Differences from ladder stand and climbing stand?

[alien77721]

Got some tax money in and I'm looking at getting another stand. I don't know which is better though. The trees I have on my place are mostly live oaks. So, what are the benefits of each stand and which would fit my place better?

[bowtechhunter]

I think with oaks the ladder stand would work better.

[DaveS903]

I have never used a climber on anything but a pine tree. Climbers work well with slash pines because the trunks are straight and tall, have few branches, and the bark is soft enough for the "teeth" of the climber to dig in for a good grip. A climber would not be suited for a live oak because they are short, crooked, have lots of branches, and are fairly hard (sounds like my in laws JUST KIDDING!!!). I would go with a ladder stand or tripod in live oak country.

[tvc184]

Got some tax money in and I'm looking at getting another stand. I don't know which is better though. The trees I have on my place are mostly live oaks. So, what are the benefits of each stand and which would fit my place better?

It is not a matter of better or worse but what type of trees you are looking at, if it has to be portable and how you intend to hunt.

If you are going to use an oak tree, go with the ladder. I really don't think you will have much of a choice really as oaks are not shaped right for climbing, especially live oaks.

The ladders are way more stable and I think safer in my opinion. I have a couple of climbing stands and they are good for portability. I can carry them into an area that I have never been and usually find a way to get fairly high up. If I have a stand that I am going to bring in and leave, it is a ladder stand. I have two of them at the moment that I have been hunting and have taken deer from both of them, including with an arrow this year.

When you say "mostly" live oaks, are there pine trees in the same area? Climbing stands on the right kind of tree offers a (usually) light weight stand that you can carry in and out with you. You have the ability to go as high as you need and can change sides of the tree if necessary to get out of the sun or to keep from being silhouetted in the sunlight. The climber gives you the ability to pick a new location in short order.

The ladder stand can be used on more kinds of trees and is very stable when locked on correctly. If you use a double wide ladder stand, it can give you more room to maneuver than most (any?) climbing stands. It has the advantage of being able to leave it up (a necessity really) so you can walk in and start hunting.

If you do not have trees that are good for climbing or if you want a more stable stand to leave in place, get the ladder. If you plan on hunting a different tree each time and/or want a portable stand, go with the climber (EDIT-Assuming that you have the right kind of trees in place to use it).

[Landrover]

I would go with a ladder stand or tripod in live oak country.

Yep! You can only use a climber on a straight tree (pines primarily) that is no wider than about 45 inches.

[alien77721]

Sounds unanimous!

[pallen]

I personally think a climber and a set of Rapid Rails are a great combination.

You can hang a climber in a crooked tree and use it as a "permanent" stand. Or... if you come accross a straight tree, drop the Rails and just jack yourself up the tree.

A climber can be a great all-purpose stand.

Ladder stands can not be used on all trees since the support arm on the ladder needs to contact the tree trunk. On a crooked tree, this is sometimes hard to manage.

[tvc184]

If you're going to use a climbing stand and put rails on a tree, making it semi-permanent, why not just a lock-on stand?

I have seen some very nice models and they are generally much cheaper than climbing stands, maybe by $150.

[Matador]

I'll say it!! Neither get your self a Game Tamer!! They're better than a sleep number! www.gametamers.com

[rjet]

I prefer a climber, but they are pretty much useless around where I hunt nowdays unless used as a lock-on.
When I was hunting AR a climber was the only way to go.
Red-oaks and pines are great climbing trees, just not many around here.
I pretty much use ladder stands now days.

[Thorson]

I will have to second the Rapid Rails. They, though not as fast and easy as using a climbing stand, allow you to setup a permanent stand or make for a fairly quick move to another location. They also allow you quite a bit of flexibility when dealing with crooked trees.

I do like ladder stands, but they do not allow for much flexibility, and are semi-portable at best. I personally use them only on permanent locations, though I may change my location once in a season. Once it is set, I pretty much leave it alone. Also, in my experience, they are not any easier to deal with as far as placing them in trees, unless the trees are fairly straight, tall, and without limbs. The best thing about them IMO is that you can pick them up for cheap in most places, so for the price of a good climber, or a hang on and Rapid Rails you can buy two or three ladder stands. You can spend a ton on ladder stands as well, but I typically go with the less expensive options.

Additionally, I think that the hang on stands are more comfortable than most of the ladder stands that I have used. There seems to be less stuff to get in your way while waiting for a shot at your quarry.

I just sold my ladder stands, in favor of keeping one hang on with a set of Rapid Rails, and with the intention of buying a climber. With the hang on, climber, and Rapid Rails I have virtually unlimited scenarios of what I can setup.

I have not used the Gametamers yet so I have no comment, but I really like the idea. Tripods are another route you can take as well. There are some portable models out there that will give you some flexibility. I personally like tripods except for one or two things. One, you cant get high enough. I usually aim for about 20 feet up in the air with my tree stands (if possible). Two, there is nothing really to tie your safety harness to. My first experience in a tripod ended up with me falling onto a cedar tree. I was only about ten feet up, but man it really hurt. It was early, I was tired, and one wrong step .... OUCH!

[J-DAWG]

Climbers work good on telephone poles! wink wink

[GR5]

Tree Lounge has climbed a many Red Oak and Pin oak

[Ouch]

I use climbers all the time. I think I have eight of 'em. Some of them are permanent, with Rails or a ladder strapped to the tree. They are much more comfortable than any of my lock-ons. And, I bought them all at Wally World on clearance for less than $40.

Not to dsagree with anyone, but I climb oaks all the time with mine. In fact, I **** near kiled myself climbing a pine, and won't ever do it again. The bark is certainly soft, but it's also slicker than owl shiat.

[WCB]

A good light weight lock-on and a set of rapid rails. That's what I use at "H" and it's easy to move around if needed.
Either way, don't forget a safety harness...