Why Climb for Whitetail?

[sureshots]

Sometimes I climb(with A climbing stand of course ot somtimes into A permanent box or ladder stand). When I hunt on the ground(don't climb) I seem to do just as well as I do when I climb. I have friends that will not hunt unless they can be in high stands. What is the advantage of climbing other than view and scent? Do you feel there is any advantage to staying on the ground?

[DWFan]

Sighting the prey, stalking and closing the distance as much as possible before taking the shot; testing my skills at stealth against the animal's alertness.....that is why I hunt with a handgun. To me, that is hunting.

[Kreyzhorse]

I gave up stand hunting several years ago. Too dangerous in my opinion (I had a friend who fell out of one, broke ribs, a finger and knocked himself out in the process). Anyway - I've had no issue taking deer and I'm not at all concerned about being scented because I'm on the ground. As a matter of fact, 4 out of the past 5 years, I've had deer walk within 4 yards of me. One year, I had two doe walk to within 3 feet of me trying to figure out exactly what I was before they wondered off.

[Dearhunter61]

I stand hunt. I have ground blinds as well as box blinds and tree stands and tri-pods. It is simply a matter of the terrain where I hunt. I wish I could hunt by stalking the prey but unfortunately I am on a lease with a few other hunters and we simply can not afford to risk walking and stalking so we stand hunt. The advantage of stand hunting, Box Stand, this year for me and what I am really looking forward to is being able to have a video camera to video my hunt. I have purchased the first real nice camera I have ever had in my life and I am also looking forward to getting a lot of good photos of game. Deer, Hogs, Coyote, Turkey, as well as a few others.

[rantingredneck]

Just remember to be safe up there:

http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=263730

[Gbro]

Climbing is dangerous, So is firing a high powered rifle at ground level.

1. Shooting from an elevated point angles your shot into the ground.
2. You are more visible, keeps others away from your position.
3. A stand (unoccupied) is a claim to a area. Absolutely no legal claim, but to a courteous person it would cause them to look to another location.
4. Keeps the unskilled from wandering off and becoming lost.
5. I tend to believe critters get used to you and your sent. Take a bear hunter that has activity only at night, He leaves his tee shirt in stand overnight. causes bear to become less wary of sent(sometimes)

Use quality equipment and inspect it often. Use safety harness and know how to get out of it.
Practice!

[lon371]

I use fixed stands(4x8) with short sides, a couple a little smaller. I also hunt with climbing stands, and from the ground. I more times than not take kids with me. So we use the bigger fixed stands. When the kids get impatient, there movement is partially concealed. Plus vision is a little better.

I think one of my favorite experiences was when a fawn actually rubbed its back on my ladder. Momma was out about 10 yards, watching the little one.

Like Kreyzhorse, I have had them walk right up to me while hunting the ground.

The only thing I will say. Go with what you are comfortable with. Be safe and use your harness if you go up. When on the ground don't go to sleep! Friend of mine slept last year, woke with a buck 10 yards in front of him. His gun in his lap OOPS.

[Sidetracked]

I spent three years trying to force myself to pretend I lived in the trees, while hunting in Florida. I had great locations, so deep in the woods - no one dared bother me, active game trails leading to fresh water, and guaranteed wind direction.

In the end... I just couldn't do it. I don't buy 'Ambush' licenses. I buy 'Hunting' licenses. I couldn't sit in those damn trees and wait. I wanted to hunt, explore, and enjoy tromping around the woods.

I won't put others down for doing it. But for me; a trip up the tree for whitetail is like a voluntary root canal.

I would rather have mobility and come home empty handed, than sit around all day and only see does feeding below me.

[45Marlin carbine]

my neighbor, his brother and their dad are hunters - they all fell out of climbing tree stands - the dad was badly injured from 15 ft. drop.
my self I have built stands in forked trees I hunt from, about half the time I stalk trails w/shotgun.

[shortwave]

Stand hunting is dangerous. Neighbor boy feel out of one when he was thirteen. Now in a wheelchair at age 19, he hunts and preachs to me about hunting out of stands. Be carefull and inspect your gear.

[BIGR]

Better view from up above.
Safer shots due to the elevation of the shot.
Keeps your scent higher up above deer.
No flesh eating critters can attack you, unless they can climb the tree....
I mostly use ladder stands and that elminates alot of the dangers of a climbing stand. I still use a safety harness because I could still fall out of the stand.
On the other hand a guy that hunts with me uses the pop up ground blinds and has deer all over him, but I know he has to be more careful about his shots. Don't get me wrong there are times that I like to sit in my folding chair and watch a field for deer........oh yea its so tough staying awake then, when the warm sun is hitting me on a cold day.

[shortwave]

Was in a stand that i had placed in shag bark hickory tree. great bowhunting stand on side of a hill,private property, nobody but me had permission to hunt. sitting in stand all camo`d out with squirrels running all over me, i happened to see movement across revine. here comes a guy, camo`d, still hunting squirrels with scoped 22, shooting into my side of revine. with my tree full of squirrels, i started yelling and he, not having perm. to be there took off running. kinda made me feel like a sitting duck everytime i climbed into stand from then on.

