I am really thinking about hunting blacktail and Elk from a treestand this year but have never been in a tree before. Any advise/pointers in all aspects of hunting out of a stand. I am going to get a stand and hang it in my backyard so I can get familiar with being in it and shooting out of one. Thanks for any help
Bob
WEAR A SAFETY HARNESS!!!!! :thumbsup:
Get a really good safety harness and use it. I also like to run a climbing line and attach my harness to it with a Prusik knot for ascending and descending. Other than that, practice putting it up and taking it down, so you're comfortable with it's quirks and practice shooting from it at different ranges and angles.
They can be a great tool, just depends on the situation.
Just dont fall!!!!!
QuoteOriginally posted by Kevin L.:
Get a really good safety harness and use it. I also like to run a climbing line and attach my harness to it with a Prusik knot for ascending and descending. Other than that, practice putting it up and taking it down, so you're comfortable with it's quirks and practice shooting from it at different ranges and angles.
They can be a great tool, just depends on the situation.
This is good advice. With hang ons Ive used the climbing line with a climber I just use the strap from the climbing harness. Also when I started I didnt care much for heights and gradually worked into appropriate hunting heights pre season in practice mode til I got more comfortable.
The best tip I can give is scout, scout, scout. You need to make sure of stand placement. I almost always hunt from a stand. I have learned that it is better to scout 3 out of 4 hunting days to make sure the set is perfect, than to sit in a stand for 4 days waiting on something that is never coming.
If you're going to use a self-climber, know that some trees (such as poplar, pine, oak) are easy to climb and some are too hard or slippery or for other reasons (such as shagbark hickory) difficult to climb. And some are fine when dry but slippery when wet. When using a self-climber you also have to really study a tree to make sure it's not leaning forward or sideways much, or you'll be miserable. And wear a full harness from very beginning of the climb to the very end of the decsent!
Besides the already given "Excellent" advice, I would recommend a big platform. Newcomers to treestands feel more comfortable in a bigger stand. Gorillas King Kong would be my first recommendation.
A lot of my friends like to hunt trees right on or next to game trails. I personally like to get back off the trail 10yds or so. I don't care for straight down shooting. Also I feel you are a lot less likely to be picked up by being back off the trail.
If the trail is heavily used I like to have a couple stands set for different wind directions. Also try to keep from facing stand east or west to keep the sun from hitting you in the face. I have noticed from meeting friends at their stand even in camouflage on sunny days they or their bow stand out as the sun hits them.
If you use climbing sticks or steps use good quality ones. I have had some cheaper made ones bust and bend. Check the steps and climbing sticks for cracks frequently.
Wear gloves while climbing sticks or steps to eliminate leaving scent on them.
Clear shooting lanes in several directions.
Like other stated most important wear a harness not a safety belt.
Everyone pretty much hit on safety and they're all good points.
When shooting, pick a spot and aim low, esp when they're in closer than 15 yards. Your arrow will tend to hit or miss high other wise. If you have to shoot at a pretty severe angle (ex. straight down), bend at the waist, dont just drop your bow arm. Good luck
Bob,
I would like to offer my 2 cents for your consideration.
1. Get your self a good safety harness. The single most important item for tree stand hunting. Look at something like the Hunter Safety System Pro Series Harness - at C's.
Also equip yourself with the Linesman belt option - this adds a lot of safety while climbing and while hanging the stand. You can lean back to support yourself while climbing or hanging the stand - without the annoying fall backwards out of the tree.
2. If you do a lot of walking to and from your hunting locations - a light weight stand will be money well spent - wether it is in mountain country or Wisconsin swampy country.
In my opinion it is hard to beat the features, stability and weight offered by the Lone Wolf stands. (And total quietness)
Assault Hang-on model weighs 11 lb.
Hand Climber w/ seat model weighs 17 lb. and folds flat - about 2" thick.
With the climbers you can strap or bungee your day pack on it, and use the stand straps to carry. You almost won't know it's back there.
You can hunt along and if you find a good tree spot - climb, if you find a good ground spot nothing lost.
