Being up higher gives a hunter multiple advantages, whether for using a rifle or a bow. In my quest to find advantages and getting high up off the ground. I looked at the best tripod stands for deer and bow hunting.
There never seems to be enough trees to set up in for hunting. Sometimes, the trees are just too small or not ideally placed. Or, there may not be trees to set up in at all. A ground blind is good on open ground, but we often want a higher point of view.
Why the need for a tripod stand when hunting?
Getting high up off the ground eliminates, or at least greatly reduces, having a blindside. You don’t want to miss out on the buck of the season just because you didn’t get a good view of him until he was bounding away from you.
A 360 degree field of view is great as well. Up high, we can use our spotting glass to scout our prey, thus maximizing our hunting results. I feel like I can see virtually the entire grounds when on top of a quality tripod hunting stand.
Let’s not forget personal comfort, either. These tripods stands allow for us to remain for long periods of time in positions without cramps or muscle fatigue.
How we found the best tripod stands for deer and bow hunting
- Height. Quite frankly, height is probably the biggest factor I looked at. The reason for having a stand is to get up high, right? So, I want to be up high enough to make a decided difference in my hunting trip. Like a WW-II fighter ace, being above my prey gives me great advantages.
- Portability. I realize I’m going to have to lug around something, but I don’t want to carry more than is necessary. A good compromise in carrying size and weight versus set up ease and usefulness in the field is what I want.
- Stability. Climbing up to almost twice my own height and then sitting on a wobbly platform does not create the most confidence. And it’s also very uncomfortable to have to fight to stay still.
- Silence. SQUEAK! SQUEAK! Yeah, that will work out well. I already made noise as I set up, I need the rest of my stay to be as noise free as possible. Being stable tends to go hand in hand with not being too noisy. Wobbles tend to make me over correct, which adds to my noise level. Any squeaking is absolutely unacceptable.
- Comfort. It’s not an easy chair, I’m hunting. Having enough room to find a good posture or position is part of comfort. I also want to easily change position as needed. Comfort also means less cramping or muscle fatigue, which means I can stay in the stand longer, increasing my odds for a successful hunt.
- Quality. I don’t want to waste my money on a product that becomes a single trip tool. I’m not expecting the stand to last forever, but I don’t want rust or shoddy materials to lower my long lasting enjoyment of the stand.
Top 5 Best Tripod Stands for Deer and Bow Hunting
1. Guide Gear 13′ Deluxe Tripod Deer Stand (Editors Pick)
Guide Gear 13′ Deluxe Tripod Deer Stand Specifications
Weight: 112 lbs
Height: 13 feet
Price: View the latest price on Amazon
Guide Gear 13′ Deluxe Tripod Deer Stand Review
In my quest to find the best tripod stands for deer and bow hunting, I came across the Guide Gear 13′ Deluxe Tripod Deer Stand
Right there in the name of the product is one of the best things about this tripod stand. It’s 13 feet tall. By the way, that’s ground to platform height. Put myself up there, and I have a commanding view of the surrounding terrain.
The platform is just under 3 feet square, which was a little on the small side for my ideal tripod stand, but it still adequately met my needs for long term comfort and usability.
Next time out, I might replace the whole seat with one I have from an older stand that is slightly bigger and see how that works out.
The weight of this hunting stand was somewhat significant, which I expected from a stand this size. But not so much that I couldn’t carry and set it up by myself. It weighs around 100 pounds, give or take.
The angle of the tripod legs gave it a lot of stability, spreading out just far enough to support me up top without my feeling top heavy and insecure. The legs can be adjusted independently to make the rig level on uneven ground. On one leg is a series of ladder steps that were easy to climb up and felt secure as I climbed in my boots.
As for the pricing of this tripod deer stand, it was surprisingly low for the high quality finish that I got. I wouldn’t be surprised if the price was to go up in coming months as this stand is really good value. You can check the latest price on Amazon here for this product.
While at first I was skeptical of using a hunting stand, I can now see the value it brings for everyday hunting. Overall this was a great product to use and I highly recommend it for any hunter.
2. Millennium Treestands T100 10 ft. Aluminum Tripod Stand
Millennium Treestands T100 10 ft. Aluminum Tripod Stand Specifications
Weight: 36 lbs
Height: 10 feet
Price: View the latest price on Amazon
Millennium Treestands T100 10 ft. Aluminum Tripod Stand Review
The Millennium Treestands T100 10 ft. Aluminum Tripod Stand is next up on my list of the best tripod stands for deer and bow hunting.
I am really into portable and easy to setup equipment. So when I came across this model on Amazon, I couldn’t help myself but make the purchase. While the above mentioned stand was great, the weight could be limiting in taking it to certain locations.
When it comes to the platform on this tripod stand there isn’t really any platform. Instead it’s all chair at the top of this stand. So, I wasn’t as high up as the other stand, but the chair offered some other capabilities.
