If you’re already an established deer hunter, or just getting started, chances are you might be asking yourself which one is better: ground deer blinds or ladder tree stands. Marty Prokop of Freedeerhuntingtips.com says he has tried both and has great success with each of them.

According to Prokop, there are many brands of deer hunting ladder tree stands available for deer hunting. You can choose a single-person ladder tree stand, two-man ladder tree stand, tripod ladder tree stand, four-legged ladder tree stand and even fully enclosed shooting house ladder tree stand.

Prokop prefers the larger platform, shooting and side rails and overall comfort of the two-man deer hunting ladder tree stand. He says he feels safer using a two-man tree stand, even though he usually hunts with only one person using the tree stand.

A ladder tree stand is a little harder to conceal than a portable deer hunting tree stand, according to Prokop. He suggests placing 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.

Should you end up going with the ladder tree stand, Prokop reveals his secret for picking just 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. He says to find a tree that is strong enough for the stand with smaller trees clustered around it. Prokop says he secures his deer hunting tree stand platform to the large tree in the center of the tree cluster, and positions it so the smaller trees camouflage - or break up the visual pattern of the deer hunting tree stand.
If you can’t find a tree cluster, he suggests you choose a tree with low hanging branches that the tree stand platform can sit above. Prokop says this will help to break up the outline of the platform when a deer looks up at the tree.

Prokop also recommends using camouflage burlap or other camouflage material to drape your deer hunting platform. He says he makes “walls” of camouflage material to make his tree stand look like a camouflage house, which will help conceal movements when you are sitting in your tree stand and will provide a wind break. Prokop also says to use material that does not affect your ability to climb into your deer hunting tree stand safely.

Ladder tree stands, set up properly, will allow you to sit longer and more comfortably, which could help you bag a big buck.

The alternative would be to use deer hunting blinds, which can be very effective tools in helping you tag a deer or big buck. Prokop reminds you to always consult your state and local hunting regulations to see if deer hunting from a deer blind is legal for your area.

Prokop says he used to construct deer hunting ground 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.

However, he recently opted to try one of the pop-up style deer hunting blinds. One nice feature about most pop-up deer hunting blinds, he says, is being totally sheltered from the elements. You can sit in rain, snow and windy conditions and stay warm and dry. Prokop says the longer you are able to comfortably sit in one place, the more likely you are to tag a big buck deer.

Prokop says to look for a deer hunting blind with a dark interior and scent-blocking liner. The dark interior helps shadow a deer 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 deer 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 deer blind.

Whether using a portable deer hunting blind or building a deer blind 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.

Prokop says that most pop-up deer hunting blinds he has researched give the option of using the shoot-through mesh to cover the window opening or having an open window, and that he has used both. He says on certain days he would unzip the deer blind windows and not place the camouflage mesh over openings. Then, on other days, he would open the deer blind windows and cover them with the camouflage mesh.

Prokop says deer were spooked by the large black hole created by having the deer blind windows open without the camouflage mesh. When the window openings were covered with the camouflage shoot-through mesh, he said he saw more deer at closer ranges.
For more information from deer hunting expert Marty Prokop, check out http://www.freedeerhuntingtips.com