Advice please.

I am going to buy a tree stand.

From a pure saftey point of view ... and all else being equal ... would you opt for a good self climber or would you recommend tree steps and a lock on the tree type of portable stand.

Thanks for everyone's help!!!!!

Portability and ease of use are high marks for Self climbing treestands. Metal ladder stands - in my opinion/experience - are the safest. Lock-on stands are good for semi-permanent use on private or leased lands and are great with placement in trees that don't offer straight trunks that a climbing stand needs.

That is why I have each of those three types, because what works in hunting spot might be unsuitable for another area.

Heaven is best viewed from a deer stand at sunrise in the forest

Favorite Sticker: Vegetarian is Indian for Lousy Hunter

Pure safety I would also say the metal ladder stand would be the safest, but count on having someone to help when you put it up. We have a couple of douple hunter ladder stands that are good for carrying a child or wife or girlfriend or both!

I have tham all,climbers,ladders,loc-ons,and perminant,tripod.
the climber is the one I like the best.it is more portable,and the most comfortable for me.

safty,tri-pod,then the permantent,ladder,then climber.loc-on is the last on the list.
Didn't help a bit,did I ?????
it all depends on you and how afraid you are of hights.if your like a squirrel,then go for the climber!<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

I am not a hunter I am a whitetail population reduction specialest

remember keep your back to the sun, your knife sharp, and your powder dry.

It really depends on the area you plan to hunt. If it is mature forest with tall, straight, slender tree truncks then a climber would work well. Where I hunt is more mixed timber, pasture, and farm fields. For the most part the trees I put stands in are way too big to use a climber in, so fixed stand or ladder stand are the best options.

As the others said, a ladder stand is probably the safest since you are leaning the ladder against the tree rather than hanging the weight of the stand on a chain, strap, or cable.

No matter what type of stand you decide on, the one thing that all share is the need to wear a safety harness.

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Live: Oregon, IL
Hunt: Knox County, IL

I just bought a climber, and I it appears that it would be a pain in the neck to use for the morning hunt. Finding the right tree in the dark and then setting it up would seem difficult to me. I will use it when i hunt in the afternoon though. I will stick with my fixed stands or ground hunt in the mornings.

Kwick, the solution to finding a tree in the dark of early morning is pre-hunt scouting. Studying the lay of the land and learning the access trails and points before the season opens is the best option. A GPS also helps to find the area of your chosen tree, but a few tumb tacks in the shape of a V put up high will help pinpoint the tree.

Heaven is best viewed from a deer stand at sunrise in the forest

Favorite Sticker: Vegetarian is Indian for Lousy Hunter