Mobile Set Ups - How do You Do It??

[budrow]

alright guys - i have a climber, have climbing sticks, etc. what are some of yall methods for being mobile but comfortable, and high w/o leaving too much odor and disturbing area too much? Any input. The climber is awesome for being able to hunt just about anywhere (in my east texas area), but it really stinks trying to get set up w/o bunch of racket, sweating, etc. Have the API climber. If your going to hunt an area a few times you don't want to deal with a climber every time you go to the stand. You can leave climber on tree your hunting but then this leaves even more intrusion to area by leaving the climber you've been sitting in for several hours at the base of tree. Do any of yall feel you can move climbing sticks and hang on easier w/o as much intrusion? Im not talking moving all the time but hunting an area a few times. most of the hang ons are not too comfortable either unless gonna spend couple hundred bucks. You guys that hunt areas with trees (such as east texas) how do you do it. how do you move easily, quietly w/o contaminating so much but be comfortable to hunt all day?

[budrow]

come on guys - i know there are some of yall going thru this right now in east texas - deer aren't coming to corn and the does are gettn hot. but you can't just barge into an area if you want a crack at Mr Big. Am I just being a wuss here? Do folks just go with climb sticks and tough it out on the little wrinky ding hang ons that are not comfortable or big enough? you gotta be comfy to sit all day - i have too.

[Heath]

I do not hunt anywhere I can use a climber, but for me to be mobile all it takes is a small folding chair and a pair of loppers to bury myself in a Cedar tree. The Chris Martin special blind.

[trophy_taker]

I hunt a stand a max of 3 to 4 times and then move. I have 4-5 Gorillas (the middle size) and I use a mix of climbing sticks(the kind that don't have to hook together such as rapid rails or the cheapos from walmart) and screw in steps. This works very well for me!

[budrow]

trophy taker - are you saying that you use the rapid rails and not the climbing sticks that hook together? if so are the rapid rails worth the extra expense? i just bought 3 stick ladders from wal-mart to create 2 tall ones. can you really move pretty easy with your set up? do you hang the gorilla by yourself? do you use a pulley or anything? do you just tough it out as far as being comfortable to hunt several hours or all day? it is almost time to hunt all day in my area.

[budrow]

trophy taker: can you get pretty high with your set ups and still be fairly mobile?

[Ricky T]

API's rapid rails are the best for mobility I would have to say. I like climbing sticks and Joe Dunn's tree ladders are very flexible, if not a bit heavy. As far as stands, a good, reliable chain-on is hard to beat for portability. I can strap climbing sticks and a Loc-on stand to my backpack and go anywhere. I'm a little guy so I can put up with even the smallest stands. I have made a cushion out of some soft foam and a cotton T-shirt that I carry with me always and sit on it. Makes a world of difference.

The problem I run into with climbing sticks and such is invariably they'll make a noise going up or down. The quietest, by far, are good, sturdy screw-in tree steps. Loc-on made some for years that were great. I take a portable drill with the proper size bit and start a hole, then just make sure you get a couple threads in the tree and you're good to go. The drill noise is a problem but I pick a windy day and get 'er done. Always have a piece of cord to hang from somewhere handy up top for your bow. Tie an overhand knot in the very bottom of the cord and just pull the cord up between your string and idler pulley until the knot is fairly tight. That'll hold the bow plenty so when you get it up to your stand there's no fumbling around untying something. I don't fool with bow hangers because invariably a buck'll come in on the run and stop for a second with my bow hanging between me and him. I did make a little clip on a belt that I can snap to my string so the bow won't slide off my legs if I get inattentive.

Lots of good, portable stands on the market, but you'll pay for the better ones. Money well spent IMO. Good luck in the trees.

[trophy_taker]

I get about 18 to 25 feet depending on the situation. Usually I use 4-5 screw in steps at the base of the tree and the sticks to the top. I pull the bottom 4 steps out if worried about my stand getting stolen or someone else hunting it. Occasionally, I will put a screw in here and there between the sticks depending on the setup. I like to use all screw in steps but it wears me out and I'm soaked when I'm done thus leaving more scent in my setup. It really comes down to what kind of tree that i find as to what I use to hang my stand. Once I get my steps/sticks in, I pull my stand up with the rope that is used for my bow rope. All my stands have a 25 foot nylon rope tied to them, an extra ratchet strap for security, and a cable with padlock for the poachers/trespassers.

[budrow]

i notice the rapid rails are slightly different sizes so they nest together. anybody use these? how high can the average hunter get withem?

[trophy_taker]

Use some screw in's at the base to get higher.

[Thorson]

Rapid Rails are definitely worth the extra expense in my opinion. Very lightweight and very versatile. I generally use them on day hunts on public land. I also tend to carry a few screw in tree steps in my pack as well.

Honestly though, my best portable setup is a small folding stool and a bit of camouflage netting. Sometimes, I don't even carry the netting. On my recent excursion to the Kerr WMA for my Archery Exotic hunt, I had several shot opportunities on whitetail deer using just a stool. Too bad it was not a whitetail hunt. It makes it a bit tough to draw when they are that close at eye level, but it is definitely possible.

I like my hang on stand with my Rapid Rails when I know I am not going to be moving much, but the stool and camouflage netting is my uber mobility setup.

Then again, I actually like to see how close I can get stalking. Maybe this is why I have not scored yet this season.

[Thorson]

i notice the rapid rails are slightly different sizes so they nest together. anybody use these? how high can the average hunter get withem?

I usually go up about 10-15 feet or less using my Rapid Rails. Most of the time, though, I only use three of the four sections. I have never tried to see how high I could get, but I would think that 20 feet would be a reasonable maximum height.

[Great White Hunter]

Quick and temporary? I usually use a ground blind, not too heavy, can have it up in just a few minutes. My regular spot I have a 2 man deer stand about 150 yards from the feeder and a tree stand for my bow at 17 yards from the feeder at about 17 feet up right at the canopy.

[Tmag]

I use a Grand Ol Man climber and I move pretty regular. The noise is minimal is you take it slow and easy. I use the RickyT method with a heavy cord tied off to bring the bow up after the climb. Good thing about a climber is you can adjsut if needed once you start hunting.

[Pat Miller]

I can understand the WANT to be less instrusive and quiet while setting up but it is practically impossible to do. Most of getting up in a tree quietly has to do with the practice and practical application of using your equipment CONSTANTLY and knowing how to use it AUTOMATICALLY and quickly! And the only way you're going to do that is to do it ALOT......in season and out of season!
Getting to be an old fat man, I study alot of different 'Systems' to cut down on weight, noise, and use and this leads me to have different SYSTEMS for different applications and areas.
I use a climber in piney woods & river bottoms with alot of tall hardwoods.
I use Lone Wolf climbing sticks--the long ones & the short ones--depending on where I"m hunting and also how high I want to go.
I use a Lone Wolf hang on for light weight issues.
I use a Gorilla hang on for more permanent and comfort.
I use a Tree Saddle for iight weight and portability issues along with the LW sticks and it will get me in any tree.
I use screw in steps, strap on steps for hangers & support.
I use Klein Professional Treee Spikes depending on my mood and where I'm hunting.(some places frown on gouging holes in the trees!)
I've used a stool, a log, a stump, burrowed in a cedar tree, dug a hole and hunted from a pit.

It's kind of hard to actually pinpoint the perfect system-----it always depends on the person, the place, the weather, your physical well being...etc. etc.

Study hard before you spend alot of money.....like I did!