The worst Treestand you ever had?

[Hoyt]

I was hunting one morning when I heard all kinda racket about a 100yds from me. I just knew it was two bucks fighting. Lasted about 5 minutes and stopped.

When I got down I eased down that way and saw a guy up in a pine on a Baker Stand.

[Hill Hunter]

Baker for me, the best thing that ever happened was when it got stolen, I smile when I read these accounts and think of the thief who got mine.
 My older brother tells horror stories about a climbing stand called the squirrel? apparently it spiraled around the tree as it fell.

[TRAP]

I felt like a "test pilot" with quite a few homemade and commercial models back in the 80s.

Baker's should have come with a life insurance policy attached. That being said, I shot several deer from my Baker Mighty Might.

I'm glad it's easier now.

Trap

[jimmerc]

Yep!  I still have nightmares about the old baker rides!!!

[RkyMtn Joe]

Wow--The old Bakers sure have been taking a beating here.  I bought mine before it was called a Baker--it was first called the "Profane Tree Stand" supposedly because when someone saw you climb a tree with it, they would exclaim, "Well, I'll be DaXXed".

Mine arrived on a UPS truck one morning, and that very afternoon I killed my first decent buck from it.  On a soft barked pine tree it worked very well.  On harder barked trees it could slide if you weren't careful.  I still have that old stand and actually use it once in a while yet.

Joe

[BWD]

One thing that can be said about the old Baker's, they got the ball rolling, in terms of better climbing stand development.

Saw one in front of a consignment store, for $5, back last year. Sent chills up and down my spine.

[Izzy]

My father welded one up like one of those Bakers. It turned out so well, someone broke into the shed and thats all that they stole. Thief might have saved my life.

[Eric Krewson]

Some of my friends put a row sharpened bolts through the bar on their bakers to make them grip the tree and be safer. This worked, they never took a ride down a tree with them after they had been altered.

[Brock]

never owned a baker...though friends did and teh stories of them sliding down the tree were enough to keep me away.  Worst I had was an early Loggy Bayou aluminum stand...not sure if they had not gotten the welding or design right as of yet back in the 90s....but the damn thing creaked and groaned with every movement.  Impossible to go from sitting to standing or to shift your weight the slightest once the temps got down to 50 or below.  Heavy dose of silicone lube and running straps around the platform helped but ended up selling to a guy in florida that never sees cool weather and rifle hunts.  

[Eric Krewson]

My early loggy was my favorite stand until it started creaking and groaning, never could get it to stop. Sold it to a rifle hunter that never stood up.

[Running Buck]

The worst stand I ever owned was a Baker Mighty Mite that I dubbed "the torture platform". This thing was about 15"X15" after you got up in the tree you moved very little. I upgraded to a TSS stand, one of those do it yourself deals where you supply the plywood. The platform was bigger and it had a spring steel band to go around the tree but still slipped a lot going up and coming down.

[Bill Turner]

I used the original Baker stand but I don't remember a hand climber. Believe mind was purchased before the hand climber was available. I never had a bad incident, but I saw my hunting bud come down a tree so fast it took all the hair off his chest. Can remember hugging those trees for dear life, bending my knees and positioning the stand for another bite and then standing up on the stand and adjusting my arm hold for another go. Those were the days.

[Rick Perry]

I killed a lot of deer out of those old bakers ........................ today I wouldnt use one if you paid me !!!!! .....LOL... times change 8^)

[smoke1953]

My brother used his Baker up to 10 yrs ago, it was his lucky stand, changing plywood every two years. His ribs finally gave out.

[Pat B]

My first tree stand was my worst. It was a home made, $5 flea market stand with no climber, you hug the tree. I'd put my arms through the strape on a boat cussion and hug the tree. Killed my first deer, an 8pt, from this stand after it ratching out from under me vtrying to get up a straight live oak tree. This was about the time the Bakers first came out.

[OldSkoolArcher]

Loggy Cheap Seat and Strap-On Steps.

[YORNOC]

Used to just find a bigger tree and sit on a hefty limb. No safety harness.  Went to Stuben County NY one year, saw deer traveling a ridgeline and set up in an OLD tree, about 30 feet up to keep myself above the deer on the steep trail.
Once set up, I started a practice draw and AAIIIYYYEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!
Like Wile E. Coyote, hit every limb on the way down, thank God....or I'd be dead! Bow was perfect, I was a little crooked.

[BBWV]

What memories..Back in the early 70s my dad built a wooden stan for my brother and I. The thing was all boards and about 20 ft or so up. Our dad went up the tree and my brother and I used a rope, pully and a horse to bring the lumber up to our dad as he built it, and the ladder was a big rope with knots tied in it every couple feet or so. Man it was a job just to get up in it. I don't think there was any deer took from it but we had fun with it.
It beat setting on a tree limb. (did that too)

[Webster2]

Loved my Baker, Big John or something like that.

24" X 32 "

Never has a mishap..

Biggest mistake, was standing too close to the tree, causing it to kick out.

Once they gained thier unenviable reputation, no one wanted it.

Could leave it anywhere, no one would steal it..

[hayslope]

Baker?              

Do I have some stories!!!  Not enough time for here!  Glad they went the way of the Dodo!

I've also had issues with some early model hand climbers from a fairly well known stand company from down south.....don't want to start a screamin contest here....just stating my experiences.

Thinking about some of those old Baker "experiences (and those of others), makes me laugh......'course, it wasn't funny back then.....till the stand stopped moving!!!