For all you deer hunting enthusiasts out there, a good amount of you probably already have tree stands, which is great. This article is meant for everyone else who doesn’t, and why you should consider getting one for your next outing.
What is a tree stand and why should I bother with one?
Have you ever seen one of those weird shed-like things attached to trees? Maybe you’ve seen one in a forest or on the internet. It’s more than likely that what you have seen is a tree stand.
Also known as deer stands, tree stands are primarily used by hunters to give them a better vantage point, which helps when scouting out the nearby deer as well as the terrain in the area. But they also have additional benefits. For instance, as you are not on ground level, it gets you out of any deer’s line of sight. It will also reduce your sent on the ground.
While each tree stand works differently, they will all serve particularly useful for your future hunting trips. All you need is a little know-how.
Types of basic tree stands
There are three basic tree stands that every hunter can use for hunting deer.
Climbing Stand
A simple stand with two parts: a standing platform for where to place your feet on, and a small seat. Depending on the stand you bought some of them may or may not have back rests.
Advantages
Climbing stand do not require screw-in steps, making it easier to move around if needed. This is ideal for a hunter that needs a lot of mobility and adapts depending on the movement of the deer they are hunting. This also means that a hunter will have more places to hunt as well.
Another thing to consider is other hunters. As they will be taken down every time, you will not have to worry about them getting stolen by one.
Disadvantages
The stand allowing mobility comes at a price: both figuratively and literally! Many climbing stands are bigger and heavier than hanging stands, which can be anywhere between 15 to 35 pounds. This isn’t too much of a problem if you’re not going too far, but it might be if the game you are looking for can only be found after a long trek. For the price tag, they are more expensive than hang-on stands.
They can also only be used on trees that have no limbs or branches, so if you can’t find a good tree without one, you may need to resort to pruning the tree before you can use it.
Ladder Stand
True to its name, a ladder stand consists of a multi-piece ladder assembly with the standing platform and seat on top. Just imagine a regular climbing stand, then attach a very long ladder below the standing platform. That is a ladder stand.
Advantages
Unlike the climbing stand, a ladder stand feels much more stable. It can also fit on almost every tree to boot. Some ladder stand may offer additional comfort and space too, giving padded and added seats. The ladder stand is clearly meant for the stationary hunter who would be loitering around a single area for a long time.
Disadvantages
If you thought a climbing stand was heavy, get ready to be demolished by these weights. Considering that you now have an entire ladder to carry around alongside the platform and seat, you’re looking at around at least 100 pounds of weight to carry here, and unless you’re a toned bodybuilder, you will likely need the aid of a friend and a vehicle to carry it around.
Also, many ladder stands are large and obvious, even more so if its colors stand out, making it much more visible to the deer.
They can also be around as expensive as a climbing stand.
Hanging Stand
Compared to the ladder stand or the climbing stand, hanging stands are one-piece units that connect to trees via chains or cables. This stand also requires a bit more effort than the previous two.
Advantages
They are much more lightweight than climbing stands, and range around 10 to 35 pounds in terms of weight, which helps in being versatile.
It also much easier to get on a hanging stand fast and quiet, compared to the other two stands.
Disadvantages
You will need to be at the very least in decent shape to handle this stand effectively, as it is not particularly easy to hang them on a tree. They also require more work to place and remove from a tree, meaning that they are not as mobile as climbing stands are.
Wrapping up
All tree stands are useful, but some may prove more useful to you than others. Are you a bow-using hunter who is constantly on the move? Then you may find comfort in a mobile stand like a climbing stand. How about a rifle-toting hunter that prefers to hang back and let the deer come to them? A ladder stand may be just the thing for you.
And of course, you cannot forget safety. The majority of injuries from hunters come from tree stand-related problems, and some of them might even prove fatal, so make sure to always keep that safety harness on, no matter how excited you are.