Im lookin to get a new stand this year for bow hunting and im having a hard time deciding. Ive mostly rifle hunted and used tripod and ladder stands in open fields. Things hve changed and ill be mostly hunting hardwoods and edges of some of the smaller fields. I like the mobility of a climber and being able to go where the deer are, however in arkansas we dont always have trees that are small enough around or clean enough for a climber. So the next option would be a lock on with stick ladder. Not quite as moveable but can go pretty much anywhere the ladder can reach. What do most use? Anybody hunt the thick ozarks that can give me some first hand knowledge?
Get a lone wolf setup or a muddy setup. Very portable. I take my muddy vantage with lone wolf sticks in and out on every hunt.
How hard/ akward is it to set up a lock on? Just curious. Never put one up. Climber is pretty self explanatory.
Very easy. I don't like the ones with a ratchet strap though, they can be difficult. I prefer any kind with a single nylon cinch strap.
Thanks for the info. Ive got a buddy with a gorilla climber who might sell it to me cheap. Gonna take a look at it this week and see. If not ill prolly be goin with a lock on.
Take a look at the Millenium M50. It comes with a Cam-Loc receiver. You can buy one stand and some Lone wolf or Muddy climbing sticks. The buy an additional 1 or 2 Cam-Loc receivers and move to whatever location best suits the wind that day. This guys has an M100, but it is nearly the same. My Mobile Hunting Setup - YouTube
My personal preference are hangons vice climbers. When I was younger the climber was good. Now I like the stealth of a lock on. Some now come with brackets that you can leave. Buy one stand and several brAckets for multiple locations.
The only thing I didn't like about my Millennium is it will not sit on a crooked tree. In my opinion Lone Wolf is the way to go.
Just an update. I ended up buying a used gorilla climber from a friend. Its 5 years old but in amazing shape. Had a little surface rust on the rifle rest bar so i gave the whole thing a once over with flat black krylon. Looks good as new. Now for a harness and im all set.
Lock ons definitely can be a pain to hang.Some of the newer stands allow you to hang them on a not so straight tree like some of the Live Oaks in South Texas. I guess I m still old school and use some old school lock ons.I always have a "bow pull up string"tied to stand,then I start screwing in my tree steps every eighteen inches or so until I get 16 feet up and then pull the stand up by the string and strap it to the tree. I prefer lock ons by the way.
