# Who uses ladder stands?



## bish (Jul 13, 2007)

Just wondering how many of you use ladder stands?


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

Pretty much all I use. Have a bunch of them...


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## bowtechin (Apr 8, 2007)

5 ladders 6 hang ons and 1 ground blind I prefer to sit in the ladder stands


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## HonkerExpress (Sep 23, 2005)

2-16ft ladderstands by big game
1-20ft ladderstand by big game
2-16ft home made ladderstands

Love the 20 ft'er, but its a heavy pig, definately, one you don't do by yourself, lol.


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

I love ladder stands. Seems the older I get, the less I like heights, and the more comfortable I feel ascending and descending with a ladder vs. screw in steps.


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## sotaman (Apr 6, 2004)

I got them all and I do like a a ladder but I don't like the limited height I get out of them. I like to be up a tree a long ways.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

They were my favorite stands, but I have Peripheral Arterial Disease, and I can't feel my feet anymore, so I stay on the ground in a Double Bull now. I know 16 ft isn't that high, but at 59 years old I don't bounce very well anymore.


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## AdamFisk (Jan 30, 2005)

> I know 16 ft isn't that high, but at 59 years old I don't bounce very well anymore.


That was a good laugh for a monday. Thanks Plainsman. :lol:

I use all ladder stands as well. I didn't bouce very well either when I slipped on one of those cheap screw in steps when it was wet out.


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## jwdinius1 (Dec 14, 2006)

thast all i have, i think i have 6, but wjo knows i better count them again, i havent bow hhunted in 2 years, too f%^&ing busy with college and waterfowling, but yeah there great, just hard to move when the deer move, assuming ur hunting deer.


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## weasle414 (Dec 31, 2006)

Plainsman said:


> I know 16 ft isn't that high, but at 59 years old I don't bounce very well anymore.


I hear ya, at 14 I didn't bounce too well either.

I'm not a huge fan of ladder stands myself. The kind of cover I hunt in, you don't want to have to haul out a ladder stand 300-400 yards or more into it. I also had one fall on me while I was helping a friend take his down and that wasn't the most pleasent feeling in the world. I stick to strap-on tree stands and ground blinds.


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## bish (Jul 13, 2007)

The consensus seems to be they are safer overall.

I have one climber which I will try to get more comfortable with this season. Otherwise I have set up 4 - 15' ladders and 2 homemade wooden ones about 12'. I also have one made of 3/8 rebar welded together. This is one that blends with the woods once it rusts. Real easy to make in about 2 hours time.

I have 2 more ladder stands that I intend to set up over the next few weeks and I may get another. I buy the cheap ones for $59 - $69 in case some steals them. Even though I have them padlocked to the tree, I had some steal the 3 sections of ladder and leave the seat. I'm gonna asemble that on top of one of the wooden stands on the platform.


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

Plainsman said:


> I know 16 ft isn't that high, but at 59 years old I don't bounce very well anymore.


He used to bounce pretty good.  LOL

I like my ladder but find that I use a ground blind more often, I guess cause it's more mobile.

huntin1


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## sotaman (Apr 6, 2004)

I use ground blinds and I really started using them a lot last year. How long do you feel you have to set them out before the deer get used to them and what do you think of the lack of a blood trail in comparision to a tree stand with no downward angle exit wound?


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

> sotaman wrote:
> I use ground blinds and I really started using them a lot last year. How long do you feel you have to set them out before the deer get used to them and what do you think of the lack of a blood trail in comparision to a tree stand with no downward angle exit wound?


I dont think they ever get use to them unless they are camoflauged well.

I have 4, 16 or 15 foot ladder stands and like them for their safety features and have shot all my deer out of them but am now leaning to hang on stands just because you can get more concealment and can hang them a little higher if need be


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## bowtechin (Apr 8, 2007)

> am now leaning to hang on stands just because you can get more concealment and can hang them a little higher if need be


Yeah but you can't slide down them like you can on a ladder stand. 

I use both for the concealment reason you mentioned. I've got some spots where my ladder stands work well for concealment, but then I've got some where the ladder would really stick out. They both work well for me. I do always feel a little safer in the ladders though.


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

> Yeah but you can't slide down them like you can on a ladder stand.


Never done the bear hug technique? Just pray you cut the branches close enough to the tree for the ride down


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## Turner (Oct 7, 2005)

For those of you that use ladder stands, can they be locked to the tree so they are not stolen?


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## bowtechin (Apr 8, 2007)

> Never done the bear hug technique? Just pray you cut the branches close enough to the tree for the ride down


 :lol:

You could lock your stand to the tree just like a hang on. Then lock your ladder pieces together I guess. People who steal stands should be hung by their berries. It's too bad we even have to worry about that.


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## USSapper (Sep 26, 2005)

> You could lock your stand to the tree just like a hang on. Then lock your ladder pieces together I guess. People who steal stands should be hung by their berries. It's too bad we even have to worry about that.


Locks keep the innocent people away


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