Over the last twenty-five years or so, I have seen the tree stands go from an esoteric and seldom used deer hunting accessory to the single most popular method of deer hunting in existence. However, not everyone is comfortable carrying around such bulky and heavy contraption; much less having to climb up a tree with it and then attempt to attach it to the trunk while also not falling out of the tree. Then, there is the matter of being perched on a tiny platform fifteen or twenty feet off the ground where a single misstep can result in serious injury or even death. Consequently, deer hunting outfitters have responded to our innate fear of heights by introducing ground blinds with increasingly sophisticated features for those of us who prefer to keep our feet planted firmly on the ground.

Now, it may sound like I don’t like tree stands but, quite honestly, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, I do have one that I do use occasionally and most everyone of my hunting buddies uses them. Also, although they can be a bit of a pain the butt to transport and set up, I have to admit that they also provide the hunter a with much wider field of view and they also enable the hunter to see down into dense foliage in a way that is simply not possible for a hunter sitting on the ground. Consequently, they enable hunters to take shots at much longer ranges than hunters hunting form ground blinds in dense foliage. In addition, there also many different types of tree stands available today and many of them feature relatively large platforms and some even have rails around them to aid a hunter in maintaining awareness of their position. Plus, there are numerous types of safety harnesses that will arrest a hunter in the event of an accidental fall. Thus, even though tree stands are bulky, relatively heavy, noisy, and often difficult to place in a tree, the do provide the hunter with a much wider field of view and the ability to discern movement in dense foliage which can provide a significant advantage over a ground blind when hunting in thick cover.

However, when hunting in more open terrain, finding a prime location to place you tree stand in can be a challenge and thus, choosing to use a ground blind over a tree stand in open terrain is often a wise choice. In addition, most ground blinds are much lighter and much more convenient to transport than tree stands and they often provide the hunter with a much wider choice of prime locations to set them up. Plus, because the hunter is located at ground level, there is no danger of inadvertently falling asleep while waiting for game to appear and there is no danger of making a misstep in the excitement of firing at game and falling out of the stand. In addition, most ground blinds are no more complicated to erect than a family camping tent and many can provide a warm place to shelter from rain, snow, or cold.

On the other hand, I have owned and used several different tree stands over the years and I find that I have a distinct preference for ground blinds. In fact, three reasons that I have such a strong preference for ground blinds are that they are far safer than tree stands and, in my opinion, they are easier to transport and less trouble to erect. For instance, how many stories have you read about hunters who have inadvertently fell asleep in their tree stands and then accidently fallen out of the tree? Or, what about all of the hunters who have fallen while placing pegs in trees and hanging stands or while climbing up to or down from their stands? In addition, I have spoken with hunters who’s climbing stands have unintentionally slipped down the tree while they were in it. But, how many hunters have you heard about who have fallen asleep in their ground blinds and fallen off of their stools and broken an arm or a leg? Also, in my opinion, a ground blind is far easier to transport than a tree stand because a ground blind is made from thin, carbon fiber, or fiberglass poles and thin nylon fabric which rolls up into an easily carried tube. Plus, ground blinds generally weigh far less than a tree stand. In addition, simple ground blinds have always struck me as being less trouble to erect than tree stands because, if I want to carry and use a truly lightweight tree stand, then I also have to carry a bag of heavy, screw-in, pegs and then, I have to take the time to install them as I climb the tree and then, I have to struggle to stay balanced while I haul up and attach my tree stand. Or, if I am willing to put up with two pieces and more weight, I can opt for a climbing stand which is even larger and more difficult to transport than a fixed stand and then, I have to disassemble and reassemble both pieces around the tree and hope that it doesn’t slip on the way up.

Whereas, with a simple ground blind such as Hunter’s Specialties Portable Ground Blind or the Eastman Outdoors Adjustable Height Blind, all I have to do is remove it from the carrying tube, roll it out, and stand it up, and stick the ends of the poles into the ground. Or with a more elaborate ground blind such as the Ameristep Outhouse Blind, the Ameristep Doghouse Spring Steel Blind, or the Guide Gear Pop-Up Blind , all I have to do is snap a couple of poles together, slide them in the sleeves on the blind, bend them into place, and poof! My ground blind is erected and ready to hunt in! Plus, when I am hunting with my bow from a ground blind, I don’t have to take into account the fact that an arrow always hits a little high when its fired from an elevation because, as far as gravity is concerned, the flight path of the arrow is equal to the length of the distance from the base of the tree to the target, not the distance from the bow to the target. So, when I fire an arrow from my ground blind, the distance is exactly what my laser range finder tells me it is and thus, I can aim with a high degree of confidence.

So, between being much safer than a tree stand, being easier to transport and erect than a tree stand and, being more accurate to shoot from than a tree stand, using a ground blind just seems to make more sense to me. On the other hand, I have to admit that hunting from a tree stand does offer you the distinct advantage of being able to see game coming from much greater distances than a ground blind does. Therefore, the trick to making the best use of each is to use it in the type of terrain and the time of year in which it is best suited. Thus, it is up to each individual hunter to weigh the advantages and potential risks of both types of stands and choose accordingly.