The best treestand height is the lowest point that allows you to shoot.
One of the most common questions we receive at Buckmasters is, “How high do I need to climb in order to go undetected by deer?”
The answer, which is different for every stand site, is as low as you can go and still get off a shot.
Simply put, climbing into trees is likely the most dangerous thing we do as hunters. The higher you go, the more risk of serious injury. That said, any distance off the ground invokes risk, and you can be injured or killed from a fall of just a few feet. Therefore, only climb as high as you need to.
As a general rule, somewhere between 20 and 30 feet is plenty high enough to harvest almost any deer. But if you can stay lower and still get the job done, why wouldn’t you?
Good cover behind you, and cover between you and the deer, is the key to defeating a deer’s eyesight. One of the most common treestand mistakes is overtrimming, or trimming while foliage is lush and green for hunts that will take place after leaf-drop in the fall. Think windows. You want multiple small openings in every direction while keeping plenty of cover to hide movement.
If you’re going to err with trimming, err on the side of less trimming/too much cover. It’s better to not get a shot and possibly get another chance another day, than it is to get busted trying to draw your bow or raise your gun.
Scent is a little more tricky. High stands help carry your scent over nearby deer, but they don’t guarantee anything. Thermals, eddies and swirling breezes all move scent in unexpected directions. Play the wind just as you would hunting from the ground. Also use wind indicators to track eddies and thermals.
Finally, how comfortable you are with heights plays a roll, too. If you start to feel afraid or fidgety at a certain height, you probably shouldn’t go that high. Only climb as high as you feel perfectly at ease, and wear a TMA-approved safety harness no matter how high or low you climb.
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