Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Fought a treestand today..... need new gear

Moved a ladder stick and hang on stand today.
Was a battle
Am all beat up ( think I won though).

Have decided stands have to be of two types....
No in betweens.

Ladders, heavy sturdy and am cool with them for gun season.

And a light mobile system for bow.

Looking at lighter hang on and 3 or 4 climbing sticks.
Private ground. No backpacking.

Muddy Pro stick and an XOP hang on am thinking.
Something if I have to move it can be done w less headache, backache and cussin.

Users of same or better?

Aluminum sticks! Pick whatever hang on you find best, but aluminum sticks, unless you can find titanium.
Bfly

I’ve been using a millennium micro and lone wolf sticks. Three sections and a 2 foot rope gets me plenty high to bow hunt and it’s super compact and light.
For a more Permanent spot I used whatever sticks I can find on sale and a m100 millennium

I went to a saddle set up and Hawk Helium sticks (20”). Even w a light weight hang in I would recommend the Hawk stocks. Easy to pack and deploy

“Users of same or better”

No idea of your means or budget but look at Heavens Trail tree stands. Tons of videos on YouTube as well

Unbelievable design to address exactly what you are bemoaning about putting up stands

Holy Fugg.....also addresses you no longer having $1500 - $2500 PER stand. Was intrigued by the platform material and step up feature, not for that kinda ching though.

Thanks, was looking at their sticks.

I have a Lock On Widwalker from the last production run. I've used it twice. It's light and easy to hang. I just find myself hunting my own land these days and using ladder stands.

Like ladder stands fine (buds dad has em on his farm).
But for where my main hunting is, prefer stuff that's less visible (we have a slight trespasser problem).

Screw in steps and a hangon stand, my usual (pull bottom steps to keep others out).

On public land can't use screw ins. So ladder stick, w hang on (hang on folded and locked to keep folks out).

Whatever happened to the Summit vine ladder stands and sticks?
Dunno why discontinued.

Thought they looked easier to hide.

Lone Wolf sticks and LW Alpha 2 hang-on is a package that's pretty hard to whoop.

My EZY steps and Muddy Outfitter are in the back of my 4x4, for gun season (maybe same spot as last yr).

Where I shot my buck in gun last yr is maybe 70 yards from a hang on (my old gun spot).
Paw Paw and other have gone crazy on the high side and its thick enough I can't cover it from that stand (it does however cover the creek bottom).

W crops across the road, deer ran the NW corner of the thicket (pop from corn, cross road into thicket).
They had a scrape and rubs there, and it was the hottest spot in the thicket (even after corn down).

This yr the across the road field was beans. And that corner not hit from across the road. 100 yards down it was corn, and they crossed from it into thicket, but pretty much hit the oaks and dropped into the creekbottom, did not loop the high corner like last yr.

Plenty of acorns, suspect everybody has em (no real drawing power this yr).

Wanting a lighter backup system for quick and silent set up for when you find something new and hot in the woods.

Hunting recurve, like to be around 17ft stand height.

Have shot 3 bucks off the NW corner, right near the road, with nothing but open field for about a mile to next woods across road. Buddy thought I was nuts for hanging a stand there last yr.
They run that corner when corn is up, and once it's down the scent markers/scrapes/ sign in desk...........whatever you call all that crap up there...............still gets used.

But w crop change this yr, it aint looking good. Half arsed attempt at a scrape so far.
Rubs and scraped are actually down in the creekbottom this yr.

Looking like Lone Wolf stand and Muddy Pro Sticks at the moment.

This isn't for packing in and out, but for running back to the truck and grabbing something less heavy/bulky/noisy for an easy and quicker setup.
Would leave the stand hung and yank bottom stick (supposed to be private ground but ya know how that goes ).

Just bought one of my sons a Lone Wolf Alpha II from Optics Planet. They're $236.99 and use coupon code BXTZ5 for an additional 5% off, so $225 w/free shipping. Cheapest I could find 'em.

https://www.opticsplanet.com/lone-wolf-treestands-alpha-hang-on-tree-stand.html

Even better, they just sent me an email, “We’ve just added $22.25 in OpticsPlanet Bucks to your account!" for buying the stand.

So, I went right back to their site and bought 4 LW sticks for - $195, minus 5% (BXTZ5), minus $22.25 "OpticsPlanet Bucks," w/free shipping, OTD $163. And got another $16.40 in OpticsPlanet Bucks.


Order Subtotal $195.96
Coupon -$9.80
OpticsPlanet Bucks -$22.25
Shipping Subtotal FREE
Grand Total$163.91
You will receive $16.40 OP Bucks after items ship

+1

I have two XOP Maximus stands and like them. Quiet, light and stiff. For climbers i use Hawk Helium sticks. I have both the 20" and 30" sticks. The 20" stack on stand better, but I like the 30" better when hung. I carry both stand and climbers out together.

Are y’all gun hunting out of the lock ons or saddles? Any issues setting up for longer shots? I have been using a old Summit climber that faces the tree which I can use as a rest somewhat or my elbow on stand if shooting back. That Summit is very comfortable but heavy and cumbersome if “mobile” hunting.