Climbers VS Hang-on stands

[deerbuster73]

Ive been bow hunting for 12 years now and for the most part of that ive used hang-ons. Part of that was due to a bunch of catastrophes ive had with climbers when i was younger. Like the bottom half falling down and me hanging on to the top half being stuck in the tree ect. For a while i swore off climbers until last year. I purchased a Lone Wolf hand climber. This is by far the best stand i have ever owned. Its pricey but well worth the money in my opinion. It is light weight you can pack it in on your back and you dont even know its there. Its silent and climbs the tree very quickly. Im also a big fan of the built in bow holder on the platform of it. Ive harvested 3 deer out of that stand 2 doe last year with a bow and a buck this year with the bow. I just like the mobility of being able to scout on the fly try new areas, find the sign and set up on it. Everyone always said your best chance to get a deer is your first time sitting in the stand. Ive also learned alot of new areas and have seen a ton of different deer using this method and its really expanded my horizons using the climber. That being said I have also been very succesful through the years with chain ons and still use them. I ussually set them in the same trees every year and they have all produced before and continue to every year. I find the big advantage of the chain ons is the morning hunts when its tough to get in the area in the dark much less pick out a good tree for the climber unless you already have one picked out in the dark. I think the best method is using both types of stands to your advantage. Using your hang ons in your known deer producing trees and using the climber to try new areas and try to suprise the deer. Both are good options im just wondering what everyone elses opinion on this subject is.

[deerhunter713]

I always say if it works for you, that is great. 
 
I like not having to physically exert myself in the morning, I also like the comfort of my Summit climbing stands.  I've never cared much for the chain on hanging stands due to the little seat most have.  Right now, I have both my climbers hanging in trees and I climb up to them with either screw in steps or climbing sticks.  I also have a Summit ladder stand out in the woods right now.  I hunt sunup to sundown and I have to be comfortable.

[Goose]

Deerbuster73, i agree with you and believe that is a great way to approach new areas. The climber I have is a little to bulky and noisy for me so I only use it a couple times a year on all day sits. It is comfortable though! Someday I would like a little more stealthy model but it might be a while before that happens.

[GTOHunter]

DeerBuster...I like your way of thinking! [;)]
 
I use my climber for changing out to different hunting spots and to be more mobile and my hang-on stand for specific area's that are proven to have Deer movement year after year so they are set up in the same proximities.My only hang up (pun intended) on the hang-on stands is most have the seat the size of a postage stamp and my next few hang-on stands will have a larger more comfortable seat on them to help me stay in the stand longer!

[vipermann7]

ive actually never used a climber because I'm not sure how picky you need to be about choosing a tree. to me, it seems like you would need a fairly straight tree with no branches sticking out until the very top. thats just my assumption, and so i have never bought one. i dont know anyone who has one, so i have never had a chance to try one, and i dont want to buy one just to find out it wont work for me. i would be interested to hear anyones thoughts on how versatile they are when it comes to tree selection, because like i said, seems to me just from what i have heard about them that you would need a straight, tall tree with no branches below 15 or 20 feet, or however high you want to climb. i dont have really any trees that fit that description where i hunt, so i have never tried one. though they do make some very light weight, comfortable ones now, i would be tempted to try one if i thought i could get some use out of it.
so far i prefer ladder stands all the way around simply because they are easier for me to put up than hang ons. even with a second ladder to climb, i find ladder stands so much easier to put up than the hang ons. i have a couple hang ons and i use them, but i rarely move them during the season because its such a chore.

[striker]

I have had a couple of climbers and no longer use them now for the reason you just stated. It always seemed I couldn't get exactly where I wanted because I was restricted to a certain tree. I also don't like the fact that you need a tree with no low limbs which leaves you with no cover unless you set up near another tree with branches that will break up your profile. Thats just my opinion, my father and my nephew use them and they love them. Just the other day my dad had his stand set 20 yards to far from where deer were coming out of a thicket. Next hunt he moved the stand and took a doe so I guess there are advantages.

[JPH]

I guess I am "field testing" a climber. I was thinking about buying one, but a friend offered to let me try his for the season.
 
There are so few trees in the woods that allow you to ascend them w/o some prep work. At first glance, it does not seem to hold much advantage over a good hang on and a lot of steps. I have many trees that I have all trimmed up and steps in place. I also have a little hang on that I pack in and strap on when I get there.
 
We'll see, but my first impression is that it would not be worth the $ to buy one. At least in the scrubby timber that I hunt.

[gunther89]

All of the treestands on our property are ladder stands.  I don't have a problem with them I guess cause the deer get used to the ladder but they are kinda noisy trying to get up them in the morning in darkness.  I am wanting to buy a climber because I feel that if i'm scouting the area that I hunt and find a hot spot I want to hunt that spot right then and without a climber I can't.  Maybe when I get older and have some money I will but for now I will stick with the ladder stand.

[ranwin33]

Right now all we have are ladder stands, but I'm thinking seriously about getting a climber.  We've got too many areas I would like to hunt and putting a ladder stand in them all would be cost prohibitive.  Plus we've got a lot of straight hickories with no limbs for at least the first 15 feet or more so a climber would be perfect.  Just not sure how comfortable I'd be using one, I don't like heights at all and getting up a ladder is hard enough for me.

[outdoorsfellar]

I use the Equalizer climbing tree stand. It's a climber that you can actually re-adjust to keep it level so you can go all the higher as to compared to other climbers. I use to use hanging stands, until one got stolen, so no more of that. This particular stand outshines any of the Summits I've owned. If you go to their web site, they have a demo video that's explains it all.... www.equalizertreestands.com