I used this set-up a couple times in Colorado elk hunting on public land. I climbed a couple pine trees using the branches and hung the climber stand at the right height. Worked very well for me. And although I found the perfect spot over a beautiful wallow - the elk did not co-operate with the plan, and no shots were fired.
One additioanl accessory you should consider is a folding saw - because you will need to trim a branch or 2 somewhere along the way.
Good hunting
Chinook
everyone has nailed it and you have alread said you are gona hang it in your back yard to get used to it, that is what I was going to suggest. When I first went into a tree I was filming a buddy, thank god because I would have never been able to shoot from one last year. This year I was still filming a buddy but I had my bow too and I shot a squirrel from the stand. Good luck
Practice shooting with lots of heavy clothes if you plan on hunting the late Blacktail season. I hunted from a stand quite a bit last Nov. and Dec., you get cold after several hours of inactivity, especially your feet! I wore heavy pacs with 100% wool socks and my feet would get numb after only a couple hours.
Good luck and have fun!
Bob,I have never hunted blacktails and haven't had elk come in while in one but have hunted out of tree stands since I was a kid and I'm now 60.When we first started hunting out of trees,whitetails rarely looked up.I remember being 6'-8' up and whitetails standing a few yards away and being oblivious.After tree stand hunting caught on,that changed quickly and it was common for deer to look up.About that time,I started hunting a wilderness area that was foot travel only and there hadn't been much treestand hunting.I found that these deer also rarely looked up,just like the ones in my high school days.
The point I'm getting at is,when hanging a treestand,it is a good idea to keep it as low as you can get away with,depending on the terrain and animals you hunt.Too steep a shot angle can make a smaller target and may even make it impossible to get both lungs.And I think it is very possible that your animals may not be trained to look up yet.
When I set up for whitetails,I like a distance of 15 yds and a height of 14'-15',to my platform,hopefully with a tree trunk wide enough to hide my silouette.This isn't a radically steep angle.Not too hard to shoot and a good chance for double lungs.
It is even better when I can find a pine that has limbs around me to break my outline.That makes a big difference.Just make sure that you have trimmed anything(ahead of hunting time)that may interfere with your bow or path of the arrow but don't get rid of all your cover.
Animals where you hunt may tolerate a stand 10-12',especially if you have leafy or evergreen limbs that break your outline.A lower shot angle is a plus.You just have to find that happy medium between shot angle and staying out of the line of vision.
Hoofed animals have horizontal pupils.This means their field of vision is much wider than it is top to bottom.Like one of those wide angle scopes.The treestand takes advantage of that.
I didn't hit on the safety stuff because it was covered so well.It is first in importance.most accidents happen climbing up or down.If you hit an animal,we all know to give it time but also give yourself time to calm down and be 100% alert before starting your descent.
Your plan to practice from the stand is perfect.Learn to bend at the waist on steep shots,to keep your torso oriented to the target just like it would be when shooting on the level.
While you are practicing,you can find any possible squeaks or noise issues and address them.I carry a 25' piece of chord to haul bow and pack up and keep that on me,rather than leaving it at the tree as it will have some of my scent on it.
It's not a bad idea to have a plastic bottle or something to relieve youself in, to keep that off the ground around your stand.Just don't get that mixed up with the lemonade.
I would recommend checking out "Precision Bowhunting" and "Bowhunting Tactics of the Pro's". Both books have GREAT advice and tactics on all of that has been said here and more. Everything from stand choice, scouting, placement, shooting, etc...
One thing I think is key is clearing lanes early before the season opens so the deer will be used to them.
And definitely get a harness. All store-bought stands must come with a harness that is perfectly safe if you don't want to spend the extra cash. Personally, I like the standard harnesses better than the spiffy vest harnesses.
This sounds dumb but when beginning in your yard I would set the stand about 3' high. Get used to everything that comes with treestands: hanging the stand, wearing the harness, the seat and platform, leaning around the tree and shooting different directions. Then gradually move it up after practicing at lower heights.
