Tree Stand Tips & Tactics for Deer Hunters
Before you climb into a tree stand this fall, consider these tips and tactics to up your odds of punching tags.
You've purchased a new tree stand, assembled it, and now you're ready to deploy it on your deer hunting property. Don't rush the process. Here's a strategy that will help you get the most from your tree stand and enjoy countless successful sits in the deer woods.
Location
When selecting a location for a tree stand, deer hunters should consider the following factors:
Where and how do deer travel?
- Utilize boots-on-the-ground scouting to find obvious deer trails and travel corridors. Reinforce physical scouting with trail camera intel and e-scouting with a mapping app like HuntStand or DeerCast.
- Consider wind direction and determine how deer are using the wind to travel through a particular area. Deer tend to move across the landscape with the wind in their face to detect predators and pick up scent from other deer. Set up your tree stand on the downwind side of travel routes. Remember, bucks – especially mature bucks – will often use secondary vs. primary trails to travel more discreetly than does and fawns.
- Plan entrance and exit routes to and from your tree stand to minimize contact with deer and reduce human scent contamination in the area. Trim entrance and exit trails if necessary to minimize contact with vegetation.
What's your primary hunting tool?
- Gun hunters should take advantage of the longer effective range of their rifle, slug gun, muzzleloader, or even pistol. Back off the main deer travel area and out of their “bubble” to reduce spooking.
- Bowhunters need to focus heavily on concealment. Make sure the tree stand has enough cover to draw a bow undetected, while also trimming adequate shooting lanes to eliminate the chances of arrow deflection.
When do you expect to hunt?
- Deer movement patterns often shift seasonally for reasons such as changing food and water sources, foliage/cover availability, the rut, and human/hunter impact. Take this into account when you plan to hunt, and continually adapt to new patterns throughout the season.
- For instance, during early and late seasons, deer tend to stick tightly to morning and evening bed-to-food movements, whereas during the rut you'll find more overall activity along major travel corridors at all hours of the day.
Smart Sits
One of the most common mistakes in deer hunting is applying too much pressure to a single area or tree stand location. Hunting any given spot too often will burn it out in short order.
With each human encounter – either through scent or direct physical interaction – a deer will become more cautious and more difficult to hunt. Mature bucks will often go strictly nocturnal when their threat level is elevated.
Make every sit count. Only hunt a tree stand when the wind direction is favorable, deer activity is expected to be high, and you feel confident that you can enter and exit undetected.
Give yourself plenty of options by setting up multiple tree stands, to accommodate various conditions, if you want to hunt often. Set up your stands, and trim trails and shooting lanes, in advance of the season when possible to give deer time to acclimate to the disturbance of a foreign object in their playground.
Tree Stand Safety
Tree stand safety should be top of mind at all stages of your hunt, from initial setup through each and every hunt.
Too many hunters make the mistake of waiting until they've climbed into their tree stand to get tethered to the tree. The majority of tree stand injuries happen while hunters are climbing up or down from their stands. This includes ladder stands.
Wear a safety harness with a lineman's rope when hanging a fresh tree stand. Once the stand is up, attach a safe line to the tree above the stand. Stay connected to the safe line for every ascent and descent while you're hunting. Always stay connected.
