Hello everyone, I am considering adding a hang on stand to bag of tricks this year.
I currently have a lone wolf sit and climb climber that I like fairly well. The stand works well and is very safe. My only complaint is that I have to lower the top seat and stand the whole time if I want to be able to shoot to my left/right. Also I am tired of getting busted by deer after the leaves fall off because I can only climb trees without limbs and I get easily sky-lined.
With a hang on, I would be able to hunt just about any tree, along with being able to get set up between the limbs which should hide me very well.
Here are my questions/concerns with the hang on.
1. First and foremost it must be safe. I feel safe while using the climber and my harness and I want to make sure I am just as safe using a hang on. Falling out of a tree can end things very quickly.
2. It must be easy to set up. It takes me roughly 15 minutes with my climber to get up the tree and set up. Can you set up a hang on in the same amount of time?
3.I hunt many different areas and I pack my stand out every hunt as I never know where I may be hunting at next. So I would be setting up the hang on every time I went hunting. Is this possible/practical?
4. I have been looking at the lone wolf hang on stands along with the millennium hang on stands. Any opinions on either of these stands?
5. What works better, a connected 1 piece climbing stick or a 4 piece climbing sticks ? I see lone wolf came out with a 1 piece climbing stick this year and I have mixed opinions on it. I feel it would be more stable to climb, but it seems you would have to find a pretty straight tree to use it. With a 4 piece you would be able to place the steps wherever you wanted instead of simply straight up the tree.
Sorry for the long message, I am trying to get a feel for whether the hang on stand is going to work for me or not. As long as it is safe, easy to set up, light weight, and practical than I think it would work well for what I need.
lastly, what are your opinions on hang on stands in general when compared to climbers ? I would like all the advice I can get! Thanks in advance, SS.
Where I hunt, climbers are useless. There are nearly no trees straight enough to use them. I have a stash of GameTamer lock ons. These are no longer made, but WoodseyToo makes one almost the same. The Gametamer is the most comfortable hang on tree stand there is, and it is very adjustable for tress where the trunks are not straight.
1. Like with everything, there are cheaply built and less safe stands out there, and there are well built and very safe stands out there.
2. A hang on with sticks will generally take a bit longer to setup/take down than a climber. One more thing, a lot of hangons attach to the trees with screws that bore into the tree. Esp if you are hunting public ground, you need to make sure of the regulations regarding screwing things into the trees. Some places do not allow that at all.
3. You can setup/take down every hunt, but it will take longer, and there will be more separate pieces to cary in/out.
4. I have never used LW or Millinium so I am no help on this one.
5. Which sticks to use depends a lot on the tree you will be climbing. If your tree is fairly straight, the 4 pc that goes together works good, If your tree is not very straight, then the separate pcs are better. If you can only go with one, go with the separate pcs.
Bisch
I'd stick with Lone Wolf or go with the new XOP by the original LW owners. You are used to the product.
4 sticks is almost always better than one.
Check out video 29 I think on the linked page, he's a sponsor on here
http://tbwpodcast.com/category/videos/
I would recommend XOP. Cody is doing an excellent job. His dad, Andre founded Lone Wolf. Now made in Iowa, great stands and sticks again.
I can get up and down a tree easily as fast with a LW and 3-4 sticks as with a climber. I time myself often- and 8 minutes or less is not uncommon. Old Goat linked you to Jason's podcast. . also check out a conversation he had with me about hunting and portability amongst other things. http://tbwpodcast.com/episode-105-interview-with-dan-rudman-on-hunting-east-vs-mid-west/
Also- he is doing another podcast with me in late summer for the entire process of how I access stands, climb trees, and modify my equip.
With that said- there are some new more economical alternatives to LW/Sticks, like Hawk and Muddy products. But truly, you can not really beat LW as a top line dead quiet stand and stable equip.
Dan in KS
I have the larger millennium and I believe one of the most comfortable and it has the slide in adapter that makes it easy with several of these to use the same stand in several locations.
I use the small 3 piece ladder, they bulky to put up but good and stable. I also use buck steps which are more portable and also are stable.
Check out the Big Game Bravada. Light weight,12 lbs. The B Game sticks attach well and packable.
I use the Lone Wolf stand and stick combo and love it. Her is a video to show the style of pack-in/hunt/pack-out style of system. I've used this style of hunting and it is slick. Very efficient and quick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76EVLGJ-9L4
Great Post, I am in the same situation here.
I like my like my lone wolf with 4 sticks.
Quick, quiet , comfortable and safe.
Chippewa wedgelock made a great stand system, well made stands. They retired about a year or so ago, not certain if the business was sold and continued or not. My choices would be one of those or a LW . I use the Lone wolf sticks ( 4 of em) and I can go almost anywhere I need to. I can do it pretty quietly and pretty quickly, but I had a lot of practice since I hunt public and have to take it out every day.
