Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Tree Stand Height

Just bought myself a Big Game tree stand (the Boss XL) and I tried it out (after assembly) on the tree in the front yard about 3 feet off the ground. It seems to work fine and would be comfortable to sit and stand in for an extended period. My question is: How high do you put the stand in the tree when hunting? Would 20 feet be high enough or would you go higher? I guess a lot of it would depend on where the upper foliage starts to thicken so you could be partially concealed. If how ever the tree goes up straight for 30 feet before branching would you go up that high? If these seem like newbie questions it's because they are as I've never used a tree stand before. Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks

Height doesn't matter as much as good background as to not silhouette yourself to a bright sky.

I've shot many deer from 10ft up, my normal ladder stand is 14 to 20 ft.

It's more important for the stand do be about 30 degrees OFF the line of site the deer will be looking if your in the open woods.

My best stand faces west where the deer come out of thicker cover and enter the open woods. They're headed east into the sun in the morning, my stand is between two runs and sits at a spot 25 yards from where they stop to watch the open woods to see if it's safe to walk out into it. BLAM!

Shot 3 deer out of it last year alone.

Spot

Spotshooter is absolutely correct. Background cover is key. My biggest buck came off of a Loggy 10' ladder stand.

Another thing to consider when high is the change in impact of the arrow. The higher you go, the lower you have to aim. A trick is too not range find the trail or animal, but a tree level to the height you are at. It is not the distance you want to shoot down, but the horizontal distand to the target.

Does that make sense?

I think it depends on situation. From a hunting standpoint I think the two most important things are keeping track of the wind and concelement. If you have those in your favor it won't matter if your 10 feet or 30 off the ground. That said I like to be fairly high 22-25" for bow hunting and I can be even higher for gun hunting. I think that it helps a little with both scent and concelment.

One thing about being high is the tree may move around some in a breeze..it can make long shots difficult.

Lastly..be safe I think treestands are the most dangerous aspect of hunting.

I like 12 to 15 feet off the ground.

Make sure to use a safety harness.

I was wondering the same thing because this is my first year hunting from a stand also. Mine is only 14 feet but I feel that it's well concealed by the trees in the back ground and the canope above me. The ground below me is also pretty flat and level from where they come in at leaving the swamp and tall grass. The deer should feel safe enough!

I never put a stand below 15 feet and usually around 20ft is preferred. 30ft would put you at too much of a downward angle, shots would be real hard. 30ft doesnt sound that high but when your sitting in a stand in a moving tree it feels like 300ft

I've tagged over 100 deer/hogs with my bows.... not all from elevated stands but....

I've never been over 12 feet high. It never hurt me. I've been as low as 6 feet also.

Jeff

It all depends on the cover available. I prefer at least 15' well covered.

Height is usually only needed when the cover is limited. For example I've had success at 25+ feet when only sparse cover was available. When high it's always seemed to me as if the deer never look straight up at me especially when they get within 15 yards. Shooting straight down at steep angles give you a smaller target area.

Good Luck

Reloader7RM

Height is important to avoid being scented and busted.....I prefer at least 20-25' and last weekend was 30, the end of my bow puller upper. Not much cover, so I had to climb......

Climbed to about 25 feet one time in a draw to avoid wind currents. Found out you can't hunt that draw if you were 50 feet up... hunted much better in a ground blind tightly set up.

We never had issues with wind at 6-12 feet, but the terrain was workable and we knew the trails.

I shot a deer once from way up in a tree, dang vitals suck from up high, I'd have to rethink the whole thing again. And since I've done just fine at lower levels, until they don't work I'll stick with it as is.

Man you can get up in a pine though! We always just stood or sat still, even without cover and never had an issue.

Jeff

...I too often prefer to go high. Thirty feet is fine, but in most locations it isn't necessary to go beyond 15-20'. Read the location well. Close cover= less need for highth, open surroundings = go higher. The wind or air current drift speed also should influence your choosen highth. In the morning air currents generaly rise as the air temps are rising, under such conditions you needn't go as high as afternoon/evening cooling air might dictate. All this means the conditions vary greatly, and your need for highth will vary with conditions too.

We hunt in big woods and I'm almost ready to simply bow hunt in the AM and gun hunt in the PM. Winds in the PM simply kill a bow hunter in the woods........

Everytime I want to go high, it seems there are too many obstacles - small trees and the like - that get in the way, especially in the early season.

the usual rule of thumb is "the higher the better" within reason. i don't go over 13'. has nothing to do with hunting. all to do with me & heights.
still works good for me.

-ken

I usually go 25 feet. However 15 has worked for me.

I like the angle through the vitals better if I stay under 20 feet. 16-18 seems about right, especially when closer shots (Sub 15 yards) are expected. For rifle I'll go higher, if it'll let me see farther.

I hunt 16 to 18 feet also. Hunt with the wind just right when they're headed to the bedding area from feedding area. When they're under you at that heighth it presents a 16 to 20 yard shot. Brown on the ground. Ken

my stand is 12 and visibilty is excellant.of course placement is always criticalif I put it up and cant see i move it.

I have found that height is less important than making sure that when you finally get set up you have a knot directly behind your back. Seriously, it depends a great deal on the surrounding terrain - 10 feet can be "higher" than 20 feet your starting elevation compared to that of your surroundings. The point about angle to the vitals is a good one. Best, John