LW sticks suggestions

[hickslawns]

Greg/Jesse-

Suggestions on getting more fluid with the LW sticks? I bumbled everything trying to get them setup yesterday. The crazy thing is I "thought" i had them setup just like Greg's video. I clinked and clanked everything. Do you leave the straps off of them and put them on as you pull out the stick? My sticks don't seem to be holding tightly together either. THe other issue I had was keeping them in tight to the stand. Seems like I have a lot of metal on metal tinks on the walk in/out. I am thinking of filling them with spray foam and wrapping them in tape or something. I have to get these things more quiet. Suggestions?

 

[Curran]

I am thinking of filling them with spray foam and wrapping them in tape or something. I have to get these things more quiet. Suggestions?

I was thinking about doing that to mine. It won't add any weight, and should help to deaden some of the sound when they knock off of one another.

Looking forward to what the guys have to say too.... I'm just starting to use the LW sticks as well.

 

[formerbowhunter1023]

Practice...Practice...Practice...

As far as having them stack nicely, you have to make sure both feet click into place and that the Versa button finds its way into the hole on the backside of the stick. It can be tricky, but once you get a feel for it, it should go nicely.

As for getting them on the stand properly, you just need to mess around with it as I can't describe it to you via words. Basically, use the feet of the LW sticks to wedge in the V shape under the male receiver of the Millennium. If you find the right foot to wedge in there, then the bottom set of feet will rest on the bottom of the stand. Then use the strap and take the extra strap up over the end of the sticks and tie it off on the base of the stand. (The V shaped portion that has the extra Versao buttons for the strap.) THat makes it nice a solid.

I sounded like a retard with a box of silverware when I started. Last night, I was out of the tree and walking to the quad in 12 minutes and didn't even spook the 3 does 60 yards from me...

 

[DJK Frank 16]

I'm going to have to practice some more as well... I looked like a monkey fuggin a football last night when I was getting mine all packed back up last night.

 

[Jackalope]

I hate to sound like a fanboy. But it's just another reason I like my muddy sticks. With the rope cam system their isn't anything to clank together, except stick on stick contact. Even then they are powder coated with plastic end caps. Sure to get the same height you need one more than you do of the LW Sticks, which adds 2.5 pounds to your rig.. But if you add up the benefits it's worth it.


Do you have a ratchet strap to put on the bottom of that millennium when it's in the tree? If so use that ratchet strap to hold the sticks tight against the stand as you pack in.

What I do with my stand is I lay it on the ground bottom down and folded up. I then take 2 sticks stacked together and lay them on their side beside the riser on the left, and three to the right of the riser. I then take the ratchet strap and put it through the floor of the stand, back around to the other side and back through the floor of the stand and around the sicks.. Basically strapping the sticks to the stand platform.. I then take my pack and hook the top loop over a stick and put the shoulder straps over the V in the stand that bites the tree. To secure that I take mt linemans belt and wrap the stand and pack then cinch it down.


Packing in step by step.
When I get to the tree I take off the linemans belt and put it on..
I then undo the ratchet strap and cinch strap holding the sticks to the stand and put them in my cargo pocket.
I stack the sticks back together (except one) and cinch them with the strap that holds them bundled.
Get my ropes out of my bag. Tie one to my belt then to the stand.
Then tie one to the stand and then to my bow and pack.
While in my bag i grab a screw in bow hook and put it in my back pocket.
I throw the sticks on via the shoulder strap like Greg does so they can swing behind me.
Pick up the one stick i didn't cinch in the bundle and put it on the tree.
Hop up on the stick and wrap my lineman's belt around..
Lean back on the belt, swing the sticks around and pmace them on the belt as a table.
Unhook the cinch strap.. Slide one stick off the stack and cinch the rest back down.
Swing the sticks behind me and set the one stick i removed.
Once at the top i pull up my stand and set it with the ratchet and cinch strap in my cargo pocket.
I then reach back and grab my tether for my harness. I have 3 feet of rope and a climbers caribener on the strap. I wrap the rope around the tree above the seat. Depending on the tree diameter I either snap it back on the rope or snap it on the tether loop.

Climb in and get that hook out of my back pocket and screw it in.
Reach down and pull the rope tied to my stand that pulls up my bow and pack.
Set my pack in the seat and hold the bow as i unhook it.
Hang bow on the hanger.
Open pack and retrieve another hook. Put gloves and face paint in cargo pocket.
Take the quiver off the bow, load one bullet, and hang the quiver on that hook. Hang pack on same hook.
Turn around, put in a fat dip.
Paint face.
Put on right glove
Strap release.
Put on left glove.

Wait for daylight




20 min to hang the stand
10 min to get ready once in.

 

[hickslawns]

Bought a roll of black gorilla tape. Wrapped them like hockey sticks. Hit the stand while I was at it too. I am not sure on making them fit together tighter without movement. Maybe I am going about it wrong. They seem to fit really well with 3 sticks, but I have been strapping 5 together. Makes it a little tougher.

