I've always used screw ins until midway through this season, when I bought some sticks. I really like the sticks, if it's a location I plan on leaving the stand for a longer duration. I prefer to be mobile, and in that case I like the screws better, just because they can be completely silent and are much more mobile in the woods. The sticks aren't TOO bad, as I use the straps that hold them to the tree to hold them all together nice and tight to stop rattling. I worry about getting ripped off much more with sticks as well. When using screws, I use the kind that have the removable step (they're really old, can't remember the name) for the first 4 steps or so...so someone on foot couldn't get to my stand witha lot of help or screws/spurs of their own. I think it's like everything else here, you gotta find out what YOU feel comfortable with for how and where YOU hunt.