leaving your climber at the base of the tree?

[Hill Hunter]

If its there for a long time they may get used to it, but here is what happened to me one time.
I was on an out of state hunt in Ill. rut was in and I was in a great spot, I had left my climber on a tree, the next morning when I went in it was very windy, so I through together a quick ground blind before daylight. I was sitting in it about a half hour after daylight when a great buck (approx 170) came down the trail, he was going to walk within 20 yards of me and I was hidden very well, as he past by my tree with the stand on the base, it was about 15 yards off of the trail, he looked over and came unglued, it was then all over but the crying, well except for more crying.

[Overspined]

Talk about noses, I once tried to climb a tree too large for my climbing strap on the climber, so I switched trees. A young 6 pointer came by and literally tried to climb the tree I had hugged to get a better whiff of that intruder. He was on his back legs standing upright, and reaching with all he had to get higher for more scent. He was searching for more of a foothold to actually climb up the trunk. It was humerous. He then bedded 10 yds from me for more than an hour waiting for does, and off he went chasing.  I think I agree that leaving a stand you just sat in at ground level may draw attention.

[RonD]

The NWR where I hunt has a rule that treestands cannot be left up for the season nor overnight, but may be left attached to the base of the tree along with the proper identification of the owner. Should the stand be left up and found by the game wardens, that person can be fined and the stand seized. Their reasoning is that the public owns the tree and should be able to access it at anytime unlike private land. With modern technology producing lighter stands I would think it would just as easy to pack the stand in each day. Personally, I would not leave a stand on public land due to the large number of thefts that occur.

[Don Stokes]

I had a climber stolen that was chained to the tree with a logging chain and heavy-duty lock. I had a friend help me carry a heavy wooden ladder stand into the same area, and it disappeared too. I don't leave stands on public land any more.

[stagetek]

I've left it when I plan on returning the next morning to hunt the same stand. Alot quieter when the stand is already on the tree. Quicker too.

[adeeden]

I got to disagree with most and say it's a bad idea.

Yes, the critters wil get used to it while its there next to the ground, but once you take it up into the tree to actually hunt they will notice it's gone!

About ten years ago me and a freind were hunting together. Actually he was hunting and I was videoing fo him. He had a climber attached to a tree and about 2 feet off the ground it had been there for several weeks. We put a lock on stand in a tre close by for me to video from. It was early November and the deer were moving really good. But mid morning The wind switched on us. So we relocated about 20 yards away on the opposite side of the funnel were in. He st up his climber and i just slipped into a brush pile with the camera a few feet behind his stand tree.

Deer started filling through shortly after. Four different does came through  and all had the same reaction. They would look towards the base of his old tree realizing that something was wrong. (the stand wasn't there) and begin to go on alert circling and staring at the old tree. It was something to watch. 9 deer passed through over the rest of the day (13 total) with 6 having bad reactions to the stand not being there as they were acostomed to seeing it. The remaining didn't seem to care but thats close to half being very alerted to it.

I need to dig out that old video and watch it again!

[JJB2]

I do that all the time with plenty of success.

[heydeerman]

Last season I was hanging my Summit at the base of the tree. The wind changed direction making it unfavorable to hunt out of that tree. I left it at the base and moved into a position on thr ground in a natural blind. The stand was in sight about 40 yards from my position. A group of does came in right along the path that was about 10 yards from the stand at the base of the tree. They saw the stand and totally freaked out and started stomping and snorting almost like they were going to attack it then booked out of there. After seeing that I take mine out when I am not in it.

[Roy Steele]

Iknow the bears don't mind. They love the fooooooam at least here in WV.

[Tom Leemans]

Around here, you'd need to hire an armed guard if you want to leave a climber laying around.

[Bobaru]

Left my backpack at the base of my tree last year.  A nice 8 pt. Whitetail stopped from chasing a doe at 15 yards, and stared under my tree for about 5 to 10 minutes - so I couldn't get a shot.  I finally got a shot.  After which, I figured out the 8 point wasn't staring at my pack under the tree but the 4 point standing under my tree.  

