This is my second year bow-hunting: last year was spent entirely on the ground, usually with a ground blind. The season ended with a good shot opportunity (which I missed), but I am excited about this year.

Since it seems that the experienced and successful bowhunters that I know (and most who post here) use a tree stand, I purchased a Summit Cobra XLS climbing tree-stand. There is nothing wrong with the treestand: I am sure that it is a comfortable and safe platform for hunting from the trees.

However, I cannot imagine so many bowhunters using a contraption like this.

First, the thing is bulky and uncomfortable to carry: if you are hunting close to your vehicle, I guess this is not a problem. Surely hunters don't carry these things a mile (or even a 1/2 mile) into the woods: what a pain.

Second, it is a whole process to correctly and safely get up into the tree: there are cables and strings and straps and ropes.

Third, the whole safety harness thing is a nuisance that adds to the nuisance of getting into the tree. It also looks like it gets in the way when you are up there.

Fourth, you have to repeat the entire process to get down out of the tree: there is no other way to get down.

Fifth, it seems uncomfortably risky if you are hunting alone. You better have some method of extracting yourself if you fall or you will be hanging there until someone starts looking for you.

Finally, after schlepping the stand all the way in, you have to schlep it all the way out after a long (sometimes cold, sometimes rainy) day of hunting. Or you schlep it multiple times to go back for lunch, change location, whatever.

I can see the value of a chain-on that stays in place all season, but is a climbing stand really worth it? I can't see that it is for the places that I hunt: I am going to return mine.

Just curious about your thoughts.