Trad friendly ladder stand?

[Iowabowhunter]

I am looking to buy a couple ladder stands to put up on Grandpa's property.

Looking for one without a front bar deal on it so I can shoot my Widow, and the quieter the platform the better.

Just needs to be a 1 person stand. I'll still use my hang and hunt setup frequently, but there are a couple spots on the farm that I know deer use frequently where a semi permanent stand would be a great option.

Thanks!

[BigTimber]

I just bought a Summit one man stand.  Quality product at a good price.  Comfy seat.

Wap

[Ryan Rothhaar]

All the cheaper ones from walmart, menards, etc dont usually have the bar in front. If so, a wrench and taking out 2 bolts will remove the bar.....

The noise usually comes from either not having them attached tightly at the tree, or from the bottom of the ladder sinking in the ground and creating looseness between ladder sections. Put a small log or rock under the bottom cross member and sink the ladder so its tight to the support before attaching top of stand to tree.

R

[Sam McMichael]

Almost all my stands are ladder stands. None have a frontal bar. They are easy to hunt out of, but you have to learn to lean out just a bit to make sure your bottom limb clears the ladder. You need a good safety harness, though. Ladder stands are not difficult to use. I shoot a 68" longbow without problems.

[kennym]

I had a  shop build me several of my own design , 12' to platform , seat system needs re-designed tho. They charged me $100 each.  No joints in legs, chain and small boomer to tree.  Quiet as can be.  I can haul them in truck or on my atv .

I really hate when you stand to shoot and the stand lets out a squeal. Deer don't like it much either...

[kennym]

I have 8 of them on the lease I manage, maybe some of the guys who have used them will chime in. 

[Iowabowhunter]

My main concern is noise. Followed by platform height. I dont want the ladder to be much above 15' due to the area im planning to put them in.

Menards does have some really inexpensive stands, the only potential issue there is the popping/creaking sound I definitely want to avoid.

[gradymaci]

Millennium, probably the most comfy. you can take off the rail..

[BAK]

I currently have a dozen ladder stand put up on about 200 acres.  Each stand has been modified a bit.  None of them are over 12 to 15 feet high.  I use bolts with self locking nuts instead of snap pins to make sure there is no joint rattle.  I also cut the bottom legs of the stand so that only about 3 to 4 inches sticks beyond the bottom rung.   Now you can sink the stand into the ground so it actually sits on the rung, no more settling while in use.

When you put one up always make sure the tree is either straight, or leaning slightly back from the stand.  Your back will thank you for it.  Make sure the seat is either flat or slightly raised at the front.  Nothing worse than a stand that makes you feel you are sliding out all the time. 

I brush mine in with ceder bows about 2 weeks before season opens.  Deer get used to seeing all that dark lump up there and won't notice you hardly at all, if you do your part and stay still.  After all this each year I also check the ratchet straps and switch out anything that looks questionable.  Never leave them more than 3 years.

Still use a safety strap,  makes you "feel good."   

[Mike Bolin]

I have had good luck with the Field and Stream ladder stands. 14' to the foot platform and the seat folds up giving you a full platform for standing shots. It comes with arm rests/handrails but I just leave them off. If you don't have a Field and Stream store near you they do have a website. I wait until mid January to buy them as they go on sale. I am thinking that I paid about $60 each after the season. They have another model with a stationary seat for under $50 (post season) and I bought one of those to be able to use the extra ladder sections for a couple of places where I need a bit height. 14'-16' is where I prefer to be, but sometimes rolling/hilly terrains dictates a bit more height.

[MnFn]

I’ve used the cheapies from Mennards and have not had any noise problems with them.

However the first one had arm rests and when I took a practice shot out of it  (to the side) the lower limb hit the arm rest.  Knocked the bow right out of my hand.

So just a suggestion , take a few practice shots out of it.

[David Flanrey]

I killed a nice doe off one of Kenny's ladders this year.  Very quiet and solid.  I would like to have a couple for my place in Arkansas.

[Orion]

Most, but not all, ladder stands have bars (part of the ladder) along side the legs that prevent you from turning in the seat.  Pretty much force you to stand up to shoot if you have to turn in one direction or another.  I like to shoot from the sitting position.  I hunt very thick areas, and the deer are usually fairly close before i see them.   Since wolves moved into the area 20 or so years ago, the deer have become much more cautious. They move through the woods extremely slowly, spending much more time looking than moving. Trying to stand would create too much movement. Most times, I just couldn't get away with standing where I hunt.

That's why I buy or make ladder stands that only have a bar going up from the foot platform next to the tree which holds the seat.  No bars to constrain the legs.  No stabilizing cables from the platform to the seat bar. If you can find a used one or two, Leverage telescoping ladder stands are excellent. (They're no longer made.) I've also made my own by substituting Lone Wolf hang on stands for the platforms that came with other ladder stands I had.  Does take a little gerryrigging.

[flntknp17]

My main concern is noise. Followed by platform height. I dont want the ladder to be much above 15' due to the area im planning to put them in.

Menards does have some really inexpensive stands, the only potential issue there is the popping/creaking sound I definitely want to avoid.

I have one of the inexpensive 18' ladder stands from Menards.....it is definitely easy to put up and it seems very sturdy, but when the temp is below freezing, it tends to creak a little if I am not careful and I'm not entirely sure why yet.  I am going to put some rubber washers between a few parts after late season is over to prevent metal to metal contact in the area with the creak.  The upside is that its a very very comfortable stand and was a good price.  I like the pivoting seat a lot.  I've spent >100 hours in it this year so it's comfortable.  It was a Summit brand.

Matt

[Sam McMichael]

I have had no significant noise issues with ladder stands, but I do try to "settle them in" before the season. Once they are set up, I sit in, squirm around, and check how snugly they are strapped to the tree trunk. I bounce slightly in the seat to check it out (use a safety harness). Every once in a while, I have one that won't quiet down, so I release it from the tree and start over again with the set up process. This usually works. Ladder stands are easy, but you do have to pay attention to the set up. I shoot from a seated position while in the stand for a couple of reasons. One, it doesn't cause a weight shift that might create a noise. Also, my balance is not totally steady. I have found that if I keep my back straight, shooting while seated is not difficult. I do lean just a bit forward to keep my bow limb out of the way. My favorite brand is whatever is on sale, as I have not found too much difference in any of them that are made of heavy enough metal.

[Jon Stewart]

Own maybe 8 or 10  Menard's ladder stands. No noise with them at all. Can't beat the price either.

[Terry Green]

Most if not all creaking can be fixed with Vaseline