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BOW SELECTION FOR TREE STAND OR BLIND

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BOW SELECTION FOR TREE STAND OR BLIND

Postby sparkplug » 03 11, 2021 •  [Post 1]

I have started tree stand hunting at 69 and have had issues drawing from sitting position, any advice as to best bow for sitting and tips in getting the job done with less effort. I assume the problem is between the bow and the chair. I plan on practicing sitting more often than standing. Sparkplug
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Re: BOW SELECTION FOR TREE STAND OR BLIND

Postby Tigger » 03 12, 2021 •  [Post 2]

Swede is your expert at tree stand hunting. He will be along shortly to give you some good info! I would think a smaller axle to axle distance would be advantageous.
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Re: BOW SELECTION FOR TREE STAND OR BLIND

Postby Swede » 03 12, 2021 •  [Post 3]

Here is my thoughts on the matter. I have shot bows for years from tree stands. Years ago they were much longer than almost any we see out there today. I never shot a recurve from a tree but my cousin did. I don't think a shorter axle to axle makes any difference. I have not observed any difference personally.
It is confession time here: I have never shot a deer or elk while sitting. I have to stand up to draw my bow. I just wait until they are not looking my way before I stand. I like to set my stand in some cover, so I can get away with a little movement. Whereas I have never shot a critter from a sitting position, I have been busted while standing. Be careful moving when animals are around.
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Re: BOW SELECTION FOR TREE STAND OR BLIND

Postby wawhitey » 03 12, 2021 •  [Post 4]

I have limited treestand experience, its a relatively new game for me. But i like to shoot sitting and have even set up a treestand and targets in my back yard to practice shooting sitting. In 2018 a cool old buck showed up to one of my stands and i stood as he passed behind a tree. All was well. He walked a way i didnt anticipate but it gave me the opportunity to turn my body 90° to be able to shoot. At about 89° of my 90° rotation the tread of my boots caught the grating of my stand, just after i hit full draw, and made a godawful popping noise, ruining my shot on a great buck. If id stayed sitting i think i would have been fine. "IF", the longest word in the english language.
The following season he busted up the rack of the buck i was after just a few days before i connected. This is the lucky jerk i should have stayed sitting for.
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Re: BOW SELECTION FOR TREE STAND OR BLIND

Postby lamrith » 03 15, 2021 •  [Post 5]

Good info posted here already. #1, regardless of bow you choose practice with it especially from sitting position. You will find very quickly what works and does not for you. Shoot a few arrows every practice session sitting and it will become a natural thing for you to do and will will do it without thinking. I practice standing, sitting, kneeling on one knee and kneeling on both knees. Just a few times each session helps long term.

Many will say shorter ATA the better for tree stand bow, and they have a point. It becomes more important if you have to setup your treestand close to the feature you are looking to hunt over. Under 15yrds and you will have higher deflection shots and are likely better off with a shorter bow. Tht extra inch or two can make a difference with higher angle shots. As Swede mentioned, he shoots from standing position mostly, and that is why he is not overly concerned about ATA, standing negates the problems of a taller bow. In a tree stand (only hunted 2 weeks out of one so don't have swede's experience) I prefer shooting from seat. I was blessed that Swede helped us setup a nice stand location 27tyrds away from where our game liked to pass thru. Terrain also made it a relatively flat shot. Because of that I was able to take a shot on my bear sitting, and using a 35" ata bow. I could likely have stood up the way it worked out time wise, but being my 1st chance at game with heart pounding I never even considered standing up. I knew I could shoot sitting and shifted sideways in the seat a bit, drew and shot. You can see me bottom right in this video.
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Re: BOW SELECTION FOR TREE STAND OR BLIND

Postby Lefty » 03 16, 2021 •  [Post 6]

Im not really a tree stand hunter, yet. :cry: I did sit in a tree during bear season.
I mounted my stand on a pole in my barn, to check what and how to shoot from it.
However starting over 25 years ago I was stretching's daily to reduce back pain. So I was flexible,.. with a 36 inch waist I could palm my hands. And could shoot from a goose layout blind unlike anyone else.
my abilities were due to the amount and extensive stretching. Flexibility was the key for me
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Re: BOW SELECTION FOR TREE STAND OR BLIND

Postby sparkplug » 03 20, 2021 •  [Post 7]

Thank you for all your helpful info. I have resigned to the fact that at my age tree stand hunting is a better form of success. My reasons are that my calling is limited at best and the elk in Oregon seem to have shut up over the last 10 years in my area. My hearing has always been limited with one working ear and the other is just holding my glasses on. Also the last 2 years I have seen elk from stand and hunters are always 20 min behind. (I assume this has been me for the last 45 years) I have missed badly from a ground blind sitting. So I will practice sitting with my old Z-7 solo cam. Also my hunting partners are Norwegian. Time to change it up and listen to a Swede for a change. I just got his book.
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Re: BOW SELECTION FOR TREE STAND OR BLIND

Postby Swede » 03 20, 2021 •  [Post 8]

My granddad came from northern Sweden near Lapland. I got to see pictures on the small log cabin he and his siblings were raised in. The roof was dirt and grass over Birch bark. A goat kept the fire hazard down by foraging on the roof. Granddad used to enjoy haranguing friends about the Norwegians that would cross over near his childhood home.
After immigrating to the U.S. granddad worked his way to Washington employed by some railroad. He left and moved to Vader when people started shooting at the railroad workers. He was telling a neighbor about his experience when the friend said something on the order of, "well you did not have Indians to contend with in Sweden." I don't think it was Indians that were shooting at the railroad workers. but granddad said, "Ya wie did. Wie called dem NorVegians." I guess the Norway-Sweden rivalry has been going on longer than the Yankee-Red Sox one.
You can tell this story to your Norwegian friends, but they may tell you granddad had it just backwards. Anyway good luck.
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Re: BOW SELECTION FOR TREE STAND OR BLIND

Postby ABQ_Chica » 08 15, 2021 •  [Post 9]

I wondered the same thing, hoping my longbow wouldn't be a problem in the stand. But similar to Swede, I've never needed to draw my bow while sitting down. I actually stand in my stand quite a bit--helps me stay awake. :lol:

Although I'm not nearly as experienced as Swede, I've found that even when I'm sitting, if I'm truly paying attention, I can usually hear or smell elk coming in plenty of time to stand up and even shift position when they're not looking.

That said, I do practice drawing my bow from a sitting position in the stand. It helps to know where your individual set-up's advantages and limits might be. Good luck!
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