Im say me personally, and the people I know who are killing big bucks all set up if possible facing the buck, but I nor my friends have ever given the tree saddle or sling a try. Also, my set ups work great for me... You need to find what works for you. Just don't get stuck in a mind set that I or John, or Stan, do it a certain way so you must... Listen to the advice, try some things, and as you have issues correct them until you are near perfect as possible... This is important. A lot of guys can't learn for themselves.
I think a great hunter will try others ideas, but will think for himself, and fix the problems he encounters.