Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Treestands: Preferred hunting height & why?

I try to get up around 20’ with my saddle but I hear about guys going higher or lower based upon terrain etc.

What’s your take?

I don't have a set height. Never really measured.

Edge of a field, I tend to go higher. I just go till I can't anymore those I'd guess most all my stands end up in that 15-20 feet range.

I use mostly hang-on's with screw in steps and go up 8 pegs which works out to around 18' at the platform. This usually works out well for me but I'll go up or down a peg or two depending on obstacles or sidehills.

Over a lifetime of hunting from tree stands, it has varied by the surrounding tree canopy and brush height. The last few years it has been around 20' because that was high enough to see over the surrounding brush with enough angle to shoot into. I want to be below the heavier surrounding tree canopy, but above the ground level scent stream. 40-50' wasn't out of the question if the brush line was much taller. The "Penthouse" seat was stupid high in a big white pine overlooking a popple regeneration area, but deer were more important to me back in my foolhardy youth. The wife wants my butt about 2' off the ground on a camp stool, so I don't tell her much about my hunting locations. I've gotten better shot presentations on un-alarmed deer from a tree stand than I do hunting from the ground.

That’s roughly what I do with my sticks & platform also

I hear ya on the wifely concern. My wife asked one day what saddle hunting was & she wanted to see how it worked. I’m
Not even sure I made my final stick placement and she said she’d seen enough. Lol.

I used to average around 20', but my "hang-on" days are over. Now if I'm not on the ground, I'm either in a ladder stand or a box blind if the weather's crap. 2 bad shoulders and 2 bad knees have lowered my altitude!

15 feet because I start to get nervous at 20 and forget 25

20' to 22' range where possible. It's where I'm comfortable and has worked well for me for a lot of years. Plus, to go any higher, I'd need to buy more climbing sticks!

12 foot to the bottom. But I traditional bow hunt. Any higher and the shot angle seems a little steep for me. Lone wolf with 3 sticks and an aider gets you there easy.seems at this hight my eyes are 18 feet or so when I stand to shoot.

The only time I'll be suspended in a tree is if I had a platform malfunction/failure and my harness saved me.

Average height for me generally 18' - generally hang-ons are 20'-ish but a lot of 16' ladder stands and some a little lower yet when getting any higher isn't an advantage.

I usually setup on a ridge and hunt looking down into a bottom. Usually its a edge where old and new clear cut meet up with mature pines.
I’m rifle hunting. I only go up high enough to be able to shoot over the bush and have a clear shot down into the bottom without getting over the trees behind me. If .i get up over the stuff behind me they can make me out. The place i am hunting next week I will only be up about 12 feet. About every other time I hunt I hunt this climber I have deer walk right beside me within 15 yards. Very seldom do they spook. And that depends on the wind.

my current stand is 14 feet high. Plenty enough height for me and for where I hunt. Line of sight to the swamp edge is just over 65 yards. We have taken three bucks so far this year from that stand.

Thanks all - this is exactly what I was hoping to hear about. As different as we all hunt we sorta hunt the same.
I can relate. When I first started saddle hunting I had to practice in the yard for a few months ahead of season to get comfortable. Even now there are times that I wish I had a stand

No preferred height. But, I'll only go as high as I think I need to. Most successfull treestand we had growing up was only about 10' to the platform. The Cedartree Blind was in a pine tree with lots of limbs. Enough that we used the limbs as steps! One was well hidden and the height really gave all the visibility you were going to get. Dad killed 7 bucks in 7 years running with a bow on the day before gun season out of that stand.

Pretty much my situation as well.

Really depends on the surrounding terrain. Some places extra height helps, some it decreases line of sight or clear shots. In most cases, I prefer higher if possible...but I'm hunting with a rifle, not bow. According to the pullup rope I use, most often, my waist is ~25' off the ground....which is where I run out of rope.

I'd have to measure my chair, but probably 18" or so.

We have ladder stands that are only 1 ladder up. My son's is 17' to the platform I think. Quite a few of our areas are easier to see on the ground.

Where I shot my buck this year sitting on the ground on a hillside that has a lot of deer sign in the area. Plenty of times I hunt through the woods and find a place to sit for some time. Sometimes 10 minutes, sometimes 4-5 hours. Hell, sometimes all day. All day sites are usually in a blind for me these days though.

