Treestands: good or bad

[Dragginbait]

I would like some input about using treestands, are they worth the hassle of setting them up and are they really that effective. :?: And if you do use them, how long do you normally leave them out for, a couple of weeks or bow and rifle season? Thanks. Terry

[Adam.c]

my dad said we should go on the bikes and quads if you wanted to all three off us we could go and look for some spots

[lip_ripper00]

well I bought one of wal-marts specials and the area I hunt,for the price I paid for it it will stay north. Tree stands are very effective, we have used tree stands for years.Most are wood (2x4 and ply wood)some are so old we have to rebuild them. when an area works why change any thing one tree stand has been used fo 50 + years! yes tree stands work8-)

[Fred]

I fully expect the 4 that Ex and I aquired today courtesy of Lip-Ripper(thank you again Steve) will serve us well. Getting up over the brush will give one a much better view and place one human stink above the animals nose.
Incedentally Steve, Ex pulled apart his Ladder Stand package and said there is a safty harness in it as well as the strap on stands. Fred

[brotherjack]

Treestand or ground blind either one is a VERY effective hunting method. It can get a bit boring/tedious if you haven't seen a critter for 4 or 5 hours, but I have seen 1000% more (and bigger) animals on the whole by using the 'sit and wait' method than I ever did with the still-hunting/stalking method.

A treestand is on my wishlist, but I've made due with a ground blind nicely so far.

[CanuckShooter]

They are especially good when the wind is 'shifting'... most of the time animals will not scent you...and most of the time they will not notice you up in a tree. I have a climber, and have used fixed stands over wallows. It is different kind of experience to have a huge bull moose 15 ft below you slurping away..totally unaware of your presence.

[Walksalot]

I have used tree stands for years and it is my preferred way to hunt. When it comes to mature Whitetail those buggers are crafty and is the only way I can out fox them.
I purchased a set of climbing sticks, they come in four foot sections and strap to the tree, this year and it is much slicker than screwing in tree steps.
Wind direction is huge with a tree stand also.

[FullDraw]

Dragginbait tree stands are worth it. Just get some good warm cloths for when it's well below Zero and I recommend a saftey harness as well. From what I have seen the guy's lock there stands to the tree so no one steals them. Oh and one more thing you don't want your stand to make a sound like a squeak when you move around or that whitey will be long gone and set the thing up to before hunting season and practice shooting out of it.

FullDraw

[Doug]

I think you want to move this topic to a discussion forum, not the buy/sell forum, and you might get more feedback.

I am an Ontario boy, and tree stands WORK here. I hunt white-tails about sixty to seventy days a year (bow, rifle, shotgun, then bow again late season), and 90% of the time I am in some kind of tree stand. Portables are great, but if you own your own property it is worth constructing permanent wooden stands with a few more "comfort" features like larger seats, larger platforms, shooting rails, roofs, etc etc......

Doug

[rock]

Dragginbait
Tree stands are very productive especially comfortable ones, usually once in one I'm there all day, so comfort is a must patients is a must, 2 things to think about. In 25 years huntin from a tree I've learned tones of different behavior from the game I hunt, calling deer to this day I can use my own vocals because I've learn't and watched the difference in calling deer from different vocals they use as simple as a doe bleating to find its fawn or a doe in distress. I'm happy with what I've learned, all because of hunting from a tree.

[Johnnybear]

Make sure you use one of those harnesses. It's not just a liability thing with the manufacturer's it the honest truth. There is lot's of stats on the net about accidents. Once you get used to em they aren't a pain at all.

[oldtimer]

For a tree stand to work you need PATIENCE !!!!!!!!
you also have to be hunting creatures of habit ( whitetail ) I don't believe they are that effective for moose or muleys. My opinion. Mike

[rock]

Mike your right with creatures of habit( whitetail ) but I've shot pretty big muledeer from my stands at times I've seen 100+ muledeer from my tree in a weekend, so in a sense they are a creature of habit as well.

[brotherjack]

All critters are critters of habit to a degree. Some just have a habit of ranging a little wider territory (like elk). But they ALL get used to favourite areas to feed, water, and sleep.

[huntwriter]

Treestands are very effectieve provided they are used properly.
I hunt the majority of my time out of treestands and over the many years I have formed a solid opinion pased on experience.
A treestand has to be safe otherwise I want even look at it, no cheap models for me here. It is my life That is at stake here.
A treestand has to be comfortable to sit in it and light to transport.
A treestand has to be easy to be set up maximum three minutes no fumbling with nuts and bolts in the dark.
A treestand has to be silent when climbing up a tree with it.
Never ever sit in a treestand or climb up a tree without a safety harness. The moment I leave the ground I am secured to the tree. I lost two good friends because they have fallen out of trees. One fell aslep the other climbed up a tree slipped and only fell five feet he died on the way to the hospital.
For a treestand to work it shouldn't hang anything higer than 20 ft or even less of the ground. Good background cover to breake up the human outline is more important than treestand height.
If you bowhunt the treestand has to hang not only in the right place but in the right tree. That tree might not ber streight but it has to be the perfect place for you to get a shot at the travelling deer.
Treestands are best placed somewhere between two points, i.e feeding area and bedding area. So you get a shot at a travelling deer. Provided you bowhunt.Having said all that, the effectieveness of a treestand also depends on what the other hunters do. For example, in an area where everybody hunts from treestands like Illinois and other American Mid-West States, deer have learned to look up to the trees for danger. On such places I hang my stand very low, not higher than 6ft to 10ft of the ground or hunt from ground blinds which I put together with twigs and such things I find on the local. On places like here where not many hunters hunt from treestands the deer and other game look at ground level for danger therfore the treestand is perfect for a surprise ambush.

I own and use, after many years of trying out many different models and brands, the Tree-Lounge which is a climber a bit on the heavy side but easy to set up and just about the safest treestand on the market today plus deadly silent to set up and climb. The price is a bit steep at about $400 but it is the best there is period. The next model I like and often use is another climber from Summit also very safe, comfortable and light. Hang-On Stands are from Non-Typical Treestands because they are safe and light plus you can hang them onto bent and crooked trees and the plattform still will be streight.

Hope this information helps you.

[gollum257]

They are great when you have done your scouting,also they are a lot like Binoculars the more you spend the better they are try looking @ the Hideout stand pricey but well worth the money especially late season as you can stay warm in them.

[quadrakid]

i see your from langford so i,m assuming you hunt blacktails. i live on quadra and hunt them with the bow. if its raining and or blowing hard i,ll be on the ground still hunting,walk and stop. if its quiet in the bush i,ll be in my treestand, the tough part about the tree stand is also the great part,you hear then see the critters coming and you know they aren,t on to you. the problem for me is i usually get a little shaky when i have some time to think about the shot. try a stand and a safety harness, you,ll enjoy it.