Hunting from Elevated Stands

By far the most popular way to hunt white-tailed deer is from an elevated stand. Elevated stands are permanent or temporary stands that place the hunter above ground level. They come as a tree stand placed in or against trees, or as a free-standing structure. They have become increasingly popular in recent years with both firearm and bow hunters. While they offer certain advantages, they also have some drawbacks, including safety issues.

Advantages

• Provide a wider field of vision—game is spotted sooner than at ground level
• Allow time to plan for best shot through earlier detection of game
• Make a hunter’s scent harder to detect and movement less noticeable due to elevation
• Make a hunter more visible to other sportsmen so that he or she is less likely to be hit by a stray bullet
• Provide a good backstop because usually shooting at a downward angle
• Give the firearm hunter and bowhunter a shot angle where an exit wound is lower on the animal, potentially creating a better blood trail to aid in recovery
• Reduce the possibility of a hunter interfering with another hunter’s experience
• Provide a better vantage point for viewing wildlife and enjoying the total hunting experience

Disadvantages

• Increase risk of injury from falling, particularly in wet or icy weather
• Are difficult to carry, especially large, portable stands
• Provide no protection from cold or wind
• Give little room for movement, which adds to fatigue and increases the risk of falling
• Make estimating distance and shooting accurately more challenging because of the downward angle
• Decrease the size of the kill zone because the shot angle becomes steeper as the height of the elevated stand increases

See the next page to view types of elevated stands.

Treestand Overview Video

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