I dont like tree stands anymore

[Slickhead]

I know they have their place at times, but for me Im done.
After years of hunting on the ground I bought a ladder stand.
After wrestling with it several times I got it placed where I thought Id want it.
Only to find there are angles I cant come to full draw.
So long story short its going up for sell soon.

[Rick Moss]

I hear that! dirtybird just got my last tree stand, although I like the lone wolf climbers I had...not a big fan of the hang on, too much work to hang and hunt(I don't leave em up). plus I seem to have so much more fun on the ground, and I like being mobile, and have had some fun stalking deer that were obviously not coming within my range. I actually spotted a doe, and after skirting my effective range...I slowly stalked within 30 yards and double lunger her. that was the most exciting and intense two hours of my life...and after that, I was hooked on the ground game worse than a crack head...I think I have only killed one deer from a stand, all the rest have been from the ground. so for me, it is not really a loss that I no longer own a tree stand. so much more fun and exciting on the ground, plus you have to be a lot more careful with your movement and scent. it just makes you a better hunter. ...did I mention it is more fun too, lol.

[RedShaft]

I hunted stands n went to the ground also. But.. I'm back in a stand again n glad I did. My shot opportunities n sightings went back up. I will hunt from ground occasionally still.

It is a little more work. I use climbing stand. In n out each hunt but once u get a system it's pretty fast

[Brianlocal3]

I hunt from the ground mostly (when I get to hunt) mostly because my dad , who taught me hunting, didn't like them. So when I got older and bought my own I hunted from them occasionally but to be perfectly honest I'm too lazy to carry it in as set it up.

[Don Stokes]

I love to hunt on the ground where it's appropriate, but I still use ladder stands where I need them. The thrill of a deer at close range on the ground, and the challenge of getting an arrow into one... That's why I hunt. Just bought a Spot 360 to make my ground hunting more versatile. Been hunting from a Director's chair, but it's a bit restrictive for shooting from the seat.

[Swamp Yankee]

I gave up on stands a long time ago too.  Just too much hassle (can't leave them up anywhere in my state without them being stolen) to put them up and down every time.  I can hunt from the ground anytime I have an hour or two to spare and it gets me out a lot more often.  Safer, more fun, more time to hunt.  What's not to like?!

[far rider]

I love to hunt from the ground, but have had no success of late. I'm sure it's my inability to see them before they see me. That being said, I have tried to shake things up a little with a ladder stand. I agree, it has been troublesome to set up, and I moved it yesterday by myself...what a pain. My biggest problem is finding a tree...in a descent area...that provides enough surrounding foliage to cover my silhouette, and is in bow range. Gonna give it a try this evening so stand by.

I was wondering if anyone has looked at or had any experience with the Leverage Outcast or Speed Ladder system. It looks like a great setup and system, but is VERY expensive in my opinion. I can see why they cost so much, and I'm actually surprised they can sell it for what they do, but bottom line is, $400-$500 for a ladder stand is a chunk. That's my house payment!

[KentuckyTJ]

Lock-on's are the only stands for a trad bow hunter. JMO!

[TGbow]

I sold all my stands about 7 years ago but I go back and forth about buying a couple ladder stands.
Here in south Alabama folks think I'm weird because I hunt on the ground. lol

All my deer have been killed from the ground even though I use to hunt from a treestand ...maybe 30% of the time. There's things I like about being in a treestand but anything higher than 1o ft I'm just not comfortable.

[Charlie Lamb]

Great idea. I think I'll get rid of my tree stands and hunt only from the ground where there are absolutely no drawbacks or handicaps.

   

[Altiman94]

I think it's good to have both the ability to hunt in a treestand and off the ground.  In timber I vastly prefer being up in a stand if you have a good tree to utilize.

If I'm closer to bedding areas, small terraces, etc then I feel like off the ground can be advantageous.

I think one of the biggest advantages of being on the ground if that you can't fall off your stand.  We read of way too many stories of people getting badly hurt falling from stands.

[Bowwild]

When I have to climb down from the trees I suppose that's when I'm done with all of it.

