This isn't a review, but I don't know where else to really put this. I was just wondering if anybody out there leaves screw in steps in their trees year round? If so, how did they hold up? Was their damage to them from rusting or becoming weak throughout the summer? Anybody that has any ideas about this I would really appreciate knowing what could happen with the steps. I want to hang stands right now and leave them up through the fall, but I'm just not sure about the steps. Thanks.
Iv done it before left em in over the summer still worked great. Just make sure you don't screw them all the way into the tree untill your ready to use them. cause they will start to grow into the tree! That's my only tip.
It's best to pull them and place a small stick in the hole to A. make the holes easy for you to find & B. help protect the tree from boring insects. My cousin had a step he left in for a year of two break on him. Having said that, I have a tree in WI that has had a set of steps in it since 2002. The vertical part of the steps are completely grown in. With a tree strap secured, I climbed it last fall w/o incident.
I'm thinking about screwing them in and hanging my stand, then backing them almost all the way out on the way down. That way they won't grow into the tree and I don't have to pack them back in later. This will also keep the tree free from infestation. Good idea or not?
In my experience,don't put them in silver maples(aka soft maple) In one season they will be difficult to remove since the tree grows around them quickly. I've used them in hard maple,oak ,beech and hickory and have not had this problem.
Im not saying that anyone is wrong in leaving screw in steps in the tree all year I'm sure a lot of guys do it and are perfectly safe i just know of a couple of cases were it caused a terrible accident one being my dad he was climbing steps that had been in the tree for 2 years and he got to the top step (around 22 feet) and it snapped and he fell and he was very lucky there was a decent sized cedar tree that he feel into and only cracked a few ribs but another man that lives around 30 minuets away from me had a much more tragic incident his steps had been hung in sept. left all year and he went back to hunt the following october and a step broke around the top and he fell and his arm pit caught on the step below and almost ripped his arm off then he fell the rest of the way and landed on a dead fall right in the middle of his back and he will never walk again..
If you want to leave them in year round it's best that you unscrew out a inch or so. I've had three of the Grizzly screw ins to break with me over the past five years. God was watching over me those days so sure!! Twice I was able to catch the tree and slide down to the next step. The one that could have been really bad.....I was up 20 feet with my waist dead even with the base of the stand, I slung my safety rope around the tree and as soon as I snapped the belt to the lope on the opposite side a step broke under my left foot!! It yanked the safety straps up around my neck but it did save me. All I had to show for it was a few bruises.
Why take the chance.....if ure a hunter spend the money on some sticks.....all kinds of them with all kinds of price ranges and much safer in my opinon Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2
I've had steps in for 20 years and have had maybe 6 break off. I'll back them out two turns at the last use of the season. I'm always leary and hold on tight every time I climb a stand due to this, to me I just want to make sure I'm on full aleart when I climb up. I've made most of my steps from 1/2 inch rebar and there 5 inches long on the step to help for the wearing of winter boots that are much larger than the usal 3 1/2 inch step you bye from ameristep, I like the feel of something under my foot when my body weight comes into contact with the step. My slips have all been just a slip of a few inches when the step has broken,I actually carry an extra one in my fob due to this reason. Nothing like having to trim and claw out steps that have been forgotten to loosen at the end of a season or twooooooo. Makes for hard work when most of the time that is used for hunting is hard to come by, so you'll remember after the 1st few times you forget to back them out and you have to dig them out,LOL. Good luck and be safe, oh yeah! Don't skimp out while putting steps in with out wearing a safety harness. You owe it to your family and friends. Rocky
I agree. I'm getting too old to be trusting screw in steps and bought several Rapid Rail ladder steps and use a Lifeline at every hang on stand I have.
Instead of steps I use 1/2 inch bolts 14 inches long, cut the thread off so they will slide into bolt holes that I have drilled previously . I then put them in while climbing the tree and pull them out on the way down. this stops anyone from stealing my lock on stands while I am gone, and I can acess as many stands as I want to with the same set on bolts. My sons and I have use this system for over twenty years. Never had a stand stolen. Get them at home depoe.
They should be ok if you leave them a year or so. I have seen the tree grow around them and make them bow upwards.
We like to back them in the tree, but we back them out a turn or two in the winter, then screw them all the way in later in the summer.
