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One man ladder stands??

camo658

New Member
I was wondering if anyone has any experience hunting with these type of stands?

Some guy has one for a pretty cheap price and I wondered what are some of your guys' experiences with them.

How safe are they? Did you use a harness? Did you bow hunt/gun hunt or both out of one?
 
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I do not know if it's a 15 or a 12 footer. I imagine it's just one of those "plain as can be" all metal ones. I don't think there's any specialty seating or metal saftey bar on it. Atleast, these thoughts are based on a vague phone conversation with the seller.

Cooter, were you able to draw your bow safely in one of these? Any reason why you prefer a 15 footer?
 
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I hunt almost exclusively from ladder stands. I prefer them as they're easier to enter/exit and I think a lot safter than climbing sticks/pegs/screw-in steps.

I don't hunt anything shorter than 15'. My favorite stand is a 16' no-name I bought at Menard's several years back for $49.

I always use a harness, doesn't matter what kind or brand of stand I'm in.
 
bukket, I totally agree. Though, I have not had any experience with a "One man" ladder stand.

How's your mobility in one? It doesn't look like you can carry much gear with you when getting up in one.
 
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Unless I'm missing something I'm assuming you're just talking about a ladder stand intended to be used by 1 hunter.

Mobility isn't an issue. I set the stand on a known trail or pinch point and leave it there. There have been instances during past seasons when I've adjusted a stand location on the fly. It's more of a pain than having climbing sticks and a hangon stand. If I decide to do this I plan a morning hunt and then make the move during mid-day when I'm leaving the area.

My ladder stands that are set on private property are just broken down and left in the field against the tree during the offseason. I pack in new straps every year and reconstruct the standsite (including tree trimming) each September. Public lands are tougher...I usually get together with my hunting partners and we pack in a few stands each September that we can all use during the season. 2 guys can carry all the pieces to a 16' or 17' setup several hundred yards without too much trouble.
 
^ Cooter, that makes sense... I just wonder how easy it is to loose your balance in one.

Bukket, I thank you for that reply. Though, what I meant by mobility is your ability move around once you have sat down/or stand up in one. I would not be planning on moving the stand very often, if at all!

Yeah, I mean the stand can only fit one person at a time.
 
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I only used to hunt out of 16' one man ladder stands, but the ones I had had little mobility once in them. The platform was only about a foot wide and made turning once stood up very difficult. I'm pretty sure you can find better ladder stands with bigger platforms for safer and better mobility.
 
As Cooter mentioned, your ability to move in the stand is totally dependent upon the platform size. I hunt out of ladder stands quite a bit, but if it has a narrow foot platform, it's not a bowhunting stand to be sure...

NWBuck
 
I hunt with ladder stands about 90% of the time. And I guess I have just gotten used to them. The platform is smaller for sure but I turn around fine when I have to. As far as losing your balance, you can lose your balance just the same on a hang on even if is a bigger platform:confused:

I wear a harness as well...

In the past we have found The Big Game ladder stands on sale for $49 but the ones with the softer seats are nice and keep you warmer as you are not sitting on metal.

One thing I have done in the past with the ladder stands is with the support bar that comes off the ladder to the tree is that doesn't always work the best depending on the tree but I will put a tree step in the tree where the support bar will be and use that for leverage so that the support bar won't slide and it is TIGHT!
 
All that I have used are ladder stands. They make me feel pretty safe. I wear a harness all of the time. There is little to be desired from the platform size. I have also noticed that since you don't have much mobility and moving it in the middle of the season is difficult, the deer start to pick you out. I have heard of guys using it early season and moving 50 yards to another tree with a self climber. Sounds like that stand keeps their attention pre occupied.
 
I prefer hang-ons just because I can get up higher with a stick system, but I do have a few setups that are ladder stands where height isn't necessary. The ladders work great where I have them and they are definitely easier to get into.
 
Although I do hunt out of ladder stands from time to time, one of the reasons I prefer hang on stands for archery hunts is the fact that I often feel like the preverbal "terd on a toothpick" when sitting in a ladder stand. With hang ons I think a person has a chance to tuck them between trees, behind a second tree, and in general put them in a spot where you have a bit of face cover. Ladder stands...not so much. But if you're hunting with a firearm, not that big of a deal due to extended range. Good luck :way:

NWBuck
 
I've killed a ton of deer from ladder stands....but key is to find the right tree(s) for them. Usually, hang-ons give you alot more setup options....and are easier/safer to set up alone.....but in the right location they can be quiet and easy to get in/out.
 
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