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Tree stand or Ground Blind?

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Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby JohnFitzgerald » 06 16, 2013 •  [Post 1]

My plan for opening weekend elk was to sit in my climbing tree stand. After thinking about it I might consider a ground blind. I have no way of practicing from an elevated position.

Thoughts?
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Re: Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby bnsafe » 06 16, 2013 •  [Post 2]

as long as you only go about 15 feet or so theres not much difference. go with the treestand
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Re: Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby >>>---WW----> » 06 16, 2013 •  [Post 3]

In the end it is your decision John. But I will say that a ground blind gives you the option to move around inside and they do provide some amount of scent control. I have no idea just how much but I have had deer water right next to my blind while antelope hunting. Plus, I have never been able to sit in a treestand for 12 hours at a time. So I think I'd have to go with the ground blind. If you do that, be sure to set it up a week or so ahead of time and brush it in good for elk.
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Re: Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby wideangle » 06 16, 2013 •  [Post 4]

I have never killed an elk from a treestand but I know others have been very successful.
I have killed elk (cows) from ground blinds constructed of natural materials that liter the area I hunt.
Branches for the most part placed in a shadowed areas near a well used trail.
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Re: Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby N5J » 06 17, 2013 •  [Post 5]

After reading Swede's book I'm trying treestands this year. I'm like you no way to practice from elevated positions other than getting on my house BUT I am going to ask a rancher friend if I can practice from some of his bail stacks...at my own risk of course. :D

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Re: Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby >>>---WW----> » 06 17, 2013 •  [Post 6]

I would like to clarify part of my above post. When I mentioned that ground blinds can help with a certain amount of scent control, I was talking about fully enclosed blinds such as the portable versions on the marked nowdays.
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Re: Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby otcWill » 06 17, 2013 •  [Post 7]

Though I've never hunted elk out of a ground blind I've had several encounters with them during turkey season and they always spooked at the sight of a well brushed in double bull. So if I was going to try this I guess I'd put the blind in as early as possible and brush it in as best I could. That said, I'd always prefer the treestand when given the choice.
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Re: Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby stringunner » 06 17, 2013 •  [Post 8]

treestand for sure, I think if nothing more for scent control. If ground blind I would think putting it up early would be important.
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Re: Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby Swede » 06 17, 2013 •  [Post 9]

John: Your dilemma of not being able to find a tree within miles of Hermiston may not be a big problem. The truth is that about 75 % of the folks I hunt with, can hit as accurately from a tree as from the ground, and they have no problem going from one to another. These people never practiced from a tree. Some people have a serious problem adjusting.
Remember you shoot horizontal distance, and LOOK THROUGH your PEEP. Bend at the waist. When you get to camp or the wherever you can make a trial run, go up a tree and shoot a few times. You will know right away if you are one of the 75% or if you have a problem. I have observed that those who have a problem usually over shoot their target. Do not try to compensate by aiming low and assuming you will hit above where you aim. Find out why you are missing and correct the problem rather than introducing a compensating error. Again maintain good shooting form, be careful to look through your peep and focus the appropriate pin on the target. For your test, 10 yards is all of the distance you need to work with.
You did not indicate you were needing to hear the advantages of a tree stand over a ground blind, so I will spare you the discussion for now.
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Re: Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby Pop-r » 06 17, 2013 •  [Post 10]

From my experience blind hunting deer i believe one would be surprised at how well it contains scent. Just a thought...as i'm not sure a stand is always the best option for scent control.
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Re: Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby JohnFitzgerald » 06 17, 2013 •  [Post 11]

Swede wrote:John: Your dilemma of not being able to find a tree within miles of Hermiston may not be a big problem. The truth is that about 75 % of the folks I hunt with, can hit as accurately from a tree as from the ground, and they have no problem going from one to another. These people never practiced from a tree. Some people have a serious problem adjusting.
Remember you shoot horizontal distance, and LOOK THROUGH your PEEP. Bend at the waist. When you get to camp or the wherever you can make a trial run, go up a tree and shoot a few times. You will know right away if you are one of the 75% or if you have a problem. I have observed that those who have a problem usually over shoot their target. Do not try to compensate by aiming low and assuming you will hit above where you aim. Find out why you are missing and correct the problem rather than introducing a compensating error. Again maintain good shooting form, be careful to look through your peep and focus the appropriate pin on the target. For your test, 10 yards is all of the distance you need to work with.
You did not indicate you were needing to hear the advantages of a tree stand over a ground blind, so I will spare you the discussion for now.