[Wild Bill Bucks]

Back in my younger days, I used to do the stalk and hunt thing. Walking several miles a day sometimes. Back then, a guy could walk forever, and not see more than 1 or 2 other hunters, and those 1 or 2 people, were actually hunting, and watching out for the other hunters that might be in the area.

Now days, most guys are on a lease of some sort, and the land area is much smaller, and it is tougher to do much stalking, without messing up someone elses area.

Several years ago, I had a bullet hit so close to me, while stalking, that I felt the bark hit me from the tree. I didn't have a clue where it came from, but it was enough to put me in the trees from then on.

These days, the sport has become so popular, and the number of "Sound hunters" has risen to the point, that I just don't feel safe about stalking anymore. Plus my knees won't take a lot of walking anymore.

I won't tell you that hunting out of a tree stand is any safer, but I will say that a stand is only as safe as you are, and if the stand is put up correctly, and you are in good shape when you get in it, that it is probably as safe as being on the ground, with so many novice hunters out there.

A hunter these days, has to be extra careful no matter where he hunts, and I spend more time watching out for other hunters these days, than I do looking for the game. Luckily I hunt on a private lease, and the guys I hunt with, have all grown up hunting together, and are not prone to take bad shots, but I have been in places where I was actually scared to move, for fear of being shot at.

[ZeroJunk]

Don't want to set off any trip wires, but if a person doesn't have the mental discipline to set up and get in and out of a tree stand without falling, I wonder if they have any business with a rifle.

[rem870hunter]

i'll sit in my stands for the first few hours of the day and the last few hours.
if i am able to be out all day. i mainly stand hunt during bow season. shotgun a BP rifle i don't sit still long in the same spot, unless i find a scrape or a rub. then i'll sit on the ground if there isn't a stand nearby. i prefer to be above it gives me a better view around. and hopefully an advantage of seeing or hearing them before they see me.


but if i get out late i'll walk a few steps then stop for a few minutes then a few more steps then stop for a few minutes on a firebreak or a road while looking for movement. i'll spend a few hours doing this. my grandad seen many deer that way. my father has too.

[Art Eatman]

I've hunted some places where you would never see a deer unless you had some elevation. Gently rolling country with thick brush that's waist-high or more, for one type.

Some ranches in south Texas, you'd spend more time picking out prickly-pear thorns than looking for deer, if you try walking through that (bleep).

After hunting in high Colorado, desert west Texas, brushy central Texas and the Appalachicola River bottomland jungle, IMO how you hunt is in large part controlled by your local environment.

I was a sneaky-snake walking hunter, and I hate to just sit and hope. But, if I want deer meat, I don't worry about the how-to; I just do what's needed.

Nature bats last.

[bluedog]

I live in the east where there are a lot of trees suitable for climbing....pines are my favorite since they require little or no trimming....I have tried every kind of stand and blind you can think of and there is no doubt that the most successfull hunting is accomplished in tree stands and I prefer climbing stands above all others....the advantages of being in a tree, above sight and smell to a large degree is an awesome advantage....and many believe it to overall be is safer in general as the hunter is most always shooting down towards the ground and there is limited hunter ground movement to minimize being a victim of other slob hunters that may possibly be in the vicinity....climbing trees does carry an inherent risk and can be dangerous if equipment or technique is faulty.....but I take my time, use a safety belt, and I have no fear in climbing....it is the most productive technique a Whitetail hunter can use in the eastern woods!

[thallub]

Most of my hunting is done from stands. Never had a climbing stand and would not think of using one at my age. The area i hunt the most has lots of wooden stands as well as a few commercial ones. It is a first come first served thing.

Stand hunting has been very productive for me. Killed 4 deer last year from tree stands or tripods. Also killed 19 hogs last year, 17 of them from tree stands.

[Desertfox]

Hunting whitetail is a sport for the patient.
If you don't have the patience to sit on stand, you probably don't have the patience to silently, slowly stalk game. I have probably seen you walking thru the woods at a good click, wearing your bass pro shops camo and carrying your rhino rifle with $2500 high powered scope. Hoping to spook a trophy up and take an off-hand shot or 6 at a forked horn yearling while he is grabbing realestate.
I appreciate still hunters that actually do still hunt. If every successful still hunter tells you to take a step every 20 seconds or longer, why do you ignor the advice and plunder thru the deer woods like a silverback gorilla?

My experience is this-The best stalking hunters I know, hunt various ways with success. They know their environment and hunt it as they see appropriate. They have bagged numerous mature deer in the stand, on the ground and in blinds.

Most stalkers are walking around because they didn't do the work to scout an area and find the best plan. Most stalkers just walk around. Good still hunters have a plan and patience.
Anyone can get a rifle and walk in the woods. They may be walking 50 yards from you next time in the woods and they may shoot at movement.

