Treestands

[WayBeau]

Who hunts out of a climber? I just got a Summit Viper that I will be bow hunting out of, but I'm curious if anyone gun hunts from this stand? I'm a fairly large guy, 6'3" 235, so space is at a premium in this thing. I also have a couple of ladder stands that I'll be hunting, but they're two seaters and I've never had any problems.

What do you do with your rifle/muzzle loader/shotgun while in this stand? I'm looking at the Summit gun holder, but am curious what others are doing in a similar situation.

 

[BADUNAME37]

I have a ladder-type stand - about 12' high - with a small seat on top, enough for one large person to fit just so, with no extra room. There are low sides and no bar in front to rest a firearm on. I am really afraid I might doze off and fall out of this thing, so I have a cheap body harness that came with it which I attach to the stand or onto a sturdy branch a bit over my head.

The only positive thing about this stand is that it all comes apart and can be carried into deep woods like a large backpack. Also, if I should get a deer, the stand can then be used to lay the deer on and slide it behind me out of the woods. The only problem is I don't hunt so far into the woods that that would ever be an issue.

I have recently been moving my trail cam to various places to best see just where to locate this stand, deer hunting begins in less than two weeks. I had better get things set up soon!

 

[WayBeau]

All of my ladder stands are set up and ready to hunt. I hunt with my father-in-law and let him have first choice of which stand he wants to hunt each morning (we're blessed with a good piece of property that has lots of deer, so this doesn't bother me). I bought the climber for those mornings when I feel like going to a different area of the property where we don't have a ladder set up all ready.

Friendly,
I know what you mean. The one man ladder we have set up doesn't have a rail in the front or on the sides. I'm not a big fan as I have similar fears while I'm in it. Really, I think it's just a matter of time before one of us falls asleep and slips out of it. Luckily we both wear harnesses while off the ground, so no one will get seriously injured, just scared half to death.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Hunted out of climbers for a lot of years. Across my lap was used for a great many of them until I got some of these http://www.summitstands.com/treestand-accessories/treestand-gunholder

They are a God send. Very adjustable and work great.

 

[WayBeau]

I looked at those. I'm hoping I can find something similar for a little less $ as those seem kinda expensive. If I can't, I'll be getting a set of those in short order.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

There are some cheaper ones out there from High Point and such but you get what you pay for. I've used the ones from summit in some extreme cold and they held up fine. I have heard some horror stories about the cheap ones breaking easily and people dropping their rifles because of them breaking. I think the extra 10 bucks is well worth the security of not dropping a $500+ rifle setup 20 or more feet.

 

[Legionnaire]

I have and occasionally use a Sumit Viper. While I usually hunt from pre-set ladder stands, there are a couple of places where I pack in the Viper. I have a couple of screw-in hooks in my pack that I place after climbing to hunting height and attaching my full body safety harness (won't hunt from any elevated stand without it). My backpack hangs on one of them. I then draw up the unloaded rifle with a light rope. When it's not in my hands, I hang the rifle by its sling on the other hook.

 

[hardluk1]

I use a buddies summit viper once in a while and 2 climbers I built 20 years ago. I have for a few years started useing a height adjustable mono-pod. You know the ones with a squeeze grip to change height. Lean it against the padded rail to help stablize your rifle for long shoots. I use a 10 1/2lb rilfe over clear cuts most of the times and it works. I am not as tall as you at 5-10 but weight 245. Drop the pod to the flooring and get a basic height to use as a rest and kick back and wait. I am right handed but also practice left handed shooting from a stand .

 

[DRYHUMOR]

I've found the Summit stands pretty uncomfortable (never owned, just borrowed). I use Brent Hunt's stands for climbing, and can sit them all day. I've climbed with the rifle cradled across the arms, and pretty much leave it there. Some pipe insulation foam works well to wrap the arms. When I was more heavy into it, I had 7 of them. I've only got 4 now. They are made in the USA also.

http://www.treelounge.com/elusive_advantages.htm

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

lmao. Those "Tree Lounges" are nice as long as you have either a pack mule or an ATV to get it to your tree for you. I've carried RUK sacks lighter than them damn things. No thanks

 

[DRYHUMOR]

Specs..........

http://www.treelounge.com/elusive_specs.htm

Summits are around 24 - 25 lbs, the heaviest Elusive Whitetail is 31, with 2 models at 24 - 25, one at 28.

Humping another couple of pounds for a more comfortable stand, that I can sit in longer, and put more hours in the woods is a trade off I'll continue to make.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Stand Weight: 20 lbs.
Construction: Aluminum
Tree Size: 8 - 20" Diameter
Seat Height: Adjustable
Seat Size: (base) 18" wide by 12" long (backrest) 12" wide by 20" long
Overall Size: 20" wide by 36" long
Platform Area: 20" wide by 28 3/4" long
Seat Frame Size: 19 3/4" wide by 26 1/2" long
Weight Limit: 300 lbs.