Please tell me the advantages.
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Re: Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby cnelk » 06 17, 2013 •  [Post 12]

You don't have to be very high to use a tree stand for elk.
At least not as high as for use in WT hunting.

This stand is a 10ft ladder section. Shot a couple elk from it.

As you can see for the angle in the short video, there is no need to compensate for the angle, especially at close range

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb62 ... e2_mov.mp4
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Re: Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby Swede » 06 17, 2013 •  [Post 13]

Tree stands are able to improve your opportunities of killing an elk in the following ways:

1. They reduce significantly your risk of being scented. Some have suggested a pop up blind, but they are more restrictive to shoot out of and do not fully contain your scent. They are more difficult to view out of and can be HOT to sit in when it is warm out. If I need the added warmth, I will put on an extra layer.
Low tree stand heights work in places and at times, but for most situations, I want to be 20+ feet up. You can reduce below 20 ft., if the winds are just right and you are not subject to diurnal shifts including downdrafts. Basins are not a good place for low tree stands. Ridges, and hill sides where elk can not come in and see you from above are better, if you need a low stand. I would rather go up, sit and not have to worry about the wind too much. No place and no height is the perfect one, but when all is said, go as high as practical, up to about 30 feet.

2. They reduce your chance of being seen. Good stand placement is important in some places. I like to be up in the branches or have other trees behind and beside me. A few trees in front can be an asset. It is true that elk do not look up in the trees for predators, but they can catch movement and look up. They can also look out from a distance and see you. If an elk is looking my way, I stay still even when I am 30 ft. up. They can see odd shapes in a tree and get nervous. The ground blind and pop up can hide you, but they also restrict you. I just do not care to shoot out of my two pop up blinds. I don't want to squat and shoot through a narrow window while I watch to ensure my bow limbs are all clear. The tree stand lets you see around what is going on a lot better, and gives you a lot more area where you can shoot effectively.

3. They reduce your chance of being heard. A good tree stand, that is prepared and checked out, is quiet. Sometimes over a season my stands develop a squeak. I have to either cure it or find a way to avoid that squeak. An elk, still a mile away can hear a pin drop on a cotton ball. A properly hung stand gives Mr. Bull no reason to have a case of nerves until it is too late. I would not debate that a properly prepared blind is quiet. They are, but a lot of the ones I have seen are prepared in haste and cleared during the hunt. Crunch, crunch, crunch.

Maybe the best part of a good tree stand is, you educate yourself on where is the best, most likely place to ambush a bull, based on the evidence you find, and place your stand there.
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Re: Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby bnsafe » 06 17, 2013 •  [Post 14]

what book did swede write, I just bought a climber cause of him, and a couple wallows I know of
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Re: Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby planebow » 06 17, 2013 •  [Post 15]

http://stores.elknut.com/Detail.bok?no=196 This is the book you are looking for.
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Re: Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby lang » 06 21, 2013 •  [Post 16]

Been a run and gun since I started hunting elk and love it, but have put a camera in a wallow for the last couple years. So I think I'm going to have to sit this year after seeing the pics. Last couple years calling just hasn't been the same. I've lost some confidence in calling recently, and am excited to try sitting. Not sure if the calling is due to timing, hunting pressure, wolves in the area or what but I am changing my ways at least for a few hours every day...or as long as my backside can take it.
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Re: Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby Swede » 06 21, 2013 •  [Post 17]

Lang: If you are going to run & gun part of the day, do it in the morning. Normally the best time to wait at a water hole/wallow is in the evening.
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Re: Tree stand or Ground Blind?

Postby Wapiti » 06 21, 2013 •  [Post 18]

I would go with a climber tree stand. I like to be able to move fast if need be.
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