Looking at getting a hang on or two for next year. I use all ladder stands currently besides my climber every so often. Not terribly comfortable using them yet for that reason but have plenty of buddies that can help me out with them the first time. Now I'm looking at some advice on which stands to look at. Stands will be hung in the summer and then taken down about this time of the year so will not be out during the winter months. It will be placed and left unless something dictates otherwise but I will not be running and gunning with this setup. Right now, looking at Millennium M25 or M50. Thoughts on this model or something similar in specs and price range? I do not want to spend over $150 on a set of sticks and stand if at all possible. As far as sticks, I don't have a clue what to be looking at? For my situation a guy could go get a few Menard's stands for little to nothing basically and would be happy enough but don't know if I want to go that route. Let's hear some thoughts. Thanks!
Check out sportsmansguide.com if you want something cheaper for setups you can leave in the woods but don't break the bank. I'm looking at getting the guide gear sticks and hang on combo next season to put on our small parcel prior to season.
I have found that it helps finding a stand you like and buying a few of them. Budget being your limiting factor. For me, it's a Lone Wolf or XOP. The XOP silver series was my last purchase and I'm very pleased with it. Will likely look for another sale and buy another in the off season. It's the confidence and comfort factor. I tried to pick up a bunch of budget stands on craigs list this past summer. When I put them in the woods, I found they were not comfortable or what I was used to. Even hanging them with a chain and rachet straps was a pain. On a budget, it's fine though. Related to sticks. I have both Lone Wolf and XOP. Weight wise, LW has it. Climbing comfort, XOP wins.
Budget matters to me. I personally have a bunch of Big Game and Guide Gear Stands throughout all my properties. I switch out 1 of the two straps each year, and completely remove stands if they are in the tree going into a second winter. Get analyzed and then rehung the next spring/summer if good. I have had very little issues with them. That all said though, I purchased a Hawk Combat stand ($99) this past year and some of their sticks.....FELL IN LOVE! Seriously, best stand I think you can grab in that price range...I too love the Milleniums (mainly due to seat) and wouldn't NOT recommend them. That all said I have loved honestly the stand and sticks so much from Hawk I'm desperately going to try and add their Xplor stand to my collection for the fact I can mount the bracket and the stand then can slip into them. Will allow me to prep a tree and leave bracket but not have a huntable stand for a trespasser or as visible to a neighbor (with sticky fingers) and I can "run and gun".
I will definitely take a look at a couple of those you guys mentioned. What do you guys do to keep critters from tearing up the seats?
I leave the thin rubber sleeve style seats that Guide gear went to...but they don't always last extremely long. I've always gotten in the habit of clipping a seat to my pack each time in if to a stand without a seat on it.
Right now I always have a 2" thick seat cushion in my bag for the ladder stands but looking at some of these hang ons, they look pretty nice and I would hate to have them destroyed right away.
The Hawk seat I left on....knock on wood haven't had an issue. But fully expect I may have to either plan on removal or fashion a cover of somekind.
For leaving stuff in the woods the guide gear sticks are a great value. I bought 5 sets before this year and it made stands way easier to hang over screw ins. Then I have a set of Lone Wolf sticks for a mobile setup. I have a Hawk Helium XL that is my favorite stand at the moment. Like the Combat Tyni uses but aluminum. I think next year I'm going to replace my cheapos with the Combats and get lone Wolf ALpha to pair with my sticks or possibly an XOP.
Stands being almost all the same, I pack the seat in and out each time. I'm worried more about a wet butt then rodents...which is also an issue.
I have the M25, M50, M100 and M100U. If you want to be comfortable, buy the Millenium. If I had to choose one I would choose the M100U. Only weighs 11.5 lbs. Buy the Ratchet style Cam Loc receiver. They are easier to install. Buy a few of them and you can hunt multiple locations and pack in the stand and sticks when you need to.
Hawk Mega Combat Hang-On Treestand | Field & Stream This would be a great place to start. A set of sticks and a stand for $99.98
In all likelihood, if you buy these less expensive options, you will want to upgrade in a year or two and will have actually spent more in the long run. When I worked in the outdoor retail industry I saw that happening all the time with tens, packs etc. People wanted the best, could not afford it, would buy something cheaper and be back later to get what they should have bought in the first place. Save a little more $$ and get the best, safest and something made in US rather than China... LW assault and 4 sticks. I see you are from MN and have snow in your picture... most stands in the cold will make noise, the LW will not. If you get the LW, you will not need 2 or 3 stands because it is so easy, quick and quiet to set up. There are very good reasons the hard core run and guns people get the LW... while you may not be a run and gun type right now, you may be in the future AND you still would benefit from the same versatility and ease of use that these people demand. No I do not have shares in LW, I pay full price for them and they are worth every penny. T PS. Look at archers nook online in London, Ontario where US dollars go WAY further...(Tree Stands/Steps & Accessories at The Archer's Nook). They sell the LW assault for $264 CANADIAN which with the US dollar at about 30% higher makes them about $200. (They have the alpha at $279 CAN., which is about 215 US) They even have free shipping sometimes. No, I do not work at Archers Nook, but I did but another LW from them just a while ago because they were more than $50 cheaper for the same item than anywhere else.
Save up your cash and buy better quality gear. Chippewa stands and xop climbing sticks are my choice built tough, quiet, and steady as it gets even for a big guy like me.
If you don't hunt Hang-ons regularly I would recommend getting something with a larger platform if possible. I usually hunt in ladder stand but we have a few small hang ons and I will have to admit now that I am older I am not as comfortable hunting in them. i know its all mental but its still a factor to consider. Good luck and let us know what you decide.
The above is so true. I'm a CPA and we're notoriously cheap or frugal as I like to say. I KNOW you're supposed to buy once cry once and it's absolutely true but I still try to cut a corner or two every once in a while and it never works out for me. I bought a lower end hang-on and even if we forget the fact it failed and my lifeline saved me - it was HEAVY. Every time I hauled and hung that stand even on private land with my ATV, I was ready to go home when I finally got it hung. I gave up a few good hunting mornings and slept in after that first haul and hang on public land. As much as I love to be out there, I just didn't feel like fooling with it.
If anyone sees some good deals tomorrow on something you'd recommend, please let me know! Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
