What a deer sees - Ladder Stand @ 40yds

[roundball]

If you look straight back into the center of the picture, just to the left of that large tree back there, and look very closely in the light area where there seems to be an open doorway through everything, you can see the rungs of the black ladder. The stand section & I when I'm in it are 99% concealed in amongst those evergreen Holly trees and hardwoods with just enough clearance over the top of a Holly tree branch to make a shot.

I'm taking the photo from 40 yards in front of it, and standing 20-30 yards in from the edge of the woodline/clearcut behind me...on the entry trail into the Oak flat that a lot of deer used in past years coming in from that clear cut area...but not much this year since the clear cut has grown up with 6-7 foot pines...as great of a location that its been, I have to scout and relocate for next season.

 

[Vaino]

My khaki colored ladder tree stand is put up the day before opening and is in a stand of open hardwoods and no attempt is made to camoflage it. In fact, a white cushion is what I aim for in the semi-darkness of early morning. This "stand" has consistently produced deer and this year a 6 and an eight pointer plus a doe were killed from it. I think that elevation is the key and having a stand in a deer traffic route or sanctuary area is necessary to kill deer every year. Wearing the mandatory "blaze orange" really negates any attempts at "hiding" the stand, although bow hunting is a much different situation altogether.... no "blaze orange", much closer shots and where hunter visibility and scent are much more important than w/ the longer range of gun hunting. Of course, the deer in my area of Wisconsin might require less "stealth" than some other areas of the country.......Fred

 

[Halftail]

I figure the key to treestand hunting is to be "Hid"I always "Brush-up" my stands at least a couple of months before opening day.Gives em time to get used to it.

 

[roundball]

"...Wearing the mandatory "blaze orange" really negates any attempts at "hiding" the stand..."

Sounds like you've had a bad run of luck...hunter orange has absolutely no affect on deer what-so-ever...I've often sat completely still on the ground leaning against a tree in open hardwoods wearing an orange hat and coat...had deer walk past on a trail not 20 yards away and they pay it no attention...one time while squirrel hunting with an orange cap I had a doe poking along through the leaves looking for acorns and got to within 15 feet of my boots...less than a car length from me...when she hit my scent pooling around me she slammed on the brakes like she'd hit a wall...then just stood there looking around...scent and movement are everything...orange is no problem.

As far as my stand placement, I place them like I do so I can get away with a little movement like drinking coffee, eating a sandwich, etc, without being busted.

 

[Vaino]

Seeing you only showed a pic of your "hidden" tree stand, I just assumed that was of prime importance to you. "Bad luck".....never heard of it while hunting and your remark was erroneous and presumptive seeing you know nothing of my hunting. Blaze orange is OK if movement isn't involved, but elevation moderates this somewhat....happy hunting :grin: .....Fred

 

[roundball]

"...your remark was erroneous and presumptive seeing you know nothing of my hunting..."

No, actually it wasn't...it was a direct factual response to correct the statement you made which was:
Quote:
"...Wearing the mandatory "blaze orange" really negates any attempts at "hiding" the stand..."

I have no interest in a debate...your quote is your quote.

 

[Maynerd62411]

Deer can't see blaze orange, it appears brown, to them. No effect unless you use a detergent with "brightener", florocarbons? It makes ordinary colrs look bright blue to them. THAT spooks them.

 

[buttonbuck]

Howdy fellow illinois person, I wonder about the stand issue of a ladder stand because the big does seem to avoid them when I am in them. However when I looked after a snow fall they walked with in 2 feet of them and under them by the large amount of tracks. They even walked by a ground blind I placed 2 days after I put it there. I find old does the hardest animal to hunt.

 

[KyFlintlock]

Looks like a good spot.

To me the big issue with treestands is getting Skylined (black blob against the white/light sky) and movement (scent is not mentioned as that is a given).

Good luck
Wess

 

[Dave K]

I know the feeling of getting skylined. The feeling of knowing you look like a transformer on a telephone pole. I always look to find a tree that "clumps" or forks at the height I want to be at. That helps give me cover and it works for me.

