Climbing tree stand or fixed position?

Archery Newbie · Post by **Archery Newbie** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 4:25 pm

Hey y'all (with an attempt at a Southern drawl...lol) I just recently got into deer hunting (2 years ago) and want to purchase a treestand. I don't have a quad, so weight may be a factor in what type of stand I purchase. I like the looks of a climber, as you don't need to carry any additional weight (climbing sticks, etc). A few friends of mine said not to buy a climber because you need to find a perfect tree to climb. Any advice? Another concern of mine is that I'm worried about getting deep in the bush to get off the beaten path (Nothing worse than quads, pickups, etc. whipping by you!) I enjoy bushwhacking (with a compass and GPS of course!) Thank you!

barnett · Post by **barnett** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:11 pm

DONT listen to your friends. Permanent tree stands are fine but your going to ALWAYS be stuck in that same tree, OR disassemble your permanant and put back up in another spot. I love my Summit Goliath climber just stick it on a tree and climb up or down and it doesnt have to be absolute perfect, ive been up some nasty trees and shouldnt have but worked fine. Ive changed alot of mind on climbers and i hope to help you. Ive got permanents as well but at times ive used them as decoys for deer. OH YEAH climbers are very very comfy as well,,,,,,,,,,,,if you fall asleep its not my fault, at least you can rest the side of your head on the side rail.

vixenmaster · Post by **vixenmaster** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:35 pm

Summits are very good i have the viper ss the Goliath maybe better with a little more room in it.

deerdhunter · Post by **deerdhunter** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:35 pm

Climbers don't require perfect trees but they do require limb free trees that are relatively straight trucked. Of course you can trim the limbs if you wish. All you need are trees without limbs as high as you want to climb & hunt. You can find stands 15-20lbs. depending on what model you buy. For using a crossbow I prefer the models that have the rail across the front of the top section (heavier). The lightest one of this type that I am aware of is the Timbertall Baby Lite at 12lbs. (I think they recommend a waist size of not more than 34"). I don't see any advantage weight or work wise if you are going to carry a lock-on in and out. One thing to look for is the cable/belt adjustments on a climber. A climber that will adjust to fit small trees or large trees may make a difference in how usable it is depending on the trees in your area.

If you are hunting really deep and have trees with lots of limbs down low you might consider a harness type stand like the Treesuit, Tree Saddle etc.

Pydpiper · Post by **Pydpiper** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 5:39 pm

Fixed = a place to sit in the woods
Climber = a place to sit anywhere in the woods.

My biggest dilemma when making the choice you are facing is that I thought there were not enough trees to accomodate me, I was wrong. A climber has turned out to be my favorite weapon in my battle againt the ever elusive whitetail.
Even though they both look the same when mounted there are very large differences to consider when making the purchase, one provides mobility while the other is fairly permanent.
A climber allows you to shift with the conditions, hunt a new spot every hunt and can be found compact and portable.
Hang on stands can be a nice way to hook up silently in the dark, nothing to carry but you are at the mercy of the elements, one spot to hunt.

Archery Newbie · Post by **Archery Newbie** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 6:04 pm

Thanks for all the help, peeps. My mind is set on a climber. Like I stated earlier, my biggest concern as a deer hunter without a quad (but I do own a nice Silverado!) is getting away from the other ATVers. I found a few promising spots ( 1 with a nice rubline) and have spotted some nice bucks during the birding season in this same general area. Another concern of mine was the portablity of a climber. I didn't really want to haul a fixed position stand in every day, and I didn't want to leave it there ('cause I've read a few other posts on here of thieves). I actually just ordered a Summit Goliath climber from Bass Pro. Thanks again!

deerdhunter · Post by **deerdhunter** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 6:06 pm

If the terrain permits use a deer cart to haul the stand in & out - & the deer when you get it

bucont · Post by **bucont** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 6:32 pm

Gotta luv the help offered on this site. What a good bunch of members here.

dutchhunter · Post by **dutchhunter** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 6:37 pm

if money is not the bigproblem look at the lone wolf climmers .thy are number 1 in my books and will last a life time .DUTCH

DanO · Post by **DanO** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 7:09 pm

If you get in far enough a permanent stand is fine since most thieves are too lazy to bother hauling it out and the cheap ones aren't worth it. Permanents sure limit were and when you hunt though. I just bought a Summit so I can hunt many locations on many winds. That's not easy to do with a permanent stand and the deer soon figure out the location of a fixed stand unless you use them sparingly.

Dan O.

BarterBoy · Post by **BarterBoy** » Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:16 pm

I have a Summit Viper and I love it. Light weight aluminum, no rust, high quality costruction. Be sure to be in good shape before you attempt to climb trees. 20 years ago it was a breeze to fly up trees, getting old is a drag. I found straight 18" plus diameter pine trees to be the best trees to climb when I was in Virginia. The stand would bite well into the bark and provide a rock solid climb and platform. Warning, first time you climb half way up a fat slick non pine tree and find yourself sliding back down, it will wake you up fast for sure. Go out and practice alot with the new stand before you drag it out to hunt. Be sure not to lose your foot strap holds on the base as you climb or you'll be in trouble as the base slides back down the tree leaving you hanging in panic mode. Always wear a full safety harness and bring plenty of high quality light rope to pull up your gear. Bring zip lock(not cheap copies!) bags to piss in and keep with you in the tree. Once your up there it's hard to get back down to pee. Cover the stand in a fleece or a sound proof back pack setup to transport into the woods. Deer will pickup on the sound of clinking metal as you attempt to stealth in. Branches will slap against the stand no matter how careful you stealth. Small tree stand umbrellas are great when it rains but they do generate noise that deer may notice. A fleece backback works well as a pillow too because sleeping in a swaying pine tree 15 feet up is like heaven on earth. Good Luck!
BarterBoy

warningshot · Post by **warningshot** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 6:20 am

[quote="Archery Newbie"]Thanks for all the help, peeps. My mind is set on a climber. Like I stated earlier, my biggest concern as a deer hunter without a quad (but I do own a nice Silverado!) is getting away from the other ATVers. I found a few promising spots ( 1 with a nice rubline) and have spotted some nice bucks during the birding season in this same general area. Another concern of mine was the portablity of a climber. I didn't really want to haul a fixed position stand in every day, and I didn't want to leave it there ('cause I've read a few other posts on here of thieves). I actually just ordered a Summit Goliath climber from Bass Pro. Thanks again![/quote]

please feel free to post your likes and dislikes after use....i'm interested in a climber as well but unsure of what to get ....

scratcherky · Post by **scratcherky** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 6:14 pm

Get a hot water bottle from the drugstore to piss in. After you piss you have a hand or body warmer!

Archery Newbie · Post by **Archery Newbie** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 4:13 pm

Thanks for all the input. I should be getting my climber next week sometime. When I get it, I will practice using it on 1 of the trees in my yard and post on how well it works. As for the hot water bottle for my urine, my wife laughed and then almost threw up at the mention of it (she thought it was a joke at first!)

But I will be carrying an empty water bottle. lol Thanks again for all the help everyone! This site rocks!

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