Tree Stand Hunting

[mr.smith]

Ok, so I will be sitting in a tree this year for the Archery deer season. I've never really hunted this way so it will be a challenge for me to stay put all day. I have concerns with shooting at a downward angle. How does it affect arrow flight? I have heard that I need to aim lower than I think. I plan to practice shooting from a ladder this week. I'll be using a climbing tree stand. Where do you put all your stuff? I imagine I would need some screw in hangers for my pack and my bow. What about lunch? I would think I'd want something that doesn't smell too strongly. Don't want to spook the deer.

 

Any tips/advice any of you might have will be appreciated. Thanks

[DesertBull]

In my experience, picking the right tree is paramount. In most Coues country treestand situations, you are on a slope. Thermals are usually strong. If you place your tree on the uphill side of where you expect the deer to pass, you are pretty much limited to late morning through afternoon hunts, as the wind will be blowing up hill during normal weather once the sun rises and the air warms. It will be blowing down hill in the mornings and evenings (when deer are likely moving)

 

If you place you stand on the down hill side, it will be a early morning late afternoon/evening stand. The problem with being on the downhill side is that you have to get WAY up the tree to be above the deer.

 

When you go to set your stand, go at a time you think you will be hunting so you can try and judge what the thermals will be doinging.

 

The stand I have been sitting in the last couple of years (August), you can set your watch by the thermals. It blows downhill unit 10:30 am and then swithes to uphill until 3:45. I have a tree stand on the uphill side. I hunt a ground blind at another location early and late and hunt this stand in the late morning/afternoon.

 

I seems to have the most deer movement between 10 am and 1pm and then again right at dusk. For whatever reason, mornings are slow.

[fx4hauler]

Ok, so I will be sitting in a tree this year for the Archery deer season. I've never really hunted this way so it will be a challenge for me to stay put all day. I have concerns with shooting at a downward angle. How does it affect arrow flight? I have heard that I need to aim lower than I think. I plan to practice shooting from a ladder this week. I'll be using a climbing tree stand. Where do you put all your stuff? I imagine I would need some screw in hangers for my pack and my bow. What about lunch? I would think I'd want something that doesn't smell too strongly. Don't want to spook the deer.

 

Any tips/advice any of you might have will be appreciated. Thanks

 

Shooting from a height is a little different. Your right to practice. Just remember to bend at the waist when shooting and not at the shoulders. A 3D target would be best so you can tell if the arrow is at the right trajectory to take out the lungs. As for lunch I like trail mix and water. Hope this helps

[Mittens2010]

be careful, and don't forget the recepticle for your tinkles. Don't drink too much coffee driving to your area, you'll pay for it later. Most important, make sure to strap yourself to the tree, it is easy to nod off and fall.

 

Good luck

[DesertBull]

Ipod Touch loaded with tunes, books and games keeps me occupied during the slow times.

[300 wsm]

It depends on your angle. If I am 20ft high shooting 20 yds i aim at the heart so i can hit the lungs. I also try to play the wind right and also use scent eliminators regularly. I also chew gum. Something natural smelling like spearmint. Mints grow naturally. I think its better than human breath.

[Huntn coues]

Yup bring a good book or play some games on your phone or text your huntn buddies. It tends to help me sit still

for longer periods of time. Also I have expierimented with both the bottle and just letting it rip off the stand

and I am still debating that. I have had alot of critters walk right by it stop and sniff it and just go about their

buisness

 

As other people mentioned definately practice from the elevated position and shoot the 3d's. (shot placement/angle is crucial)

 

IMO the higher up the better and sit all day. Like DB said picking the right tree is very important.

 

And last but not least wear your saftey system!

 

[huntswnm]

Yup definately wear safety gear! Good book or Ipod is a good help to pass the time, for food i usually take a sandwich or liccorice, pop-tarts, things that are soft. I always take them out of the original packaging and put them in a zip-lock bag so they are not so noisy to open. Tree hooks are a must so you can hang your backpack and binos and such. I hang my backpack a little higher than me so I can use my Camelback throughout the day. One of the radial arm type bow hooks is good to hang your bow on to reduce movement when getting your bow.