Don't feel compelled to hunt too high. In my experience 12-14 feet is plenty high enough and by not getting too high, you are going to have better shot angles on game.
If you are trying to decide between a climber and a hang-on...I'd seriously consider the Lone Wolf hang-on stands with the climbing sticks. They nest together and pack easily...if you want to carry a daypack just strap it onto the stand and sticks til you get into your area. Depending on the foliage where you hunt, climbers can be restrictive by forcing you to trim too many limbs or by not fitting trees that are large in diameter. The climbing sticks are lightning fast and quiet to put on once you get familiar with them and you can use them on trees with a lot of branches.
There's a lot of great advice here. I like to keep a small saw in my pack in case I need to do some additional trimming the day of the hunt. Having that saw with me this year allowed me to clear an additional lane, which ended up being the lane that I shot my deer in. Good luck.
I am going to use a hang on. Can anyone share some treestand tactics. Ex: scoutin tactis, trail cams, what looks like a good setup when you see one, etc..
Thanks
Bob
Bob I started to share some tactics I use in the midwest but then I saw you are from Oregon.
I lived in Kelso,Washington until my late teens. So I don't think my tactics would work out there.
Make sure you give yourself plenty of room to shoot.
Thanks everyone, but there has to be more treestand hunters out there?
Tree stand hunting is a learn as you go just make a note in a field book of what happens .Deer movement,wind,entry points,time of year,time of day,ect. and make adjustments with your stand.If you don't take note of your mistakes they become Habits and thats tree stand hunting.IMHO
UP!
Bob,
I to am thinking about trying the tree stand out for next season. I have always just used the ground hunting methods. the areas I have hunted in the past have held few deer and that seemed to keep the hunting pressure down, but now that doesnt seem to matter. I think in the right spot even with presure a stand could work out well with people pushing the animals around.
Best of luck with the stand hunting this next sesason
It's been 35 years or so since I've been off the ground, but I would put the stand on the inside of a curve on a game trail.
Hap
I try to set my stands for 15-20 yard shots. Get a good quality pruner and prune alternate shooting lanes. They often meander off the main trail. Bring a friend with to help trim shooting lanes.
Bob i've been hunting out of tree stands since 1978 when the only tree stand available was the baker... talk about a death trap.. as mentioned the first thing to do is spend time getting used to hanging, climbing up into, sitting and standing in it.
a great way to practice and get comfy with it is to have a buddy move a 3D target around while you are up in the stand. shoot a few arrows and move the target. after a bit it will feel second nature shooting out of the stand. learn your max range and stick to it.
as for tactics! scout, scout and scout some more. when you find good sign then you need to locate a good tree. look for cover to help conceal you. i like evergreens (holly, pine, cedar). picking the right tree is almost an art form.. if you haven't read Gene Wensel's books on hunting whitetails, get yourself a copy. He mentions that there are many good trees you can hunt out of but there is one great tree that more animals will walk by than any other tree. find that tree and your golden. much easier said than done of course, but boot time will certainly help.
Finding food sources and bedding areas will be a good start. if you know what the critters are eating and where the food is you can put yourself in the right area. note i said area. you may and almost will always need to adjust some. if you are in tree x and all the deer are crossing close to tree z then you need to move. pay attention to the wind.
once you find that spot your approach is critical. use the wind to your advantage and stay in the shadows. i like to get in my stand at least 30 to 45 minutes before day light and i will sit until after dark. that said being comfy in your stand is key. if your seat is hard or cuts the circulation in your legs off you won't be able to sit long. find the stand that works best for you. if need be get yourself a cushion. bring plenty to drink and food to snack on. i keep hard candy and gum in my pack in the event i get a coughing attack.
as mentioned above animals don't always look up but they do sometimes. because of that i try to move only when i feel they are not looking in my direction. when their head is down or they are looking in another direction is when i make my move. it's not always possible, but i try to determine the path of the animal so that i can get myself situated for the shot long before it presents itself. there will always be the animal that turns at the last minute and you have to do a complete 180 in your stand to get the shot, but that's why you practice during the summer months.
