Most bucks are taken from some sort of elevated stand. This article is the result of conversations with nationally recognized trophy whitetail hunters, as they shared how a tree stand can help the hunter harvest a good buck.

John Sloan from Tennessee is an avid deer hunter and writer. John's observation on the average bowhunter's tree stand placement is "most hunters place their stand either too close or too far from the deer." It is critical to place the stand where you can make a shot. Sloan recommends insuring that you have cover front and back so that you can move without detection. Your stand has to match the area and be inconspicuous. Proper height is important . Don't erect your stand in just any tree. You need to find the right tree. Or you need to make a good tree out of a bad tree. Understanding wind currents is very, very important so you can work the wind to your advantage when you are in a tree. Sloan's best tip "I have found a lot of hunters put up their tree stand where they can see a lot of deer; rather than where they can shoot a deer, and there is a big difference."

Greg Miller is an outdoor writer who has authored several books and who also presents deer hunting seminars on a national level. Greg always picks a tree that puts him in an area for a shot. He's got a tip for those that hunt different areas all the time, "Pick a spot that will let (you) observe deer, then refine (your) position from there." Greg too looks for trees with lots of cover and he likes a multi-crotch tree. He states that the minimum height for a stand should be 20-25 feet, depending upon the tree and the surrounding terrain. Miller reminds tree-stand hunters that whitetails don't actually have to see you to detect you, all they need to see is a blob in a tree that wasn't there yesterday. "Paying attention and watching all possible areas, not just the one you think a deer will come from, with the least amount of body movement," is critical. Miller also pays close attention to the wind as he knows that the whitetail uses the wind along with terrain in all their travel patterns.

The height of the trees in the area have a lot to do with stand height.
You need to have cover no matter how high you go.

An authority on whitetail deer, book author, and prolific contributor to many national deer hunting periodicals, Larry Weishuhn shares the secrets of his success. Larry uses all kinds of stands depending on the situation. He advocates ladder stands, climbing stands, tripods and portables. He always uses a stand when hunting over a food source. "I like to be mobile, so I always use multiple tree stand locations to take advantage of the sun and the wind." He reminds bowhunters to set-up downwind from the trail, rub, scrape or rub line. He does his set-up post season, finding a major trail. This way big bucks can be ambushed as they walk by because they will be busy checking every doe that passes by the area. Weishuhn will not hunt the same stand more than three consecutive days because "those bucks will figure you out." The height of the trees in the area have a lot to do with stand height. You need to have cover no matter how high you go. The trees in Texas aren't very high, like up north, so understandably you are unable to go as high and still maintain cover. Larry tries "to set-up on major trails or trail back away from the feed source, about 20-25 yards, depending upon the cover, terrain, and how the trail's run."

Vice-president of the Pope & Young Club, M.R. James is a book author and the of founder of Bowhunter magazine. M.R. says he doesn't like climbing stands, he feels "portable tree stands are the most productive way to harvest a deer." He also warns about using a specific stand too much and reminds bowhunters that "the first time you hunt a stand is by far your best chance to harvest that buck." He advocates planning for your shot, because if you get an opportunity for a good killing shot it will be your one and only. James spends a lot of time finding and hunting the "correct" spot. He always takes advantage of heavy cover and finds he doesn't need to see a long distance. He warns bowhunters to not let a tree dictate where to place the stand and to remove the least amount of cover as possible. He likes to place his stands at an average of 14-16 feet. He doesn't like to go too high as "it cuts your angle down - I want a good lung shot every time." For those who get fidgety, M.R. says that he limits the time in the stand to 3 or 4 hours, as he finds after that time one becomes easily distracted and may not have the attention needed. He also cites some very impressive statistics to support the use of tree stands: "Of over 10,000 whitetails entered in the P&Y record book, 80% were taken out of tree-stands at distances of 10-19 yards."

It seems irrefutable that if you want to successfully and consistently bag whitetails not
merely hunt them, you need to be taking advantage of the big payoffs that using a tree
stand correctly and effectively can bring you.

So here we have it, sound advice from experienced whitetail hunters across the country. It seems irrefutable that if you want to successfully and consistently bag whitetails not merely hunt them, you need to be taking advantage of the big payoffs using a tree stand correctly and effectively can bring you. The facts and figures in the record books speak for themselves and if 80% of bagged bucks were taken from trees then that says quite succinctly that is where your chances are best for harvesting a whitetail buck. Remember to pay attention to height, cover, placement, and overuse. Keep track of your scent and wind direction. And one final word for your own safety's sake. Use a harness or safety belt. It only takes a second or two to snap on a safety line a second or two that could save your life. Each year hunters get killed or severely, and permanently injured in tragic accidents. Don't let it happen to you.

Tree-stands are an easy to use, reasonably priced piece of equipment that can increase your chances of success in the field. If you have used a stand then you probably already are aware of their effectiveness, if not, slow down and check our tips and make sure you are using your stand to its best advantage.

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