Of course, I would be leaving out some important feelings if I didn't point out that a good ghillie suit and some practice will make you reassess the need to even be IN a tree.
ChuckC
Lone Wolf Hang-ons for me also. Lots of other good ones out there but I find the LW to be the quietest in the cold weather. Key aspect when I am using traditional gear.
Chippewa is still in business and an excellent stand. My brother ordered one last fall and it is by far the easiest stand we have ever hung.....really stable too. He also bought 4 XOP sticks and his whole setup is about 15 lbs. His setup is lighter, quieter, and faster to setup than my Summit climber. I'm going to the same setup as him this fall.
I have been using a muddy hang on with the super mount system and a set of 4 muddy climbing sticks the last couple of seasons. I can get up in a tree in 15 minutes and be ready to hunt. another good stand to look at for really crazy trees is twisted timber treestands. Here is a little write up I did
on how I use mine on public land. http://www.midwesttrappingandhuntingsupply.com/blogs/news/15779628-public-land-deer-hunting
Happy Hunting!
Gabe
Another LW stand and stick user here. I've tried some of the others mentioned above but settled on the LW. I also have a summit climber and now choose the LW even on trees that the summit would work in.
You should look at the Screaming Eagle tree stands web site or try and find someone willing to part with theirs. These stands are as rugged and silent today as they were when Paul Brunner started building them.
Regards,
Grouse
One big thing I look for when buying a hang on is when it is attached to the tree am I able to climb into it from straight below it. The large platform stands that are wide in the back are very hard to climb around and create very dangerous contortions to get into stand sometimes. I like my hang-on platforms to be small square platforms or if larger I like them pie shaped in the back. If all that makes sense.
XOP is now making a new seat as well. Nicely padded and comfortable. It does fit all the older LW stands.
Kentucky TJ, that makes sense to me thats why I have been using the muddy outfitter lite for awhile. its really easy to put up and climb into. I used to use a cheaper wide platform stand and I felt like a circus acrobat climbing into that thing in the dark.
Gabe
I was in this position last year and chose the Lone Wolf Assault 2 with a set of three sticks. I was able to hunt many locations that weren't even an option with a climber. Also the whole setup was very light and easy to setup and takedown.
I haven't tried them all but the Assault is a good piece of gear to have. The seat leveling feature was handy. The only negative was the seat pad is pretty stiff and thin for long sits, I took along an extra 1" thick foam pad to provide a better seat for long sits.
I use hang-on stands exclusively, but have never seen the need for climbing sticks. I have used the Cranford EZ-climb screw-in tree steps since the mid-1980s, as have all my friends. I'm always kind of amazed that people are hauling all those sticks into the woods.
As for a stand that is lightweight, quiet, easy to set up and take out each time you hunt, the Lone Wolf Assault II is what I bought last year for "in and out hunts". Buy 10 tree steps and you're set.
I replaced all my hang on stands with Chippewa's. As mentioned above they are very easy(and safe)to hang and are very stable. They are also very light weight and easy to carry.
LW is the best I have ever used for mobile hunting and fast, easy, put up/ take down every time. Also the quietest and most forgiving stand out there. Can hang in the nastiest trees level, safe and quiet.
The chippewa stands are great if you are gonna hang the chains ahead of time at pre determined trees and leave them. Otherwise the Chippewa is a pain to be mobile with due to the seperate chain system. Had 3 Chippewas and an aero space stand (same system on both) and soon sold them all once I started hunting different spots.
A buddy has the muddy stand that is similar to the LW but nowhere near as easy to hang.
For climbing sticks the LW sticks are great and light weight and stack nice. I have 2 sets and use them for long hikes. Personally I like double rung sticks better as they are easier and safer. They ate a little heavier but for any stand less than a half mile in I prefer the double rung.
The most important part of a hang on system is the lineman belt. With out a lineman belt none of this is safe or easy.
I like my lineman belt to use an ascender rather than a prussic knot so I can adjust with one hand both in and out.
1. Screaming Eagles are excellent stands--to leave in one place for the season. No way would I hump one in and hang every day.
2. Screw in steps are not allowed in many places.
After reading this thread and walking my property I'm really debating my choice to buy a climber over the winter....keep it coming, I'm liking all these different setup ideas.
I have both the Lone Wolf Sit and Climb and the Lone Wolf Alpha hang on (4 actually) as well as a set of 4 climbing sticks. I'd say I probably use the climber 20% of the time and the hang on 80% of the time. If I'm hunting a state that allows screw in steps and I'm hunting a long ways in, I'll throw in a dozen folding Cranford screw in steps and leave the sticks in the truck, but most of the time I just use the sticks.
