I would like to hear your opinions on the different types of treestands there are on the market right now. THANKS
I like hang on stands, since its really hard to find a climbable tree here in Kansas. A hang on stand and four climbing sticks is what I use. I also have ladder stands for permanent spots, mostly for doe hunting on field edges. I have hang on stands I leave up all year with screw in steps also. Pretty much whatever suits your style of hunting best
I have 2 hang on stands, 1 climber and 1 ground blind. I don't have the expensive lone wolf stuff, just the chain store brand. I don't really have to worry much about them getting stolen, I know all of my neighbors really well and my woods isn't accessable from roadways. My preference on climbing method is the sticks that mate together to form a ladder. Those in my opinion are the easiest to put, and the sturdiest to climb. This will be the first year I'll be using a hang on that is just a seat with no armrests. Really though, just take a look at your hunting spot... Can you use a climber on the trees you want to hunt in? A hang on even? Is theft a problem? With stands the more the merrier and it's best to diversify.
I've gone through the woodwork with stands. Cheap ones I picked up at garage sales for a few bucks, nicer ones, even won a treestand once! I used to leave them up with locks all season, but they just kept getting stolen. Finally got a piece of property to hunt this past year and I bought a LW Alpha...what a difference! Easy to hang and very portable so I don't have to leave it up if I don't want to. I'll be keeping that one for a LONG time. I had a Summit Viper, but climbers are too heavy to haul back as far as i go, and too loud to risk spooking a shooter in the moment of truth. I just sold that a few weeks ago, and I'm replacing it with a Tree Saddle or a LW Assassin, maybe both. I definitely won't go the climber route again though. As far as climbing aids, I'm a huge fan of the API Skyhooks. Tough to find these days. I'll be getting a set of LW sticks also. Pair those up with a Saddle and you can go anywhere.
Right now I have a Summit climber, some cheaper hang ons, and some cheap ladder stands that I made into 20 footers, also a ground blind. I like the hang ons the best. I use tree screws for them, but this I dont like so much. Not very portable and quick. A pegged tree is nice once it is set up. It allows you access to some knarly trees too. Carrying those pegs can be noisy though and it takes some time to get them all screwed in. This year, if funds allow, I will be getting a Lone Wolf hang on and four climbing sticks. I've heard nothing but good about this setup.
Well the property I hunt is the woods behind my house. I would go out the night before and drop it off at the tree so all I would have to do is climb into it. Then if I wanted to move, after darkness fell I would move it to the next tree. I probably should try a lone wolf though, too many good reviews.
Pretty much the same for me here! I've never been a fan of Climbers, not many telephone poles where I hunt. I have always liked the Gorilla Stands. I just got 2 of the King Kong Expedition HX stands and they are Sweet!! Dan
All this input is great. I am in the market for another stand. Currently I have 1 ladder stand that I place for the season. Am thinking of getting a climber for mobility.
Tekel, before you get a climber take a good look at your hunting area. You will be VERY limited on where they can go. The nice part about hang on stands is they are mobile and are a lot less forgiving for location. At times during the season I would wait for night to fall, then go out and move the hang on location. On a rather windy day, I moved it for the afternoon hunt, took about 15 minutes and a guy that was hunting about 35 yards away didn't even notice me doing it.
