this will be my first year hunting from a treestand and have a few questions first off, when shooting do you aim a little lower than normal because of the height? also, I have to stand up in this stand to be able to shoot, so should I stand up when a deer shows up(without making noise of course), or would the movement cause a spook?
i will only tell ya what works for me. i have never killed a dear with a bow yet but have practiced out of a stand a bunch. i aim/shoot as i would normaly do with no problems. my stands are allmost all 12 feet.
As for deer if you think you here one come quickly/safly stand. if you see one coming wait untill he steps behind a tree/rock/bush or something and then make your move to stand.
look through the deer while shooting if you are aiming aim at the off side where you want or arrow to exit
I bend at the waist and aim normal. I only get 18' max. I don't see the need to go higher. I also try to pick my spot to where the arrow will exit behind off shoulder
and go ahead and stand first shooting light and last shooting light...i have a bow hanger to my left...i am right handed...i also have an arrow holder of some type on all my bows so when it is hanging the arrow is knocked and ready.
Whump Sez; The first thing you need to do is practice some from an elevated position----your tool shed roof or put your stand up that you intend to hunt from and shoot from it which is the best practice. You will be surprised how the site picture changes when you are elevated. I sit and stand quite a bit during the day and being alert to what is going on around you will keep you from spooking game when you move[don;t sit or stand without taking a good slow look around first] If you are using a lock on type stand try to have some cover below your stand to break up the outline, if you are using a climbing stand you may have to hunt rather high depending on how hard the deer in the area have been hunted from trees, if they are hunted hard you can bet they will be looking up as they travel through. Good camo is just as important in a tree as on the ground so don;t take it for granted because you are elevated you are hidden, make your move to draw when the animals head is down, behind a tree or looking away. WEAR A SAFETY Harness! and Hunt safe. Hunt safe.
I aim like bloodtrailer said. Looking thru the deer (so to speak )at the exit point. Trying for a double lung shot. Usually no more than an 80 yd recovery. So far it has worked well.
Just a bit of info:
The higher you get in a stand, the increased shot angle you'll have which makes it harder to get both the lungs at closer distances. I recommend 12-15 feet max.
Practice at different heights to get used to shooting from an elevated platform and pay attention to the arrow angle on impact. A single lung shot can lead to a long trailing job and an unrecovered animal.
Aim normal, bend at the waist. If you can see the deer, then the deer can see you move. Move slowly if you need to move. this time of the year with the leaves on the tree, you can basically do jumping jack in the stand with out spooking deer too much.
Once the leaves are gone its a different story.
When I see deer I start to get ready.
Scott
If you can find a tree with some cover, or with cover behind it use that tree. Don't get in a tree directly over where you think the deer will be, get about 15 yards away. A straight down shot is not a chip shot. Always have your hand on your bow. Stand first and last hour or longer if you can. Standing gives you a smaller profile and you can turn without showing as much movement. ALWAYS wear safety harness.
not gonna hunt out of a stand until I know how to properly use a harness, nothing wrong with making a natural ground blind
When that deer coils up to make a hasty exit, they'll drop down a bit. You don't have to aim super low, but I do aim lower. (Of course we don't aim here. It's all 100% instinctive)
:biglaugh:
Don't be afraid to sit down. I stand up and sit down a lot. I have a bad back and too long standing in one position makes it hurt. So if I try to stand up too long I am constantly shifting my weight and shuffling around.
Even though pain makes me move, I believe most everybody has a hard time standing stock still. Subconsciously we shuffle our feet or shift our weight. It is a lot easier to sit still than stand still. I would rather move a lot when there are no deer around or I know they are not looking than move a little when I'm not sure. So I sit still and stand when I feel confident the movement will go undetected.
I also think deer recognize the bipedular human form easier when we are standing. A deer will pick you out faster when you are standing than sitting. Especially if you are skylined.
Try to keep stand no higher than 12-15'. Place it so tree shields you from anticipated path of deer approach. I stand 90% of the time so I can be ready to shoot and turn around the tree to get the best shot. Use safety equipment.
When hunting whitetail in TX out of a tree, I look at the bottom hair line. They drop down on the shot and you end up hitting center lungs. I also tend to shoot high from stands so this helps with that too.
Going to be headed to Gil's place in a couple of weeks to see if we can get CrashCastle a deer.
Mike
When shooting at steep angles up or down the arrows will tend to hit high because gravity does not have as much time to act on them. The greater the amount of vertical distance relative to the amount horizontal distance, the greater the effect.
Its OK to move as long as you do it when the deer is not looking. Remember that the further a deer is from you , the more likely your movement is to be picked up in its peripheral vision.