Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Ladder Stands

I am looking to pick up one or two ladder stands. I have been looking at the Muddy Stands (Skybox and Huntsman) but am open to other brands. For now I am probably just looking at a single. I may purchase a double in the future. Any suggestions/recommendations would be appreciated!.

I strongly prefer the ones where the platform goes all the way to the tree. Though not has hard a preference, I like the sling style seats over the rigid with a pad. They are more comfortable with or without the pad. Squirrels chew the pads up pretty bad in my neck of the woods. After those two things I just focus on price and availability. I haven't seen enough difference between brands to really matter to me.

Thanks for the reply. Which ones are you currently using?

I like the double stands. The more room the better--IMO

Millennium ladder stand. No comparison!

I have The Big Buddy stand made by Big Game Treestands.

The biggest drawback to ladder stands is that they are a bunch of pieces to tote and assemble in the woods

I need one I can chain to a tree that you can't disassemble. Leave something too long in the woods and the democrats (meth heads) will take it.

Already mentioned, I prefer the Millennium ladder with the platform that goes to the tree.....Millennium has a model that doesn't go to the tree and one that does, go with the one that does.

These look pretty good. I am going to check them out, thank you.

The millennium M-110 is okay, but heavier than heck, and impossible to setup solo. Its isnt the best stand to bow hunt from in my opinion, and I never install the rifle rest because of this.

I much prefer the Rivers Edge Lockdown Bow Pro.

I like, and use, the X-Stands. Quiet and comfortable with large platforms. Just don't expect to set one up yourself.

Thanks for the various suggestions. I plan on having some help setting it up.

I highly suggest purchasing only double ladder stands. Once you use them a single stand is way to cramped, especially with a lot of hunting clothes on. You can turn in a double stand and shoot to the right or left easily.

+1. For years I hunted out of single ladder stands but once I tried a double stand, there was no going back. You can't have too much room in a ladder stand.

a bigger stand is more comfortable you will sit longer &more quite . with help easy to install

Check out Heavens Trail Outdoors. The absolute best system out there. They’ve thought of everything. Buy once cry once

$2500 for a tree stand????

Yeh you hunt? Lmao

The first person I go to for hunting equipment advice is someone who has never hunted in her life and someone who has never handled a firearm or a bow. What a joke

I generally live via the buy-once, cry-once creed. But that's [bleep] laughable.

The most important part of any ladder stand is a good safety harness.

Dude.. i hunt animals and chicks... you should try either... put down the fly rod n dicks.

Saw them up close and personal at an outdoor show. There is no way a couple of guys could tote one of those in the woods and prop it up in a tree. Heaviest stand I’ve ever seen.

+another for the millenniums.

I like the older (original) dual rail ladders.


Those seats are comfy. 20’ is just right.

Watch some of their videos online. If you can get a Polaris ranger to where you want the stand, one man can hang it safely and with minimal effort. That’s the 2 man ladder. Their hang on stand is easily carried in and hung by one person

No more laughable in my opinion than a $2500 scope when a $300 one will work

I don’t know why we skimp on some things and not others

I do not own any HT products but I’m sure I will some day

Their prices are insane. It doesn’t even look like their $3200 double ladder stand is made in the USA.

It’s a pretty good looking stand but definitely more than I’m planning on spending right now.

Family Traditions ladder stands are the best ones I’ve hunted out of. Not light or cheap, but comfortable and sturdy. Happy Trails

I've not yet encountered a double stand that I can sit down in without having to have my legs straight out in front of me, seats are all too low to the platform (I suspect since they're designed to hunt out of with a kid). Single stands I'd rather have a deeper platform than a wider one. I much prefer seats that are able to flip up against the tree so that standing with back against the tree is an option without the seat digging into the back of your legs. Shooting rails are generally worthless so a non factor for me. In my experience if you find one you fall in love with it is going to be discontinued next season so by multiples as soon as you know you like it. Stock ratchet straps are generally garbage, buy at least one decent one and I try to make it a habit to rig up a safety chain since I tend to leave ladder stands out year round if they are in a proven spot and the webbing winds up getting dry rotted or chewed on. Riding ladder stands down the quick way when the strap lets go is gay.

I always bought my tree stands off season when the price went down, and I never bought the expensive ones. I made modifications as necessary, replaced bolts , with stainless steel ones, used a backup ratchet strap on em. I set all up myself, which can be risky unless you really know your ropes and safeties.

I have two Rivers Edge, a double and a wide single. Folding mesh seats and shooting rail. Both have enough room that you can set your rifle on the seat beside you (upside down) with the barrel resting on the rail. That makes sitting all day a lot easier, glassing too. The double is really roomy; worth the extra weight and expense. You will need help putting either up.

