Deer Blinds or Ladder Tree Stands: Which
Work Best for Deer Hunters?
by Marty Prokop
In a prior blog post
Moses asked about deer hunting from ground blinds versus
ladder style deer hunting tree stands and which worked
better.
I have tried both
ground blinds and ladder tree stands. I’ve had great deer
hunting success using both.
Marty Prokop on
Ladder-Style Deer Hunting Tree Stands
There are many brands
of ladder tree stand available for deer hunting.
You can choose a
single-person ladder tree stand, two-man ladder tree stand,
tripod ladder tree stands, four-legged ladder tree stands
and even fully enclosed shooting house ladder tree stands.
I prefer the larger
platform, shooting and side rails and overall comfort of the
two-man ladder tree stand. Personally, I feel safer using a
two-man tree stand even though I deer hunt with one person
in the tree stand.
A ladder tree stand
is a little harder to conceal than a portable deer hunting
tree stand. Try to place your deer hunting tree stand at
least one month or longer, if you are able, prior to when
you plan to deer hunt from it. Always check your state and
local deer hunting regulations prior to placing any tree
stands in your deer hunting area.
Marty Prokop Secret
for Picking the Right Tree
Place your ladder
tree stand so the ladder and tree stand platform are
concealed by brush or small saplings but will still allow
you to access the ladder safely.
I find a tree that is
strong enough for my deer hunting tree stand with smaller
trees clustered around it. I secure my deer hunting tree
stand platform to the large tree in the center of the tree
cluster. I position it so the smaller trees camouflage — or
break up the visual pattern of — my deer hunting tree stand.
Use camouflage burlap
or other camouflage material to drape your deer hunting
platform. I actually make “walls” of camouflage material. My
tree stand looks like it is a camouflage house without a
roof.
The camouflaged walls
help conceal movements when you are sitting in your tree
stand and will provide a wind break. Make sure the material
does not affect your ability to climb into your deer hunting
tree stand safely.
If there are no tree
clusters available, then I choose a tree with low hanging
branches the tree stand platform can sit above. Having the
platform of your ladder tree stand above some branches will
help break up the outline of the platform when a deer looks
up at the tree. Drape the shooting platform and the shooting
rest with camouflage burlap for added concealment.
Ladder tree stands
set up properly will allow you to sit longer and more
comfortably, which could help you bag a big buck.
How Marty Prokop Uses
Deer Hunting Blind
Deer hunting blinds
can be very effective tools in helping you tag a deer.
Always consult your state and local hunting regulations to
see if deer hunting from a deer blind is legal for your
area.
In prior deer hunting
seasons I constructed ground deer hunting blinds from
vegetation and downed trees. Deer moved in fairly close to
the blinds made of natural items found in the deer hunting
woods. As a result, many deer were tagged from these
homemade blinds.
During the most
recent deer hunting season, I opted to try one of the pop-up
style deer hunting blinds.
One nice feature
about most pop-up deer hunting blinds is being totally
sheltered from the elements. You can sit in rain, snow and
windy conditions and stay warm and dry. The longer you are
able to comfortably sit in one place, the more likely you
are to tag a big buck deer.
There are many styles
of pop-up deer hunting blinds on the market today.
Look for a deer
hunting blind with a dark interior and scent-blocking liner.
The dark interior helps shadow a hunter while sitting in the
blind. The scent-blocking liner will help, but not totally
prevent, human odor from contaminating the deer hunting
area.
Choose a pop-up blind
that has large, shoot-thru camouflage mesh windows. This
will let you see deer as they approach and help conceal your
movements inside the blind.
Whether using a
portable deer hunting blind or building one from natural
materials you find on your deer hunting land, always set up
your deer hunting blind at least two months before deer
hunting season begins. This allows deer in the area to
become accustom to it, and they move about in more normal
patterns providing you a chance at a perfect shot.
Marty Prokop’s Deer
Hunting Blind Special Tip
Most pop-up deer
hunting blinds I have researched give the option of using
the shoot-through mesh to cover the window opening or having
an open window.
This past deer
hunting season I used both options. On certain days I would
unzip the window and not place the camouflage mesh over the
opening. On other days I would open the windows and cover
them with the camouflage mesh.
Deer were spooked by
the large black hole created by having the window open
without the camouflage mesh. When the window openings were
covered with the camouflage shoot-through mesh, I saw more
deer at closer ranges.