The summit viper SD is only 20 pounds and that is the heaviest of the viper series.

tree lounges are heavy, hard to climb up a tree with, and WAY too long hanging off the tree. Not to mention that the company is out of business.

 

[sKunkT]

I love my Summit, one of the most comfortable seats of all my portable stands. I usually lay my rifle across my lap or hang it from a hook if I have a rifle with a sling with me.

 

[DRYHUMOR]

"tree lounges are heavy, hard to climb up a tree with, and WAY too long hanging off the tree. Not to mention that the company is out of business. "

Yes they are. If you had taken just a little bit of time to actually look at the first link I posted, you would have seen that the stand pictured is not a tree lounge but an entirely different stand.

This is a link to a picture of a tree lounge

http://www.treelounge.com/products/Items/44.htm

WayBeau, sorry your thread got so off track.

IMO the Summit is too limiting of movement, that's why I don't like them. The way the seat is designed, it locks your rump within the sling seat. I like to shift around from time to time in position, I couldn't do that when I hunted out of one some years ago. The heavier you are the more it cinches you in. I have spoken to a few people that hunt in them, and they say they have cut peices of plywood and put in the seat so it doesn't cinch in so tight. They may have changed since then....

I made the mistake of hunting out of a buddy's summit stand one day instead of carrying mine. There was a big buck on the property that I intended to sit all day for. I didn't make it past 3 hours, I was so uncomfortable. My buddy's brother took the deer about a week later. The inside spread was 23", symetrical 8 point, tall tines. It was a nice one.

I have sat in the Elusive Whitetail (used to be called Trophy Whitetail) stands for 8 to 10 hrs at a time. And never had any fear or problem going 35-40 feet up a tree. The rails help keep you in as well. I don't know if Brent is still making them or not, demand seemed to outstrip supply, that caused the first venture (Trophy Whitetail) to go out of business. I used to still see thm for sale from time to time, but not in a couple of years, and then, it was locally (SC).

I have one of these I hunt out of also. It's the 24 foot model. It's one of the nicer leaning stands I've seen or used. It's been leaning up to the same tree for 10 years now, still solid and stable, paint is nicely faded, minimal surface rust. It's heavy though, it took 3 of us to get it up.

http://www.cbsdeerstands.com/bow.html

My point overall, is the most comfortable stand will let you hunt the longest........

My 2c

 

[dragon813gt]

I'm really considering getting a climber now. I hunt on private property. But recently I had my trail cam stolen. They also took my attachment point for my harness, climbing rope, top ratchet strap for the stand and attempted to cut the cable lock. What is wrong with people? I know it was another hunter. It's my first year hunting this property and this happened after I took a deer. If my ladder stand wasn't so comfortable to sit in all day I'd just pull it down and start using a climber.


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[WayBeau]

I bought the Viper to mainly bow hunt out of, but I will also be doing a fair bit of gun hunting out of it as well. For those windy days when the trees are shaking too bad to climb, I'll be in my trusty ladder stand.

The other reason I bought it is so that I can set a stand in those hard to reach places on the mountain where a ladder is simply too bulky to set.

 

[USAF_Vet]

I don't use stands at all. I gun hunt from a ground blind and bowhunt walk and stalk.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Most of the hunting I've done in my life has been done out of ladder stands that we've built in the back yard out of 2x4s and a piece of plywood for the seat.

Only recently have I began hunting out of store bought stands and blinds. We have a fairly nice ladder stand that my brother bought that you can prop your gun butt on the platform and lean it in the corner against the shooting rail. It's pretty handy.

My Ameristep Doghouse blind is sturdy enough that you can just lean in a corner, and we've built several box stands as well, so where your gun is isn't an issue.

In the ladders though we just had them across our legs. Don't know how I did it for so long now. I've gotten spoiled.

 

[WayBeau]

I gun hunt from a ground blind and bowhunt walk and stalk.

This seems like the opposite of what I hear a lot of people do. But hey, to each his own.

 

[USAF_Vet]

Ground blind was far less expensive than tree stands, and I like being able to just turn around and take a leak if need be. My bowhunting followed the path of another hunter I know who is legally deaf, and I mimicked his walk and stalk techniques.

Gun hunting from a blind for deer is where I've been successful. Small game gets the walk and stalk method also. Why mess with a good thing?

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Gun hunting from a blind for deer is where I've been successful.

I just started hunting a blind this season and took my first muzzleloader deer from it. I like the blinds. They'll walk right up on you.