Guys what do you like to hunt out of?
Lock-on
Climber
Ladder
If you have a favorite brand why?
lock-on
Loc-on as in the brand and type. I love the flexibility it gives me to get in any tree. I like crooked and brushy trees when I find them.
My favorite is the cheap lock on's from #icks, I can replace the chain with a ratchet strap's and leave them in the tree's all year and take them out for maintenance only. No noise and quick in and out of the area.If they get stolen I am out only a few bucks.
i like a hang on-,climber for hunting different areas..
i use loc ons alot, but to me i love taking my Summit Bushmaster in quiet and finding fresh sign and hot white oaks,apple trees
I use lock-on (chain-on, actually) stands by Screaming Eagle. I don't like to pack a treestand in and out to hunt, so I pre-hang my stands. I prefer Screaming Eagle because I don't think you can find a quieter or stronger stand. Clint
Loc on spirit, By Loc-On. Fast to hang, rock solid, and very quiet to use and hang, if using the rope and not chain to attach to tree.
In my younger days, 20's and early 30's, I could hang 8 rope on tree steps, hang the stand, and be seated and ready to hunt in less than 8 minutes. And could do it without hardly making any noise.
Still use them today. But I do use a tree suit if any long distance hiking is involved, there just a lot easier to transport.
2X on the Screaming Eagles.
Ladder
I have been using ladder stands (on private property) when I'm not on the ground. Only sat in them a couple times all deer season.
Sportsman's Guide hang on. Rock solid, 29.99 to 39.99 depending if they are on sale. Can't beat them.
I'd prefer the Screaming Eagles for the higher seat height, but for the price I can buy a LOT more SG stands.
For absolute silence and solidity a Climax is hard to beat. I've also been experimenting with the oversize Rivers Edge stands. The huge platforms are great for swinging a longbow without hitting something. At $69.95 the price is pretty hard to beat too.
I have about 20 stands out all year. Most are hang on,the rest are ladder stands. You have to keep a few ladder stands around for that crooked,thin,hedge, or whatever tree you can't get anything else in.
I only hunt public land and use a climber. Mobile and quick. I bought an equalizer last year and it is by far the best stand I have ever used. The leveling system is so nice.
CHEAP ONES!
Don't care if they get stolen, and you need to buy a new one or 2 every so often, which I seem to do anyway, so they might as well be CHEAP.
B
Ladders are really nice if I can get the features I need. Mostly I use hang ons and climbing sticks that I hang and leave. I have a couple of lightweight walkabout setups for new spots and public land.
i never hunted out of a stand for a trad bow yet. but anyways. i like that hang ons can be put almost everywhere and i love the comfort of climbers (summits).
that being said in my area trees are not very climber friendly so im switching to a hang on and climbing sticks for next season.
most the stand i hunt out of though are home made woods stands that we check and reapir every year. they feel safe and are roomy.
All 3 for Me..
private land will get a ladder so it's up and in the sit in no time at all.
Loc-on for them to be used for Oak's and others like that to help brake up My out-line.
Climbs are great for that scouting/hunting new areas, Just find a straight tree and climb them wait.
Lone Wolf and Screaming Eagle hang on stands here. Quiet, and solid. I've got a handful of the menards cheapies too that I just leave up all year in case someone decides they need 'em more than I do:)
Hang on stands. I have a new Alpha Wolf that I'm hankering to try as it is adjustable a bit for tree lean. Most of my lock-ons are Gorrillas. I use hang ons because I hunt from trees with lots of limbs or multiple boles -- for cover and security.
I have a Summit climber that I use every couple of years for a special situation but mostly it hangs on a peg in the garage.
I think I'd like to get an Ole Man hang-on, the seat looks very comfortable.
P.S. I hunt only on very tightly controlled private land with little concern for tresspass. If I hunted public land I'd be a climber stand fan and I'd never leave the stand in the woods like I do on private land.
Lock-on with climbing sticks
LocOn Windwalker.
I like the hang on stands I have many different brands and they are all good, solid , quiet, etc. I like the hang on stands, deer have been hunted now for many years from tree stands, for best success I like to chose a tree with enough cover, and always leave some branches at least on lower half, some deer tend not to look past the lower branches. a thought / question maybe deer are conditioned to climbers bear trees? Thanks Jerry.
I prefer a ladder stand if possible. We make our own with wider ladders, wider seats, and only hip high guard rails on the seat. If I was hunting on property where I had to bring in a stand to set up every morning and take down every evening then I would just hunt on the ground.
I'm a saddle rider myself...but compared to the others it's a loc-on style. Lonewolf preferred.
Have gone exclusively to ladder stands except for what I call my travelin stand which is a lone wolf alpha with 4 climbing sticks. The ladders i use on private land. the travelin stand is for public land or for going to friends places.
Comfortable ones!!!
thirty dollar stand from sporting goods, have lots of them all over, pretty decent for the money.
Self built out of treated 2x4s and 2x6s on my father's land. No chance of anyone stealing it and it is rock solid. I'm going to build two or three more this winter for next fall and space them out on his property. One 8' 2x6, two 12' 2x4s, and 4 8' 2x4s for the steps and platform per stand is really kinda on the cheap and it won't slip like I've had some climbers do. I have retired the climber for good.
Lag bolts by the pound from Tractor Supply are the only way to go for hardware around here. The most expensive thing is the deck screws. Will last for years to come unless mother nature fells the tree. Mount'em to anything not cedar or pine. Those dang things sway too much.
As a couple of others have stated "Screaming Eagle" stands. I use only chain on as belts are too iffy. I recall a comercial for the S/E stands that showed a VW Beetle hanging from one and that sold me.
Grouse
3 hang ons spread around our own land only. I'm trying a store bought ladder this fall as they seem the easiest to get into. I'm going to build one as well from treated lumber, but not think of it as a permanent stand. Should be able to move around with it to be worthwhile.
I have all kinds here from LW to Gorilla to olemans and honestly I have to say my favorite stand is a 40.00 chain on that I had to hold in the open position and then weld all the seams because they creaked so bad,,, but once welded open they are perfect and to carry them in and out you just hang the base behind you and let the seat hang over your shoulder and no hands needed, lock the chain and usually nobody steals them.
for a climber its the Gorrila hands down, but I will give the LW hand climber another chance before I leave it in the woods after my head almost explodes while trying to climb with it again, ha ha.
I use hang ons: my favorites are Screaming Eagle and Lone Wolf but I also have a pile of others.
Tajue17, great idea!
climber - Lone Wolf