Tip 1: Situation Dictates Policy.

There’s an old joke about a cop coming upon a man on his hands and knees who is searching the sidewalk under a streetlight. When the cop asks the man what he is doing, the man says he is looking for his car keys. The cop can see that there are no keys under the light and asks the man if he’s sure this is where he lost the keys. The man replies, “No, I lost them in the alley, but the light is better here.”

There is no correct answer to the question of which is better – tree stand or ground blind. Both can work, but if you insist on using one or the other and ignore the conditions where you hunt, you are handicapping yourself. Where and how you hunt should determine the best strategy.

Tip 2: Safety is Always First.
If you use an elevated stand, safety must be your first priority. If you will not observe basic safety standards, do everyone a favor and give up on tree stands. If you have a loved one, insist they use a good harness, every time they use the stand. Accidents can happen in a flash, and gravity does not care about you. Climbing slippery metal or wood steps in the dark is inherently unsafe, and trees move in the wind. I’m 10 years past my comfort point for most tree stand hunting, but more permanent elevated stands are still an option for me, with proper safety gear in place.

Tip 3: Be Cool, or Be Successful?
I know a guy who refuses to use ground blinds – he considers anyone who does use one, a lesser hunter. But he often hunts in an area with few trees suitable for hanging a stand, and every year he sees deer from his tree stand that are out of range. If there is not a safe, suitable tree for your stand, in range of deer, look at other options. Backstraps taken by a hunter in a ground blind taste a lot better than the stone soup from an unsuccessful hunter who spent all day in a tree stand in a bad location.

Tip 4: How’s the View?
Tree stands offer a panoramic view, and there is something majestic and magical about watching a new day emerge while in the open air 20 feet above the ground. It’s a little less magical as a storm cell moves in and covers your face and ladder with ice. On the other hand, I’ve been in a ground blind, listening to something slowly approach from behind, and by the time it was next to me I was convinced it was a 14-pointer. It was a toad, hopping twice in quick succession, and then waiting 30-60 seconds before hopping again. That was a long 20 minutes.

Tip 5: Sloppy Hunting?
I once read a story that said ground blinds were bad because they lead to sloppy hunting – like moving too much, checking the cell phone, or eating or drinking too much. Well, the author is right, but I don’t see the problem. I’ve never taken a better shot because I had a leg cramp, scored on a bigger buck because my bladder was ready to burst, or filled a tag because I was shivering uncontrollably, and I’ve never had anyone issue style points for my hunting technique. If you leave the tree stand because of the extreme cold and wind, and your buddy can last the afternoon in his ground blind, who is more likely to be successful?

Tip 6: No Right Answer.
I really don’t have a bias for or against either type of hunting. If you own land where game trails converge and there are quality trees close by, then put up your stand. Ground blinds are a great option in more open areas without good trees. Now, let’s talk about still hunting, and deer drives …