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Post by royalcoachman on Sept 7, 2009 14:55:00 GMT -5
So I've shotgun hunted for a few years with moderate success...no whoppers. Just got a bow and will be starting bow hunting this year. Does the height of the stand matter that much when hunting with a bow? I've heard of people setting higher...
Thoughts?
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Post by steiny on Sept 7, 2009 16:19:41 GMT -5
Cool ! You're going to like bow hunting.
Best action of the year, before the orange army shows up.
I think minimum platform height should be about 12'. I generally try to go about 18-20' in my climber, but my ladders are not that high. Concealment, and setting up in a manner so you are not sillouetted are equally important.
Just use your head. You need to be able to draw your bow, without them picking up your movement.
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Post by crazybuck on Sept 7, 2009 16:48:42 GMT -5
Sometimes yes and other times no. The closer you are to eye level the easier it is for a deer to pick you out or to smell you. Sometimes when you are a little higher your scent will be carried out over their heads. If you are low and you have good front or background concealment and a breeze in your face, you can sometimes get away from being low. I have better luck being low in the evenings because the thermals are going down. If you are too high in the evening the thermals seem to disperse your human scent in a bigger circle from the tree. If you have a bank or ridge beside you, it sometimes pays to be a little higher. The deer usually will stay on the high side. There are disadvantages of hunting too high. The consensus is that you want to double lung a deer. Double lung will usually put them down within a hundred yards and leave a decent blood trail. If you are too high the shot angle will usually be too steep and only catch one lung. Also, sometimes you have to stay a little lower or a little higher to see under or over the canopy. I think most probably place their stands 12-18 feet. Always use a safe stand and wear a safety harness. It will give you added confidence when the shot presents itself. You hear of a lot more people falling out of trees nowadays and getting injured. Sometimes it is fatal. You may get to the point that you like Bowhunting better than the gun season!
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Post by ccdeer1960 on Sept 7, 2009 17:12:13 GMT -5
Yes,woods to your self in vvvvQWW
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Post by royalcoachman on Sept 7, 2009 18:28:00 GMT -5
At what point should I be drawing on a deer? I realize this is somewhat a subjective question, but the closer the better? Draw at 80 yards and hold it (if possible) until they trot into 20-30 yards? Hints, tips, suggestions?
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Post by Hoosier Hunter on Sept 7, 2009 18:57:48 GMT -5
At what point should I be drawing on a deer? I realize this is somewhat a subjective question, but the closer the better? Draw at 80 yards and hold it (if possible) until they trot into 20-30 yards? Hints, tips, suggestions? I always draw when I cannot see the deers eye. Meaning its looking away, behind a tree and so forth. This is really hard to do when multiple deer are around. If you can see the deers eye then expect it can see you. Everyone is different, for me I need to wait until the deer is in comfortable shooting range before drawing and not before. Movements must be kept to a minimum. When you first see a deer off at distance you should prepare yourself for a shot at that time. Once that deer gets close you'll be surprised how good his senses are. Bow hunting is challenging to say the least. Best thing you can do is practice, practice, practice. Spend some time shooting from elevated platforms since you plan to hunt from a tree. Enjoy |
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Post by Hoosier Hunter on Sept 7, 2009 18:58:25 GMT -5
Yes,woods to your self in vvvvQWW  ? |
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Post by Woody Williams on Sept 7, 2009 19:16:40 GMT -5
You should be able to draw your bow straight back without any horsing it back. If you have to horse it back, you are over bowed. It should be one good steady motion straight back.
That will lessen the chance of the deer picking you out drawing your bow.....
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Post by vortex100 on Sept 7, 2009 19:58:26 GMT -5
20 feet average for me on the stands. The main reason is to help hide when I'm drawing my bow.
I would draw just prior to the deer walking into your shooting lane. If you draw to early the chances of you making an accurate shot are slim.
Best of luck!
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Post by crazybuck on Sept 7, 2009 20:18:19 GMT -5
I usually draw right before it looks like the shot I feel comfortable with is going to materialize and then take the first best opportunity. Wait till they turn their head where you can't see the eyes or their head is behind a tree. You don't want to draw 80 yards out because you may have to hold way too long. For me it will be within 25 yards or less. If he is getting away and at 30 yards and at the right angle, I still will take the shot. Only take a shot you are comfortable making. When you make a bad shot, sometimes it becomes very hard to find them, even after spending several hours. Concentrate on making a good shot.
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Post by royalcoachman on Sept 7, 2009 20:19:41 GMT -5
Thanks guys great info. I find it very helpful. I'll let ya'll know how it turns out. I'm hunting Miami and possibly Hamilton Counties this year. I hardly know anyone who hunts so my places to hunt are limited. Thanks fellas.
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Post by jkd on Sept 7, 2009 20:59:38 GMT -5
If you're too high up, the angle to target becomes severe and you reduce the chance of a good double-lung hit... set up the stand beside the travel route, not on top of it... some guys set up too close to the trail and end up taking a top-down shot through the shoulder blades and get only one lung if they're lucky... you want to hit the side of the deer, not the top of him/her...
