Stand hunting

[FishDFly]

So far in Texas this deer season 2 deaths.

One hunter shot another while they were getting out of a deer stand.

Other was a 14 year old girl. She was not answering text messages. They went to check on her and she had a propane heater going, they think she fell asleep and died of carbon monoxide.

 

[Sparkitoff]

We don't have a lot of big trees at some of my spots so we are stuck with ground blinds. One problem I have is that my longrifle doesnt fit in the box front to back and barely fits across. I have to sit by myself and I have to carefully manipulate the rifle to get it out of the window.

 

[hanshi]

I always made my own tree stands. I did buy a ladder stand long ago and used it until a tree blew over and crushed it. I sometimes fall while on the ground, but I don't fall far!

 

[Nameless Hunter]

We don't have a lot of big trees at some of my spots so we are stuck with ground blinds. One problem I have is that my longrifle doesnt fit in the box front to back and barely fits across. I have to sit by myself and I have to carefully manipulate the rifle to get it out of the window.

I had that issue with my GPR in a popup ground blind 2 weeks ago - still got the deer though .
Going back to just sitting against a tree.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Closest Ive ever come to hunted out of a blind is a spot I have located near an open field in a small island of saplings. I erected a frame about 3 1/2 feet high in the front where I plaved camo burlap on 3 sides to hide my lower half from deer. I have a folding dove hunting chair inside. Thats it. Its not like it enclosed or anything though. Other than that, I just sit next to a tree when I hunt.

 

[Ames]

I'm too fat to climb anymore!

 

[bud in pa]

Here in PA they want you completely enclosed in your blind, as i understand it.

 

[Dale Lilly]

I grew up hunting from the ground.. mostly stalking fire breaks in cut over or hunkered down in a blown down tree top watching a well used trail.

As my hunting styles changed over the years , I’ve used home made stands, climbers, lock ons,
box blinds and shooting houses..

But as Spikebuck says, “ It's more fun being on the ground with them anyway “.

View attachment 51631

View attachment 51633
View attachment 51632

A friend and I, hunting in Idaho, spent an entire day slo-o-o-o-o-wly walking the woods.. Nada. Never saw an animal except squirrels and grouse. Came back to the pickup and there, twenty feet from it, he shot a nice eaten' [spell that little] buck.. Asi es la vida Polecat

 

[FishDFly]

Here in PA they want you completely enclosed in your blind, as i understand it.

For those who just sit under or against a tree, do you have to wear orange if on public land?

 

[bud in pa]

For those who just sit under or against a tree, do you have to wear orange if on public land?

Yes Orange hat, and Vest or coat.

 

[smo]

For those who just sit under or against a tree, do you have to wear orange if on public land?

On Public land 500 sq in is Required, Private Land none required .
On my place I rarely wear any, on my Friends place , I usually wear it into my spot then remove it but put it back on when walking out.

 

[Ames]

I wear it all the time. Feel safer keeping it on. And I know the deer don't see it or don't care if they see it.

 

[OldMaineWoodsman]

In my young days I wore green & black wool plaid. I bought into the late Larry Benoit's thoughts on not being seen by other hunters. When I lived and hunted in Maine, I wore a blaze orange hat because it was law there. I think now you are required to wear two articles of blaze orange in Maine during firearms deer season?

In the Adirondacks I still wear green & black plaid or earth-tone wool colors as I almost never see another hunter where I hunt. If I know others are in the area I wear a blaze orange hat.

In Virginia where I live now public land such as WMA's are the only game in town. You must now wear an article of blaze orange clothing during the muzzle loading season moving to and from but you don't need it if you are in a blind or stationary. I wear a blaze orange hat anyway. Because of the traffic and number of hunters during the early muzzle loader season who knows what their mindset or skill levels are? As long as you stay still deer don't notice blaze orange, I'm convinced of that. I did see a guy this year with blaze orange hat, coat, and pants. Safe, but I'm sure he looked like a light bulb to deer every time he probably fidgeted around looking at his phone....

 

[hanshi]

I've had deer look directly at me and not "see" me with a blaze orange hat & vest. Movement and smell is are giveaways, not sound or blaze orange.

 

[rp77469]

A while back I drew a special ML hunt for Texas. My wife made me a blaze orange bandana and breech cloth so I could hunt 'primitive'. You would not believe the grief my skinner friends gave me over that breechcloth. But none of the flatlanders shot me so it worked out ok. I still have them in my gear box.

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

I mostly hunt out of treestands—either ladder stands that we have installed on some private land, or I lug in a climber. I’m kinda new to the climber, but it’s just soooo comfy once you get it at elevation and sit. I’m a safety nut so I have these “lock down” straps from ThirdHandArchery that snugs the foot platform to the seat part and makes it rock-solid, and I’m always attached to the tree with a safety harness and usually a Descender that’ll lower me to the ground if I fall out (rather than just hanging there).

I do have a couple of pop-up ground blinds but feel that they’re just too obvious for deer hunting so I have only used on those rare occasions when it’s raining and I’m on a last hunt day or something like that. Better to not get a deer and stay relatively dry than to not get a deer and be soaked! Lol.

I also have a small “hammock” seat that you tie to a tree and sit in, and also a tie-on padded seat. I use those when it’s not practical to climb (too long of a hike in with the climber).

 

[Pa-brushbuster71]

I do Stand hunting from the ground or in a tree depending on where I’m hunting, and the conditions. Still hunting can be very productive as well. Sometimes stand hunting is the best option given the variables.

 

[sawyer04]

I like still hunting, blind or natural cover. Don't get much rest because some one is always up running around driving the game by me. Don't hunt much big stuff anymore, too lazy to dress and process it.

 

[rf50cal]

The first half of my hunting life I still hunted or participated in small drives. Eventually though, I gained some patience and learned I get much better shooting if I just park myself in a good spot and let the deer come to me.