Ladder Stand advice

[Silvertip Marc]

What kind of ladder stands are you folks using?  I am going to get a ladder stand in the next few weeks and nees some input.  Looking at Millenium, but they are expensive.

[Sam McMichael]

I like Millenium, but have used others. Any stand that is solid will work just fine, but I have a definite preference for  fabric seat as opposed to sitting on a metal platform. Also, I sit a little bit to one side with my right butt cheek on the seat and my left one hanging off a bit - not really hard to get used to at all. This keeps my 68" bow from hitting the stand when I shoot. Also I don't care for any kind of hand rails at all. Whatever you choose, be sure to ALWAYS wear your safety harness.

[mountain lion]

I just use the rivers edge ladder stands, they are at a pretty good price and I can buy them at a local store. Once you get them up they are solid, for me anyway.

[Robertfishes]

I also prefer a flip seat ladder stand. The ones I liked the best(loggy bayou 20' bowhunter) they quit making them 7 years ago. I left 4 of them out for 6 years and The Loggys started to get rust holes in them, so I had to replace them last year with 15 ft stands from "Dicks".. I will use a good firm but soft foam cushion in place of the ones that come with them. I have friends that use the Millenium stands, I have not sat in one so I can't comment on them, they look very nice though.. I will be following this thread to see what others are using too.

[dhermon85]

I also got mine at "dicks". Black Friday got me two for a hundred bucks. Nice basic, no rail, 15 footer.

[Robertfishes]

Nothing against Loggy Bayou.. Any metal stand left out in the Florida swamps will rust thru in 6 years..

[Car54]

No arm rails, interferes with shooting, plus my bow is always on my lap.
No fabric material seat(makes to much noise when I adjust to shoot). Use hard seat with pad on top.

Got mine at Basspro Shop. Ladder breaks down to 4 sections(use as many ladder sectons as you need).

[Easykeeper]

My favorite is the Leverage "Speed Ladder".  Definitely not the cheapest stand but by far the most sturdy and quiet of the ladder stands I've tried.  It's marketed as portable, but it's only portable relative to other ladder stands.

[Fletcher]

I like ladder stands and find myself using them more and more.  I need a seat that lifts up and platform that goes back to the tree, but don't want a rail or armrests.  Rivers Edge has some good models and I saw this one today at Scheels:   http://www.scheels.com/shop/en/scheels-catalog/hunting-/hunting-treestands/rivers-edge-bowman-ultimate-ladder-stand-12642-re635-13   Must be a new model as I didn't find it on the RE website.  It looked to me like the armrests could be left off, too.  I also like the Ol Man Bowlite ladder.  Very basic stand with a full platform and a very comfortable net seat.  It is also very light as ladder stands go.

Good Hunting!

[Silvertip Marc]

great input everyone...I just watched a you tube video on the Leverage "Speed Ladder".  Looked nice.

[r-man]

I have bought several, only have one left and its in back acher, from sportmans guide, sturdy, and had use hammer to get section together, never tried taking it apart, I paid under 50$ and i know why.

[Bud B.]

Originally posted by dhermon85:
I also got mine at "dicks". Black Friday got me two for a hundred bucks. Nice basic, no rail, 15 footer.

I got the same one last Weds for $60. It's my second one. They're so inexpensive when on sale why move one from place to place? So two were in order. The second one is going about 100 yards from where the first one is located.

Regular price is $120.

[tradarcher816]

Lol don't know the brand, I just buy when they are on sale after season.

[Hummer3T]

I bought some old tree climbing ladders from a tree nursery, used for collecting seed, they are awesome.


 

[Silvertip Marc]

That kinda looks like what I have used in the past.  I have hung an aluminum ladder against the tree and it seemed to have worked fine.  I will probably just do that since the millenium is so expensive.

[xtrema312]

Loggy Bayou is what I have for ladders.  I have a couple that are at least 7 years old and have been mostly out for that time.  I have had them down and painted a couple times plus new straps.  Still very sturdy without any sign of issues.  Platform goes to the tree and seat platform flips up.  side rails are low so not much of a clearance issue with most shots.  Very low maintenance.  

It is a now go for me if the platform will not go to the tree and the seat will not flip up.  I much prefer to shoot standing and will stand leaning on the tree much of the time.

It would be nice to have a more portable one, but for now I just use them as semi perminant placement stands.  I use stick ladders and hang on stand for most of my hunting. I find them to be almost as safe as a ladder and  much easier to move around.

[Barry Wensel]

Typically that's the way it goes. You find something good and they quit making it. The Loggy Bayou ladders were my favorite. Somebody needs to duplicate them. I've hunted strictly from ladders since 2001. Most bowhunters are looking for a flip-up seat; a platform that extends back to the tree; and minimal or no side bars to get in the way for our bows. It amazes me with all the dozens of brands/designs out there they don't make many options. I'm told the ones mentioned above from Dick's Sporting Goods are excellent, especially for the price. We'd better buy them before they take them off the market too. BW

[Lost Arra]

Leverage is nice. Feels like sitting in a hang-on with a nice compact platform and flip up seat but they are pricey.

I also like 15' Game Winners from Academy Sports. $39 after-season sales ($79 is regular price). Solid as a rock. No railing and you can stand on the platform or the seat if you need to get higher. Sometimes late in the season when the leaves have all fallen I like to be standing right up next to the tree trunk and this model allows that.

[Fletcher]

If you're gonna stand on the seat, please be wearing a full body harness.  It's called a seat for a reason.

[Lost Arra]

>>please be wearing a full body harness.<<

Always. I actually use a climbing harness but I'm always attached

>>It's called a seat for a reason.<<

I did think about that before I tried it the first time. But the seat on this stand is the exact same thing as the platform and both will hold my 175# whether seated or standing.