 

[Fluteman]

Hockey tape is a good idea as far as getting rid of the noise. I've found that if I get in a hurry trying to get up the tree, I end up making more noise than I want. If I take my time, I usually have no issues. As far as climbing and keeping them from clanking, I usually take the first two sticks off, and then hang the first one. I throw the other three over my shoulder because they hold together better with three, and then climb up and set my second stick. From there, I just take my time and work my way up. Really, it just takes some practice to get good with them and develop a system. I have a routine I go through every time I hang a stand, and I am to the point now where it takes me less than 15 minutes to have sticks and a stand up, and be in the stand getting stuff ready. Yesterday afternoon, I took down two Millenniums and sticks, packed them up, and hung them on the edge of the field again in less than 45 minutes with no issues at all. IMO, the Millennium and LW's are the only way to go!

 

[jagermeister]

Hockey tape is a good idea as far as getting rid of the noise. I've found that if I get in a hurry trying to get up the tree, I end up making more noise than I want. If I take my time, I usually have no issues. As far as climbing and keeping them from clanking, I usually take the first two sticks off, and then hang the first one. I throw the other three over my shoulder because they hold together better with three, and then climb up and set my second stick. From there, I just take my time and work my way up. Really, it just takes some practice to get good with them and develop a system. I have a routine I go through every time I hang a stand, and I am to the point now where it takes me less than 15 minutes to have sticks and a stand up, and be in the stand getting stuff ready. Yesterday afternoon, I took down two Millenniums and sticks, packed them up, and hung them on the edge of the field again in less than 45 minutes with no issues at all. IMO, the Millennium and LW's are the only way to go!

I know you guys have nothing but great things to say about the climbing sticks, but I don't see how they can be that much better than using a climbing stand. Of course I do not have a set of LW sticks so it may just be ignorance on my part... but I've read that it takes you guys anywhere from 10-20 minutes to get up the tree and get set up. With my climber, I can be up the tree and ready to rock in 5 to 10 minutes, 15 minutes tops... and I can do it quietly too. Is it just the increased versatility of the LW sticks that makes them so advantageous? The sticks and stand together must weigh pretty close to what a climber weighs right?

 

[rgecko23]

Its the fact that you can go up any tree anywhere.

 

[Jackalope]

With Sticks you don't have to find a good uniform tree without branches, straight, or tight bark. I remember when I packed a climber in I could never hunt the tree i wanted, but rather the tree i could get in. It was always not exactly where i wanted to be. Might be 5 yards here, 20 yards there or many times no tree at all.

The advantage to the mobile sticks is I can hunt a tree like the one below. Can't hunt that with a climber, can't even hunt it with the stackable ladder stick. . Just about could hunt that one climbing limbs though. lol

I'll have to post some pics of the trees i hunt this year. Some of them are nuts lol.. I was in one last year that I bet wasn't 8 inches across where i was. lol

 

[bowhunthardin]

I spent a few hours practicing in my back yard the first day I got them. The first couple trips up and down were rough but it got better. I just got back from a bear hunt in Canada and my LW sticks were a must. Good trees for a stand are very hard to find up there. Everyone was so jealous of how mobile I was. I actually got to hunt the tree I wanted to hunt. Everyone else either set on the ground or took the one straight bare tree available. To be honest I think I am better at the trusty old tree steps but I like the versatility of these sticks.

 

[formerbowhunter1023]

[/B]

I know you guys have nothing but great things to say about the climbing sticks, but I don't see how they can be that much better than using a climbing stand. Of course I do not have a set of LW sticks so it may just be ignorance on my part... but I've read that it takes you guys anywhere from 10-20 minutes to get up the tree and get set up. With my climber, I can be up the tree and ready to rock in 5 to 10 minutes, 15 minutes tops... and I can do it quietly too. Is it just the increased versatility of the LW sticks that makes them so advantageous? The sticks and stand together must weigh pretty close to what a climber weighs right?

I can go anywhere you can go with your climber and then some. You can climb a tree with limbs and have cover when you get to 25' like we can with those sticks. Not only that, what's 5-10 minutes in the scheme of things. And, I'll put a well practiced stick/stand guy up against a climber on noise anyday.

It boils down to this for me: The sticks/stand combo gives me everything a climber can and so much more. I lost nothing by getting rid of a climber and gained access to lots more locations because I don't need a telephone pole to climb any more.

As far as weight, our set-up is actually a few pounds more than my climber was. However, I bought the GamePlan Gear Treestand Transportation System and you could carry this set-up all day and not realize it. I packed in 500 yards last night and my shoulders were not the least bit tired...

 

[jagermeister]

Thank you for the explanations, guys. I've always had great luck with my climber, but now that I think about it, there have been a shit-ton of trees over the years that I wished I could get into with it. I guess I'll just have to add climbing sticks to the list of things I want/need. Oh wait... (lightbulb turning on)... I have 75 bucks worth of cabelas gift cards lying around somewhere... I think I just thought of what to save them for LOL.