[2-Fer]

I have a question for you all wise all knowing hunters out there. Next year I want to try and hunt from a tree stand, or a ground blind. My question is which one is better, and how far away from the wallow/water hole do I want to put a ground blind or a tree stand. Also does it help to put the tree stand up a few months befor the hunt so the deer will get use to something being there, any help would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[HOGAN]

Put it up a week before the hunt starts. Tree stand is better, you elliminate your smell by sitting higher off of the ground, the currents are blowing up in a slight breeze. If it is windy you will be smelled. 25-30 yards from the water hole, then you use your 20 yard pin to shoot. It is different shooting from a tree stand you must aim low if the animal is 20 yards or closer. my .02

 

[Treehugnhuntr]

I'm a fan of puting them down hill from your feed or water source. Typical winds will be down hill/canyon in the mornings and evenings.

And like Joey said, Make sure you practice shots from an elevated position. A rangefinder may tll you a deer is 40 yards out, but in all reality it could be a 30 yard shot.

+1 on the stand over the blind and make sure you get safety equipment.

 

[fixed blade XC-3]

I haven't used a ground blind but I love my tree stand. The only down side is, are the squirrels. Man do they get peaved when they find you in their favorite pine cone collecting tree. Sometimes you have to avoid birds, and the first time a big gust of wind comes, you'll probably mess your shorts. Hope this helps, and good luck. :wink:

 

[sagebrush]

get a tree stand...I have a summit bullet it is a climbing tree type stand. twenty to thirty yards from a water hole is fine. like wise you will have to practice shooting at the angle.

try some practice runs during the summer at least a month before the hunt, take a camera and take pictures.

 

[2-Fer]

Thanks for all your suggestions guys. Just thinking about the prospects of next year hunting this way has got me excited, I cant wait.

 

[Renegade]

Tree stands are great tools.

If you are leaving a stand up for the season, then get ladder stands. They are the safest stands out. Hang on stands and climbing sticks are good too, just make sure you are mega careful putting them up.

Get a good safety harness, like the Hunters Safety System or one of the new cheaper knock-offs. You will get a free harness with your stand-that's the law now, and while it is an effective, quality harness, it is a bitch to put on & take off.

Good Luck!

 

[skeet4l]

Thh, are you sure down hill is your best option? I've never liked being close to eye level so I'll usually find a place uphill. A flatter shot has its advantages but I prefer to have an animal come under me to get to water rather than hanging up on the other side. Elk and Deer have always seemed to come in on the high side anyway and it seems to me that they're more apt to see you without having to lift their head barring any scent. I also believe that their line of site looking through you at the watering area isn't as good as if your in the background when they're trying to detect movement. It's easier to pick up animal movement from the opposite side and prepare for a shot but I think the movement or out of place thing works both ways. Another thing to think about is leaving as much brush between you and your animal as possible while he's making up his mind until he decides it's safe to come in. 2-Fr, Elk, once they've made up their mind will generally come in fast so try to plan your movement prior to or when they're coming in with their head down. Next time your on the mountain in a timbered area take a look what an animal might see while coming into to water or a feeding area and I think you'll see what I mean. I'd take a quartered away shot over quartered toward me anyday. There are probably a million scenarios that will come into play which will change your situation but this is just my .02 worth. Thh, just my style of hunting, nothing against yours.

 

[sliverflick]

2-fer,

I can't comment on which is better, the stand or blind, since I've not tried either. I'd like to try a stand someday. Seems like an awful lot of work but is probably well worth the effort if you've been able to find a perfect spot.

As for leaving your stand or blind in the field, be careful. My brother had his stand stolen and it was only up for a couple of weeks. Maybe there are some precautions you can take: make sure the stand is in a very remote place (out of sight, out of mind), lock it to the tree? remove your ladder or pegs? There might be others but since I've never owned one I just don't know. Maybe some others can comment...

 

[Treehugnhuntr]

Thh, are you sure down hill is your best option? I've never liked being close to eye level so I'll usually find a place uphill. A flatter shot has its advantages but I prefer to have an animal come under me to get to water rather than hanging up on the other side. Elk and Deer have always seemed to come in on the high side anyway and it seems to me that they're more apt to see you without having to lift their head barring any scent. I also believe that their line of site looking through you at the watering area isn't as good as if your in the background when they're trying to detect movement. It's easier to pick up animal movement from the opposite side and prepare for a shot but I think the movement or out of place thing works both ways. Another thing to think about is leaving as much brush between you and your animal as possible while he's making up his mind until he decides it's safe to come in. 2-Fr, Elk, once they've made up their mind will generally come in fast so try to plan your movement prior to or when they're coming in with their head down. Next time your on the mountain in a timbered area take a look what an animal might see while coming into to water or a feeding area and I think you'll see what I mean. I'd take a quartered away shot over quartered toward me anyday. There are probably a million scenarios that will come into play which will change your situation but this is just my .02 worth. Thh, just my style of hunting, nothing against yours.

I hear you, It's a mutha trying to draw on a deer at eye level, if not impossible withouut spooking it.

Maybe I should clarify; When I say "downhill" What I am refering to is more down canyon. I typically try to set my stands up sidehilled, but down canyon from the trail, water source etc. This way you don't have animals looking in to your eyes and aking "watcha thinkin?" They are so insecure. :wink:

We have 3 or 4 box blinds that we set up on private property and I'm not sure how I feel about those. They are great for the animals not being able to see you move around, But I don't like the limited space and I prefer to stand up and shoot out of a stand, It gives me more left to right movement with my hips compared to kneeling.

