RE: Who leaves stands out year round?
We have bunches of ladder stands left all over the farm. They are all basically the exact same design, with 3/4" plywood platforms secured with stainless steel 5/16" bolts. We cut a boat load of spare platforms and put them in the barn and replace as necessary. One-man replacement is a snap. Pull a ATV up to the ladder. Ratchet strap the ladder to the bumper/rack. Climb up on the rack and up the ladder and remove the ratchet straps holding the stand. Release the ratchet straps to the ATV and pull the stand down and replace.