 

[Vaino]

You are absolutely, absotively correct as regards blaze orange :surrender: . Have hunted deer for 63 yrs. and have noticed that the deer just don't come as close as in earlier years when I was on the ground....could be a number of factors including much heavier hunting pressure and much longer seasons. Seeing I hunt in mixed hardwoods where visibility is ideal, my ladderstand is never "hidden" and scent isn't a problem. By the way, our deer herd population after the season is still 1.3 million {the total kill this year was approx. 500,000} and we're hoping for a mild winter otherwise the winter kill could be disastrous......Fred

 

[Maynerd62411]

My stand sits on the flat of a mound. I've had small bucks come right under me. Last year, I had a doe and her twins walk straight at me and the fawns walked right next to my stand. The doe seemed to know something was there and walked around me, about 20 yards out or so. I had a big buck that seemed to have it paced off as to how far I could get a decent shot at him. I saw him 4 times in 3 days and he was always just off in the brush enough to avoid me. He never seemed alarmed. Just aware of where I was and what I could do. :surrender:

 

[blueridger]

You are absolutely, absotively correct as regards blaze orange :surrender: . Have hunted deer for 63 yrs. and have noticed that the deer just don't come as close as in earlier years when I was on the ground....could be a number of factors including much heavier hunting pressure and much longer seasons. Seeing I hunt in mixed hardwoods where visibility is ideal, my ladderstand is never "hidden" and scent isn't a problem. By the way, our deer herd population after the season is still 1.3 million {the total kill this year was approx. 500,000} and we're hoping for a mild winter otherwise the winter kill could be disastrous......Fred

Flehto: What state are you in?

 

[Vaino]

I live in southern Wisconsin and hunt in the middle section of Wisconsin. More deer in southern Wisc. but most of the deer are larger in the north. My largest buck out of the northern most county field dressed at a little over 300 lbs. was a ten pointer and mainly was used for sausage......Fred

 

[Stumpkiller]

I believe blaze orange appears to the deer as a neutral gray. Here is my blaze outfit, the tree-seat attached to a tree where I can keep my feet on solid ground and the deer that walked up to 10 yards away from me three seasons ago. First deer I've ever shot with a cartridge rifle. A second deer was taken from the same spot at maybe 12 yards distance on the next day. So what's all this excitement about centerfire rifles? :rotf:

Deer spot motion remarkably well, but a neutral gray blob in and amongst woods THAT IS NOT SILHOUETTED AGAINST THE SKY/HORIZON is not so noticable to them. I always choose a spot to sit where I have cover to either hide me or block my back against being outlined.

I've only hunted two seasons from an elevated stand and am a novice at that method but have been pretty lucky sitting on stumps or the tree seat. Always with full blaze orange during regular season and no scents or covers. Just placing myself with the wind to my advantage in natural funnels where the deer are likely to be.

 

[roundball]

Yeah...I'm scared to go into the woods WITHOUT HO...I have no worries about deer and HO...its the 2 legged idiots I'm always worried about.

One of the benefits I always liked from any amount of elevated stand is the increased safty factor of getting up above the ground level. And as you know, even with all your orange in that photo, somebody taking a shot from a little distance away who can't see you through the trees could unfortunately still hit you.

At least being 8-10ft up gave me a little peace of mind and I'm now aware of not having that safety margin since I've gradually become more and more of a natural ground blind hunter again...feel a little more vulnerable to an errant shot.

 

[Pork Chop]

Yeah...I'm scared to go into the woods WITHOUT HO...I have no worries about deer and HO...its the 2 legged idiots I'm always worried about.

One of the benefits I always liked from any amount of elevated stand is the increased safty factor of getting up above the ground level. And as you know, even with all your orange in that photo, somebody taking a shot from a little distance away who can't see you through the trees could unfortunately still hit you.

At least being 8-10ft up gave me a little peace of mind and I'm now aware of not having that safety margin since I've gradually become more and more of a natural ground blind hunter again...feel a little more vulnerable to an errant shot.

What, you don't think that those goobers that shoot at sounds don't hunt squirrels?

 

[roundball]

Yeah...I'm scared to go into the woods WITHOUT HO...I have no worries about deer and HO...its the 2 legged idiots I'm always worried about.

One of the benefits I always liked from any amount of elevated stand is the increased safty factor of getting up above the ground level. And as you know, even with all your orange in that photo, somebody taking a shot from a little distance away who can't see you through the trees could unfortunately still hit you.

At least being 8-10ft up gave me a little peace of mind and I'm now aware of not having that safety margin since I've gradually become more and more of a natural ground blind hunter again...feel a little more vulnerable to an errant shot.

What, you don't think that those goobers that shoot at sounds don't hunt squirrels?

I guess there's always a "pit blind" :shocked2:

 

[wvbuckbuster]

Hey roundball ever hear a bullet come ticking thru the tree limbs? That isn't much fun either! :surrender:

 

[jethro224]

Yep, I've had .22s and shotgun slugs both go rippin' thru the trees at and above my level in treestands 12 - 15 feet high. Had it happen on the ground too. It's a scary feeling! :shocked2: