Tree Stand Location Pit Falls

[Swede]

Sometimes I have found a great location for my trail camera. The trails, the rubs and the water make it appear I have found an excellent location for a tree stand.
This past August, right before the season opened, I thought I found just the perfect site. Bulls had been coming in nearly every day for about three weeks. On the one day when there were no bulls, a large buck came by. I prepared my stand, and decided to just sit in it the evening before the season opened. Wow a large bull came in about 20 minutes before dark. I watched him for about 15 minutes until he started acting uneasy, and headed for the timber. I knew immediately he had caught my scent. I was in a basin, in a meadow, and the evening downdraft filled the area with the fragrance of bow hunter.
Stinkin, dumb bow hunter at that. I should have, and did know better.
Two days later I left the area, as the place was dead as far as elk is concerned. The morning and evening downdrafts made it nearly impossible to hunt, the way I was prepared to. I would need to change trees, and bring in some different material, or tools to set up again.
Night feeding areas are different, and more difficult to tree stand hunt, than water holes and trails near bedding areas.

Placing a stand where the sun shines on the hunter, and the elk come in from above, is another situation where we have been busted.

Some of these potential problems can be mitigated by going higher in a tree. Sometimes, like hunting the night feeding areas, the answer may include a careful location of the stand, and an even more careful approach. Coming in at midday may be the only safe time.

What are some problems you have encountered with tree stand or ground blind locations? What have you found to be the best antidote to the peril?

[Lefty]

For 6 years I hunted from a ground blind over water. One thing about the desert the winds seem to stay consistent in strength and direction.
Once in my case I wasnt able to shoot around the backside/ down wind side,. yep that's where the big bulls walked
My biggest "problems,., I always seemed to be out of the blind when the bulls came in
A year ago I spent 8 hours in pouring rain and 50 degree temps , stayed warm and dry

This year I did find a great trail with decent trees, I may haul in a stand for my daughter

[JimKirk]

twice in a ground blind a small herd came thru and a calf was the first arrival and the curious littel bugger walked up and sniffed the blind and took off and took the herd with him. also the wind had busted me multiple times when watching water in the evening. not even sure if climbing higher helps

[Swede]

Jim: This year I got my elk again from a tree stand. Within a few feet a friend placed his stand in a different tree. We take turns sitting at that water hole if I want to go there. He does not feel comfortable with significant height, so he goes up only about 12 feet. Sometimes he gets an elk there, sometimes not. Of coarse that is true for me too, but he hunts that location much more than I do. Well on a couple of other evenings, with conditions very similar to what I experienced, when I got my elk, he was busted. Slight downdrafts and swirling winds rendered his evenings fruitless. The difference in our tree stand heights was 12-13 feet.
Going higher in a tree, or placing a stand in a tree on higher ground is not a panacea, but it improves your odds. I am about 50% squirrel so heights, even leaning out from the tree doesn't bother me, until things get extreme. I have sat in my stand during high winds and lightning. I stayed seated, but have to admit, I was thinking about leaving. As a bonus for being high, I don't get spotted as often as others. For security I am always secured to the tree via a harness and safety line or climbing rope.
I hope this helps.

[Timbercarper]

Swede,
Thanks for all the experience you bring regarding tree stand hunting elk. I bought and read your book a couple years ago trying to add an additional tool to the toolbox and it worked taking my largest bull to date out of a stand last year. I am mostly a run and gunner though, with this years bull being felled while on the ground again. One of the problems I run into with the area I hunt is that most of the water sources are springs in tight draws. During prime time (morning and evenings) the thermals typically downdraft right to the water source. I attribute my lack of success on water holes to that fact alone. I tried going higher in the tree maybe 20' up but I still seem to have downdraft thermals in these tight draws. I may need to go higher but I start to question whether its worth the risk if I have to go higher. Lately I have taken to hunting these locations in the heat of the day during the updraft thermals and leaving the stand site at first sign of the evening thermals. I know this is not your style. I do not hunt these locations during the morning due to the thermals. The big bull I took was on a more open water setup at first light with the stand being high enough in the tree to overcome the thermals so I see how it works and keep an eye out for these more open sets topographically speaking. Is what I am currently doing the "best" I can do in these spots? Do you purposely stay out of spots like this? In my opinion and as you alluded to in your beginning post it takes only a time or two of being "a big stinky dumb bowhunter" to wreak havoc upon a potentially awesome spot.

[Swede]

Carper, some good water holes and meadows really tax my brain. I assume if you can hunt a place on the ground, you can hunt it from a tree stand or blind. Ground blinds usually diminish your effective area, as the thermal will pollute some of the nearby landscape with your scent.
Since the thermals are coming downward in the morning and evening, look for a tree that is downwind of the place you expect the elk to arrive at. Try to get high enough that you have good air drainage, and your scent does not come straight down and fill the draw or meadow. Don't worry if your maximum safe stand height is only 15-20 feet. If you come to your stand, when the thermals are going downward, be sure not to get near the area from anywhere upslope. The problem with locations like you describe is that your scent stays in the meadow, or draw and doesn't leave soon. The elk will smell you before it gets into shooting range and often before it even comes into view. The elk will soon all be gone or at least you will think they are.
I have a friend that followed along a ridge and angled down to arrive at his stand. As long as he did that, he saw no elk around. His luck changed when he came in from across the ridge and hiked straight down to his stand. Sure he came in from above, but the stand was not in a draw and he left his scent in a very narrow space. The air drainage was good so it dissipated rapidly, and he was not as likely to send it into the large bedding area thereby announcing his arrival.

[CurlyTail]

Could an Ozonics unit help in this type of situation? I personally have no experience, and have a history for being a sucker for things like that. But there are some reputable persons that claim they are effective. What do you think?

[Swede]

Curly: You bring up a good point. I have never tried an Ozonics unit, so I can't answer that. One thing I am totally convinced of is that, minimizing our scent improves our hunting prospects as far as elk is concerned. If we have strong odor, and we carry that with us, the likelihood of being caught is greater than if we are as clean and scent free as we can be. I use the analogy or shouting in the forest vs. whispering. The elk have great hearing, and if close enough can hear us whispering. However if we shout, they will hear us from much farther away. By shouting a hunter can alert far more game. I think the same is true with scent.
I use scent eliminator spray often, but not always. It depends on where I am set up. In tough places, like we have been discussing, I would definitely use it. I do not know how much Scent containment clothing helps. It is not a system that will allow us to throw all other caution out and just go with that. I have one and I think it helps some. If cost is an issue, I would not suggest anyone buy scent containment clothing. Stay with the spray and unscented soap. The wet wash towels we can buy seem to be good also.

[Coveyleader]

Hunting from a treestand isn't rocket science. Wind is key however. Early morning thermals going down, so hope the elk come from above your position. As it warms up, you can get away from downwind approach as now the sun/thermals pull your scent up. Evening, wait for wind to come back down, and move in.

Pitfalls? Finding a place where you can hunt 2-3 days without interfierence, dead bull!

And don't temp going in prior to wind stabilizes.

I don't care how I smell, if I wait for conditions to be right, there is little chance I will get winded.

[Swede]

Hunting from a treestand isn't rocket science.

I agree, but what part of elk hunting is? If it was that technical, very few would ever have a chance at anything better than being an observer.
The challenge is to get into your stand or blind without being detected, and to be there when the elk shows up. If we have reason to believe the elk will show up early in the morning, or in the late afternoon or evenings; my hope is to get there without being busted. Sure there are a few places, where it is too risky to try at some times, but do we just give up on that spot? If I have a great potential location, I will study to determine how and maybe when to come in. If it is an afternoon place, the time may be to come when the winds are steady upslope. It Is probably best to approach your stand from above. If it is in the morning when the thermals are downslope, I may come in from below. That may mean a much longer hike to avoid being scented, but it is better than running off the elk.

In the morning and in the afternoon the elk are going to, or are leaving their daytime bedding area. They are leaving or going to feed. Remember elk spend 90% of their time either feeding or bedding. Knowing when they are in the bedding area, and when they are on the move, sure can help us avoid being caught unprepared. I say that at the same time I remember incidents when I misjudged. I have never taken an elk from a stand the same day after being winded by them.

[Timbercarper]

Tree stand hunting for elk may not be rocket science but it is significantly more difficult than tree stand hunting for something like whitetails imo. In my experience it requires much more thought and consideration to location and setup. Screw something up and you can be in for some very long lonely sits. Get everything perfect and you can still enjoy some long lonely sits. but it gives me options and can excel during some of the toughest conditions

[Timbercarper]

I have often wondered about the ozonics as well for these tricky sets or in some of these tight draws a fully contained blind such as a double bull blind on the bank above the spring. Anyone have experience with those? Do they contain your scent as touted?

[Old school]

At what point of the season would you sit in a stand overlooking a wallow - early Sept only? Afternoon hunt? When we hunted unit 62 in Colorado 7 or 8 years ago we found a wallow on an isolated bench but I never hunted it as we found it the last day of the hunt as we were searching for elk - There were several good trees to hang a stand in but I had no idea about hunting elk from a stand. When you are hunting from the tree stand do you simply sit and wait or do you attempt to bugle or cow call?

--Mitch

[Swede]

Old School: You have several good questions there. Personally, I rarely sit at a location because there is a wallow there. If a wallow is at a spring where elk come to drink, then the wallow enhances the prospect a bull will come in. I look for places that have trails that come together, rubs trees nearby, and water. I especially like a spot that shows both frequent and very recent use. If the place stinks of elk and the water is filthy, I love it. The wallow is just a bonus. Elk come to water a lot more than they wallow. That goes for bulls too. If a spot has no wallow activity, I am quite satisfied. If you want to sit at a good wallow, then late August through early September is the best time. Bulls will use them later, but less frequently. The main thing to look for is, points where elk use gets concentrated.

Very rarely do I call from my stand. I believe if I have a good stand location, the elk will come. Where I hunt the elk are very call shy. Calling is more likely to spook them than to bring one in. There are exceptions to my no call intent, and I have called them in. Cow calling in some areas works ok. Bugles work once is a great while. Still I think it better to pick a good stand location and then be patient. I have argued that point with some excellent hunters and we have not come to agreement, except on one point.

None of us in the argument ever answers a bull that bugles nearby. Often a bull will hold off from coming to water. Before they come in they will do a location bugle. They are checking to see it there are elk at the water hole. If they get a response they go somewhere else. As you might have figured out already, there were a lot of mistakes that have provided the education. Common sense comes from experience. Experience comes from making mistakes. LOL

[Old school]

Swede - thanks for that info. I would have surely messed up and called back to a bugling bull coming to water. Guess it is similar to my rule in turkey hunting - if the gobbler has committed, shut up and just let him come in. I plan on doing some stand hunting next year - I'm sure I'll have many more questions that cross my mind between now and then.

--Mitch

[Swede]

I want to post a correction to my last post. I said I have debated the point of calling over water, or at least I left that impression. That is not exactly correct. When hunting over water none of us call. The calls are made when the stands are not near any water hole.