Ladder stands are good, we have several of those as well, but I like the freedom to go Higher with a climber. Fixed ladders usually come in 15-20 foot set ups, which is fine in a lot of cases, but not all. What I choose to do instead of fixed ladder stands is buy the sectional ladders so I can go as high or low as I want and add or remove sections to accomodate the situation.

Yours truely,

Ben Stein

 

[wyoming2utah]

Also does it help to put the tree stand up a few months befor the hunt so the deer will get use to something being there, any help would be appreciated, thanks.

If you are leaving a stand up for the season

As for leaving your stand or blind in the field, be careful. My brother had his stand stolen and it was only up for a couple of weeks. Maybe there are some precautions you can take: make sure the stand is in a very remote place (out of sight, out of mind), lock it to the tree? remove your ladder or pegs? There might be others but since I've never owned one I just don't know. Maybe some others can comment...

Well, my comment is this: If you plan on using a treestand, that is fine and could really improve your chances of harvesting an animal. Where and how you do it is up to you...personally, though, I have a serious problem with hunters putting up tree stands or ground blinds and leaving them on public land...one of the nice things about being in the outdoors, for me, is the idea of escape and getting away from people. When I see a treestand out in the woods or a ground blind, it reminds me of all the things I am trying to get away from. It is like someone leaving their garbage behind and not cleaning up after themself.

Also, these blinds present the idea of reserving or laying down claim to a hunting area...people put out blinds with the idea that "their" hunting spot is reserved much like people put out lawn chairs and reserve their "spot" during the 4th of July parade. If it is public land, there is no reserving.

So, this weekend while on a cow elk hunt when I came across a tree stand, my reaction was to climb the tree and take the stand home. Some might call me unethical or a thief, my reply is to take your garbage home with you!

 

[Treehugnhuntr]

Impressive. :roll:

 

[skeet4l]

I'm not a fan of leaving them up either, not to mention telling everyone around "this is the place, check it out". Many wallows and/or springs are hidden and puting a flag out there is probably not a good idea so I'll usually sneak in and put it up the day before. If you've done your homework you'll have a pretty good idea what time of day to do it, you'll also have a last chance to check it out for sign.

 

[4pointmuley]

I have a ground blind designed for bowhunting. I haven't used it yet, bought it from Cabela's last fall. Has anyone had any luck out of a ground blind? It's not a double bull, it is made by underbrush.

 

[Finnegan]

Why buy a tree stand? Just about every spot where you'd conceiveably want one already has one set up for you. :lol:

Too bad I can't sit still long enough to use one.

 

[Treehugnhuntr]

I have a ground blind designed for bowhunting. I haven't used it yet, bought it from Cabela's last fall. Has anyone had any luck out of a ground blind? It's not a double bull, it is made by underbrush.

The disadvantage of a blind is that you are at the animals level, one noise and they are looking your way as opposed to a tree stand that makes them wonder. Also, I have found that I don't like the height of most of the blinds I've used, double bull and a couple of different cabelas models.

 

[FC2Tuber]

Also does it help to put the tree stand up a few months befor the hunt so the deer will get use to something being there, any help would be appreciated, thanks.

If you are leaving a stand up for the season

As for leaving your stand or blind in the field, be careful. My brother had his stand stolen and it was only up for a couple of weeks. Maybe there are some precautions you can take: make sure the stand is in a very remote place (out of sight, out of mind), lock it to the tree? remove your ladder or pegs? There might be others but since I've never owned one I just don't know. Maybe some others can comment...

Well, my comment is this: If you plan on using a treestand, that is fine and could really improve your chances of harvesting an animal. Where and how you do it is up to you...personally, though, I have a serious problem with hunters putting up tree stands or ground blinds and leaving them on public land...one of the nice things about being in the outdoors, for me, is the idea of escape and getting away from people. When I see a treestand out in the woods or a ground blind, it reminds me of all the things I am trying to get away from. It is like someone leaving their garbage behind and not cleaning up after themself.

Also, these blinds present the idea of reserving or laying down claim to a hunting area...people put out blinds with the idea that "their" hunting spot is reserved much like people put out lawn chairs and reserve their "spot" during the 4th of July parade. If it is public land, there is no reserving.

So, this weekend while on a cow elk hunt when I came across a tree stand, my reaction was to climb the tree and take the stand home. Some might call me unethical or a thief, my reply is to take your garbage home with you!

Well I certainly think it's unethical... but I wonder if you are a thief or not. Let's use your analogy. Would the police have a problem with you stealing, say those lawn chairs or a cooler off of state street the night before the parade? I think they would. Does it equate to about the same thing? I think so.

 

[bow hunter]

If you don't like people leaving stands on public ground, don't look up. I hope you never come across my stands.

 

[wyoming2utah]

Well I certainly think it's unethical... but I wonder if you are a thief or not. Let's use your analogy. Would the police have a problem with you stealing, say those lawn chairs or a cooler off of state street the night before the parade? I think they would. Does it equate to about the same thing? I think so.

What about leaving your stands up after the hunt? What would the police do if I tooks someone's chair the day after the parade?

Would you pick up a knife/gun/fishing rod.. that was left laying on the ground in the woods? Or, would you leave it alone?

I say finders keepers...it is public land; take your crap home!

 

[HOGAN]

Tree stands/trail cams have a different analogy that you guys are speaking of. A better one would be Geocaching! You have "CRAP" within 500 feet of your house, I almost guarantee it. PM me the coordinates to your house and I will tell you exaclty where someones "CRAP" is lying! What street to go down where to look everything, what type of container, even what is in that container....Any Takers.

Its lying there all for the taking, it's called honesty. And PS there are cache's up in them hills too!