I just got permission to hunt a tract of land close to my home. The owner says no building stands, because of tresspassers and the possibility of them getting hurt. Climbing stands are not practical here. However, he said treesteps were ok. Is it practical to screw in steps in all the trees I plan to hunt, and just haul in my fixed position stand? Its a chain on, weighs about 9 lbs, and I carry a ratchet strap with me to ensure the bottom stays in place. I set it up in my yard, and its quiet and fairly easy to do, however the difference between 5pm in the yard, and 4 am with the anticipation of the hunt is night and day (no pun intended). I' m just wondering if anyone else does this, and if anyone has any tips. Thanks.

Josh I did this when I use to use a treestand lots. I left the steps in and then hung the stand according to the wind direction, etc. Once the treesteps are in half the battle is done! I would suggest if you don' t already have one, getting a petzel headlamp(or similar) this will allow you to see what your doing under in the dark hands free. Also if you can get your hands on a speed rope system instead of the chain, it will be a breeze. Even if not the chain ons or strap type are pretty easy once familar, just give yourself some extra time the first time you head out!

For the last 20 years, I' ve always carried my screw-in steps in with me and screwed them in when I arrived at my tree---morning or evening hunts. I' m used to it and can ascend to my hunting height fairly quickly. Leaving the steps in the tree could get expensive and might cause damage later if a tree is cut down with a chainsaw.

What about using strap-on treesteps. There fast and quiet . And they come in handy to hang your bow or pack on. Don' t forget your safetybelt.

Use a climbing ladder such as the type offered by NonTypical, Summit, etc. I use 4 and take the bottom two off when I leave. Installing two in the dark is a breeze, easy and quite.

If you didn' t want to put tree steps in every tree....look at climbing sticks and the tree stand made by LoneWolf. I have used both of these on public land(where you can' t use screw steps). Once you get used to putting them up....They are a breeze to get up and down in the dark. Might be a little spendy, but I think they are worth it and really, really light.

I haven' t seen anyone say anything about a climbing stand, but that would be my suggestion. There are some good and inexpensive models avaliable. May be a thought.....

Hey Smitty

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...ainCatcat21424

Take a look at these. They look like they would work. You might need a back up plan if its wet though.