RE: Ladder Stands??
My Dad uses ladders exclusively
He has a 16' ladder that he routinely has deer walk between the ladder and the tree. He has even had them nibble on the stabilizer ropes. No, they do not spook deer. YOU spook deer. No movement, The right wind direction and most important- have some sort of background cover to breakup your outline. Use branches and shove them in behind your stand. Better yet find a location where there is existing vegetation at your height on the tree. That is the one of the pluses of ladders, you can nestle them in almost any tree and make use of cover already there. Best stand there is if you can leave it in the woods. Good luck!