This upcoming fall I plan to be more mobile in my hunting. I'm hunting heavy hills with a mix of oaks, hickories, and pine in the Ozarks and oak, walnuts, and pines in bottomlands in south Arkansas. I'm looking for something that can be packed in and packed out easily, set up quickly, and taken down quickly. I plan to have 25-30 locations I'll hunt, some only a couple hundred yards from a road, some may be a mile or two in so portability is very important. That said, I am a very fidgety person and I simply won't sit or stand still if the stand isn't pretty comfortable so comfort is high on the list as well. Hang on stands offer the ability to strap to literally any tree strong enough to hold you up, climbers are a little easier and can let you rotate the stand in the tree as your using it if winds change or your seeing animals on an unexpected side. I can only afford one so picking up one of each isn't an option for this upcoming fall. Of the three listed, which would you recommend and why?
I voted millenium hang on for the comfort factor. Would have probably voted lone wolf or xop climber if they were options but with what you had I went millenium.
I voted for the Summit Cobra. I have never hunted from any of those stands, but have hunted Ark, and believe a climber is your best friend, and a much easier setup if you are going to multiple places, and setting up/taking down each hunt.
If you get a climber, get one with no rail. Those rails are a PITA for stickbow shooters!
Bisch
Is a lone wolf climber out of the question?
I love mine.
I voted millenium hang on because I feel hang-ons are more versatile & nearly as quick. I would have voted lone wolf or xop air raid & matching sticks if they were options but with what you had I went millenium.
Look at the X stand before you buy. A climber that weighs 13 lb.
QuoteOriginally posted by dirtguy:
Is a lone wolf climber out of the question?
I love mine.
Nope. Just never seen one locally so it wasn't on the radar
If you go summit consider the open shot model. Very light and perfect for the bow hunter.
X2 on the lonewolf. I have the asault and love it !
I prefer my Summit Razor as the bar folds down and you could sleep in the darn thing it is so comfortable. I love my lone wolf assault hang ons as last count I had 10 for my farm. However the sticks and hang on thing got old for a mobile strike, so I went back to finding trees in the off season on public ground and making a spot for an ambush.
Weight is an issue with any climber in my opinion, especially with those hills you got there. I use a combination of razor with saddlebags and my heater body suit. If it is cooler I am down to my long handles with my heater body suit and if it's cold 1 layer over those. I sit all day in Novemeber when I can. That summit is the bees knees...
My lone wolf climber and I never gelled. The bands would twist as I would climb and I was too dumb to stick with it and figure out the deal. Ok I voted and left a long winded retort...Cabin fever I gues :)
Of those three, I'd buy the Summit Cobra. I have an older Summit Bushmaster which was the pre-cursor for the Cobra. I like it.
You'll like the open fron't - one less thing to worry about your bow hitting.
Sure it might be a little harder to climb a tree with using your arms rather than a sit down stand up motion and being able to sit ont the front rail, but I've always that the day I can't use my arms to climb a tree is the day my butt should stick to the ground anyway.
The problem with a hang-on type stand is that it takes longer to set up if you move to different locations, and since you said you want to be mobile, go with a climber.
I've owned several stands. Lock ons and climbers but find that if I'm going to be setting for any length of time the summit stands are hard to beat for comfort. I vote summit cobra, but think you will have days when you will need a lock on, so would recommend buying used and get each.
Lone Wolf X3
I'm throwing in a vote for the Summit Viper because that's what I have experience with. I have made some what I consider, crucial upgrades, to mine. I added a MOLLE pack frame and a Hazmore seat, which will put you up a little higher so the safety bar is out of your way. I can hike comfortably with the new pack frame.
(http://i.imgur.com/ljkANCt.jpg)
I also have shot lots of deer out of the summit viper. I keep the sitting part of the stand as low as possible so when I stand for a shot the railing is low and out of the way. Summit stands are very comfortable, and they do offer a couple different models without the bar in front.
I also have shot lots of deer out of the summit viper. I keep the sitting part of the stand as low as possible so when I stand for a shot the railing is low and out of the way. Summit stands are very comfortable, and they do offer a couple different models without the bar in front.
