Portable climbing deer stand recommendations?

T

twins

New member
I'm a novice when it comes to deer stand. Please recommend a good portable climbing deer stand and any associated equipment needed with it. Thanks for any assistance.
 
lone wolf

I have not used many climbing tree stands I have you some older styles are absolutely horrendous to use the best climbing treestand I have ever used is a lone wolf. They are very light and easy to use. that is my opinion but I have a very limited experience with climbing tree stands.
 
Mike brings up a good point. Very few stands are equally suited to both gun and bow. With most stands, you need to pick one or the other. You can shoot a gun out of a bow stand but not vice versa - you'll just be less comfortable sitting in a bow stand.
 
Interesting. I didn't know there was such a thing as a "bow stand" versus a "gun stand".

I've hunted with several climbers and have friends/family with several others. We've all shot both gun and bow from all of them.

As far as I'm concerned, the answer to the climbing stand question is Lone Wolf.
 
I too have in the past used a Lone Wolf climbing deer stand. There is something about them portable climbing stands that just doesn't sit right with me all that well. The older one gets. The less likely one likes to us them contraptions I think.Tipping the scales at 252 I had to be careful with my choice of a climbing deer stand back then. "Us big fellers don't bounce well." Actually my climber has been sitting out in my lawn shed unused for probably 10 years at least. Oh don't get me wrong they all do what there suppose to do. But you have to be very cautious when using any of them. As far as my choice. There is no choice. By far and away the Lone Wolf for its strength and since it's now being built back in America again. That too.
 
I have spent many a day in a climber stand. The Cadillac porta-climb is a great stand. The rifle seat is pretty much impossible to fall out of but it’s equally impossible to bow hunt from. They make a replacement top for bow hunters so you don’t have to buy two stands. Not sure what the weight limits on stands are these days. I did get up to 245lbs not to may years ago and that did limit my climbing somewhat. But I am back in the 180’s now and even at 63 I can get up a tree in a few minutes and feel totally safe. It might just be me but I don’t have a secure feeling hunting until I am settled in my stand way up in a tree. I am thinking that most people don’t shoot deer out of trees or at least they know that deer don’t climb trees.
 
I didn't know there was such a thing as a "bow stand" versus a "gun stand".
Click to expand...

Brian, the bow stands I'm talking about have no arm rests, no bar across the front, or anything else that would get in the way of drawing and releasing. The seats on them are also more like a straight-back chair as opposed to the "lazy boy" type recliner chair than makes gun hunting more comfortable (i.e going from a seated postion to a standing position is easy and quiet).
 
I have used Summit climbers before, and found them comfortable and the cable system easy to adjust.

I have also used Ol Man climbers, and liked how they folded flat for easy carry. The mesh seat was comfortable.

I also own a Timbertall that I bought when stationed in NJ. Very light.

As for accessories, make sure you have a rope or reel to bring up your equipment; a good body harness in case you fall or the stand cuts out on you; and an equipment hook (or hooks) to hang things like binos, rangefinder, rattling horns, camelback, etc.
 
I've had very good luck and feel safe in my API Grandslam. Weight is not heavy for me; I often walk in approx 2 miles to my hunting site.

Jack
 
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I love my summit stand. I have the viper it is amazing very comfortable and can have many attachment like rifle rest and foot rest. you can also get one used so you don't have to buy a new one
 
One of the best features of the Lone Wolf is that it folds almost completely flat. Don't underestimate the advantage of that. Not only does it not stick way out behind, causing maneuverability issues but being flat also GREATLY reduces the leverage that its weight has pulling down on your back. It's really a radical difference, even compared to other stands of similar weight.
 
Another mention of FALL GEAR!!! Don't even try out your new climber in your yard with out HIGH QUALITY FALL GEAR YOU ARE WILLING TO BET YOUR LIFE ON!!! Because everytime you climb you are doing exactly that...

Brent
 
I have and use 20 portable tree stands (mostly bow hunting). Lone Wolf is the clearly the best. Very light weight, very quiet, very easy to use, very comfortable, very safe and very expensive.
 
+100 for Hogdogs!!!

Don't leave the ground without it!!!

I have used a Summit for several years for both bow and gun hunting. Mine has the wrap around bar on top which allows you to "sit down" and climb. This makes the climbing much easier.

Since I was taught to stand up and shoot the bow from any stand, the bar doesn't interfere with shooting the bow.
 
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