I used to go up and down elevator shafts, or pipe shafts, in a Bosun's Chair installing electrical conduit runs. Typically, heights don't bother me much at all. But then, never did that, or use a treestand, without a very good fall restraint harness.

Lock on and ladders usually 18-20' if trees and topography permit. Climbers 20-22'

Used to be nosebleed high when I was a young buck, it's funny now, I'll climb in the dark (summit stands), after a while I'm thinking I'm waay high so I sit down, it gets light and I'm 12 feet up....

I've heard too many stories of guys falling out of them or getting hung by harnesses to go too high anymore.

Most of my lookout ladder stands are 15'.....my ideal tree is a mature magnolia or holly.

I have fallen 20 feet out of one. Hurt like hell

depends on the area. I have hunted as low as about 7 feet and as high as about 25 feet. In some areas, if I got too high, I was shooting back down thru a bunch of tree limbs (so I hunted lower). In some areas (around more open areas) I hunted higher. I let what I could see and what I would have to shoot thru decide my height I hunted at.

About this high, about 18 feet to eye level. Metal towers are 30 to 40 years old. Oldest was built in 1982. I weld the date on them. I’ve built my last one I believe




unique baby names and meanings

Completely depends on the context surrounding the setup. I want to put myself in the best position to make a kill so I'm looking at shooting lanes, cover to hide from the deer, wind currents, etc. I have stands as high as 38 feet and I've hunted out of my saddle with my feet less than 4 feet from the ground.

About half of the deer I’ve killed I’ve been on the ground. That being said my ladder stands are typically 16-20 feet and I’ll go 25 feet or so with a climber if it lets me see a little farther. Being in a stand above their line of sight gives you a definite advantage though for sure. This past season I was moving a stand and the bottom ladder was rusted and rotted out so I decided to take that section out and put the now 10’ tall stand up and hunt out of it anyway. I had 5 deer around the bottom of that stand the morning I decided to hunt out of it. It felt like I was standing about back level to them and they milled around for 45 minutes or so. Made me a huge believer in getting above their line of sight.

Haven't hunted in a stand for many years but when I did it was rarely more than 10-12' when bowhunting and many times no more than 8. Rifle was almost always out of a ladder stand so whatever those go to. 16' or so I think. Sometimes I'd leave the bottom of the ladder off if it wasn't needed.

I make the ground blind. Often it is with just natural materials.

I have built platforms in the upper big branches of oak trees when I was young. I could smoke with deer right at the base of the tree and they never knew I was there. Now 15 feet is as high as I get. I have a tripod and ladders now no climbers.

I liked to hunt high...now the body can't handle it. Do the same people that wear a safety harness while hunting also wear seat belts while in a vehicle? Or wear life vest while fishing because they might fall overboard? Don't ride motorcycles or horses and damn sure don't go out in the rain because they might catch a cold. Sheit happens, live life like your dying..... because you are.

I don't believe I'm smelling what you're cooking here – please elaborate.

Bizarre

I hunted high and wore a safety rope
I wear seatbelts that save me twice.
Rode Motorcycles with proper gear
Ride horses, only lazy plodding ones.
Been in 2 plane crashes.
Can't always avoid all risks.

Same thing around here, the height is almost always dictated by the surrounding trees. I like to go higher but much more than about 20' and visibility decreases. I only maxed out the 30' pull up rope one time this year.

My preference is to find an evergreen and go from there judging height. Can't always find one in a suitable place where I'm at now tho.
Height wise, same as most others, from dirt to how high the tree will hold me.

I've discovered that I really don't like heights but I also realize that there's not a huge difference from falling from 18 to 25 feet, it's about the landing and I don't want to find out. I hunt from a climber mostly and I believe it's safe unless there's a mechanical problem but my all welded climber seems generally safe. I started wearing a climbing harness this year, like the ones rock climber wear, and I keep the leash pretty short, just enough to be able to sit and stand but short enough to not "break my fall". I hunt mainly in the pine timbered south and you often have to get high up to have decent visibility. I hunted in KS for the first time this year and sat behind hay bales, I much enjoyed being on the same level as the deer, kind of changes your perspective being on the ground.

