How To Set Up A Ladder Stand

Tree stands come up in many shapes and sizes, but they all serve a similar purpose–to give you an elevated, hidden position from which to shoot. No affair what state yous're hunting whitetails in, using a well-placed tree stand tin requite you the edge y'all need, simply a poorly hung tree stand tin ruin a flavor. Here are the superlative tactics for setting up a tree stand you tin use to seek success.

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Types of Tree Stands

Ladder stands, tripod stands, climbing stands and hang-on stands all offer different pros and cons depending on your terrain, cover and hunting situations, but by and large they all aim to get hunters off the ground for better viewpoints and better shots. Equally these acme tactics can exist applied to a variety of tree stands, each may need to exist adjusted to your specific stand up type.

"I think both ground blinds and tree stands have their advantages and disadvantages depending on the situation. Personally, I absolutely dear being 25 anxiety up a tree. When the terrain allows, I always look for a place to hang a stand up. I like the height advantage and the liberty for a better view." -Realtree's Phillip Culpepper

Here's a list of common tree stand up variants y'all might exist setting upward:

Climbing Tree Stand up

A very minimal stand that doesn't crave excessive climbing gear. The climbing tree stand typically features two platforms, with one attaching to the hunter's feet. Just as an inchworm would climb forth a leaf, ane platform is secured to the tree while the other moves up and locks in place. Then the other platform moves upwards, and so on.

Ladder Stand

As its name implies, a ladder stand up is but a ladder attached to a platform. A ladder stand up is mostly set upwards for an entire season, and they are not adjustable for different heights. They are easy to climb and might offer more platform space from which to shoot.

Tree Saddle

Gaining in popularity and frequently encounter on The Hunting Public, tree saddles cradle your backside while tethering you to a tree. Your feet residue on a pocket-sized platform and you can sit comfortably, bracing your knees against a tree, or stand while leaning dorsum to make a shot.

Tripod Deer Stand up

Also known as the tower stand up, these tree stands are freestanding platforms supported by three or four legs. These are useful in open country when there are no, or limited, trees for other types of stands.

Hang-On Tree Stand

Hang-on tree stands are versatile and very popular, allowing you to hang your tree stand from virtually any tree exactly the way you want it. With a hang-on stand up, you'll need to use tree steps or a climbing stick to admission the stand. Hang-on tree stands are bang-up for trees that aren't straight or have lots of limbs, which climbing tree stands wouldn't be able to climb.

Tree Stand Placement

Not every tree is a perfect fit for a tree stand. That's why learning the art of tree stand placement is key for better hunting success. Factors like orientation, height and potential obstructions should be top of mind when placing your stand.

"When prepping a stand location, visualize the most likely deer approach and what they'll be able to encounter. Gear up the platform in a way that would require a minimal amount of movement to grab your bow, depict, and shoot." -DIY Sportsman'due south Garrett Prahl

Finding the correct tree is the first step in placing a good tree stand. Trees around 18 inches in diameter or larger seem to work best. They're sturdy enough to back up your body weight and broad enough to hide your shoulders. Thinner trees will expose your outline.

Continue the sunday on your back. The lens of human optics filters out UV light, but deer lack a UV filter. If you lot know the management from which a deer might approach endeavour to hang your tree stand so you're between it and the sun.

Cover as well plays a cistron when yous're looking for the perfect tree considering not every tree is created equal. Stand where yous look the deer to offer a shot and expect up at the tree. The sun should be shining in your confront depending on the time of twenty-four hours. At present imagine a person in that tree. Would information technology create a large silhouette?

This is a deer's home, and you are just a company. If a movie on the wall in your house was moved to a dissimilar spot when y'all came home, would you exist a trivial nervous? Same affair goes for deer. Notice a tree that has enough leaves and branches to interruption up your outline, and especially consider encompass backside the stand. Also remember most trees other than pines lose their leaves. A stand in September might be fully covered with leaves, but when you lot come in November it could exist wide open.