I love the view from the trees. Maybe that's because I've spent nearly a lifetime at 5'6" (with two pairs of socks on) and I like to get a little altitude perspective from time to time.

The ladder stands are quite restrictive though. I prefer lock-ons. I also like a "limby" tree.

[stagetek]

I've always felt dealing with tree stands was well worth the effort. My experience has been seeing more deer. Being seen by less deer. And, usually having them much closer. Unless heights bother you...what's not to like ?

[Rick Moss]

I loved my lone wolf climber, I could be on my way up the tree, without making a sound in about one minute of the time I arrived at the base of the tree. the stand was pretty comfy and packed nice and flat, and only weighed like 16/17 pounds. should have probably kept it, but I didn't. I got a lone wolf alpha hang on last year, and it is awesome once you get it into the tree...but I wont leave my stands up. lone wolf stuff is the best, but it is expensive and I am not taking the risk of some ..... trespassing and stealing my stuff... I thought about leaving the stand and pulling the sticks, but what if I want to hunt somewhere else from a tree, then I have to go into the area, stink it up...just to get my stand. I love the ground and have a lot of up close encounters. if I ever do get another tree stand it will be another lone wolf climber.

[Hoyt]

I've been hunting out of trees since the early 60's..either standing on a limb crotch or homemade loc ons and now I got climbers and loc ons hid out all over these woods.

Sometimes I forget where I put them and have to rack my brain to find a stand or step section that I hid. But, it's worth it to me.

I just don't have the patence to hunt from ground anymore..only way I'm going to stay in one spot long enough to give a deer time to come by is to climb a tree. Although I have been known to climb down and move to another spot at times.

[Swamp Yankee]

I don't think anyone is saying tree stands don't have a place; because they certainly do.  The premise of this thread (IMO) is simply they just don't work for some of us for reasons above and beyond their effectiveness in some places.

[Swamp Yankee]

..but if anyone wants to add a whole bunch of "thrills" to their hunt, I still have an old Baker stand out in the shed you can have; but you'll have to sign a waiver with my lawyer before I'll ship it ;-)

[Slickhead]

Yep, if you like em , use em.
They have their benifits.
Just being 53 and having some crushed discs in my back, I cant deal with em anymore
 

[John146]

Slickhead, I and I suppose many others can appreciate your decision to hunt the way you choose to for whatever reason that might be. If this deer hunting thing was just about efficiency none of us would be using the bows we use. This sport is about so much more than that.

There are drawbacks and restrictions to ground hunting for sure and you will have to address those as best you can and I am sure you already do that. There are also advantages and benefits as well. One of the biggest advantages that I have realized is being able to scout a new area and hunt it the first time with minimal disturbance. In some situations the process of setting a stand can diminish your odds of seeing deer and just sneaking in and hunting would be better.

There are drawbacks to hunting tree stands as well. I consider the possibility of falling and all the horrific ramifications of that a drawback to tree stand hunting and yet the advantages of being able to shoot without detection much easier and the "view" is undeniable. We all make our choices on how we are going to do it.

With that said if you ever think of doing tree stands again may I offer this. If you are going to do tree stands and you don't have help setting them, then ladder stands are the hardest and most dangerous to deal with IMHO. The part of climbing up to fasten them to the tree with no one holding the ladder while you do that is the most vulnerable time.

A Climber or Loc On would be a better choice because you are dealing with smaller pieces of equipment and you can make sure you are fastened to the tree while doing it. With those crushed disc in your back maybe the ground is where you need to stay but if you ever try again.....

Good luck to you and I hope you get you one real soon.

I shot one deer from a ladder stand and had no trouble with my 68" bow having enough clearance. While not actually from the top of it. Everytime I would go to it the wind was wrong and I had to sit at another spot. One day I was crawling up it and I heard a twig snap. I froze, stuck my leg through the rungs and locked my leg in, slowly took an arrow out and put I on the bow. A nice buck came trotting by, I gave him just a short lead and got a double lung hit that took him down in 40 yards. I no long use all three ladder parts, since I don't sit in them very much. I use it to keep other people from putting tree stands up near where I like to sit. Hunters have no respect for ground blinds, but they treat tree stands like they are no-trespassing signs.