Wow I'm not sure I have hunted 35 different location in the last 10 years let alone in one.
I have a viper but do not use it with traditional gear. For that I use a Lone wolf top with my Summit Bottom. I like an open front stand. From there it all depends on how much weight you want to carry and how quiet you want to be and how quick you want to get up the tree.
Those need to be your choices. Hazemore seat with the Summit is a nice setup. For me I like the Lone Wolf Hang on but not there climber. Never can seem to get those rubber straps adjusted right on the bottom.
I'm working really hard to have more locations so I can always be in a fresh spot and be able to play weather/season/terrain into my favor. I have two large tracts of public land close to home, one near my in laws that's several thousand acres, and some family land. I want to have 5-10 good spots to go in all of them.
I like the air raid with sticks and aiders OR a lone wolf hand climber top with my Timbertall platform when climbing
I like the air raid with sticks and aiders for Loc-on OR a lone wolf hand climber top with my Timbertall platform when climbing
I think the "I only can afford one" approach is flawed.
As an example: I can buy one lone wolf hand climber for around $350 or I can buy:
one hang on treestand from Menards for about $60 (bigger comfortable model opposed to the $30 small hang on) and 4 climbing sticks for $15 a piece which makes $120 total. They also had a climbing treestand which looked decent and was $189 normally but $129 on closeout. Added up to $249. Now they had a 18 ft ladder stand that was a little flimsy but light for $50 a piece.
I bought two of them and to make them even better and more stable, just cut 2-3 ft off the lowest ladder section to get 16 or 15ft ladder stands.
I am right now at the same price as I am with buying a lone wolf climber. I love my lone wolf climber, my lone wolf hang on, 3 double bull blinds and ladder stands but more stands buy you more versatility.
Example: Place the ladder stands permanently and also the hang on stand if you wish and leave your climber in reserve. If you hunt from your ladder stands/ fixed position stand, often you will see a deer pattern developing close to the ladder stands but not close enough to shoot. The deer may know that there is a ladder stand or they use the trail over which you set up at different times when there is no hunting possible.
But if you see deer from your ladder stands, then you can surprise them when the weather is right with taking your climber and set up where they come along at the weather/wind pattern you observed them coming out.
Ladder stands are great and easy to hunt out of and they are also great scouting stands....
Summit open shot is light. But if you have wide shoulders like mine they are a awkward . But I took a piece of anchor rope and tied it from the seat rails and made a sit and climb out of it.
I've had the vipor. Not sure I ever sat in it without falling to sleep. That being said I sold the vipor when I started using mostly trad gear because I couldn't get the rail low enough to suit me. I've never had luck trying to carry a hang on and ladder sticks. I'm far to clumsy and loud to be doing a setup like that before a hunt. For those reasons I voted the cobra.
Given your description, I didn't vote for any of them.
The real answer is lone wolf (as others have said).
I own two stands, a lone wolf climber and the summit climber. Love them both. The summit is for all day sits and the lone wolf is for everything else.
Summit is a more comfortable and the lone wolf is much much easier to haul around.
I'm kind of partial to the Lone Wolf as well. I also use it for all day sits, a lot of them.
QuoteOriginally posted by Orion:
I'm kind of partial to the Lone Wolf as well. I also use it for all day sits, a lot of them.
oooh I agree that the lone wolf is comfortable too...but can you sleep in a lone wolf? :-)
It isn't that I try to sleep, but on a long cold Nov. day it can be kinda nice to catch a few winks in the afternoon sun when things are slow. No worries (for me) doing that in a summit, would not think of it in a lone wolf.
Lone wolf X7
I voted for neither of your choices. I had the Summit viper. It's pretty bulky to carry around. if you're really going to be mobile, then my first choice is a Lone wolf climber (folds flat and I can hang a pack on it). Second choice is a Lone Wolf alpha with sticks.
Check this post...
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=079834#000000
Good Luck,
Kyle
Thanks to all for the valued input. I've got a new stand on the way to test and become proficient with before next fall.