While the winds might alter, your hunting tree stand does not. Expert hunters will rely on more 1 tree stand up in a season and choose the 1 with the all-time wind management that twenty-four hour period. This is what hunters refer to equally "hang and chase." This method allows y'all to notice the best spot for that day of hunting, hang a stand, and hunt from that stand up – hence hang and hunt. It takes practice to be efficient and quiet while hunting this way. Can yous hang and access your tree stand 5 times in a row at home without making racket? If not, continue practicing.

"If it'south the rut and I'm hunting a 'pinch point' I'thou all well-nigh setting upward for a twenty 1000 shot. If it's early on season or belatedly season, and I'thousand sitting on a heavy nutrient source, I like to sit within shooting distance of where the deer are going (xxx-40 yards)." -Realtree's Phillip Culpepper

Tree stand height is extremely important to understand for hunting whitetails. With climbing deer stands, especially, where you can climb to different heights, yous'll desire a solid strategy going into each area. Here are several top tactics for hanging tree stands at the correct height:

• Identify your stand as high every bit possible when you tin can. Unless you're after a detail shot on a whitetail yous've been monitoring, getting in a higher place a deer's normal line of site (higher than 15-20 anxiety) will better your chances of success.
• Find the correct height that gives you multiple shooting lanes. Remember, if allowed, you can create or meliorate a shooting lane by trimming leafage and branches.
• Measure the distance of your expected shot as it relates to the top of your tree stand. Information technology's ideal to go along your expected bowhunting shot betwixt 15-twenty yards.

"Typically, I like to be at to the lowest degree 20 feet off the footing. I would say 23-25 feet is the perfect height. I am scared to expiry of heights then I rarely e'er go higher up 25 feet. If the terrain is steep I'll go higher to avoid being 'eye level' with deer coming off the ridge, only in a perfect situation effectually 20 feet is the perfect height. The higher you go, the smaller the impale zone becomes." -Realtree's Phillip Culpepper

Getting to Your Deer Stand

Don't break your chase before information technology's even started by making these common mistakes getting to your deer stand. You've put the work into hanging the best tree stand up possible; now information technology's time to become to it unnoticed.

"Wind is critical. Y'all can't but remember virtually what your scent will exist doing on your tree stand, but besides where it'll exist going forth that entire time it takes to access it. When getting close, dull downward and apply natural dissonance like wind gusts as comprehend to silently brand the last approach." -DIY Sportsman's Garrett Prahl

Guide for Getting to Your Deer Stand:

1. Be aware of the wind direction at every point between your hunting rig and your stand up. If it's non favorable, you might demand to choose another spot.
2. Access your stand from the lowest ground possible. Never walk a ridge line to your stand up simply because it's a direct shot. Choose cover over quickness.
3. Exercise non walk forth game trails or beyond fields and nutrient plots to become to your tree stand. You'll leave your smell anywhere you walk.
4. Deadening downward. Deer optics are designed to catch movement. If you're conscientious with the wind and your smell command yous'll have all the fourth dimension you need to approach your deer stand without busting a savvy whitetail.

Using onX for Setting upward Tree Stands

The onX Chase App is gear up up to help y'all plan and hang your tree stands. Utilize colored waypoints to mark your preferred hunting stands for unlike wind directions, or based on morning or evening hunts.

Marking photo waypoints from your deer stand locations is helpful for visualizing the shots you have from that stand. You can reference those waypoints when yous're practicing pre-season bow shooting the post-obit yr.

One final, merely very important: always wear your harness. Stay tethered to the tree at all times by using a full-body harness attached to a lineman'southward rope that anchors in a higher place your tree stand up.

"Regardless if you're x feet off the ground or 30 feet, ALWAYS USE A Condom HARNESS!!!" -Realtree's Phillip Culpepper

Source: https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/blog/top-tactics-for-setting-up-a-tree-stand

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