It's all about placement. If you have a good tree with vines and understory all around it, it's just fine. I killed my first ever bow deer on 11/5 from one and that deer came within ten yards of me without spooking. Like a lock on, it can be used on trees where a climber isn't an option.
ladderstands for me are better setup before the season starts. as far as the height is concerned 15ft is plenty high enough if you place the stand in a good spot. i wouldn't want to set a ladderstand up on a hillside if i was expecting deer to come from the ridge. ladderstands are also a pain to setup and generally require 2 people to safely put them up. thats why i like hang on stands or a climber they can be setup by 1 person.
i seem to see less deer out of ladder stands, they see them and once they know its been hunted i feel they stay away from them, But you can kill deer out of them. But its is in my mind not nearly as effective as a hang on stand witch I do not seem to get picked off in until late season when the deer are spooky. Also I think the hanging a hang on is safer as long as you use your line mans belt and you harness, then you hang a life line and I am telling you, you are coming home safe every hunt. I feel due to a ratchet strap slipping, if had put the life line ( in my hand i was setting the stand up) before stepping on the platform I would not have messed some good bow hunting this year. I have already told you witch stands I believe are better but the thing I care the most about is that you are safe. Hope this helped, happy hunting and stay safe.
I had been using a ladderstand for a long time - actually since I started hunting some 20 years ago. This past season I switched to climber because I wanted the ability to move as I please. The ladderstand started to hinder the hunt as I was always somewhere where I didn't want to be and to move the stand was a task in itself and usually not a quiet one. It was heavy (even though the ladder was aluminum) and I could only go up to 15 feet. YRMV but being a ladderstand user for a long time, I can tell you I don't think I'm going back.
I use a ladder stand and I shot two does out of it both from ten yards or less and I had just put the stand up maybe two months before that Mike4christ
I like how easy ladder stands are to get up into, used them for years. With that being said, I would choose a hang-on over them because they are more mobile and especially on public land people don't hunt out of your stand like they would if it were a ladder stand. I just take the steps down after each hunt till I hunt again. I started using hang-on stands this past year and like them more Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I honestly think deer in pressured areas get wise to ladder stands quicker then less visible options like hang ons. I think it's really location specific. In places like the North east with super high hunters per square mile I think the shelf life is limited. I have a couple of requirements if I was to buy any ladder stands. I would spend the extra money to get and extension for extra hight. I also wouldn't buy a stand that doesn't have two features, first is a platform that extends all the way back to the tree and second is a fold up seat. I think your way more visible to deer the further you stand out away from the tree and some ladder stands exacerbate that with the design of them.
Depends on the area your hunting if it's private and low hunting pressure a ladder stand will be fine the one spot I hunt I shot a doe and buck out of a 15 foot ladder stand and two other people that hunt there also killed deer out of the same stand so it really depends on the area and how pressured the deer are if u do use a ladder stand I would move it from year to year or half way through season as deer change there patters Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
. I shot this buck a couple days ago out of a 15 foot ladder stand grant it I shot him at 43.5 yards but I got him Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I love ladder stands. I've killed a ton of deer from them. Its about all I use. Most are 12 to 15 ft but have a few higher. Ive shot several bucks over 150 plus out of them and many old does. The most important part is having good back cover. You can be wide open in front of you but having cover behind you is key. Deer pay zero attention to the ladder. I've had them walk between the ladder and the tree. Had them sniff them and go about their business. Don't be afraid to use them.
Have been using ladders for 20 years or so--mostly 12 feet as I get dizzy higher than that--have killed more bucks than I can remember _more than 40--- its all in the set up---I try to find multiple trees in clump as a set up--I have a couple of clumps of 4 oak trees growing together, That's awesome have NEVER been caught there---I have had deer lick my ladder leg, I have show a 10 point buck at 3 yards and I am comfy !
Big Game ladder stands have worked great for us. Very sturdy and comfortable once you get it all set-up. These stand have also withstood the Iowa weather quite well and are quite affordable. Typically go up mid to late August and stay in place till you get a good enough thaw in order to get them back out of the ground...they do sink in a bit typically.
I have private land, so I buy ladder stands and leave them out. Have some been out 10+ years. They are part of the landscape. I'm fairly tall and am about 300lbs. Ladder stands rated at 350 lbs seem a lot more stable for me than climbers or hang ons. I've broken a tree spike here and there, came down really hard once. Let's say I didn't enjoy it.
The last 5 seasons I have hunted and out of ladder stands with success. They're very easy to sneak into and get set up with minimal noise. We use "The Duke" by X-Stand. Easy to set up and is a nice 20' up. I'm a pretty big guy, 6'9 300lbs, and I feel very secure in these ladder stands.
Here's an idea for you. Make a scare crow out of old clothes and set it up in the stand all year around. Won't take long for the deer to learn that a people shaped object up there isn't any threat. Then come hunting time, swap out the dummy for yourself and watch the deer to ignore you too. Hide in plain sight. Sent from my VS500 using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
I love ladder stands, they make great observation stands. Large and roomy, great for long sits. X stands makes some great ladder stands. https://x-stand.com/product-category/ladderstands/
I love the x stand ladder stand safest stands in the market my opinion Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Here is something that has not been mentioned. You can put a ladder stand in a much smaller tree than a hang on or climber. For example, I have two ladder stands in cedar trees right now. One is 10 ft, one is 15 ft. On both stands, the tree is only maybe 4-5" in diameter where strap goes around tree at the top. no other kind of stand would fit on those trees, but as it is they are both perfect. the cedar branches cover the ladder rungs, and with all the evergreen cover around the stand, I am literally invisible to a deer, even at 10 ft up. I have never been busted by a deer in either stand. If I had only hang-ons or climbers, I would not be able to hunt the spots as effectively, because I would have had to pick a different tree.
