Introduction to Elevated Stands

By far, the most popular way to hunt white-tailed deer and black bear while archery hunting is from an elevated stand. The most common type of elevated stand is the tree stand—a temporary stand placed in or against a tree. Tree stands have become increasingly popular in recent years with all types of hunters. While they offer certain advantages, they also have some drawbacks, including a degree of risk.

Advantages

• Let you spot game sooner than at ground level.
• Position a hunter above the animal’s normal field of vision.
• Make a hunter’s scent harder to detect and movement less noticeable.
• Provide a shot angle where the arrow exits lower on the animal, potentially creating a better blood trail to aid in recovery.

Disadvantages

• Increase risk of injury from falling.
• Make estimating distances and shooting accurately more challenging because of the downward angle.
• Cannot move toward game while hunting.