LADDER STAND HEIGHT When hunters talk about hunting from 15-foot heights, they're usually referring to how high their tree stand's platform is off the ground. That's where bringing home a ladder stand that's as tall as you really want can be tricky for first-time buyers. The heights manufacturers provide for ladder stands typically measure the distance between the ground and the shooting rail. That means the platform of a 20-foot ladder stand usually is going to rest about 17 feet off the ground. The platform of the 17-foot stand pictured here is about 14 feet off the ground. The distance between the platform and shooting rail is illustrated in red. That's not to say higher is better when setting up a stand. But you want to be sure you understand what the measurements mean when considering a stand for a particular hunting setup. 16