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Leaving a climber at your tree

Discussion in 'Bowhunting Talk' started by early in, Sep 19, 2025.

  1. Fix

    Fix Grizzled Veteran

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    Just need to ask, if you guys are leaving the stand there why not just install a hang on?

    Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
     
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  2. MUDSHARK

    MUDSHARK Grizzled Veteran

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    if the deer pattern alters in way shape or form you can grab the climber and move it 50 yards or wherever the movement moves too. (its just easier in my opinion)

    unless you know the property well enough to know the deer movement set up the ladder or lock on then!!
     
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  3. pick00l

    pick00l Die Hard Bowhunter

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    I do that also. It's nice to have a climber or two to move around.
     
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  4. StringFlinger18

    StringFlinger18 Weekend Warrior

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    I have my lock on set up and leave it out at night. As I am climbing down at night, I just take my climbing sticks with me so the only thing left is the stand. If someone is desperate enough to shimmy up a tree 18-20 for my stand, guess they need it more than I do. Plus I have a trail camera hidden close by so if anyone does try it, I should get a pic of them.
     
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  5. camo75

    camo75 Die Hard Bowhunter

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    These are good locks and you can link them together easily for added length. IMG_6577.jpeg
     
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  6. Mod-it

    Mod-it Die Hard Bowhunter

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    I leave my climber out all the time but on our own property. I do put a cable on it to try to keep honest people honest in case a trespasser happens by it. The exact cable that camo75 just posted.
    I worry much more about a thief than I do the deer being scared of it and avoiding the area after encountering it.
    I usually put the climber out in the first spot I want to hunt a couple weeks before I actually hunt it. Like most stands, I usually see deer the first couple times I hunt the spot and then encounters drop off. So I don't think the stand being left there causes any issues, but certainly the scent I leave after hunting it starts to educate them to avoid the spot.
     
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  7. tracker1

    tracker1 Newb

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    First would be theft, but the idea that you are leaving a seat where your butt has spent hours on anywhere near the ground I think would not be wise. I understand the OP’s situation, I will be 70 shortly and have had to cart my gear in and out every hunt for the last five years. I have used game carts, a smaller home made treestand cart. What I found was a Sherpa tree stand conversion cart for my Summit Viper. It’s a wheel kit, I pop it on and cart the stand in, pop it off and climb.
     
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  8. virginiashadow

    virginiashadow Legendary Woodsman

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    Tell you a funny leave your stand at the tree story. I had been seeing these weird rubs on trees for 3 yrs in a particular bedding area. Like the buck had a ton of wild crap going on near the bases. The place was tough to enter without getting picked off. Well I start seeing the rubs again so I waited til it poured rain at night. Talking a downpour. Well I went into that bedding area and hung my climber. I crept in there the about 36 hrs later. Climb the tree and as the sun rises I see two leather gloves placed on the tree next to mine. How in the heck did someone find my treestand in under 36 hrs in the middle of nowhere? I had low hopes for the hunt bc of the stinky gloves. But about 1 hr after sun up I hear a buck walking and see this ancient old buck coming my way. Pearled bases and all. For some reason I let him pass...he wasn't a big racked buck but unique. When he walked off I regretted it!
     
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  9. Steiny

    Steiny Newb

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    I've done it but don't recommend it. One of the biggest benefits to using a climber is location flexibility.
    If you get a wind shift, you hunt somewhere else. I also like to take the stand in / out every trip so others can't see where I'm hunting.

    Other negatives would include; potential theft, weather damage, or varmint damage
     
  10. early in

    early in Grizzled Veteran

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    I was concerned that leaving my stand locked to the base of my tree might make deer avoid the area, but it's been in there for two weeks now and I had two scrapes open up just 30' away from it. As far as theft goes, since I use a LW sit and climb, and I only leave the stand itself, I take the "traction belts" with me after each sit. I envisioned some jackwagon taking them for spite, since they couldn't get the locked stand.
     

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    Last edited: Oct 24, 2025
  11. Garrett

    Garrett Weekend Warrior

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    I left mine out all season and off season last year.. granted its private land behind my neighborhood but still.. never seemed to bother any deer or anything. I'm looking to getting a new climber for next year because the summit Viper SD is so damn bulky and heavy to lug around every time i go in and out of the woods.
     
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  12. early in

    early in Grizzled Veteran

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    At 68, even my LW stand became too heavy to bring in and out every time I hunt (public). I hunt a lot! So, leaving it in was the ticket. As I mentioned, it hasn't bothered the deer at all. My cam is only 30yrds from my tree, and I still get deer come through regularly. I haven't had the locked stand messed with yet this season, it's been in for over a month now.
     
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  13. Garrett

    Garrett Weekend Warrior

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    I’ve been looking at the XOP revolt or the LW crossover climber (although the price tag is a little out of my league I think) but they look like the lightest climbers in the market.


    Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
     
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  14. ILbowhntr

    ILbowhntr Weekend Warrior

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    Y’all keep talking about sent on a tree stand, you must be worried about the seat? Guess that’s a added benefit to using a Hazmore seat on my LW Sit & Climb.
     
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  15. early in

    early in Grizzled Veteran

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    The odor left behind from sitting for hours on the seat of a stand has been mentioned. It makes perfect sense. What I did was to cover the hammock seat of my LW sit and climb with a black plastic trash bag. It kept it dry from whenever it rained, and must have kept any scent I left down to a level that didn't seem to bother the deer.

    My cam is only about 30 yrds behind my stand, which has been at the base of my tree for two months now. From about Oct. 23rd to around Nov. 15th I got pics on my cam regularly. During that same period I had numerous deer (probably 15), including my target 8pt, within easy bow range. I was only after that one specific buck, so all those other deer, including three other legal bucks, were passed on. I had my 8pt at 20 yrds tending a doe for 10 mins, but he never left from behind some saplings to offer a clear shot. At least I was able to see him up close. That made my season right there!
     
  16. ILbowhntr

    ILbowhntr Weekend Warrior

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    I would think that the trash bag would be noisy the colder it gets.
     

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