ok, i am new to traditional bow hunting, actually i just purchased my first, a new to me mohawk. anyway my plan is to hunt this fall with this bow, no more compound. my question is how many use tree stands for deer hunting? i have always hunted from a stand. im not sure if there will be any limitations account of bow length, drawing the bow, anything. thanks
I've hunted from stands plenty with no issue. I've used climbers, ladders, and chain/strap on as well as a couple of home mades. Sure, there is some planning involved. The thing to do is to do some practice from up in your stand to check and see if you have problems with stand contact or limbs/brush. It's just a real good idea to shoot some from your stands anyway. If you can't actually hang them and practice in the offseason for whatever reason, at least try and strap them to a pole/tree at home or in the park or something ahead of time. I've got several deer and squirrels and one coyote from a stand with both recurves and longbows. Just check over your situation ahead of time and you should be fine.
I do , and I will say that the best way to get good as you already should know is to practice in the yard.Shoot from sitting standing and 180 degrees around your stand this will show your limitations.Make sure you bend at the waist. And move the stand around the yard in different positions of cover to improve your ability to shoot.Practice at different ranges.I have used a few balloons from the dollar store and a nail to hold them down(blow them up tie them and the nail goes through the tag end) at all distances and try and hit them.Good luck
I shoulda mentioned, I've shot recurves of 60" length and longbows up to 66", just to provide a little context. A super short bow could help, but it sure isn't mandatory.
I hunt from treestands a LOT and my advice is to practice from one a LOT. I haven't had any limitations due to bow lenght but all my bows are 56"s.
good luck :archer:
I have taken two deer with traditional from treestands that were about 8 feet from the ground. I think low is good....
You are not going to have any problems hunting out of treestands. I hunt 99% of the time out of treestands for deer. There won't be any difference...other than the satisfaction of taking your first deer with traditional gear! Go for it bud!
I started trad this season and hunted from a stand. I had one shot opportunity at a coyote (hit a limb with the arrow while in flight, not the bow). I practiced with no issues with recurves up to 66". I took practice shots sitting and standing with that bow from a stand and did just fine.
I use a climber and did move to a Summit Open Shot vs. the Viper with the arm rest. I could not shoot my bows with an arm rest.
I will say there is something magic about watching them come in when you are on the ground with a trad bow. Still working to connect though.
I hunt from a stand, like many have said just do some practicing. I have to stands and the one that suits me the best is a fixed Gorilla, It"s very confortable, I can stay in it all day and the seat raises out of the way when It"s time to shoot. I"m planing on a second one this year. Good luck
You'll be more limited in the shots you can take behind you, especially if you cant the bow, due to one or the other limb contacting tree or stand, so you'll want to know what you can and can't do.
Also, it's important to practice at elevation. Shooting instinctively on the ground, your brain will learn to compensate for the trajectory of your arrow. That trajectory changes radically when you're shooting down from a tree. If you don't practice from elevation you'll most certainly shoot high.
If I can't shoot out of a stand I go up on my garage roof or in my kids tree fort. Have even shot out of an upstairs window.
Trad gear really shines in close range ground situations. I shot a doe at 3 yards once while I was sitting flat on the ground against a big oak tree and it was one of the most thrilling moments I've had. But there are times when hunting on the ground isn't the best choice (swirling winds, uncertainty of animal's direction of approach, etc.)
Doug
99% of the hunting i do is from a treestand, i shoot a morrison cheyenne 56 inches in length and i use an olman alumilite climbing stand, i usually hunt at 15 feet up
I've been in the trees since 1970; recurves, compounds, and back to recurves. Just takes a bit more head room but no big deal.
Avg. Compound 32" axel to axel. Avg. recurve 60" tip to tip. 28" difference divided by top and bottom. Need to check 14" higher and lower for clearance.
I use my viper all the time. Just can't sit like I used to. Place the upper part as low as I can. I even remove the seat, no need to have it in the way while carrying and climbing if I can't sit on it. I then just stand. Have a bow holder on the arm so it puts the grip of the bow right at waist height.
I can't shoot my 64" bow out of any of my climbers that have rails...unless I do as mainac does. Lower the top section as low as it will go. I still sit on it, but it's very uncomfortable.
I don't have but two climbers with rails now..one Summit and one Equalizer I try to avoid using them if possible. Same goes with an open front Summit I have. I can't shoot to the sides due to side rails. I use Lone Wolf Hand Climber and Summit Open Shot as much as I can. Have them all in the woods in different areas to keep from having to carry them all over the place.
I shoot my longbow out of stands and groundblinds and have no problems at all, just need to practice alot from both since being new at it with traditional equipment.