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Post by Reagan on Nov 28, 2021 12:31:26 GMT -6
I transitioned to mostly ladder stands over the last several years. Three are buddy stands to hunt with a kid. Most were put up because they seem safer, are easier for Dad and less work since most stay up all year.
Today a squeaky ladder cost me an opportunity at a mature buck that was coming my way. I’ve decided the best big buck spots will be a hang on next year. I’ve also decided that I need to pull all ladders and check for loose bolts etc. I’m also considering electrical tape on the male portion of each ladder section.
Does anyone have any tricks to keep the ladder stands quiet? They are effective at gun range but can be the kiss of death at less than 30 yards.
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Post by Catscratch on Nov 28, 2021 15:07:31 GMT -6
I quit hang on stands a long time ago. It's either ground or ladder now. 2 things; 1 if I notice a squeak I try to fix it or at least figure out what causes it. 2 I sit in the position I shoot from. I don't stand or do any extra movement if I can get away with it. Pick bow up off lap, draw, release. If I can do that without shifting wt then I usually don't spook a deer.
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Post by chummer16 on Nov 28, 2021 15:55:47 GMT -6
Replace the pins in the ladder with nuts and bolts.
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Post by kl9 on Nov 28, 2021 15:56:46 GMT -6
I’m pretty much done with hang on stands as well. Just seem way more dangerous to me. Most new stands come with plastic washers to put alongside nuts and bolts to limit noise. I would look into this
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Post by Sandbur on Nov 28, 2021 16:14:39 GMT -6
I transitioned to mostly ladder stands over the last several years. Three are buddy stands to hunt with a kid. Most were put up because they seem safer, are easier for Dad and less work since most stay up all year. Today a squeaky ladder cost me an opportunity at a mature buck that was coming my way. I’ve decided the best big buck spots will be a hang on next year. I’ve also decided that I need to pull all ladders and check for loose bolts etc. I’m also considering electrical tape on the male portion of each ladder section. Does anyone have any tricks to keep the ladder stands quiet? They are effective at gun range but can be the kiss of death at less than 30 yards. Those metal ladder stands really get noisy when it gets really cold. I prefer the wooden ladder stands. |
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Post by Bwoods11 on Nov 28, 2021 17:00:04 GMT -6
Been there!
No tips ? But I use ladder stands for safety reasons and take my chances.
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Coda1
Full Member
Posts: 242 
Likes: 303
Location: Hunting north of Staples, MN
Zone: 3B
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Post by Coda1 on Nov 28, 2021 20:55:12 GMT -6
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Post by badgerfowl on Nov 28, 2021 23:25:34 GMT -6
Never had an issue and use them exclusively now. Haven’t sat in a hang on in 15 years. I only notice noise when I climb them.
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Post by Tooln on Nov 29, 2021 15:12:59 GMT -6
I loved use my climbers. I got to the point I could climb a tree and not make any noise. A few times I even turned the stand 45 degrees with a deer within 25 yards and didn't spook him. I quit using climbers after I had my knee replaced. Not that I couldn't use it but one time it slipped and I over extended the bad knee. Never used them again.
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Post by Sandbur on Nov 29, 2021 15:43:18 GMT -6
I loved use my climbers. I got to the point I could climb a tree and not make any noise. A few times I even turned the stand 45 degrees with a deer within 25 yards and didn't spook him. I quit using climbers after I had my knee replaced. Not that I couldn't use it but one time it slipped and I over extended the bad knee. Never used them again. I haven’t tried a climber, but with a bad back I just don’t consider it anymore. |
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Post by Bob on Nov 29, 2021 16:08:37 GMT -6
If you can't get up a tree with just your front and rear claws, you guys might wanna stay on the ground. Leave the perching to us.  |
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Post by Foggy on Nov 29, 2021 17:21:15 GMT -6
Since I started deer hunting in the 50's......we went from sitting on the ground or a stump, some brought a folding stool or a cushion (whimps).....and later we would do drives after lunch......to climbing trees and a small chunk of wood nailed between two limbs to stand on.......to making or own "hang-on" stands.......to store bought hang on stands with screw-in pegs (many of us built our own or used lag screw) ......then onto "miracle" aluminum stands to save some weight........to our home built ladder stands and ladders that tied to the tree and better hang-ons........to mass-produced ladder stands......then to home built box blinds.......and now to fiberglass box blinds with carpet, perched atop steel towers.... complete with office chairs, and vented gas heaters. We drive an electric golf cart to the stands to keep scent and noise down. Sadly.....There is no going back.
Almost nobody had dedicated "hunting land" back in the day. I doubt there were many food plots until sometime in the 80's......unless you were a farmer/hunter that left a few rows of corn for your critters.
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Post by Foggy on Nov 29, 2021 17:27:39 GMT -6
Grin.....I can remember scagaging some 2x4's and scraps of plywood to build our stands on public lands the day before opening. <---that was the way most of us hunted the Northwoods in the 70's and 80's. I can still remember a guy bringing his battery powered screw-gun to build his stand. I figured he was 1/2 nuts and 1/2 genius.  . Nobody I hunted with would spend and actual money on wood for our stands.....it was all scavenged crap. |
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Post by Catscratch on Nov 29, 2021 19:58:05 GMT -6
Shot many a deer while standing on a limb in a tree that I climbed without screws, steps, nails, or a ladder.
Got high tech and started nailing a chunk of 2x6 in a crotch to stand on.
Spent a lot of time climbing on a hand full of nails in the side of a tree. Almost ripped a finger off when I slipped and momentarily hung myself from my wedding ring. That finger still ain't right. The next phase was homemade steps that were lag screwed in.
Never bought a hangon but made several. They were sketchy. I didn't like them.
Then I started buying extension ladders on Craigslist. Bolted a piece of plywood to the 2nd from top rung to sit on. Adjustable to any tree or situation.
Now I've given up most of that foolishness. Probably increased my lifespan.
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Post by Foggy on Nov 29, 2021 20:06:59 GMT -6
Shot many a deer while standing on a limb in a tree that I climbed without screws, steps, nails, or a ladder. Got high tech and started nailing a chunk of 2x6 in a crotch to stand on. Spent a lot of time climbing on a hand full of nails in the side of a tree. Almost ripped a finger off when I slipped and momentarily hung myself from my wedding ring. That finger still ain't right. The next phase was homemade steps that were lag screwed in. Never bought a hangon but made several. They were sketchy. I didn't like them. Then I started buying extension ladders on Craigslist. Bolted a piece of plywood to the 2nd from top rung to sit on. Adjustable to any tree or situation. Now I've given up most of that foolishness. Probably increased my lifespan. Yep.....I hear what you are saying. I know allot of guys that took a bad fall or got ripped on those old stands back in the day. I took about a fifteen foot slide with an old Baker self-climber before those were perfected. I still have that old Baker.....and took a time to rid myself of the tree rash I got from it. We never had a concern about railings or a rest to shoot from back then either. As been said....you just don't know what you don't know. We have three old wooden ladders now.....and those will be gone in the next year or two. I won't crawl into anything that is questionable any longer. Comes a time when (you realize) a fall will put you in "the home".....grin. |
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. Nobody I hunted with would spend and actual money on wood for our stands.....it was all scavenged crap.