some guys like to bring something to read, or pocket video games to keep them occupied, but i am just so afraid i will miss something that i can't make myself relax that much. i do however bring a note pad and pen to write down stuff.
i picked up a $1.99 hanging bracket at Lowes that I put in my pack to screw in to the tree. i hang my pack and bow on these. (tip take a wine cork and screw on the end so when it hook is in your pack it won't punch a hole in it). get yourself a length of rope and tie it to you pack and put d-clip on the other end to haul up your bow once you get situated and have your safety belt on.
if you find yourself a good spot but the deer seem to get by you without offering you a shot you can always get a log or some brush and pile it up to create a funnel that will bring them closer to your stand. I like to do this either just before or during a rain so that my scent is washed away before i hunt the location again. which brings up another thought. don't over hunt one spot. hunt it a day or two and then move to another spot. have yourself a number of spots picked out for different winds.
well i reckon that's about all i can think of at the moment. i'm sure you will get some more really good advice.
All i ever hunt out of is lock-ons and i use the 20ft ladders.
Pretty simple just use a climbibg belt that made for hanging stands, put your stands up so that the game you after comes in from the side you shoot from.
Climb your stand and buckle in once you get in the stand and hunt.
You can read tons of other informationn on this subject but this is the best way to do it.
I once had 32 lock-ons on a piece of property that we leased for years.
It will likely take some time getting used to looking from a tree at the "tops" of critters instead of their "sides" ... they just look different at tree stand angle. One time a coyote ran right by the legs of my ladder stand and looking down on him I swear his momma was a blue heeler! If deer hunting you will be seeing a lot more "top of back" than "sides and shoulders". Practice shooting from tree stand heights. Bend at the waist, don't do like I did and drop your bow arm and shoot an arrow over the back of the biggest buck I've ever seen at bow range. Wear good safety equipment, someone back home wants you to come down that tree at the same speed you went up it!
I almost exclusively hunt from tree stands in the Southeast. I think everyone has pretty well hammered home the safety aspect but I will offer one additional point. Don't go higher than you are comfortable. If you are not comfortable moving around on a relatively small platform that is suspended several feet off the ground, then you probably won't make a good shot when the time comes. Find your comfort zone in terms of height.
I scout extensively before I hang the first set. I look for trails and funnel areas that will bring the deer to the stand location. Once you are in the air, the deer have to come to you. You can't close that extra five yards or so with a stalk on the ground. Also, look for good cover that will break your outline up and be careful not to be exposed by the skyline. Once I have my location determined, I hang my stands taking into consideration sunrise and sunset, wind direction and trail location. I want to set my stand at about 15 to 20 yards from where I expect the deer to be. I don't want to crowd the trail. But while hunting, expect the deer to come from the least likely area. That truth seems to never fail me.
When I hang the stand, I like to have my son go with me and we take one of those extension limb trimmers/saws that you can get from the hardware store. I will climb into the stand and direct my son on which limbs to trim. It may be just me but things look different from ground level and stand level. If I try to trim by myself, I usually end up missing a spot that I later regret. I hang my stands and trim in July to hunt in mid-September. This gives the deer plenty of time to acclimate.
As everyone has already said, first and foremost, hunt safely. Good luck and post some pictures of that bruiser after you put him down.
This is great stuff THANK YOU!
Bob I started using a lineman's belt a few years ago. Absolutely the best addition to my treestand equipment other than the safety harness. It frees up your hands and allows you to keep both feet on the steps when installing.
JW
The main thing that you need to understand is that you are not looking for the right area to set up your treestand. You are looking for the exact spot to put it. Figure out where most of the deer are coming from and what wind direction that will work best and put your stand up accordingly. You are better off not putting up a stand than having one in a marginal tree that will educate animals when they bust you.
The only other thing that I can add for someone that has never treestand hunted is that generally animals are more wary outside of 15 yards than they are when they get closer than that. It is like they don't think anything dangerous to them could get that close undetected. I feel like i can get away with a lot more movement when they are close.
Good luck and be carefull.
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