How High Do You Hunt?

[hunter10]

Have been away from the beast for a while been real busy but most of the time I'm 18-25 ft. However, my most productive spot that has yelided my best opportunites I am only 8-10 ft off the ground using 2 sticks. I have had deer walk under my stand and not have a clue o am there

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[Wlog]

I do my best to have cover around me but have to be able to shoot to where I expect the deer to be. If I can shoot to where I want I get down and adjust or find a new tree. I'm usually anywhere between 6-25 feet. Staying lower will give you a better angle and keep you from being skylit.

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[Bonecrusher101]

I like to bow hunt from my lone wolf with up to 4 steps. So usually 25 feet or less. Once the leaves are off the trees, I climb as high as possible that gives me a clear line of sight with my scoped weapon. I honestly think I've hunted between 50-60 feet before in tall pines, out of my summit. With a gun, I have a habit of climbing all the way up to the branches to hang my fanny pack on. In hill country I feel like on some sets I need to beat a bucks eyes and the best way seems to get above it.

I think I killed more deer last season hunting lower and in nastier thick cover. Yeah, I killed more deer last season using my lone wolf than I did using my summit. Who knows, after a few more seasons under my belt maybe getting that high won't be for me.

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[DeerDylan]

It all depends but I'm noticing that most of my sets were 3 sticks high last year. I do tend to hunt higher from my hand climber in those bean pole trees.

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[adudeuknow]

the location always dictates the height. if you go too low or too high in the wrong situation you are setting yourself up for failure. i have hunted as low as 9 feet and as high as 25-28 feet. ive climbed way higher just because the tree was asking me too. lol

[DaveT1963]

Think everyone has given the answer it depends on a lot of variables.... save here. Average for me is probably around 15 foot.

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[Bonehead]

Every situation is different.
A cedar thicket I used to hunt, I would bring a light (does such a thing exists ?) ladder with 2 4ft ladder sections and just lean it into a cedar, climb up and strap it in the best I could. That put me at 10-11 feet.
If I’m in my climber (a luxury I rarely get to enjoy anymore) I will go as high as 25 feet, but am usually between 18-22 feet.
As far as my Lone wolf sets, I find 4 sticks gets me high enough most of the time. If I’m on the lower side on a ridge, I just put the tree between me and the trail. I am usually standing, facing backwards the last 30-45 minutes anyways.

[EllieTheChubb]

I'm surprised at how high folks hunt. As stated many times it is very situational but weighing cover->shot opportunities->shot angles I rarely find myself hunting over 22'. Normally around 15-18'

My biggest concern is shot angle. I shot a doe the other day at 6yds and from 28' up (had to get high to get into cover). I hit high of my mark by maybe two inches and spined her. It was still a good shot as the arrow actually went into the heart before stopping (she was quartering). After looking at the arrow still in the animal it became very clear how risky such a close shot is at that height/distance. Two inches low and I would have likely only one lunged her. A lower stand height and the margin of error increases greatly.

[elk yinzer]

A) I believe there are a lot of overestimates in this area. You have to literally seek out select trees to get above 25.
B) As high as I need to be, and often higher isn't better. Back cover at 10 feet is way better than none at 25.
C) Average? Pretty confident it's around 16.32 feet.
D) 90% of the time I'm between 14 and 18. Most of the occurrences outside that range are lower than 14. That's where my standard stick configuration puts me (measured) depending how much I stretch out the aider use. I have to add one-stick method to get above 20, and I haven't done that since rifle season two years ago.

[Kraftd]

A) I believe there are a lot of overestimates in this area. You have to literally seek out select trees to get above 25.
B) As high as I need to be, and often higher isn't better. Back cover at 10 feet is way better than none at 25.
C) Average? Pretty confident it's around 16.32 feet.
D) 90% of the time I'm between 14 and 18. Most of the occurrences outside that range are lower than 14. That's where my standard stick configuration puts me (measured) depending how much I stretch out the aider use. I have to add one-stick method to get above 20, and I haven't done that since rifle season two years ago.

All of that.

[mauser06]

I used to climb pretty high when I used my climber. Had to climb pole trees with no cover and thought the higher the better.


I've been running a LW for the last several seasons. I don't remember the last time I used my 4th stick.


Like has been said over and over, where I put my stand is dictated by everything else.


Height can definitely help with "getting out of the deers world". Out of their vision...can be beneficial for scent pools etc....but a lot of what I hunt l, shots are close. You get high and that shot angle is extreme and difficult.



I really like having cover. I've found I can get by with a LOT...and the deer that think they saw or heard something, often times look right through me and don't nail me.


If you look at the OPs photo, I'd actually wanna be lower. A few feet lower puts a good bit of clutter behind the stand. Where it is now, it's sky. For me, that background cover is huge and I think overlooked. If I can't get something immediately behind/around me, I definitely try to picture what the deer see and try to avoid that skyline effect which typically means being lower...


Very situational, but I find myself on the lower end of things more than i find myself high.

[DhD]

Depends on whether I'm in a tree or ground hunting..... Wait a second, I think I misunderstood the question.

[cuttiebrownbo]

I used 30 feet of paracord as my bow rope and I climb until it is tight, although a few times of year I don't stop until my bow is completely off the ground. I feel like my ability to get away with movement and to a certain extent scent is great increased when my feet are at 25+ feet.

In my hang ons I typically am about 15 feet but I make up for that by being in trees that provide cover.

[EthanatLU]

Going higher to get “above the deer’s nose” may certainly have value sometimes. I used to interpret this as higher is always better—especially considering the visual advantage you have and the reduced chances of being spotted.
However, in some cases—perhaps many cases—light and variable winds or thermals are at play during the moments of peak deer movement. Does higher equate to better in regards to scent in these conditions? I would think not really. In my experience watching milkweed, your scent cone is significantly larger the higher you are—you’re basically like a big scent wick with fickle air currents blowing your odor around. And without a strong, steady, consistent breeze blowing your scent out to safety or a strong rising thermal, your scent may hit the ground (or a deer’s nose) around 40yds from the base of your tree. In these scenarios I would think the lower, the better in regards to scent.
I’m not saying lower is always better but just reinforcing what others have said that stand height depends on a number of conditions. Either way, I’ve enjoyed not carrying all the gear to climb sky high every time this season. It was liberating to let go of a silly “always do this” mantra. Hope maybe this helps someone else too!

[Edcyclopedia]

I don't smoke weed...