Ladderstand concealment

[Nesbo1482]

Hello all,
I was thinking about getting back into treestand hunting. I am not the best when it comes to heights so I like the security of a ladderstand, but I was wondering if you all could tell me some ways you conceal them.  I try to look for double or triple trees to put them up, but sometimes they aren't available.  I thought about wrapping it with fake vines from the craft store.

[Shedrock]

Wire or zip tie some branches to it.

[Glunt]

Concealing from people or whitetails?  In my limited experience with ladder stands, the deer ignored them.  Unfortunately, people didn't.

[sweeney3]

What Glunt said.  I've gotten several deer over the years out of the same ladder stands.  You might want to limit their use to relativly secure private land though, or they are likely to get messed with.

[owlbait]

I'm going to try some artificial Christmas tree branches this year.

[Nesbo1482]

yeah nobody messes with things on my land.  I'm boxed in on all sides by good people, we are very relaxed about it.  If a deer runs on someone else's property, don't worry about callin, just go get it or call if you need help tracking it.

[Knawbone]

Glad to hear that.Nesbo, Thats the way it should be.


   

[lilbobby]

Used them for several years, never concelled the ladder; It doesn't bother the deer but I always put them out early.

[LeeBishop]

The deer don't care. They just have to get used to seeing them for a couple of weeks and then they are just natural habitat to them.  

Make sure you have plenty of lead time to let them get used to seeing them

The most important thing to remember is to selectively cut branches in and around the tree so it still covers you a little from the vantage point on the ground. You will stick out like a sore thumb if you're on the side of a clearing without any branches to blend in with.  They will notice something doesn't look right but they can't place it and will slowly turn around just to be safe.

I have six latter stands on my place that i hunt out of, plus tower and box stands. I mostly go to latters though. Just be careful and keep three points of contact at all time. Don't lean too far while shooting and always use BRAND NEW ratchet straps. The sun rots them within a few months of being outside. The UV rays break down the polymers and dry rot.  $5 isn't worth getting hurt over. If the height worries you then you don't have to use all of the latter links. Just take it up to 10 ft instead of 15+ no biggie.

[muley40]

I switch over from hangons to ladders 9 years ago never strap any thing to them they don`t bother deer and I have taken some nic p.y bucks using them, same deal with these shooting towers they get use of them,

[Onestringer]

I will try to remember to get a pic of some ladder stands I have.  I zip tie cut branches, old fake greenery, and christmas tree branches to them. Not only to the base but the ladder going up.   Essentially I make them a blind in the sky.  By doing so even turkeys let me get away with things that I could never get away with in a hang on stand or climber.  This really plays an important part later in the season when the foliage is gone.

Just my 2 cents

[TRAD101]

the way i see it,the deer get use to seeing the
ladder stand (I do camo paint them), what they
are not use to is someone sitting in them so I
make it a point to try to put branches etc. behind where I am sitting in the tree so that I
blend in.

[Bill Turner]

I prefer to conceal them, not because of the deer but the people who might see, use, or steal them on public land where I hunt. Zip ties work great especially with cedar. Because of the threat of theft I seldom pay more than $75.00 for my ladder stands. Been real fortunate so far, nothing stolen but always a concern. Goood luck.

[gregg dudley]

I never bother with the lower ladder portion of the stand, but I try to brush in the top or place it in cover.  I always try to set the stand where I won't be skylighted when a deer looks up at me.

[rraming]

You can cut any branch that has leaves on it before the first frost and the leaves will stay until you are done hunting. A tip from Roger in his book "whitetail magic"

[Hatrick]

gregg dudley, above, is right on the money.