Hunting From Tree Stands

Tree stands are one of the most popular forms of stands for both bow hunting and rifle hunting. The lightweight portability of a tree stand makes it easy to set up and move around. If you don't have a permanent lease to construct a box blind, a tree stand is the best answer.

There are things you need to know about hunting from tree stands.

Hunting Tree Stands

The tree stand you choose needs to be sturdy and mounted securely and solidly to the tree. If there is any looseness to the stand causing it to rattle when you move around, it will not only spook any deer around you, it will affect your aim and shake your confidence, but worse than that, it's unsafe. Choose a stand that is the correct size for your body type and weight.

Perhaps the most important part of hunting from tree stands is a safety harness. A good belt will circle completely around the tree and secure solidly above your waist, allowing you to lean over the edge of your tree stand and offering you more maneuverability and a better shot.

It is not always an easy task to shoot a bow from 15+ feet above the ground. Especially with a tree blocking nearly 180 degrees of your maneuverability. You will definitely want to practice your draw as soon as you set up your tree stand so that you know where you will be able to shoot. If there are branches getting in the way of your draw while facing the main deer trail, it would be wise to find a different tree to put your hunt from.

As far as keeping your aim, a big problem that hunters face while hunting from a tree stand is that of compensating for downward arrow flight. An arrow will hit higher than normal when shooting downward. This is due to gravity having less of an affect on the arch of the arrow. If you practice shooting at ground level, shooting parrallel to the ground, then when you are up in a stand shooting down, you'll need to aim slightly lower than you are familiar with.