I have hung lock-on stands through the years, and have used Summit and Lone Wolf climbers, but this will be my first year using a packable treestand/sticks setup. I purchased an XOP Vanish and LW sticks and plan to use them this year. I have practiced a little and like them so far. Any help would be appreciated. **Any pointers on how to be more efficient? Carrying and climbing ... **Previous threads on the topic that you could direct me to? **Pictures of your set-up would be great... THANKS!!
I have tried the up in one trip method in the past, and I felt it was a lot harder to stay quiet and a little bit more cumbersome. So now I just hang the first one climb up then hang the second one then back down and do the third. While I do the third my stand is on my back and my bow is tied to the gear rope.
1. Do yourself a favor and buy these....stick talons. www.mobilehuntinggear.com It spreads the weight of the sticks out, and also allows you to climb with the sticks on your back, making one trip up the tree a reality. 2. Do yourself another favor and buy these; stealth strips for the sticks, and buckle silencers. https://www.stealthoutdoors.com/ and depending on how far your walk is....the XOP treestand transport system. All of these items to me were a neccessity. I had to switch back to a Summit climber due to my balance issues. This was my setup with all of the above items.
Get in the best shape you can get in. It’s a cinch if you are fit. It’s hard as heck if you are an out of shape tubby lard. Ive run and gun hunted in both conditions and let me tell you when you are out of shape it can almost give you a coronary getting in a tree.
1. Always use a lineman's belt/rope. 2. Leave yourself plenty of time. Setting up a stand on the run takes time so leave a little early and don't rush. The faster you try to go the sweatier you get and the more noise you make. Keep in mind the more you do it the better you'll get at it, so don't try to be a world-beater on your first shot. 3. You "can" do it all in a single trip up the tree, but you don't "have" to. I almost always do at least 2 trips. The first trip up I set my sticks/stand, but I do this with as minimal amount of gear on me as possible. Even when it's cold I'll typically do this in a t-shirt or base layer. After everything is set I'll cool down for a minute at the base of the tree, get the rest of my gear on, then head up. This goes back to #2 - leave yourself plenty of extra time. Run & gun hunting isn't for people who are always running late or in a hurry. 4. Stealth strips are your friend. Silence as much of your gear as possible. You will make noise, it's just a question of how much you can minimize it. 5. Be prepared to move. I can't tell you how many sets I've hung and after I climbed up they just didn't look or feel right, so I've moved right away. If you're not happy with the set, move it. After all - that's the whole point of this run & gun thing.
I like the idea of the lone wolf hang on climbing system, but I just can't spend almost 500$ on a tree stand. I use an open shot climber by summit. It's very quick and light.. now that my oldest is 14 and hunting out of a tree we use a lock on and tree steps.I do have sticks but they are heavy..
Here is what I can tell you after doing exactly one time. If you can get your hands on the XOP pack system or whatever its called with the hip support get that. I did a ton of walking with my stand and sticks on my back this weekend with only the backpack straps and its took me about 5 minutes before I was sick of it. Also it probably wouldnt hurt to get a third hand archery bow holder to attach to your stand. Unless you like holding your bow the whole time. I also tied a loop of paracord up by the seat so I can hang the stand from a hook on the tree before I put the straps on the stand. Seemed to work pretty good. The more comfortable I get hanging it I will probably eventually get rid of the loop and hook though.
Here in the Midwest there aren't many climber-friendly trees around. I would say less than 10% of the trees I hunt from would work with a climber. If it were a viable option I would definitely look into it.
Following along as well as this is my first year running and gunning. One thing I have found in the 3 trips i have done is having the right pack makes a world of difference as well. I just went with the new Elevation Hunt Lumbar pack, plenty of room and is adjustable enough to hang low and go underneath your stand making for more comfortable walking. I will update with a picture of my set up when i get off work but here is the pack . https://elevationequipped.com/product/forester-lumbar-650-olive-mossy-oak-break-up-country/
I can attest to this!!! Being a New Englander, we have plenty of straight trees, which is why I have always used a climber. When I went out to Illinois for the first time in 2014, I only brought my climber. Spent the first 4 hours of my hunt looking for a tree straight enough to use it in. Luckily (Sarcastic) I found one about 60 yards from where I should have been.
Haha! I am in pretty decent shape for a 45 year old. I run a couple of days a week, and play ball quite a bit. That being said...I could stand to lose a few pounds and build a little more endurance.
Thanks, Justin! Definitely using a lineman's belt, although I'm still trying to figure out the best way to get into the stand without unhooking. Do some guys use 2 ropes/belts? Also... I definitely need to look into some silencing options like Stealth strips.
Thanks for the ideas! I do have a Third Hand bow holder that I took off my climber. I'll have to put it on my stand. I am using the XOP backpack straps...seem to work pretty well, but I haven't been on a long hike yet.
Definitely plan to still use my climber, but I like having more options. I mostly hunt North East PA, but also southern Indiana some.
Here is my setup so far...still tweaking it. I've tried gear ties, tarp straps, and bungee cords so far!
I used bungees to hold on my hawk sticks. That's the best I've found. I also ditched the straps for the sticks and replaced them with 8mm utility rope. There's a few good videos that show you how to do that. No more heavy metal buckles clanking around.
At one time I did the run and gun thing with a Lone Wolf Alpha. I still do the run and gun thing but I now use a JX3 Hybrid. It is a hybrid saddle and it is as comfortable as a Summit Viper. My only problem with hang on stands was they killed my back after about 2 1/2 hours. Now I sit in complete comfort and I can get in any tree I want.
I use 2 muddy linesman ropes. This way, when you come to a branch on the way up you can attach the extra rope above it and unhook the bottom rope so you aren’t unhooked at any time. When I get my stand attached and cam locked and I’m ready to climb into it, i pull a tree strap (or 3rd linesman rope) out of my cargo pocket and attach that to the tree. Then I hook my lanyard to that. Detach linesman rope and voila. From my second step up till I’m in the stand I am attached and safe. Using all the safety gear is tedious and takes a lot of extra time but so does healing with a cast on after surgery or learning to use a wheelchair.