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Post by turkeyscout on Sept 8, 2009 6:49:32 GMT -5
Sometimes yes and other times no. The closer you are to eye level the easier it is for a deer to pick you out or to smell you. Sometimes when you are a little higher your scent will be carried out over their heads. If you are low and you have good front or background concealment and a breeze in your face, you can sometimes get away from being low. I have better luck being low in the evenings because the thermals are going down. If you are too high in the evening the thermals seem to disperse your human scent in a bigger circle from the tree. If you have a bank or ridge beside you, it sometimes pays to be a little higher. The deer usually will stay on the high side. There are disadvantages of hunting too high. The consensus is that you want to double lung a deer. Double lung will usually put them down within a hundred yards and leave a decent blood trail. If you are too high the shot angle will usually be too steep and only catch one lung. Also, sometimes you have to stay a little lower or a little higher to see under or over the canopy. I think most probably place their stands 12-18 feet. Always use a safe stand and wear a safety harness. It will give you added confidence when the shot presents itself. You hear of a lot more people falling out of trees nowadays and getting injured. Sometimes it is fatal. You may get to the point that you like Bowhunting better than the gun season! ...............  ............HEY crazybuck,.... I'M IMPRESSED WITH YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF HUNTING DEER WITH A BOW!!!!! thanks for sharing your experiences" WITH A YOUNG HUNTER, you would make a great teacher!! .............turkey scout |
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Post by crazybuck on Sept 8, 2009 7:24:23 GMT -5
I guess we had better help younger people to learn so we can pass the sport on, especially those who are showing interest. Seems like a lot of younger people are not interested nowadays. I am sure there are a lot more hunters on this site that are more knowledgeable than me. They are just not speaking up yet. Thanks turkeyscout.
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Post by oldhoyt on Sept 8, 2009 7:25:08 GMT -5
The height of your stand will vary based on a lot of factors, such as how it relates to the location you expect to see deer. The ground you are shooting to may be higher than the ground at the base of your tree, and so you may need to be higher to be the right height above the deer. Position your stand so that you are not in the midst of all the lower limbs. Above them or below them may be the right thing.
Don't position your stand so that you are uncomfortably high. Wear your safety harness.
I draw just before I feel I'll get a shot. It may work out just right or it may not. I let down if I feel a shot will not present itself within those few seconds (maybe up to 15-20). You'll get the knack for drawing on deer with experience.
Aim for the exit hole. This means that you need to visualize where your arrow will exit the opposite side of the deer. You want the exit to be on the side of the deer, not the bottom of the chest. You won't catch both lungs if your exit is out the bottom of the chest.
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Post by DEERTRACKS on Sept 8, 2009 8:11:06 GMT -5
So I've shotgun hunted for a few years with moderate success...no whoppers. Just got a bow and will be starting bow hunting this year. Does the height of the stand matter that much when hunting with a bow? I've heard of people setting higher... Thoughts? The higher the better for me (20+'-30+'). Better view, & scent dispersal. I can get by with more movement since I am above their normal field of view. |
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Post by trapperdave on Sept 8, 2009 8:16:33 GMT -5
the MOST important thing with bowhunting.... If its not a PERFECT shot, its NO shot!!!
everything else is just personnal opinion. Ive shot as many from the ground as from the trees. The higher up you go, the smaller your target becomes. Personally, I have found 12 ft to be plenty high. Cant count the number of deer that have fed under my stands over the years.
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Post by indianahick on Sept 8, 2009 9:00:30 GMT -5
Go as high as you feel comfortable. Usually 15 to 18 feet, stand platform is high enough, Spend lots of time practicing from that height. Move your targets around and use your range finder. If you practice from up 20 yards is 20 yards and you don't have to worry about knowing the angle and what ever the angled yardage is. Get a reasonably priced 3-D deer target. The more reasonably priced River Bottom Buck works just fine and will give you an idea as to where the arrow will pass thru a real deer. Besides it is one of the smaller targets which will make you practice small. Although arrow removal isn't as easy as some of the more costly targets. The bad side of practicing from up is that it negate ground shooting. Since your sites are set for up. take your time and have fun.
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Post by vortex100 on Sept 8, 2009 16:17:19 GMT -5
Thanks guys great info. I find it very helpful. I'll let ya'll know how it turns out. I'm hunting Miami and possibly Hamilton Counties this year. I hardly know anyone who hunts so my places to hunt are limited. Thanks fellas. If you are hunting in Hamiltion County in the Urban Deer Zone you can start on on 9-15-09. Let us know how it goes. |
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Post by royalcoachman on Sept 9, 2009 8:51:45 GMT -5
This has been one of the most informative posts that I've had people reply to. Thanks fellas for the helpful tips. I really appreciate learning from more experienced hunters tips, tricks, and techniques.
As for the post that mentioned the Hamilton County Urban hunt...where does this take place at? I'm not a part of it since my parents own property in the north eastern portion of the county. (albeit only 7 acres, but it has woods and a creek and is surrounded by soybean and corn fields).
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............HEY crazybuck,.... I'M IMPRESSED WITH YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF HUNTING DEER WITH A BOW!!!!! 
