How high are you?

[Beentown]

I must be weird because if I am using archery equipment I don't like being higher than 20ft. The shot angle changes quite a bit the higher up you are and it actually just feels a bit akward. 25 is the absolute highest I'll go.

Beentown

 

[Schu72]

I must be weird because if I am using archery equipment I don't like being higher than 20ft. The shot angle changes quite a bit the higher up you are and it actually just feels a bit akward. 25 is the absolute highest I'll go.

Beentown

Try hunting the hills of Eastern Ohio. On one side of the tree the deer are at eye level and on the other they are 30+ feet below you!

 

[Gern186]

I think I will stick to my screw in steps for the price of those climbing sticks you guys speak of!

Hell them things cost more than the stand itself!

Screw that.

What is the main reason a person would use climbing sticks ? Is it because it is mandated by the property owner/ state ground or is there another reason?

I can imagine they are a little quicker to install than tree steps, but for the price I think I will just spend a few more minutes screwing in steps.

 

[bowhunter1023]

My time and energy is worth something. $200 and change for something that will last me many of seasons, is a small price to pay IMO. But I see your point Chad. I'm not a fan of screw is steps, never have been. They have their use in my arsenal, but it's limited. It's all about what makes us comfortable and confident!

 

[Gern186]

My time and energy is worth something. $200 and change for something that will last me many of seasons, is a small price to pay IMO. But I see your point Chad. I'm not a fan of screw is steps, never have been. They have their use in my arsenal, but it's limited. It's all about what makes us comfortable and confident!

So do you buy a 200 dollar set up climbing sticks for every setup or what?

I have to believe that if you are strapping on your climbing sticks every time you go out to a new stand that you are making some unwanted noise and spending quite a bit of time releasing scent down low.

 

[Jackalope]

I'm not saying your set up is a bad one, just that there are other options for people who don't have $500-600 bucks to put into a set-up.

They can buy it used on AT also.

 

[ohio mossy oak]

They can buy it used on AT also.

Your still talking 350 shipped I bet...An thats for only 3 or 4 sticks an the hang on..

 

[Schu72]

They can buy it used on AT also.

Why do you think they can be found used so easily? They aren't for everyone.:smiley_coolpeace:

 

[jagermeister]

I must be weird because if I am using archery equipment I don't like being higher than 20ft. The shot angle changes quite a bit the higher up you are and it actually just feels a bit akward. 25 is the absolute highest I'll go.

Beentown

I like to be 25' minimum... sometimes 30'. That will probably change once I get a set of LW sticks, though... 25' will probably be it. A sixth stick won't be worth carrying IMO.


Chad, I've used screw steps for a long time. They get the job done and work very well... But I'll tell you, compared to the climbing sticks, the screw steps are terrible. Yea they're cheaper, but they're also a pain in the ass to carry, screw into the tree, and remove. I'll pay extra to make things easier, any day of the week. I watched fluteman climb a tree, hang a stand at 23-25', and was ready to hunt in 4 min 33 seconds... Any doubts that I had before then vanished immediately.

 

[jagermeister]

Why do you think they can be found used so easily? They aren't for everyone.:smiley_coolpeace:

IMO, they SHOULD be for everyone. Climber stands are nice, Schu... there's no doubt about that... But think of it this way... If you could climb any tree, not just a straight one, faster, and have a setup that you could take with you ANYWHERE, that weighed the same or less than most climbing stands, what would be the reason NOT to do it???

 

[Schu72]

IMO, they SHOULD be for everyone. Climber stands are nice, Schu... there's no doubt about that... But think of it this way... If you could climb any tree, not just a straight one, faster, and have a setup that you could take with you ANYWHERE, that weighed the same or less than most climbing stands, what would be the reason NOT to do it???

My climber only weighs 15 lbs. No way sticks and a stand are less.

This is like many of the debates we have, I'm not sure there is a wrong answer. Everyone hunts differently, the type of cover is different, how far you walk is different, how much money you have, how much time you have, if you are afraid of heights.....

My posts are not intended to have guys switch from sticks to climbers, but to let inexperienced guys know there are alternatives.

 

[jagermeister]

My climber only weighs 15 lbs. No way sticks and a stand are less.

This is like many of the debates we have, I'm not sure there is a wrong answer. Everyone hunts differently, the type of cover is different, how far you walk is different, how much money you have, how much time you have, if you are afraid of heights.....

My posts are not intended to have guys switch from sticks to climbers, but to let inexperienced guys know there are alternatives.

Damn what kind of climber do you have? I didn't know there were any that only weighed 15 lbs. 15 lbs is on the light end of the spectrum, even for hang-ons.

 

[Schu72]

Damn what kind of climber do you have? I didn't know there were any that only weighed 15 lbs. 15 lbs is on the light end of the spectrum, even for hang-ons.

