10 reasons why I only use one stand all year
I use the Lone Wolf Alpha Hangon and a set of 6 Lone Wolf climbing sticks and it is theis the only way to go IMO. You can use whatever you want for steps and a stand, but one set of steps and your favorite hangon stand is all you need. Here is why:
1. It's Quick. My Lone Wolf sticks and stand go in and out with me each time I go to the woods. The Lone Wolf hangon and sticks go up quickly and quietly with a little practice. From thetime the stand leaves my back to the time I am sitting in my stand is approx 15 minutes.
2. My stuff can't get stolen. I read stolen stand and stepposts nonstop on AT and here; whether private property or not, it is going to happen.
3. Safety:My equipment isn't getting ruined by squirrels, the sun, and weather; by not being out in the elements when I am not there. By using my equipment daily and setting it up and taking it down each hunt, I am aware of any safety issues with it.
4. The deer can't patternme due to being lazy and overhunting a stand location too much. Too many guys get off work and go to the same stand or two day in and day out and wonder why they don't see deer. The deer are onto you.
5. It allowsme to fullylearn the land I am hunting better and the time of day etc. that deer move through certain areas of the land. By being a mobile hunter, I am always on the move and observing deer movements and their patterns.
6. Shooting lanes are unneccessary once the leaves are off IMO so I do no shooting lane pruning; this saves me work and stinking up the woods with human scent and unnatural trimmed branches that can alert a deer of hunter activity. For me there is no arguement of needing stands placed early for shooting lanes cut. I can always place my stand a little high, low, to the right or to the left of where I expect my shot to come from. There is always a way to make a tree work without a bunch of pruning. I carry a little set of pruners just for immediate branches that may cause drawing of my bow issues.
7. I am NEVER faced with hunting a stand location that the wind is not in my favor. I take my stand and place it where the wind is in my favor for the hunt; I don't have to settle for a so so unfavorable wind.
8. I can hunt any tree I want with my setup. The problem I found with my climber treestand experiences is that I hunted where the trees worked for my climbing treestand, instead of where I wanted to hunt. Climbers are too tree specific.
9. I am not out busting my butt lugging stands out in the fall and placing them and then lugging them all back in the winter or spring after season.
10. I don't have a bunch of stands that are not necessary and I can spend my saved $$ on beer.