If you have the choice would you place stands well before the season starts and leave them up all season or carry them in and out with each hunt.  I.e do deer become used to the stands and ignore them or is it better to give them no prior hint that something is out of place.

Ted

The best thing to do is to scout in the spring and hang your stands then. However, conditions change and you have to be able to adjust during the season.

I try to set fixed stands up early if I can then use my climber when I need to get mobile.

I hunt public ground here in PA. If you leave stands on public ground more than a couple days they better be ones you don't mind if you ever see it again. I use a climber due to this.

I like taking out my climber stand because i dont like sittin in one place all day and you can change trees when the wind switches on you.

I use my climber, I've also used a permanent stand, and yes deer still look at them even after being in the tree for a year.

You'll find that their are someplaces that always produce, thats where I place stands to stay.  Everywhere else I use a climber.  They only become aware of your stands if they see or smell you there.  Its tough to get some bucks to come back by a stand in daylight hours once they know your there.

If I can, I'll hang the stand early and leave it.  It makes it so much quieter and quicker to get in.  I always have my walkabout stand in the truck if I need a mobile setup.

I do both.I always have at least one stand hanging in an area that is always good for the first few hunts.It allows me to see what is going on and I can use a climber to get closer if I need to after seeing patterns in game movement.

I've always used climbers as I hunted a military installation and you had to.  One morning I had a large buck walk directly under my tree in the dark and I had just finished strapping myself in.  I had another one standing and watching me put my stand up in the afternoon.  Sometimes the deer are goofy.