After hanging around Joebuck for a while I got the urge to try one of these type stands. Did alot of looking online and reading alot of great info.  I bit the bullet and ordered one. It came in about 2 months ago and Ive been busy hunting and hadn't really messed with it much.  Got it out briefly one day and got about 2 feet off the ground and tried out some different positions. I could tell that it was gonna be a learning curve and decided to shelf it till the off season.

Well today I decided I was burned out hunting. Ive spent more time in a tree this year than any season I can remember. Mainly because house building is nonexistent here. Seen a ton of deer and have been very selective in what I wanted to shoot. That said, I got meat in the freezer. Got the web out and started playing with it. The main thing to consider is how are you going to get to hunting height? several good methods. Screw in steps, sticks, even saw some folks using rock climbing techniques. I saw a clip of a guy using the upper part of a lone wolf hand climber and that got my interest up.

I figure that would be  lighter to carry than a set of sticks and with a little practice and a few precautions it would be just the ticket.  I took the cushion off my hand climber seat and used a bungee cord to make some stirrups to slide my toes under. I'm using a bridge system with a rope and prussic knot on the tree. I put the climber seat on the tree and put my rope on the tree as high as I can reach. step up on the seat and pull the bungee over my toes. then sit back in the web and pull the climber seat up the tree just like a climbing stand. Stand up , slide rope up and repeat.  when I'm 3 to 4 feet from where I want my feet to be, I stop and sit down and put in ez climb steps at 8 and 4 oclock , with me being 6 oclock. I then push off the tree with my hands and slide my feet around the tree a bit which brings the climber seat (which is strapped to my feet) around as well. then I sit back and screw another step in at what will be my 12 oclock and then slip back to my original position. Then I continue up until  the seat climber is just below the steps. I have a lanyard attached to platform and up to the carabiner of my bridge. this is to make sure the seat doesn't hit the ground while your 20 feet up in the tree. Then pull up my pack and attach my bow hanger then pull up bow and hang it. Then I pull my feet out of the bungee and step up on the 4 and 8 steps. adjust bridge and sit back and hunt in comfort.When I'm ready to go, I just let my stuff down and then get some slack in my prussic, and bend down and put my toes back under the bungee. Then it's rope down, stand down till I'm back on the ground.  I got a few more logistics to work out but I think I'm gonna like this rig. For my permanent spots, I'll go out preseason and put up sticks with a small platform welded to the top section and put in my screw in at 12. then I'm up the tree and in position in no time. the hand climber seat method will be for a run and gun type of hunt if you will. The main thing is to practice at lower heights to get your confidence up to swing out at 20 feet off the ground. I got my son to take a few pics today and will get them up in a few.

this is the lone wolf seat with bungee for toes and lanyard for saftey.


This shows my 4 and 8 screw ins as well as my bridge. The bridge makes it easier to turn and make the 2 to 5 shot for right handers.


This is just the web and bridge on the tree at ground level.  
Stepping off seat climber and onto the steps.

I really like this two pc bow hanger from Primos. the hooks are handy for grunt call quiver etc. It has aggressive threads and goes into most any tree with little effort.


This is the money shot. 4 to 2 oclock. Which ever way you expect the deer to come from, you should try and set up for this type shot as it is the easiest to make with little to no movement.


Here I am in position for the 5 to 7 oclock shot. I simply ease around the right of the tree and my left foot is on my 4 oclock step and my right foot is actually above my 12 step. It's a very stable shooting position.



This was the position I was most excited about. by easing around to the left, my feet end up on the 8 and 12 step and I can shoot from 1 all the way around to 8 oclock. I requires very little effort and works for me alot better than turning to the right in the bridge to make those shots from 8 to 2.

All in all a fun way to spend a sunday afternoon. My accuracy  didn't seem to suffer at all using these positions. if you can point your bow arm shoulder at the target, you should be able to hit it.   I may take this rig south to the pig swamp soon and try it out there.

Great Idea Don . This was my 1st year in the web. Once I get a few more bugs out of my system I think it will be my favorite.

One real problem I have is taking a leak out of the web with out " contaminating " my self  . My only solution so far is to bag it.

Bill

Don, that looks like a suped up sex swing to me.

I bring a Gatorade bottle for "leaking".  I've had some deer not care, and others run, so I contain it.

I have a Guido's web, love it for gun, still need to play with it for bow. I've tried it a few times. It's soooo comfy.

I'm trying to find a Web for next year.  I have an older Tree Saddle which is great for shorter hunts, but I'm hoping the Web is a little more comfortable for all day hunts.

Using that hand climber has my brain working overtime and cramping lol.

This thread will probably cost me a new Lone Wolf seat$$.....have got to try it.. thats good stuff Don.. good luck on the experiment and keep feeding my gobbler!

Joey, I bet I saw, conservatively , 300 turkeys on that farm last week. every field I went in was full of birds.

Preston, maybe not a sex swing but i'm pretty sure if a deer gets within 25 yards of it and I want to kill it, It's gonna be screwed.

I usually just pee out of my stand. Good enough for Gene and Barry, good enough for me.

Here's a link to where I got the idea for the seat climber

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-4TXDBmn1U

as long as it doesn't numb the twins i would be game to try it

I work with a guy who uses the treesaddle and he swears by it.  Of course that's no longer made so the web is the next best choice.  It seems like you have a lot more shooting opportunity around the tree and can minimize movement.  He also completes a lot of all day sits that I cannot do in a hang on and I use a lone wolf alpha.

Alti I absolutly love my saddle.  YOu dont miss any opprotuntites unless your snoozing.  I went many a year without getting drawn on turkeys in a stand.  First year in the saddle about the 3rd time out with it killed 2 and could of got alot more.

This season same spot had a shot but shanked it.  It and the web are awsome tools.

I use my tree saddle to hang stands, it is good for that purpose. I just like getting into my Body heater suit and that is a problem with the tree saddle.

QuoteOriginally posted by Don Batten:
Here's a link to where I got the idea for the seat climber

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-4TXDBmn1U  

Do you use the Lone Wolf seat as your main platform to stand on when you reach the height you want to get to or do you use something else? I have a saddle but have yet to try using it.I also have a Lone Wolf climber and may actually try this.

David, take a look at the forth pic in my first post and reread the last paragraph. good luck . DB

QuoteOriginally posted by Don Batten:
David, take a look at the forth pic in my first post and reread the last paragraph. good luck . DB

Thanks Don.I missed part of that the first time I went through the thread.

I haven't used a hand climber before. . .
Would it not be safe to use as a platform?  I have hunted out of a tree saddle before and really like it, but still felt the need of having a small platform to rest on instead of just the tree steps.

Don,

I have not used a web before so......

Do you find that you need a hanger that gets the bow quite far out from the tree?  Is that why you use the Primos?  Would one right up against the tree be in the way of your legs?  I would think either way would limit how far you could spin around the tree?

Cheers,

James