In 2018 I bough my first hang-on, also a RE. Used their enclosed strap-on ladder sections too. Works great and no more futzing around with uneven ground.

Buying offseason is the way we got most of the stands on the property where I hunt. The property owner would approach the manger of hunting department in large outdoor stores and offer to buy all the stands they had on display. Most stores don't like the task of taking down the treestand displays and are happy to have someone purchase and take down the displays so they don't have to store them during the offseason nor worry about missing parts etc..

And if you have 40-some treestands scattered in the woods with some in reserve, one should cull most and just get one or two good ones?

A $2500 scope is actually worth it. Esp when you are hunting vs just shooting targets on the range.

That’s entirely subjective

Plenty of folks on this site have 40+ rifles with many in reserve.

Others focus on quality over quantity

Still others have a few premium rifles that they use the most while dozens of others are of varying quality

Why should tree stands be any different?

While replacing wood ladder stands, I have purchased Sportsman's Guide - Guide Gear single and double ladder stands.

I build wood ladder stands, no assembly required in the woods. I shoulder carry them or trailer them.

That's funny to see this ^ ^ ^
I built and used I don't know how many of
these just exactly like that when I was much
younger and lumber was way more reasonably
priced than it is now.
Thanks for posting that

Muddy and hawk have some 1.5 man, mesh seat stands that are doing pretty good for us over the last few years....and aren’t too pricey.

US made too

I like ladder stands more and more the older I get.
However, we don't own the ground my bud and I hunt on.
And there are some local punks that might steal stuff.

So high dollar is out of the question.

Timbered out years ago, no real big trees where we need em.
So ladders or ladder sticks (next to trunk) and hang ons is the way we roll.

Ladder stands are so nice, easy to get in and out of.
Private ground, a bit off the path, big trunk trees...............I'd be running some ladder stands.

We have a mixture of singles and doubles and the best compromise is the 1.5's for weight and room.

We never leave ours out for fear of squirrels, rust, tree movements, and the great Chinese paint jobs.

Look for a stand that is positioned far enough out from the tree so you can see around the tree and not have your back against the tree. It makes finding suitable trees and positioning better.


Big Game is one of our better stands, although the squirrels like the webbing

Agree 100%.
I don't know how many we have. A pretty good pile of them. A dozen maybe? I buy what's on sale typically. The one from Menards is the only crappy one I don't like to sit in. It's a uncomfortable as all hell. But my kids seem to keep shooting deer from it. lol

we have about 8 of them and only one stays out to use for beaver thinning.

I'm toying with tripod stands because it lets you move them out from the branches of a tree. I was trying to set up a ladder stand on a oak tree on my hay field edge and couldnt get it out of the branches and there were no workable popple trees around.

We have a few that are left out. They have a "mesh" type of seat and the squirrels seem to stay away from it. We have been looking at a tripod style too. There are a few spots that we could do well with them I think.

Have tried quite a few but like the Big Game 1.5's the best. I am a good sized boy at 240 lbs and 6' 1" and these fit well and leave room to easily slide around for shots toward the back. Seat raises up if you want to stand. Mesh seat so comfortable. Have about 6 of those and another 6 of other brands.

I think I have 11 ladder stands and all but one are single man stands. Most were bought used at yard sales or flea markets for cheap. I modify mine with shooting rails and I have a few that I added more floor to and extended them back the tree and added a second strap. I make my own padded seats for most and always ad hooks to hang everything up. Plenty of pipe insulation and armrest at the right height make them very comfortable. The one 2 man stand I have is a Walmart stand that I modified as soon as I bought it. Double stands are just to heavy to get up in the steep mountains that I hunt

Yep.

Get a double

I have a very delicate backside and the game winner deluxe ladder stand at Academy Sports is the most comfortable ladder stand I have ever sat in that is currently on the market. Seems like everytime a manufacturer comes out with a comfortable stand, the discontinue it after a year or so. They started making the the tree lounge ladder stand again. I would love to try one but I can get 2 of the game winners and still have $50 left over for the price of the tree lounge.

I've got 2 of these. It's the most comfortable stand I own.

https://shop.biggametreestands.com/hunter-hd-1-5/

Have I think 5 of these and agree totally.

Well, I ordered a Millennium double. Looking forward to trying it out. I may try one of the Rivers Edge as well. Thanks for all of the responses.

I've settled on the El Cheapos at Dicks in the neighborhood of $100. No frills. Well made. I only use two ladder sections instead of three, and, at my age (mid 60's) I still find them fairly easy to move by myself. Why spend $200 - $250 on a big, heavy turret that looks like something that should be on the end of Fort Apache that takes a 2 or 3 men to set up.

spend the money get a double stand, it's nice to be able to stretch out.