Does Higher mean bigger?

[loneranger]

In reading the posts about treestand heights everyone says 20 ft ,,higher the better. My vertebrae are all fused. My back is like glass. I canoot afford a fall. I have finally gotten off the ground but only on secure ,,permanent, ladder stands, from 14 to 16 ft. So far I have seen 2 1/2 yr old bucks, no older ones. Of coarse only been hunting here 2 seasons, but I wonder ,,as I sit,, can older deer sense me, somehow this close? With some deer sense I don't realize? I don't have a problem with movement. Never had a deer spot me,,but I wonder? Thanks.

 

[Liv4Rut]

As long as the wind is right, and the stand is hidden well, and you are camoflauged well. It shouldn't have an effect on anything. I personally could never hunt out of a ladder stand, just because I couldn't be mobile like I am now, But some guys use them and have great luck.

I don't know how often you hunt your stands, but that could have a bigger impact than the actual treestand. If you hunted the same few stands all the time and don't see a big buck it could be because he smells where you walk in and out everyday when your not there and avoid the area completely. That's why I like to move around alot, and keep them guessing. When I was younger I hunted stands to the point of burning them out and still saw good bucks frequently, they just seemed to adjust to moving about a 100 yards away from that area. Goodluck.

 

[Steve-O]

Like Liv said play the wind. My bow kill was from the ground and he grossed 159-6/8" as a 9 point. I always put the base of my stand at 16' so my head height is anywhere between 19-20'. I use several ladder stands that i personally built out of wood and they are 14' with seat height at about 16'. To answer your question Higher doesnt mean bigger just eliminates more variables. Just use scent control to and from your stand and wind direction on the stands you hunt and like LIV said Move day to day. If you dont have a large area on a farm like me, hunt a different farm every couple of days or so.

 

[Bukmastr]

I would have to agree with the other guys. Probably more of a situation where you are hunting out of a ladder stand that is left in one position, and the older bucks have figured you out. Nothing completly eliminates human scent, and older bucks didn't get old by hanging where they smell human scent. The most I hunt any one spot is maybe 3 or 4 times the entire season. Most, only get hunted once. If you can't get mobile, or don't have enough ladder stands, you could try hunting off of the ground sometimes to try different spots. Just my 2 cents

 

[jkratz5]

I agree with the others, hunting one stand all the time may be the problem. I personally have three stands hung in IA and will rarely hunt them on back to back days unless we get a rain or something to help with the scent. Also, I will generally move my stands to zero in on the deer at different times of the year.

That being said on our farm in IL we have several permanent stands and several others that might as well be because they don't switch trees from year to year. These stands have produced some of the biggest bucks to date and are never moved and are no higher than 15ft. The do not recieve a ton of hunting pressure however, maybe 3-5 hunts all year.

 

[Elitebowhunter]

I would'nt say higher is better. I got my first bow buck last fall and my stand was only 9 feet off the ground. I soon realized that the stand was also in a huge cotton wood with many branches. In my opinion it just depends on the tree. I move stands up the tree and sit in them as I go to feel what fits me right. You might just have to play around with it a while.

 

[Skully]

The highest gross scoring buck I have ever shot was shot from the ground during the prime rut. The largest buck I ever had a shot at I missed "from the ground". Its all about location and wind direction if you ask me. Especially during the rut.

 

[TimberPig]

I would agree with the others, I think your problem may be burning out your stand sites. Thanksgiving morning of '04 I sat in a permenant stand that is 18'. The hunters across the fence drove their ATV's to their stands a daybreak and pushed a busted up 4 1/2yr old right too me. All I had was a doe tag so I just sat and videoed him. He crossed my entry path, which is mowed grass about 3 inches tall, I was wearing rubber knee boots, and am very scent conscious. He looked like he ran into a glass wall there, and was obviously checking out my scent trail. He knew he was stuck between a rock and a hard place so he froze for about 5 minutes before sneaking back the way he had came. He didnt snort or stomp or bolt off like I've seen old does do, he just froze. I really believe he was just weighing his options for the best move. I highly doubt he passed that location in daylight the rest of the season. It was very interesting to watch and really drove home how importance of carefully planing your routes and varying your stand sites. It was also interesting that none of the dozens of does or younger bucks that season had ever shown any signs of detecting my entry trail at any of my stands, just that one mature buck. If I had been trying to kill that buck, any further attempts from that stand would have been useless.
Given your situation, I think I would put up more stands rather than higher ones.

 

[dbltree]

[ QUOTE ]
I was wearing rubber knee boots, and am very scent conscious.

[/ QUOTE ]

You were supposed to walk thru a fresh cow pie first TP!

I started using charcoal odor eater's in my rubber boots and that seems to help, but not letting them cross your path is the best idea!

I have ground blinds as well as tree stands. The ground blinds I have sealed up so tight it's a wonder I can breathe

I use tinted windows so they can't see in and they will often walk with in a few feet of me.
I almost never get busted in a tree stand although last year a buck came from behind me and I had to hurry to turn in my stand and he caught movement...he just jumped sideways and walked off

I also use a little 3 legged fold up seat and set on the ground in heavy cover...it allows me to just try something new with little effort. I have had bucks walk literally with in 7-8 yards of me. I just make sure I have a good backdrop...and cover so they can't see me...until it's too late. Most of these deer look "right thru" me...if they can't see me at a few yards on the ground...I don't think a few feet higher in a tree would make a difference.
Like TP says though...you don't want to "cross paths" with them