So, bottom line, in that case, my pack under the tree had no effect on game.

[cedar]

I have left my climber on the bottom of the tree a fes times if I was going back the next morning.  There is always a chance someone will take ownership in the dark.  It has never happened to me but my buddy had one lifted.  Concering spooking game, I think it is like anything else, sometimes the game will be spooked, other times they will pay no attention.

[Hoyt]

I keep 4 climbers in the woods yr. round unless I have to bring one in for repair. I hunt a long way back into Shawnee Forest and it's rough country with steep, high, ridges and no way can I take them in and out every day. I just move them around in the areas they are in.

Squirrels, rats or something gnawed almost all the cloth and foam off a brand new Summit Open Shot and same happened to an Equalizer.

I've been lucky and never had a stand stole, but I do lock them up. However, in the 3 yrs I've hunted this area I've never seen another hunter during archery season and only once saw one guy during muzzle loader season.

[cahaba]

If I leave mine I spray it down with Sent A Way. I know it doesnt have any negative effects. I have seen deer walk across where I just walked and I had Sent A Way sprayed on my boots. I have also climbed a tree many times with a climber and see deer within 10 min. So I dont think that a climber scares them if you take your time and try and be quiet. You make more noise putting it up than climbing. I dont leave my stand up on public land but I do when I am hunting my own land.

[dsc]

I lost my first climber to  someone after leaving it all night,It was a baker that tried to kill me a few times so other than having a bad morning it didnt bother me to much. hope it treated them as well.LOL.I haven't left one in after that.  Dan

[Hoyt]

I left my old Baker in Ocala National Forest about 40yrs ago. That death trap cured me from climbers for many yrs.

[frank bullitt]

Yeah, last time I left mine at the base, a Buff stepped on it, and wouldn't climb right after that!  :D  

Really though, why do folks leave their pull line attached to the stand and hanging to the ground? This is one thing you have most contact  with, scent?

Oh sure, some will reply, and say they do all the time and killed this Big Buck!

I wouldn't leave it Ozzy.

[Lee Robinson .]

I usually carry mine in and out, but I do rarely make an exception.

1. It costs less, as I only need one stand for each person.

2. It allows me to adjust to the wind or some other factor that I may acquire while I am on my way out or at home/base camp.

3. We shouldn't hunt the same tree too often.

4. They are not hard to pack in or out.

5. It doesn't "claim" public land. I don't agree with claiming a domain on public land, but believe first in earns right to hunt (unless prior agreements have been made with other hunters in the area).

Once I had scouted a very large area of public land pre-season and learned of an area I considered to be a prime location. During the season, I went in with my climber to hunt only to find a stand chained to the tree (no biggie really) but what upset me was the ground cover in the area was clear cut with a machete (turning shooting lanes into an open parking lot) and corn was dropped all around the area. He ruined what was a legal prime spot. I reported it to the game warden (it is illegal to hunt over corn here), but I don't know if they did anything or not as the area wasn't easily accessible. If that happens again, while I wouldn't ever damage or vandalize anyone's property I would be tempted get some tissue paper and rub a chewed up chocolate bar on it and then tuck that along with a note requesting he not hunt over corn next time (if I had something to write with) in his seat cushion on his stand to send a message and play with his mind so he might think I ruined the area. We have a lot of poachers in MS, and it can be a bit taxing to hunt legally and then have the hunting area ruined.

Now of course, that story has little to do with the post at first glance, but my point is...What we do on private land is our business, but when we are on public land, I believe we need to follow the laws of the area and make our impact minimal. On private land though, IMO, a person should feel comfortable doing whatever they want, (assuming they they are the land owner).

The only exception to carrying a stand out I can think of at this time and that I can justify for MYSELF would be during the rut when deer of less alerted and I hunt one evening and again the next morning at the same location.