Summit Open Shot Delux.

 

[jagermeister]

Summit Open Shot Delux.

My dad's looking for a lightweight climber... I'll have to tell him to check that one out. Looks like a good one.

 

[ohio mossy oak]

IMO, they SHOULD be for everyone. Climber stands are nice, Schu... there's no doubt about that... But think of it this way... If you could climb any tree, not just a straight one, faster, and have a setup that you could take with you ANYWHERE, that weighed the same or less than most climbing stands, what would be the reason NOT to do it???

comfort...An i think the LW hand climber is lighter then the Open shot(i said think)..Im a bit TOO out of shape for a hand climber..

 

[Gern186]

I like to be 25' minimum... sometimes 30'. That will probably change once I get a set of LW sticks, though... 25' will probably be it. A sixth stick won't be worth carrying IMO.


Chad, I've used screw steps for a long time. They get the job done and work very well... But I'll tell you, compared to the climbing sticks, the screw steps are terrible. Yea they're cheaper, but they're also a pain in the ass to carry, screw into the tree, and remove. I'll pay extra to make things easier, any day of the week. I watched fluteman climb a tree, hang a stand at 23-25', and was ready to hunt in 4 min 33 seconds... Any doubts that I had before then vanished immediately.

I am trying to get a feel for what you guys are doing, bear with me.......

99% of the time I have my stands in place before going hunting.....so a few extra minutes of putting in steps is worth it. That way when I go to the woods to hunt I make ZERO noise getting into position and the trees are already trimmed out.

So what you guys are telling me is that you are going into an area, hanging a stand, and then hunting it right then?? How do you keep from making just a little noise when putting up those stands and climbing sticks? Then what about trimming out shooting lanes, fastening ratchet straps, etc.

I have little doubt flutie or anybody else can hang a stand in a few minutes.....It just seems weird to me to hang a stand and then hunt right out of it on a regular basis......I can see doing it once in a while if you have a shooter buck pegged down, but to go into the woods, pick a tree and then hunt seems backwards to me.

 

[jagermeister]

I am trying to get a feel for what you guys are doing, bear with me.......

99% of the time I have my stands in place before going hunting.....so a few extra minutes of putting in steps is worth it. That way when I go to the woods to hunt I make ZERO noise getting into position and the trees are already trimmed out.

So what you guys are telling me is that you are going into an area, hanging a stand, and then hunting it right then?? How do you keep from making just a little noise when putting up those stands and climbing sticks? Then what about trimming out shooting lanes, fastening ratchet straps, etc.

I have little doubt flutie or anybody else can hang a stand in a few minutes.....It just seems weird to me to hang a stand and then hunt right out of it on a regular basis......I can see doing it once in a while if you have a shooter buck pegged down, but to go into the woods, pick a tree and then hunt seems backwards to me.

The LW and Muddy climbing sticks are best used for mobile setups, or setups that you don't want to risk getting stolen. Sure, if you're hunting private ground, in the same spots, then fixed stands are the way to go... Walk in, climb up, and hunt. But that's not ALWAYS how guys hunt. Why are climbing stands so popular? Because guys like to have options. If you hunt any public land, especially in SE Ohio, having multiple options is a must. You're not always going to pick the perfect tree, and may have to make adjustments or change locations. Or what if you're sitting in a spot throughout the morning, but see the deer using another trail 60 yds away and you want to move? If you're in a permanent stand, you'll probably think it's not worth the trouble to tear everything down and move. But if you're hunting mobile, you're out of that tree and into the next within 20 minutes, probably less. This is where a mobile setup is king, IMO. I rarely have to trim shooting lanes while I'm down there, too. I've been hunting SE Ohio out of a climber for the past 8 seasons... There's never been a time I wished I had a permanent stand already set up, but there's been plenty of times that I've wished there were a straight, branchless tree where I needed it. Switching from the traditional climber to the sticks eliminates this need for a straight tree.

 

[Gern186]

I get it....

I am trying to get a feel for how the hill country guys are doing their setups.

I plan on hunting some hill country in Richland county this year and there are no tree steps allowed on the property, so I am going to have to come up with an alternative to getting up the tree.

 

[ohio mossy oak]

That is my main reason for a light weight stand an stix or say 20lb climber..The farm i hunt almost like public land that you ask permission for..He never says no to anyone...So being mobile,light an not chancing your set up coming up missing is my main reasons..And lightweight aluminum wont rust..So you MAY get a lifetime of use out of it..I have 8acre here at home..An I use ladders on it..Which i hate moving

 

[cotty16]

Try hunting the hills of Eastern Ohio. On one side of the tree the deer are at eye level and on the other they are 30+ feet below you!

You ain't shittin'!