Every fall, thousands of hunters take to the trees in hopes of fooling the acute senses of the whitetail buck. It's not that deer never look up, but, they are not used to danger from above them. With the exception of humans, all their predators are on the ground.

Treestands have come a long way from a board nailed in a tree. Today's hunter has a wide variety of well built and safe models to choose from. No longer do we need to sit in the crotch of a tree or on a wet cold plank. Hang-ons, climbers and ladderstands are making their way into more and more hunters arsenals each year. Most of them do no harm to the tree whatsoever, which a lot of landowners appreciate. Also, if that spot that you chose in the pre-season isn't producing, you simply pack up and move.

One question that comes up in a lot of hunting conversations is? How high should I be?? and you can be guaranteed that there are many opinions on the matter. One of my buddies will tell you, the higher - the better? One of his stands sits approx 25-30 feet up a huge pine tree. One of my stands is four feet off the ground, among some low hanging pine branches. Both of us have watched deer from these stands and we both have taken deer from these stands. So which one is better?

Both have their place. What should determine the height of your stand is the style in which you plan to hunt. Bowhunters will generally have higher stands because they are usually within 25 yds of the deer. However, a rifle hunter could be planning a 150 yd shot and doesn't need to be any more than ten feet up to see over the ground cover. The bowhunter will generally have to move more to prepare for the shot and this will require you to be up higher to hide this movement.

A little experiment you might want to try next time you are in the woods is becoming a deer. Get down on all fours and start looking around. Your vision will be limited to you eye level or below. You won?t want to look up because it's uncomfortable. Deer find this even more uncomfortable because the vertebrae in their necks is more rigid than ours. Unless there is something to cause them to look up - they never will. When you are down on all fours, look in the direction that you plan to place your stand. You will quickly see the line which you should be above.

We all know the importance of fooling a deer's nose. Scent should be a major factor in determining your stands height. Generally speaking, 12 - 15 feet will keep your scent up and away from the deer. But, with today's scent elimination technology growing with leaps and bounds, things are getting easier. Cover scents and scent away sprays are helping hunters to see more deer every year.

Another factor to think about is what height you are comfortable with. It's no good to be 25 feet up a tree if it makes you queasy. And, remember to add your height onto that if you plan to stand to make your shot. Personally, I'm comfortable with 15 feet, any more than that and I get a little dizzy and unsure of myself. Regardless of what height you choose, WEAR A SAFETY HARNESS! There are models on the market that will keep you upright in the event you fall, this is the type that you want. A rope tied around you is not an effective restraint and can cause you more harm than good.

So, you can see that there is no definite answer to the question, How high should I be?? Only you can determine that for yourself. Keep all the factors I mentioned in mind and the answer will stare right back at you - not the deer!

Blake Milbury