I am with Huntn coues about the whole urination issue. I have peed right out of the stand and had deer walk right up to it, smell, and go about there business. One thing about that though is that as hard as it is to not drink coffee on the way to the stand I really try not to. I think if you stick with just water from the night before on then urine is urine. Its when you get all that funky stuff like coffee and soda going on that sets them off. This year, if I sit a stand I am going to try one of those 5 Hour Energy drinks cause there is just something about a tree swaying in the wind that makes my eyes heavy.

jeff

[cpugsie]

Bring a rope to haul up your bow and gear. I also like to attach my quiver to the tree and get it off my bow. Quickie Quivers makes an adapter you can screw into the tree. If you'd like to video your hunt Gorilla makes a real affordable video camera adapter that works pretty good for the money. A light that attaches to your head is nice when your climbing up to your stand in the dark. I bring a closed cell foam pad for my butt and attach it to the seat with large rubber bands. Some of my tree stands have hard seats. Saftey harness is a must as well as many other things all ready mentioned. Good luck!

[bowsniper]

Lots of good info here. I could type for hours on treestand hunting, but I just don't have the bandwidth right now, so I'll just say a little about safety. Five years ago, I was severely injured when my "saftey" harness failed. I went through the whole lawsuit ordeal and eventually won. In the meantime I learned a lot about treestand safety. Here's a link: http://www.fallsafety.com/pdfs/tree_stands.pdf

 

My Gorilla "safety harness" failed because it was poorly designed. During litigation we discovered that Gorilla had one "harness engineer" in the US. His job was to answerer emails. All of the design, testing and manufacturing was done in china by some Lee Phong chinaman who had no training in anything and probably was paid $10 a week. The lesson here is that just because the harness has a major manufacturer name stamped on it, don't assume that it is safe. Do some research and a sanity check of the harness yourself.

 

Fixed and climbers both have pros and cons, but in the end, a fall from a climber is much more dangerous than a fall from a fixed. If you fall from a climber, it is much more difficult to climb back onto the stand than you might think. Set up test and try it for yourself. You only have a few minutes before you start to have circulation and breathing problems that will complicate your efforts to climb back onto the stand. With a fall from a fixed stand, you have a ladder or steps to take the harness pressure off of your body. You can either climb easily back into the stand, or cut the harness and go down the steps. Every year a lot of hunters are found dead dangling in their harness off of a climber. There are products on the market that allow you to lower yourself to the ground from a fall off the climber.

 

I'd be happy to share more treestand hunting info with you about ranging, shot placement, stand placement, etc. Send me a PM and maybe we could link up on the phone. Good luck!

 

Mark

[QCwtAddict]

A couple of years ago I read in an outdoor magazine that it had just been scientifically proven that the smell of human urine does not disturb deer and other game. If I remember right some university had done a study on it. I just cant remember for sure which magazine it was, I am wanting to say it was Outdoor Life but I'm not positive.

[mr.smith]

Thanks for all of the great replies. The last time I was in a tree stand it was a near death experience. It was a climbing stand and the bottom platform collapsed on me while I was setting it. I did not have a harness on. Fortunately my grip on the top piece held and I was able to shimmy down the tree like a Hawaiian on a coconut palm. Scary situation. That was a decade ago in North Carolina. Never made it a full day there either. I'm going to give it a try but think I may change up to a ground blind. We'll see. Thanks -Josh

[fx4hauler]

Hunting from a tree stand does have it's advantages. You have a much greater field of view. If a deer comes in from behind you, you may still get a shot. As for the pee bottle I use a old stile ice pack bottle. The kind you can get at Walgreen's for about 9 dollars. I've seen the research that says you can relieve yourself from the stand and it will not scare the deer. But I prefer not to leave anymore scent then necessary. We scare more deer when we are not on the stand than when we are, by the scent we leave behind.

[jamaro]

Good Stuff Guys...

The only things I would add..

1) if you have a cell, plb or spot keep in on your person NOT in your backpack... If you take a dive it wil not do you any good if it is in your pack in the tree

 

2) have a plan for cutting yourself out if you happen to fall...

 

3)Be wary of the sun... I have a buddy.. (NO NAMES) that had a great spot but it was right in the sun... HE GOT A WICKED SUNBURN....

 

J

[bowsniper]

A couple of years ago I read in an outdoor magazine that it had just been scientifically proven that the smell of human urine does not disturb deer and other game. If I remember right some university had done a study on it. I just cant remember for sure which magazine it was, I am wanting to say it was Outdoor Life but I'm not positive.

 

I have seen the "OK to pee off a tree argument" also. The other day on a long drive, my kid made me keep stopping so he could pee. I finally told him "no" and made him pee into a drink cup. That cup stunk so bad that I had to pull over to pour it out! I'll keep peeing into a bottle. Why take the chance?

 

+1 on the sun and shade. Even at 7000 feet in August in AZ you can get fried and sweat. The scent from the sweat will not be helpful. Make sure that your stand is in the shade, or use a camo umbrella for shade.

 

Mark