I'm interested to know who hunts public land and uses hang-on tree stands? I've read most hunters don't venture further than 500 yards from any access road. That can be in BFE or right off the road into the WMA. I'm going to try my luck at public land next year, I've done it before but never bow hunting. One question I have is if you do use hang-on tree stands, how do you keep them from getting stolen? A good friend of mine hunts public land and has done great but he hunts as far in as possible. He uses a hang on stand and he tells me to put the stand up and take the climbing sticks back with me. Anyone else do this?
That is a good plan. Hang a stand, chain it to the tree and take the sticks. Or just use a climber, sometimes this means looking long and hard for a good tree?
I hunt public land a lot and we usually tke the long route while deer hunting. We usually find trees, cut shooting lanes and familiarize the area. Then we come back prior to opening day and hang the stands or hang them after the first morning hunt on the weekend we are there.
combination of leaving the hang-ons locked and taking the bottom 3 steps with me, or a climber, which if it's in a good enough spot I want to hunt repeatedly and I know I will be back soon, I then chain to the bottom of a nearby tree and cover with leaves. Plus I hike in deep.
Theres a guy named Dan Infalt from Wisconsin that has a few instructional videos on youtube on how he succeeds at hunting public land. He shoots more P&Y bucks on public land than he does private. He takes his lone wolf in with him, sneaks into buck bedding, sets up within 40 yards of a buck and hunts him. He uses his lone wolf like someone would use a climber, its strictly for mobile use on public land.
I hunt Public Land solely...(accept when I go to Va and Hunt on my Father In Laws property) and I use a hang on all the time...(I don't own a climber) I use Rapid Rails or Gorilla Screw in steps.....and go far back in the woods myself, 1 place I go I actually go back on a trail close to a mile & 1/2 in....very mobile for me, never given any thought to getting a climber. I don't leave it there though like some may....
Very large lock and do not leave the seat out. take the sticks down and has to be very deep in. I had a stand get stolen about 2 miles in very far off the beaten path. Someone followed my tacks I had every so often so be careful leaving too much traces on your trail.
I bought a Summit "Open Shot" mainly for public land hunts. At 15 pounds it is a great little climber to move in deep and set up. Once the hunt is over I climb down, pack it up and move out on azimuth. And of course a fanny pack for hunting gear, bungies, ropes, and rattle bag etc.
Also, many stands are stolen when they leave the "bright eyes" out to the place they park, theives will ride around a good area with a flashlite out the window looking for the bright eye trails to your favorite spot and stand. I recommend marking the "back" of the tree going in, so when you turn and face the road you see your trail backwards, at least the last few hundered yards that may be visible from the access road. After someone told me that, I went back to my stand at night and "holy crap" you could see my trail plain as day, never again,...
Five words: Lone Wolf Treestand and Sticks I know a lot of places it can be illegal to leave a stand overnight on public. Lone Wolf treestands are super lightweight and the sticks allow you to set up with ease.
Sorry for such a late response, I don't have internet at my house only work. Everyone has made great suggestions and I appreciate it. Public land will be a new adventure and I'm excited but bummed that it's come down to this. I have a climber right now but it's not mine. It seems like every time I hunt, the perfect spot doesn't have a tree to use a climber! I want to use climbing sticks and a hang-on stand next season. I'm going to go in early next year and set up. I'm going to put it up and chain it to the tree, if someone steals my $200 hang-on stand, I'll be pissed but it will be my own fault. My only complaint about climbers is they are noisy and I can hardly see at night with the red or green lights on my head lamp.
I've read a lot of good things about Lone Wolf and a lot of bad things as well. What do you like about them? Pro's/ Con's of them. I do like they have a bow holder and they are lite but are they comfortable? I like to sit from 0345 to normally 1830.
It's illegal to leave a stand on public land in WI. I've always used my climber. I use a lone wolf climber and like it a lot. It's comfortable enough to sit in all day (for me anyways) and very light and compact. I would avoid any trees with loose bark such as the hickory tree though. The lone wolf rubber straps don't get along with loose bark.
The best run and gun set up bar none is Muddy Blood Sport and 5 20" Muddy steps, the rope and boat cleat is the quickest and quietest I ever used.
I have the Muddy Vantage but I have yet to find a set of sticks to get but I am leaning towards muddy!
In Arkansas they say it's illegal to leave one on public land for more than 2 weeks in 1 spot but I've talked local forestry and game wardens. They say it's illegal but only because people will leave them all year long and when they burn under brush, the hunters try and file complaints against them for damage to their stands. lol They told me if I leave mine deep in the woods, nothing will be said but it's not wise. I've always been worried about the rubber strap that goes around the tree for the climbers. That just scares the crap out of me to think of being 20 ft in the air and having that thing give way. lol
Well - the 'rubber strap' is not just rubber but rather a rubber or plastic wrapped chain link(as a motor cycle chain) or cable on the climbers. I use a summit climber(it's good enough for me - the newer climbers are even lighter and easier to use from what I have seen and heard about) or hunt from the ground and most of my bowhunting for bucks is on public land. Though I am lucky enough to be in a very low pressure area, occasionally stands do get stolen out there. I did just pick up a nice portable hang-on and sticks but never got a chance to use it this year. I do think that the hang-on and sticks will be my go to setup in the future though.
I've had Summit before too, and the straps are much different than lone wolf. Summit straps are much more stiff than lone wolf straps. And yes, I know its not just rubber.
Dont you think its kinda bull**** that your going to hang a stand on public property like your claiming its "your" spot. I i found that stand id setup in the tree right next to it and start yelling as soon as a deer came in so you didnt get ****. Cheating isnt hunting !!!!!!! Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
Im pretty sure if you did that id still shoot something. Might not be a deer though. He's not cheating. Hes setting up his gear. You yelling and scaring away the deer is totally cheating...
