History of hunting from trees

[BillinOregon]

A lot of today's big game hunters -- especially bow and muzzleloader hunters in whitetail deer states -- put tree stands to very good use to ensure harvest and hunting success. But it occurred to me that I really don't know a thing about the history of this hunting strategy. We know that Civil War snipers used trees to good advantage to gain a better view of targets and conceal their firing places, and that British hunters in Africa and India shot from trees or elevated "machans" (think "The Ghost and the Darkness").
But I cannot recall reading any historical descriptions of American deer hunters shooting from trees -- or more specifically from elevated platforms. Anyone have any sources from the 19th century or earlier?

 

[2 shots]

i have personally seen 2 stone arrow heads embedded in spinal discs of most likely deer at an angle that had to be from above.

 

[tenngun]

I have not read of it specifically. Though as said WTBS snipers knew to do it and I think the Murphy shot at Saratoga was from a tree, certainly learned it some where.
They hunted over stag hounds, and flashed deer from canoes at night.
I THINK it got to be a thing with bow hunters, as they wanted ranges short, then it moved in to the gun community

 

[andy52]

i have personally seen 2 stone arrow heads embedded in spinal discs of most likely deer at an angle that had to be from above.

Unless the discs were carbon dated really proves nothing.
I know a couple of guys that use flint tips in arrows now.

 

[earlwb]

The American Indians used hunting from trees to great effect. They were hunting deer etc long before the Europeans arrived. I would surmise that before the gun came into use that the rest of the world used trees to hide in too. So it likely goes way way back to when spears came into common use.

https://countryroadsmagazine.com/api/amp/outdoors/knowing-nature/the-first-deer-hunters/

 

[Brokennock]

to ensure harvest and hunting success.

Lmao
"Ensure" ?!?!?!


Seriously though. I'm not 100% certain of the history here either. I do vaguely recall reading about natives standing on large branches to shoot down at game, but I'm not positive this was a researched thing with documentable evidence, or just conjecture.
I'm also not certain how viable it would have been pre-contact or in very early Colonial New England. The forests here at the time of contact and for many years after were old growth and reported to have little understory. This is part of the reason given for native bows in this area being rather long and narrow. They were not hunting from horses or through thick underbrush necessitating shorter bows. Instead slipping through forests of tall straight hardwoods unless in the pines. So, how many low, large enough, branches were there to hunt from?

 

[hanshi]

I once shot a buck that had a couple of black wads of scar tissue on his back. It seems an arrow came from and elevated stand. When it hit it never penetrated into the vitals but went under the hide and skidded out through the second wound. The shooter obviously shot too high.

 

[oldwood]

There is a local inch thick , 5" by 7" soft cover book circulating in stores in northern Potter Co. , Pa.. The title is "50 Yrs. A Hunter".....Circa 1800 to around 1850. The author was the hunter , and starts out by telling of hunting from a tree , over a baited lick. As a kid on his first hunt , he was with some other fellows and all waited until very late day , and disbursed to their various hunt spots. The young hunter was in his tree , looking down , and a large dark shape came to the lick. Though it was quite dark , the shape was very close , when he shot from the tree. He killed a black bear , on his first deer hunt............oldwood

 

[2 shots]

Unless the discs were carbon dated really proves nothing.
I know a couple of guys that use flint tips in arrows now.

these were both from very old relic collections . they were excavated. not found laying around in some guys yard.

 

[deerstalkert]

in 1919 my father killed a bear at a lick in Wisconsin. he used a muzzleloading shot gun and shot from a treestand belonging to my mothers people. they had been using it for hundreds of years. he told of the size of the maple tree being 3 double arm lengths around with a lower branch one could sleep on.

 

[Brokennock]

There is a local inch thick , 5" by 7" soft cover book circulating in stores in northern Potter Co. , Pa.. The title is "50 Yrs. A Hunter".....Circa 1800 to around 1850. The author was the hunter , and starts out by telling of hunting from a tree , over a baited lick. As a kid on his first hunt , he was with some other fellows and all waited until very late day , and disbursed to their various hunt spots. The young hunter was in his tree , looking down , and a large dark shape came to the lick. Though it was quite dark , the shape was very close , when he shot from the tree. He killed a black bear , on his first deer hunt............oldwood

The book is available on Amazon in both real book form and as an E-book for Kindle.

 

[oldwood]

Thanks Brokennock. I loaned my copy out , and the book didn't get back yet. Another great book is "44 Yrs. A Hunter" , by , Meshack Browning. He lived and hunted just west of Cumberland , MD.. , and eventually ran a grist flower mill in Friendsville , MD. 'Bout 20 yrs. ago , I went there , and found his burial place. His life story is priceless information. I grew up about an hour west of there , and so hunted and fished near there. ......oldwood

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

I can tell you I have seen broadheads completely healed over inside the cavities of harvested deer. Just today found an arrow out near my stream. blades broken off. And it was not mine for sure.

 

[Walkingeagle]

Brother has a wolf rug and bleached skull from a wolf he got many years ago. If you look in the skull from the rear you can see a 3-blade broadhead that pierced between the eyes area. Feeling the top of the skull and close examination of that same area shows just the slightest hint of a thread. Rest is all 100% healed over. Strangest thing ever!!
Walk

 

[Walkingeagle]

Brother has a wolf rug and bleached skull from a wolf he got many years ago. If you look in the skull from the rear you can see a 3-blade broadhead that pierced between the eyes area. Feeling the top of the skull and close examination of that same area shows just the slightest hint of a thread. Rest is all 100% healed over. Strangest thing ever!!
Walk

My mistake, memory ain’t what it once was. Asked him to send me some pictures. Here they are….

 

[JD Peppergrinder]

I have a reprint of “Camp Life In The Woods” by W. Hamilton Gibson originally published in 1881.

Most of the book discusses trapping but a short article on deer hunting where the Author mentions using salt calling it a “deer lick” and placing it where deer are known to travel on a smooth rock or in a hollow log. Then the hollow log could be placed in a hole in the ground. The hunter then hides himself in a nearby tree, sometimes on a bench or in a scaffolding for comfort.

The author was told by hunters that deer rarely look higher than their head and you can get by with extra movement and not be noticed.


I shortened it and changed a bit of wording leaving the meat and potatoes. I’m not really looking for copyright issues.

 

[oldwood]

Talk about tree stand craziness. I was hunting buck season only , out of a Tree Lounge climber stand at about 30 feet above the ground. Shortly after light , six does came down the trail I was above , and stopped . After three days of camp food , gas was abundant , and I let rip to see if the noise had any effect on the does . They stood stock still w/ all eyes riveted on the camo mass up the maple tree ,above them. Then just walked under me and disappeared in the thicket. You never know what pearl of wisdom might prevail , if experimentation happens.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Yes they look up, especially if you make a noise or movement. I dont tree hunt, its not the fall but the landing that taught me years back, just dont bounce like I used to.

 

[oldwood]

I can still get up a 16' ladder stand , but the Tree Lounge climber , requires more stability than I now have. An old guy like me , pees a lot , and climbing stands are too dangerous.

 

[Patocazador]

If you are hunting for food to live, you use any method that gives you the easiest chance of securing your next meal, be it hunting from elevations, fire-hunting at night, pitfalls, snares or anything else. Our generation is not the inventors of any new form of hunting only improvements in the technology in making one more successful.

BTW, hunting from above is the surest way to insure that another human does not get injured or killed.