More comfortable than I thought, didn't really get in the way.

https://www.rei.com/product/162868/black-diamond-momentum-harness-mens

With a bow I like to go about 20 feet high so my angles on shots aren't too steep. With a rifle, I'll go as high as possible since the shot angle isn't as big a deal.

I always wear a safety belt. I had a climbing stand bottom slip out from under once and was thankful for the safety strap keeping me from falling. An uncle of mine didn't wear a belt and had a fall a number of years ago. He could barely walk for the rest of his life.

Most of my stands are 12 ‘ at base. The most productive is only 7’ . The 7 ‘ has been amazing, however, I don’t hunt stands if the wind is wrong.

GreggH

Spent many a cold, frosty morning humped up.on a tree limb, shivering like a dog passing peach seeds

I'm too old now! I don't get no lower than 'taters or higher than corn!
I build box blinds, set them about 3 feet (32") off the ground.
Good enough for me!

You young bucks enjoy it while you can.I definitely miss it,but my hunting is done on the ground now…

On the property I hunt nearly all the ladder stands are 12', never felt the need to go any higher.

+1. In my younger days we had stands anywhere from 15' - 22' and never gave it a second thought. Now that I am much older, 8' - 10' Max works just fine. Besides, having hunted on different properties and in all manner of treestands, I came to the realization that 8-10' in an enclosed stand is plenty enough.

For me it all depends on terrane & available trees to work with. I have had success wilt elevation varying from 8 ft off the ground to 25 ft off the ground. Ill strive for 15 ft to 20ft though circumstances vary & thus so do stand height to be utilized or executed.

I don’t like heights so I usually go just high enough to see over the underbrush or terrain, I’m usually 12-15ft up and it’s never really been an issue for me to need to go higher.

+1

My tree climbing days are gone and now have built platforms that are 7 to 10 feet, in most cases the area is heavy forest and 7 works best

20 years ago I'd sit or stand all day long in that spot and now I couldn't climb that high. What puzzles me is that old stand is 15' lower than my highest one. But since they came out with the Ozonic system there's no reason to hunt that high anymore.

10-20'

Canopy dictates height.

Depends on permanent, ladder, or climbing.









10-35 feet depending on which. I go high in the summit viper, and use a harness when up and when climbing/descent

I miss bowhunting in the trees, usually 20-25'.

When I was younger 20-25' now I prefer a ground blind on an 8' platform.

When I was young heights didn't phase me, nodays 12-17feet is all I need. Killed a many deer bow hunting at 10ft high,.
I hunt blinds a lot now, bring a good chair so it's comfortable.

When sitting on the seat my feet are on the ground.

Around our hunting camp we have two 17' stands & three 21' stands. The shorter stands are in primarily bow hunting locations and the taller ones are used mainly with rifles.

The only reason for these choices is that these are sizes that are available at the local feed store & we like giving them as much business as possible even if their selection is limited compared to bigger stores in larger cities. The 17' stands are adequate & the 21' stands are nice. Unlike our permanent fabricated towers, we didn't put a lot of thought into our treestands since they are often treated as secondary options that get rearranged occasionally.

I usually end up around 20' give or take. That height works well with all kinds of climbing sticks , climbing ladders ect.

Sometimes the available trees will dictate your height no matter what you would like to do. I find that situation alot in northern KS.

Here in PA there are about 10 billion nice straight trees with no lower branches to worry about so....

Like my platforms 15 feet

Yeah, as we get older, box stands become more desirable, especially when it’s cold and drizzling rain.

DF

The last few years I am only about 10' high. Make sure ya got some concealment around you and dont move it they look your way. Almost always works.

I can hunt tripods if it’s above 40, box blinds with windows and a heater if colder than that. Cold bothers me more at 70.

My platform is at 14’

Two of my largest bow bucks came from a stand where my feet were only 8 feet off the ground. That being said, I spent a good part of my hunting career as a nose-bleed cowboy at 25 feet. After I turned 45, I gave up climbers and settled into ladder stands that were no more than 15 feet high. I've had much better luck at 15 than I ever did at 25.

That reminds me of a saying I have. " The higher ya get the more you silhouette ."