Thinking of switching to all ladder stands?

[paoloi]

If you like to stand at all I think ladder stands suck. You are about a foot away from the tree, so you can't really lean against it and you stick out like a sore thumb.

[guspup]

OK, one more comment :-). I have exclusive permission to hunt an 85 acre farm. I only have one stand on this property, but one day the wind wasn't right and I stalked around, only to find someone had set up one of those double seat stands on my 'exclusive' property... nice gesture I thought so I tried it out for a bit. I twas a new experience for me..... with the double width, I could position myself for a shot 360 degrees around the tree. An hour into my new adventure, I arrowed a nice doe that had no idea I was there. I might have to buy one of these too, unless folks keep setting them up for me to use :-)

[guspup]

I forgot to mention, I always shoot standing up. Just my two scents :-)

[Hatrick]

I'm with TxAg and guspup on this one.

I still use my Lone Wolf climber and I have a nice set up with a chain on in a triple poplar that produces a deer every year. But my favorite stand of all time I placed about 6 years ago. It's a cheapo 15' ladder stand in a group of pines. It's safe to climb, no rails, and I can get in and out very easily. Best of all, between my son and I it produces multiple deer every year. I just had a nice 8 pt. walk right up to the ladder on Thanksgiving morning. Problem was he came straight in and never gave me a good shot. I could have dropped my bow straight down on his beautiful rack. I hope to see him yet again this year from any stand. 20 yards away would be nice!

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Wow! Lots of bad comments about a great type of stand. I agree there's some bad ones out there but most are fixable with a little bit of work.

We kill big bucks, turkeys and plenty of does out of them every year. Most are set up as doubles so I can hunt with Tradgang buddies or my boys, But we do have several singles too.

Like said already try to blend them in with multiple trunked tree's or you can not beat a good ceder for hiding the stand. I have no idea how many deer have been shot out of this stand over the years, I have moved it around several times but on the same ridge and area within a couple hundred yards.
 

Thats Ryan Steadman on this years hunt and he shot many times out of this stand

 

Shot a nice buck out of this one last year. 6yd shot!

 

Can you even see the stand in this pick?

 

How about now, Thats Mr. lamb hiding in there.

 

All are stands are 15' to 16' tall and we don't spend much money on them. There some good ways to make them rock solid and quiet if you just put in the effort. I think there plenty safe to. we have climbers, chain on's and strap on's but probably use are ladders the most.

This thread reminds me I don't have enough pictures of my stands so I can post picks. My son shot another booner this year out of a ladder sitting in a ceder tree.

Works for us!    :D        

Tracy

[guspup]

Like the combo ladder and hang on!!! I do that too.
Some of mine have been there so many years, and have killed so many deer for my friends and family, they are like family treasures.
My friends that come from other states as far away as Georgia, text me and and ask how their pine tree stand is producing this year :-)

[K.S.TRAPPER]

I hear you Brian sounds alot like some of are stands.    

Glad to hear some of the good comments too  

Tracy

[thunder1]

I have been using a.climber and a ladder stand for several years now. On days I don't feel.like dragging out the climber I.just.walk up a ladder and have a seat. My stand is a 15' stand. I've taken plenty of deer out of that stand. You need  to plan your stand placement a little better. Those things are heavy.

[Jack Whitmire Jr]

Here in the straight hardwood trees in WV you just as well get a bullhorn , flashing lights and pour gasolne all over you  as hunt out of a ladder stand . Deer will pick you out 125 yards away or farther . I tried them and have sold all but one . It is in my yard to practice out of.

They aren't as stable as you would think they are either . If you hunt in pines or other low limbed trees I would say they would work well, but not here .

Jack

[michigan bill]

A friend hunts off ladder stands that have him far too exposed to be very effective.  At least by my standards he is far too exposed.
He has shot two honest-to-goodness Pope and Young bucks out of those stands over the last two years.
He just "sits real still" and draws when they are "looking the other way."
I've never got a Pope and Young.
Bill

[Mark Baker]

I own about 8 of them...not sure, I'd have to think a bit.  I love them, think they are pretty versatile, comfy, high enough, and even the cheap ones, which is pretty much all I have, can be made to be excellent.  

