i think a treestand is a very useful tool for hunting deer in western oregon, im not sure they would work the same for elk. just find an area with lots of travel by deer, and put your stand up. the key is to get into it early, without leaving your scent everywhere. i would probably try to be in the stand at least 2 or 3 hrs before you think the deer will be there. this could mean 3 or 4 am if you plan on hunting the morning. in the early morning hrs expect the deer to be moving back into the trees from clearings, and if your hunting the evening i have a lot of luck watching the treelines from the clear cuts, and reprods. the reprods hold deer the best when the young trees are just tall enough that it makes it a real pain to find the deer. Brian