One of the biggest benefits was having a completely unencumbered range of motion for bow hunting. Nothing got in the way of my drawing motion with any type of bow. The foot rest and seat back let me brace myself for a very stable shooting position.
By the way, I found the mesh seat to be one of the most comfortable seats in any stand tested. It’s made of a mesh material and is a generous size. I didn’t feel cramped and it also swivelled effortlessly and silently.
Setting up this tripod hunting stand was quite effortless as each leg has a spike and a no sink design. The no sink design was a great feature on softer ground with a full pack of gear. Note however, that the no sink feet are basically a wider foot and that helps spread the weight on softer ground. On very wet ground or deep mud, they still sink.
This stand was considerably more expensive than other stands I looked at, but I can see why some hunters, especially bow hunters wouldn’t even bat an eye at the price, considering the design and high quality of this tripod stand. You can check the latest price here on Amazon. A good pick!
3. Sniper Sentinel 13′ Swivel Tripod Deer Stand
Sniper Sentinel 13′ Swivel Tripod Deer Stand Specifications
Weight: 66 lbs
Height: 13 feet
Price: View the latest price on Amazon
Sniper Sentinel 13′ Swivel Tripod Deer Stand Review
The Sniper Sentinel 13′ Swivel Tripod Deer Stand is another tripod stand well suited for bow hunters and rifle users alike. It offers an eye height of 13 feet while comfortably seated and feels very secure at that height.
Levelling this stand required some ingenuity. One thing you don’t want to be is unevenly levelled when you’re on top of a 13 stand with all your gear. But, I was able to level it out by shoving one foot or another a little deeper into the ground than the other two.
The weight and price of this tripod stand is right about in the middle of the stands I tested for this review. Won’t break your back or break your bank.
A flip up gun rest was a nice feature I enjoyed. Flip it down in front of me, and it was placed just right for supporting a rifle. Flip it up and I was able to use it with any type of bow. Of course, a compound bow was easier to use while seated in this stand.
The ladder rungs were very basic but are designed to be strong. However with wet soles, I slipped on a couple of rungs, this was mainly due to my clumsiness.
Comfort while shooting can affect accuracy, so you might want to try it out before going into the field with it. Get used to the position it puts you in, and you won’t notice it after a while. Unless you’re considerably taller than me or have longish legs.
Overall this was a great product that I would recommend for a beginner or intermediate hunter on a budget. If you want to learn more you can see the best price on Amazon.
4. Guide Gear 12′ Tripod Deer Stand
Guide Gear 12′ Tripod Deer Stand Specifications
Weight: 52 lbs
Height: 12 feet
Price: View the latest price on Amazon
Guide Gear 12′ Tripod Deer Stand Review
The Guide Gear 12′ Tripod Deer Stand is another attractively priced tripod stand that offers a high shooting position. The 12 foot height is measured from ground to the gun rest which was a great height to shoot from.
The legs fold together for easier transport than some other stands I tested. Some of the stands require that you take them apart and basically rebuild them. Having the legs fold up for transport is a definite plus for storage and transport.
The comfort level of the seat, arm rests, gun rest, seat back… was nice. Again, the foot rest was smaller than ideal for my tastes but not uncomfortable. A deserving stand for my list of best tripod stands for bow and deer hunting. To view more, you can check the best price on Amazon here.
5. Guide Gear Extreme Deluxe Hunting Climber Tree Stand
Guide Gear Extreme Deluxe Hunting Climber Tree Stand Specifications
Weight: 33 lbs
Price: View the latest price on Amazon
Guide Gear Extreme Deluxe Hunting Climber Tree Stand Review
While reviewing the best tripod stands for deer and bow hunting, I thought I would look at the Guide Gear Extreme Deluxe Hunting Climber Tree Stand.
With a big enough tree, this chair is a great addition for any serious hunter’s gear box. One thought I had was that, even if there aren’t any trees big enough to hold me, I could put my tripod stand next to a smaller tree and use this two piece chair to hold extra gear for me.
The nested design was good for storage and travel. If I was to sit in this, I needed to find a big enough tree. But once I did, it was pretty easy to set up and use. I can mount the foot rest and the actual seat part as close together or as far apart as I need.
Since I’m mounted to one side of a tree, my view is limited to what’s generally in front of me. But using it to hold extra gear next to my tripod stand was great. I’m glad my hunting buddy gave me that idea. you can check the latest price here on Amazon.
Wrapping it up
While reviewing these products I noticed that some small design differences made a huge difference in my long term comfort while on the hunt. If you want to learn more about tripods, you can check out my guide on cool tripods for spotting scopes and tripods for all uses from hunting and photography.
I haven’t decided yet which one of these tripod stands is best for me and my own style of bow hunting and deer hunting. Actually, I would like to design and build one myself, but I would be comfortable buying and using any of these that I tested. I found these to be among the best tripod stands for deer and bow hunting.