Tree stand placement

[CP]

I put up my 1st tree stand this weekend.  Just off the intersection of 3 game trails.  I wanted to give the animals plenty of time to get used to it before the Sept 1 opener.  But now I’m 2nd guessing the placement.  Is it too close to the trails?   

[headshot5]

Do you have to cross the trail to get to the stand?   Personally (my preference) I'd put it back a bit farther at 25-30 yards.  If you are shooting a bow try to pick out places where the game animals have their head behind some brush or trees to screen drawing your bow.     

[CP]

Do you have to cross the trail to get to the stand?   

No, I've made a small path and cleared all the noisy material from it so I can enter quietly without touching any of the trails.

[bowguy]

Can you see the animals coming in our are the gonna show up when your ready to shoot? I usually set my stands back at 15-25 yds away. Clear shooting lanes and male view windows so you can see animals coming in. Way too be thinking ahead of setting early. I'm going to put mine up in a week. Practice shooting out of your stand also have some one move your target around while your not looking then have them clear the area, turn around pen your eyes find target estimate range and let it fly treat it like a real hunting scenario.

[CP]

Just about anything that I see from this stand will be within 35 yards.  This is my 1st year bow hunting in several decades so I want to limit my shooting to 25 yards. 

The black trail is the most used.  Deer & elk emerge from the thick scrub maples which are about 35 yards away.  If they head down the main trail as shown there are many shooting lanes.  Its flat ground and even I should be able to make a shot if they stop at the right angle.

The blue trail comes down from an abandoned, overgrown logging road.   Anything coming from that direction will be in range as soon as I can see them.  It’s up hill from the stand so shots will be up to dead even with the blind. 

The red trail is the least used.  It’s behind the blind so I can’t see anything coming until its right there below the blind.

Game coming from the other direction should provide a clear shot about 20 yards from the stand.

[vandeman17]

Too close in my opinion. I have made the mistake of setting up too close and any movement you make catches their eye. I would set my stand back at least 25-30 yards and try to find somewhere that has good cover behind you to help conceal your outline and movements. 

[Netminder01]

Not only too close but it seems like you're on the downhill side. Meaning, if a deer is cutting through the timber walking towards you sitting in the stand, the slope in the hill will make the slightest of movement noticeable as it's closer to something they'd pick up on down hill.

I agree with others, move your stand and if it were me, I'd add a few feet in height too.

[luckyman]

If the wind is working for it I would put it between the black and blue line about where that stump is. They will be in the open for a good shot if traveling the same direction as the arrows point. If they travel the reverse of your arrows you'll have fairy good cover and they will likely be looking lower anyway. The wind seems to change a lot so might be hard to find a spot that always has the wind in your favor. The sun will probably be better in the morning or evening. That's what I consider more. you need a few stands set up or at least need to move it as you hunt. Maybe find 5 or 6 good spots to set it up depending on time of day and where you feel lucky. They always seem to come in a different way then I'm expecting to see something and catch me off guard. I prefer blinds over tree stands just for more choices that I can set up. You never know for sure if it's a good spot till you've tried it.

[justyhntr]

Another thing to consider is the shot . I shoot right handed so if I'm sitting looking forward everything from straight ahead to 180 degrees to my left is a easy shot, I can even lean over to shoot behind the tree , but if something comes in from the right I have to stand up and turn around to make the shot . It's a lot of movement and it seems that most of the time my safety harness is in the way of my draw .  I try to set mine back a little with the most likely shots on my left side.

[RadSav]

Hope the OP is left handed. 

[CP]

OK, I’m convinced that I have to move it; probably across the trails and up the hill a ways.  I’ll have to see what trees can support the stand over there. 

That means I have to walk across the trail to get in and out.

[Grizman]

Can't agree with Netminder01 more.  The slope of the hill is very important.  Last year I was 16' up but downhill and I seemed to be eye to eye with every animal that came in.   Get uphill to any trail or opening.  Good luck.  It's a blast when your stand is right.

[tgomez]

Where ever you decide to put the stand, make sure your pins are set shooting from the stand. Take a small target with you to sight in and practice. Use the same style and grain broadheads you will be shooting on the hunt to obtain the best accuracy. As far as placing the stands area you picked a great crossing location. Good luck to you this season, hope ll goes well for you.

[fishnfur]

I've been struggling with the thought of tree stand placement on hillsides for several months, trying to figure out the best set for several situations.  This scenario is another one that seems to have several options, but which is best???

I do like the idea of putting the stand by the stump, but it still seems to have risk of upward thermals during the day stinking up everything above you.  Even when the thermals are downward, unless you are well hidden, you might find your backside exposed to animals coming down the hill. 

  It seems like setting up a stand closer to where the viewer is standing when he took the photo, and maybe left of that, where he would be hidden (by conifers) from animals coming in from above would provide a better chance of having a shot on an animal using any of the three trails coming down/across the hill.  It seem though that it would need to be an evening set after thermals have switched to downhill.  Also, you would need to come in from the downhill side  to get to the stand.   (??)  Farther to the right of that spot might greatly reduce the issues surrounding thermals while still giving you a good shot at the intersection.

Am I overthinking this?  Are thermals much less of an issue when you're up in a tree stand?

[CP]

Well, I got it moved, across the trail and up the hill a ways.  I'm now about 20 yards from the trail.  Here's the view from the new location.  The yellow X is the old stand location.  I like this spot but I need to cut some shooting lanes. 

2 weeks to go!