Video: Testing the Best Tree Stand Height for Bowhunting

If you want to bag big bucks, you're better off drawing a 70-pound bow and hanging your tree stand at least 25 feet high.

Or maybe not. There are a handful of articles and videos on how to choose the right tree trunk height. Most of them mention the 20 foot mark as some sort of standard. Then there are hunters who advocate climbing even higher so you're less easy to spot and less likely to be smelled. On the other hand, some hunters advocate hanging lower so that you have a better angle to shoot deer at close range.

So who is right? I decided to actually test these theories to illustrate the pros and cons of bowhunting and shooting at different altitudes. Here's how I did this backyard test and what I found.

The test

I hung four tree stands in my back yard, all on the same tree. I have hung them at heights of 10ft, 15ft, 20ft and 25ft. I then placed a 3D deer target 18 yards from the tree, measured the angle from each height (with my Bushnell R5 series rangefinder), and then shot. I conducted this test on a day with winds of 10 mph and gusts up to 15 mph.

After shooting, I evaluated the entry and exit points in the target and examined how the different heights allowed for a vertical margin of error on a double-lung shot. My 3D target's chest measures 14 inches, about the size of a small whitetail.

At each elevation I also used an anemometer to assess how the scent might drift down to or over the deer.

Variables to consider

Obfuscation

In general, the higher you are, the harder it will be for a deer to spot you. However, height is not the only factor in good standing, in fact it may not be the most important one. The deciding factor is the amount of cover you have behind and around you. Ideally, you'll hunt in a tree that's wider than your shoulders, with branches branching out around you to break up your profile. In this case, you can get away with a lower hunt.

Shooting angle and presentation

The higher you hunt, the harder the shot is. Remember that the average distance for a bow shot is about 20 meters. The higher you climb, the steeper the firing angle becomes. These are the approximate firing angles measured from each height using the Bushnell R5 rangefinder:

• 10 feet: 15 degrees
• 15 feet: 20 degrees
• 20 feet: 25 degrees
• 25 feet: 30 degrees

Steep shooting angles are challenging for several reasons. First, very steep target representations provide less room for error vertically. In other words, if your punch is very steep, it will be harder to hit both lungs. When shooting from a long distance, you need to hit the deer higher so that the arrow exits the bottom of the offside lung. However, if you hit too high, you will miss the front lung.

Second, it's just harder to shoot a bow well from a steep angle. I experienced this firsthand when shooting from the 25-foot mark. At this height the tree swayed more in the wind (a major challenge when trying to shoot accurately). Additionally, the downward angle was so extreme that it made it harder for me to maintain a consistent form. I just didn't feel well.

Fragrance

The higher hunting camp will say that if you are above 25 feet, your scent will catch the thermals and blow over the tops of the deer instead of down on them. When I used my anemometer at 25 feet, I noticed that it was blowing away and not falling to the ground. I think if a deer had been 15 or 20 yards downwind of me, my scent would have blown over the deer.

However, the scent would eventually drift down to deer level. Deer perhaps 100 yards away would certainly smell me. Hunting at higher elevations won't make you undetectable to a whitetail deer's nose, but it could give you a slight advantage over deer at close range.

Tree stand height takeaways

After shooting many arrows and evaluating my hits, I decided on a few concrete insights. The first and most important point is to always use a safety harness and lifeline when hunting and hanging logs. If you fall out of a stand, there is a good chance you will fall while climbing in or out of the stand. Therefore, it is not enough to just strap yourself into the stand. From the moment you leave the ground you must be connected to a security system.

You're not as high as you think you are

One of the things I immediately noticed is that very few hunters actually climb 20 feet or higher (measured from the base of the stand to the ground). And an honest 25 feet was shockingly high.

For example, to reach the 20-foot mark, a long-legged hunter would need at least four climbing sticks if he spreads them out very aggressively. But most of us would need five or six climbing sticks to comfortably reach that height.

Even tree stand equipment is not accurately marketed in terms of height. For example, the lifeline system I used in this video says it is suitable for hunting up to 30 feet. However, it wouldn't even reach our 25 foot height (again measured to the base). I had to use two tethers to get up to 25 feet.

Most stands that I have seen other hunters put up on public land or equipped lots are around 15 feet and lower. The hang-and-hunt types are unlikely to climb higher than 15 feet if they only pack three to four sticks.

The firing angle is not a problem at 10 to 20 feet

At average archery ranges, shooting at 10 to 20 feet in a tree should be relatively easy for a skilled archer. If you shoot the buck through the top of the heart (entry) at one of these angles, the arrow will penetrate the bottom of the heart (exit) and you will get a short trail of blood.

However, a very tight 10 yard shot from 20 feet will result in an extremely steep shooting angle and marginal shot presentation.

The firing angle becomes an issue at 25 feet and higher

At average archery distances, your shot becomes much more challenging if you hunt above 20 feet. The error rate is lower and the shooting itself is more difficult. I think that for most hunters it would be advisable to hunt at a depth of 20 feet or less (again, measured from the bottom of the stand).

15 feet is the sweet spot (for me)

For me, the ideal tree height is about 15 to 18 feet and the ideal shooting range is 15 to 20 yards. This provides good concealment and reasonable firing angles. If you can hunt deeper and still hide well, then give it a try.

But the real benefit is not obsessing over the height of the trees. More important than the altitude at which you hunt is knowing how to hide your stock in a tree and when to go after a deer. There is no shortcut to fooling a mature buck. You have to do all the little things right and not just hang your stand another 1.5 meters higher.