I use them in places where I never move them...tried and true spots.  Just like any stand, you have to use common sense in where you set them, and how you hunt them, but I find the older I get, the more I'm liking them.   I also use a lot of hang on stands, but I plan to get more ladders.

[Hatrick]

Mark Baker said..."but I find the older I get, the more I'm liking them."

Ain't that the truth  

[Hoyt]

Ladder stands are not an option for me. No way could I get even one way back in the rugged country I hunt. It's all I can do to get myself back in there. Can't even get a 4 wheeler in there to haul one. Although it would be nice if I could.

[non-typical]

I have over a dozen ladder stands on my farm. Haven't hunted out of a hang-on all year. Using them as much as I do I find them less work to put up than an hang-on plus I like the stability of them a heck of a lot more not to mention the ease and safety of climing in and out.

[Fritz]

I love ladder stands for leaving them out in one place or for a double set. I have 3 or 4 12ft stands I made out of treated wood and galvanized nails/screws. Heavy, but rock solid and quiet. I also picked 2 or 3 of the cheap metal ones. They take a little work to get them quiet. All in all, ladder stands work great if you are not moving them around alot. At the end of the season I loosen up my ratchet straps a little for tree growth. Before season, I check the straps and replace those that need to be replaced and trim a little and I'm ready to hunt. I have killed several deer and hogs out of them. The critters don't seem to notice them. I still have and use my lock-ons and climbers as the situation dictates.

[Longbeard]

We have 5 different ladders and one hang on w/sticks on our land.  Every one of them has produced deer.  I take grapevines and weave them thru the sides of the ladder to the seat area and will stop at the craft stores and buy the fake vines with leaves on them and zip tie them to the stands as well.  You can also get the artificial pine garland when it goes on sale and do the same thing if your stands are in pine trees.  I'll also cut hickory/oak limbs before the leaves fall off and tie them into the tree behind me to assist in breaking up my outline when I'm in the tree.  Like to put them into multiple treetrunked trees as well.  Like most, I don't like hanging them by myself, but have found a way that helps out a lot.  Take a long rope and tie one end to one side of the back of the stand.  Run the rope around the tree you're going to put the stand in and then tie that end to the other side of the back of the stand.  Once I have the stand up against the tree, I grab the rope and pull it as tight as I can and tie it off to another tree behind the one I'm putting the stand it.  Now the stand is being pulled as hard as I can pull it into the tree, and I'm able to climb up and attach my ratchet strap around the tree and finish snugging it up from there.  Also, like Frizt does above, I loosen the ratchet strap at the end of the season to allow for tree growth.  All of the ladders are also chained in once they are up, as thieves will steal anything they can, given the chance.

[Kevin Winkler]

I pretty much use ladder stands exclusively since I've had my hip replacement. I bought two new Rivers Edge ladder stands on sale at Farm & Fleet this year and I really like this new model....Oasis 17' it's 15' to the platform.
It has a full platform that goes all the way back to the trunk of the tree and has mesh backrest and seat that tips up. I didn't put on the arm rests and shooting rail. I don't gun hunt anymore and they would just be in the way for bowhunting.

[PA stickbow boy]

You've all been a great help!  The reason for the switch is I feel more comfortable climbing a ladder than the sticks. I've slipped on the sticks more than once and not fond of the way the pattern of steps go. I dunno, I just feel more comfortable climbing and sitting a ladder stand. Nothing against any other kind (have and use them all) but personal preference I guess.

The tips I've learned so far for blending in and set up:

1. set up in a pine the limbs hide you and the ladder well

2. setting up in a multiple trunk tree can hide you and the ladder better than a single trunk tree

3. A tree wider than my body will hide me better

4. A flip up seat would be good so you can stand closer to the tree to "hide"

5. Can set the seat of the ladder and platform of the ladder above limbs on a lower limbed tree. This would hide the ladder some and probably me as well

6. Weave grape vines around the ladder and seat.  We've got lots of grape vines on the private land I hunt.

7. Loosen the strap to allow for tree growth.  (wish I knew this a few years ago)

8. Always check the rachet straps before every season. sun and weather can weaken them

[PA stickbow boy]

Very helpful guys.  Thanks!    

[PA stickbow boy]

If anyone has any other tips or setups they like, feel free to post.