how high do you setup your deer stand in the tree?

[SouperStar22]

Wondering how high does everyone setup there deer stand cause seem like just this year I'm getting busted no matter how high I sit in the tree stand. Deer seems to spot me

[certified jumbo]

Are stands all are between 9 and 12 feet. We used to go higher but after my partner fell 20 feet landing on his face last year we really made a lot of changes this year. A night at cloquet hospital was very scary. Don't want that to happen again......

[DonBo]

I don't go very high either. I try to use the best cover available at reasonable heights. Rarely go higher than 15'.

[Scott K]

I am afraid of heights, so as close to the ground as possible, and it has usually worked just fine for me.

[Meat-Run]

Souperstar it all depends on the woods, stand you use, back ground cover and your shooting capabilities. What I mean by that is I can get away sitting lower in a tree 15' or less if I can shoot accurately out to 30+ yards and sit further off the trail and usually I can find an old white pine or cluster of pine trees. If you have red oaks the leaves stay on longer and you have extended cover for most of the fall. If using a hang on stand you can get away with sitting lower in a knarly oak because its usually harder to blend in with a ladder stand or a climber. So it really depends what you have for tree options dictates how high or low I'll put up a set. 99% of the time I use ladders because I'm kind of a chicken-[PoorWordUsage] and like the ease of getting in and out, hope that helps.

MR

[Shu]

15-17' and I always use a lifeline, even on a ladder stand.

[nofishfisherman]

I am afraid of heights, so as close to the ground as possible, and it has usually worked just fine for me.

Same here. I'll only go as high as I have to. Usually not higher than maybe 10 feet.

In the woods I hunt there seems to be a sweet spot between 8-12 feet. Any higher and you start getting up into the branches of surrounding trees. You won't get busted as easily but you also lose alot of your shooting lanes because you have to look through so many branches. Best bet for me has usually been to climb up right to the bottom of the first layer of branches so i can see under them but they also break up by silhouette and provide good background cover.

[NELS-BELLS]

With a climber stand, I go as high as I can up to around 30'. (which is about the length of my cord). On a hang on stand, it depends on the tree. Like someone else metioned earlier. If the tree is thick enough and has lots of thick branches and/or some leaves, you can get by without going very high and not get busted. Its all about being concealed.

I always wear a safety strap now, after falling about 18' and shattering my wrist about 8 years ago while climbing down from a hang on stand. I prefer climber stands now because my safety harness is tethered to the tree from the time I leave the ground.

Nels

[muskiemanAD]

When I am hunting buck beds I usually only go 8-12 feet of the ground. Any higher and he will see me from his bed. Always climb up the back side of tree too in case he is looking my way..

[paceman]

My hang on's I am in the 15-18' range. A little higher with the climber. Depends on the tree and the visability at stand hieght.

[mainbutter]

I take my climbing stand up 12' on my favorite spot.

We have a structure-type box stand that is maybe 9 feet up.

I have deer walking right underneath me at times.

[SouperStar22]

Thanks guy for all the response. I just felt busted cause this past weekend I was sitting in a red oak and all I had was just couple shooting window thru some leaves, I was cover around with leaves and this monster does saw me but wasnt that spooked but saw me. I was sitting atleast 17 feet high

[Meat-Run]

Depending on that particular tree you might still have been sky-lined. Keep in my if that doe saw you she must have smelled you or walks that trail often to sense something was not right, not much you can do to prevent there instincts.

MR

[Cheetah]

I bring 4 steps in with me. That puts the base of my stand about 10-12 feet. I feel no need to go higher than that.

[1eyeReD]

On smaller platform hangons, I prefer to only set them up between 15 and 18 ft. I've had them at 20 ft or a little more and I could barely stand up without feeling like I was gonna tip over. With the climber, I go about 25' at the highest. The sit & climb bar on my Summit Razor SD makes me "feel" more secure when I'm up there - not that it really will prevent me from doing anything dumb, but it helps with confidence.

[nbadger23]

10-12 feet. My best stand is likely only 9 feet up, but it's in a group of two trees and situated such that I seem to be very concealed. I've even had the neighbor walk up up within 15 yards once and he said it was very hard to tell I was there.

I agree with what nofish said... sometimes the woods dictates that you can only go up 8-10 feet because if you go any higher you've lost sight lines and shooting lanes due to the canopy. It really is a situational type answer.

[Bear55]

I've set my stand 3 feet off the ground and gone close to 30 feet up, it all depends on where I am at and where the cover is. Over half my setups I hunt below 10 feet so I don't stick out too much.

[mrklean]

one of my stands is 20+ up not fun to be in when its windy

[Rippinlip]

Most of our stands are ladder stands that range from 12'-15'.

We do have a portable that is probably closer to the 18' range and I use a couple of climbers that I will take anywhere from 10'-25'

cover, shooting lanes, terrain and travel areas all play a role in deciding how low or high we set up.

[Lunker]

Depends on the availability of stand trees. We hunt pretty high generally, but wear safety system and have lead lines we hook into to move up and down the tree. I think more than just height, how well you can brush yourself in (break-up concealment of limbs, leaves, etc) is the most important.

[harvey lee]

Anywhere from 14-20ft depending on the tree and the distance to the trails. One huge key is try to get limb's and whatever behind you so you do not get skylined by the deer.

One should use a harness and a lifeline when going up this high.

[Wanderer]

this monster doe

That's all you need to know...

Big old does are some of the smartest deer in the woods and will bust you faster than you can say "What the ???"

[surewood]

Most mine are right around the 20' mark. I use to stick around 15' and deer seemed to look right at me unless I had a bunch of cover, but the best trees don't always have the best cover. 20'-22' up and they don't see me. I get away with more movement also.

[FISHINGURU]

Don't really matter how high you go, the important part is being covered.

When using a ladder stand I like to find the biggest tree in the woods to put that bad boy against, you can't get outlined because your background is a solid tree.

That being said when I use a normal stand I like to go as high as I can or where there is the most cover in the tree.

I have one stand that is about 40ft off the ground because it is placed half way up a hill to hunt the flat on top, when I look foward it looks like I am about 20ft off the ground, when I look behind me I'm so high up I feel dizzy lol, but if I didn't go that high up I'd be at eye level of the deer.

[Archerysniper]

Some clothing or regular laundry detergent also have UV brighteners,deer will pick you off from a long ways when you look like a glowing spotlight. Try washing you clothes in scent away laundry detergent or just plain water and baking soda. If you are using a washing machine make sure you run a couple empty loads through first.

With that said I go up as high as I need for background cover. I normally try and use big oaks and get up where I have a V at my back.