I also have a Muddy hang on, but I much prefer the Lone Wolf.
Like KS Dan and LB hntr said, with the use of a lineman's belt and with a little practice you can hang the sticks and hang on just as quick and as quiet as you can climb with the climber and you have many more options on which trees you hunt.
Just fyi...Instead of using the stabilizing straps on the sit and climb, if you wrap a bungie around the tree and around the belt you can use the seat section like normal and just lower it when you see a deer (like you would raise the seat on a hang on). I actually have more clearance doing that with my sit and climb than I do when raising the seat in my Alpha hang on. I can't help you with getting busted due to no cover though. I have the same issue. By the time I climb high enough to feel hidden, my shot angle is bad.
I use a Lone Wolf and sticks or steps. With a little practice you can be up in a tree pretty quick. The safety part is up to you.
LB, we each have our own needs. I, for the life of me can't understand how the Chip is a pain to set up ? But I do it all the time. To me it is way easier to fuss with a chain (or strap) with no heavy stand attached, then just slide the stand in place.
Tall Paul. . I can't use screw in steps on public in Wisconsin.
ChuckC
Yep, with the Chippewa we just fasten the chain around the tree and the stand just drops in and wedges in place.
QuoteOriginally posted by ChuckC:
LB, we each have our own needs. I, for the life of me can't understand how the Chip is a pain to set up ? But I do it all the time. To me it is way easier to fuss with a chain (or strap) with no heavy stand attached, then just slide the stand in place.
Tall Paul. . I can't use screw in steps on public in Wisconsin.
ChuckC
The Chippewa is an amazing stand. Light weight, strong, stable and easy to set up. Especially for anyone not wearing a lineman belt.
But the ones I owned had chains that are a separate assembly. Witch is amazing for people that hang the brackets in a bunch of trees and then just slap the stand on when they hunt there.
For myself, hunting mobile and carrying the whole set up in and out with me it was very difficult to keep the chain quiet. It was difficult to get the chain assembly off of me to hang while I had the stand on my back. I had to use 2 bungie cords to keep the stand closed and not rattling because there was no strap to close it.
The Chippewa is a fantastic stand for what it is designed for ( multiple brackets in different trees and one stand). But for my stylt of hunting its harder than a lone wolf. If Chippewa made their stands with a versa button and a lone wolf type strap it would be my second favorite stand!
Side note. On the Chippewa harnesses if you wrap a piece of duck tape around the rubber pucks it will help keep the squirrels from chewing on them. Not sure how it works but it does.
Before i bought the Lone Wolf last year, I used a Loc-on Wind Walker for my "in and out stand". Its less than 6 lbs, but since I'm getting older I decided I wanted a larger platform to stand on. My wind walker is probably close to 20 years old now, and I'm starting to get a little scared of it! :rolleyes:
Thanks for all the replies! It looks like my options have been rounded down to a select few.
From the replies it seems I should be able to use the hang on in place of my climber with no problems.
I will read more into several different stands and make my decision from there.
Thanks again!SS
QuoteOriginally posted by Nuctech:
Kentucky TJ, that makes sense to me thats why I have been using the muddy outfitter lite for awhile. its really easy to put up and climb into. I used to use a cheaper wide platform stand and I felt like a circus acrobat climbing into that thing in the dark.
Gabe
Gabe, I have two of those also. Great stands.
I guess it depends on the property you are hunting. For public land I can see the desire to hang/remove each time you hunt. For my limited hang/remove applications I've been using a Windwalker for 20 years. Really nice lightweight stands, I have several, because often what I think will be hang/remove ends up hang/leave.
For hunting private ground where you can leave stands up (which is where I'm at) I need WAYYY to many stands to buy expensive ones. I'm usually at 30-40 hanging each year, I can't afford to buy that many lone wolf stands. I use the cheaper ones ($30-40 stands) and modify them for safety (mainly different straps to attach to tree and changing out the cheesy platform cables to chains). As to using a climbing stand, last time I checked out of about 35 setups I had out you could have gotten into 2 of them with a climbing stand....I would hate to be so limited.
All that being said, with a place I'm worried about theft I've compromised by hanging home made chain and cable Chippewa type harnesses, and I currently have one new (REALLY NICE!, I mean first class stand) Chippewa stand and one older one I picked up for free. Also I'm having parts fabricated to convert about 10 other stands to Chippewa type hang-on brackets so they will all work with the home-made harnesses. I'll have around 10 harnesses in that area and enough stands to carry in one time, for the 2 weeks or so I'm there, and leave them to just pull them all at the end of the hunt.
R
Love my Chippewa and if you go that route get extra harnesses, have a L/W climber and between it and the Chip. I now look for the perfect spot instead of hunting the perfect tree.