Just wondering what everyone's favorite stand type was for whitetail hunting with a handgun? I've tried a ground blind, a turkey chair, a box blind and a ladder stand. The ladder stand is the most uncomfortable choice for me as far as shooting goes.
The area I hunt is hills with the trees suitable for a ladder far between anyway.

I like hunting from the ground in a bush blind or climbing a tree and sitting on a limb.

I like a ladder stand with a shooting rail .

In Texas, any type of gun hunter is most likely using a box blind of some kind. Extremely popular here. That being said, my favorite way is some type of natural ground blind. I really like leaning against a big oak tree, surrounded by limbs I've cut and arranged into a blind. And then shooting off sticks.

I started out in tree stands over 50 years ago, and still like them for their visibility. I hunt ground blinds over fields at timber edges. I do get spoiled in ground blinds because I can drink coffee or eat without spooking game. Until the crops are out, it's tree stands only. After crops are out it's about 50/50.

In my neck of the woods, climbing tree stands is my favorite/most productive. When time allows, that?s what I use. When time does not allow, I use ladder stands and also makeshift ground blinds. The older I get, the less I like packing in a climbing stand, but there?s no denying it?s comfort and effectiveness.

I prefer ladder stands but several i have are not very good for handgun hunting. I usually take a shooting sticks but floor is not good for that; I am now using 2x8 PT u-bolted to make a small rail platform for those with rails, other style stands are being slowing replaced. I made a large heavy plywood rail table but just too heavy to lift and get in quietly. I need the elevation to see effectively in the rocks and hills I hunt so ladder is way to go. I usually don't like the lack of visability of a blind but I am making one from cattle panels and tarps on a big flat rock I have so we will see how that works. Will give rainy day place to go - climbers are most comfortable but I am getting lazy in old age.

On our farm here in south Missouri we hunt out of elevated blinds -- 6x8. The blind is built with the handgun hunter in mind -- with a shelf directly below the window for resting a sand bag. By far the most effective for taking mature bucks in this neck of the woods.

A makeshift ground blind is favorite, followed by an archery type popup blind.

Most fun though, was spot and stalk then sneak, but it was a pronghorn
Trapr

My favorite is ground hunting with natural cover but I also have tree stands. I've also got a few barns which work pretty well.

?I've also got a few barns which work pretty well.?

That?s what I?m talking about.....

Two box blinds 6x6 with sandbags, and ladder stands with shooting sticks. As I get older climbing stands have lost there appeal ,and ladder stands are safer. Also walking and sitting against a tree with sticks.

We switched over to Millennium Ladder Stands a few years back and find them to be excellent ... super comfortable. I got a Millennium Tree Seat for Christmas last year. Love it ... I pack it in to a tree stand at daylight, then hunt my way back to camp by easing into areas I've set up blinds. I also use a climber a few hunts per year.

P

I use everything above but as I get older and I am 65 now I am leaning more and more to box stands and popup blinds. I love blinds because I can use bags to shoot off of.

[quote=short30]I prefer ladder stands but several i have are not very good for handgun hunting. I usually take a shooting sticks but floor is not good for that;

For my sticks, I put the snow cap on the bottom of the stick. It is about a 4" diameter circle, so it won't go thru the mesh bottom of the stand. I have also stuck my stick into my boot and used this way. Now I use a piece of 1" nylon web. It has a top loop that I secure with my safety harness. Then it is about 3' long with continuous loops. I put my hand through one of the loops and pull tight from the tree. Works with handguns and long guns.

I have used everything mentioned here as well. Best results have been with Ladder stands. However as I have gotten older gravity has gotten stronger. This year I bought a Ghost Blind and a Turkey seat. Going from a potential 14' fall to a 3" drop! Take that Mr. Gravity! Now my struggle will be getting up after my legs have fallen asleep!

Happy Hunting Ya'll!
John Harris

I've used them all and prefer elevated box/wood stands. You can drink your coffee and keeps the rain off.

I prefer ground blinds and hay bale blinds to stands.

I appreciate the replies. I?ve just finished a new ground blind, pretty nice. I?ve used a turkey chair and a brush top before and it was a BLAST having the deer so close sitting on the ground,
I hope everyone has a great season.

I really prefer wandering aimlessly around the pasture but there is no doubt that stand hunting can be very productive. Something with a roof sure is comfortable but it seems most of the time I'll end up in a tripod stand. We have a lot of junipers here you can sit on a bucket inside of a big juniper and have a very nice ready made blind.

Box blinds will ruin you. My wife's has a Buddy heater, carpet, curtains, a single burner stove for soup or coffee and an office chair, plus sand bags.But if that's what it takes to keep her hunting I'll do it!

I intend to start selling whitetail/muledeer/hog hunts on my ranch next year and I will be building some very comfortable blinds for people to spend time in.

I like box blinds but the deer get used to them. When a deer walks out of the timber and looks up at your box blind, you had better change locations. My preference is a small pop-up blind or a site built ground blind,

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