[Sportdog]

My API climber is far and away the most comfortable way to stay on stand for long hours. I have a very small hunting parcel and it is a transition area between bedding and feeding areas. I have one open permenent wooden/shingled ground blind overlooking a small clearing that measures 5' x 8' with two comfortable folding chairs. I have one enclosed/shingled, complete with windows that stands 5' off the ground to the floor, 8' to the windows that measures 5' x 7' x 6 1/2'H and also has two folding chairs. I have one hang on stand with tree steps overlooking three trails. This year I'm putting up two ladder stands, one a double. Why do I have all these different stands? Because I like to hunt in comfort! I've worked outside in the elements my whole life as an electric utility lineman and I've braved all that mother nature has thrown at me for 24 years and I'm ready for some relief! With my set up I can hunt in comfort and control my stand location based on wind direction and weather conditions. I can also take my grandson on stand with me and he can fidget to his hearts content and be hidden from the deer. When I bow hunt I like the climber because of the comfort and that is worth a lot. I always wear a full harness and belt in my entire trip up and down the tree. 24 years of climbing utility poles has instilled the confidence and safety measures that I consider using climbing stands very safe. The down side is when you drop something or do like I did one time and left my trigger release in my vehicle and didn't realize it until I went to put it on!

[Yellowfin]

I will not hunt deer or any other large creature without being in a stand unless I know for a fact (and there is little knowing that) that I am the only one around on level ground for at least a mile in any direction. Rifle bullets should be shot downward--that is a safety rule I have observed my whole life and is not subject to change.

[oneSoneK]

I'v always hunted in a stand imo keeps me safe and warm. I hunt in the mountains of west texas and moutain lions arent that uncommon and i dont know about yall but i dont want to be eye level with a big cat that has the drop on me. too many "what if's" on the ground even when i bow hunt if i cant get my stand up high i just sit on a limb..

[Gbro]

I am going to teach hunting stands again this August for the MN Deer Hunters accociation(Hibbing/Chisholm chapter) Youth Day. Last year was our 1st year for a hunting stand station, and had over 110 youth participating.
I had 4 different stands and 3 had a different safety system incorporated into it.
On the last group through, 10 minutes before we were done for the day We had a failure with my API Grand Slam Magnum Climber.
http://www.outdoorsupply.com/api2001/gs2500m.htm

The sling style seat failed while a 14 year old was descending. All 3 straps came out of the cleats at the same time and the boy would have fell backwards out of the stand had he not been secured with the safety.

I had 1 strap come loose a couple of time over the 4 years i have used this stand, But all 3 came loose at the same time.

What we learned here was 2 very important lessons.
1. During this event we put more wear and tear on this stand than would normally be done in 5-10 years. We have to inspect our stands several times throughout the session from now on.
2. Youth for the most part are very light and the stand doesn't operate properly without enough weight to lock belt cleats, and the stand itself to the tree. We had several situations where the lower section would slide until the safety cord stopped it just because there wasn't enough weight to cause it to bite into the tree.

[bhannah]

I still/stalk with a recurve bow, To me (here we go) stand hunting is just luck.
Sure you can scout for months in advance and find that perfect spot and hope the deer don't catch on. Don't get me wrong I do scout it is a must but i scout the land so I know were I am at.I have hunted from a stand as well and have harvested some fine deer doing it. But for me I will stick to the ground, hell I don't realy care most of the time if I see a deer or not. I am just happy being in the woods.
Also I make sure I am the only person on the land that day, I have spooked a few guys in the stands comming up behind them, That is my fault, If I were hunting a stand and someone was moving in my line of fire I would be pissed...

[45Dave]

Most of the replys have echoed my view point about elevated hunting vs ground hunting. I would have to say it depends on your hunt, type of ground, and season.
For years I hunted deer from the ground, moved to elevated stands and did better. However here in Mich. the deer are looking up but in many areas now but a elevated stand gives you a much better view over the area and to see deer.
However..as a part of a rescue at heights team, I have always used some sort of harness when putting up a tree stand, climbing in and out of the stand and while on the stand and taking down a stand. Too many examples of people falling or getting hurt from poor construction, poor choise of trees, cold and careless. The old belt style works if you put it over your ribs to absorb the impact of a fall, if it is around your waist you normally will be flipped upside down and your head will wap on something hard and painful. Again, body harness is the way to go plus have a knife handy to cut yourself out, sometime ya all should sit in your saftey harness and see how easy it is to get out of when all of your body weight is on it..good luck.
Now..when there is a fresh snow and I can track a field, it is a blast to track deer in the am after a fresh snow. Another fun ground hunt is stalking a corn field row to row. Again, a totally different deer hunting experience to see how close you can get plus both work when the conditions are right.
There are areas I hunt that no trees are available, time to work on the ground which has been productive for years, just takes a different set of skills.
Each system you may use has it benifits and saftey issues, just enjoy each one for the area you are hunting and what you are hoping to bring to the hunt experience.