Tree stand beginner..

[Moose Man]

I've entertained the idea of hunting mule deer from a tree-stand during portions of the season this year. After reading Swedes excellent book (highly receommended) on tree-stand elk hunting, I've decided to give it a go. Since I've never hunted from a stand before, thought I'd see if I could get some quick feedback on gear etc.

My furthest location is roughly five miles in and 1500 ft of elevation gain, hence, I'd prefer a decently light setup. The trees are heavily limbed so a climber isn't an option. I'll leave the stand on the tree but bring back the sticks (public land). For some of the closer areas (easier to get to/more risk of theft), the plan would be to get a cheap stand and use the same sticks.

Here's the setup I've looked at:
Stand: Millenium M25 - Has gotten decent reviews, big platform, isnt too heavy) - $99
Sticks: Lone wolf – They come at a price but have gotten great reviews and are the lightest I've found. $139
Harness: My plan would be to use the one that comes with the millenium stand, bad idea?
Other (roughly $100) :
2 pull up ropes (backpack/bow)
Tree strap
Screw ins (for hanging bow/pack etc)
Life line (would love to get opinions on this, do you use them?)

Anything else I've missed? The above comes in at around $350 which is a bit more than I'd like but I've regretted "going cheap" in the past. The big opportunity to cut cost is obviously the stand/sticks if anyone has recommendations on one that isn't too heavy. Anyway, would love to get some thoughts on the above, am I looking in the right direction?

Thanks in advance

MM

[cnelk]

I buy the cheapest hang-on tree stands I can from Sportsmans Guide
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/g ... x?a=585712

There is one that has a bigger platform too for $35
They come with ratchet straps and safety harness
Ive had good luck with those.

I use use screw in tree steps when I pack in that far.
A cordless drill and pre-drilling the holes makes installing them a breeze
You will need a minimum of 12 steps
Sometimes I will remove the bottom two steps and stash them nearby so any unwanted use can be limited

Para cord makes a good pull up rope

I realize your being hesitant of being cheap, but the risk of someone finding and taking the stuff also equates into my thoughts...

If someone takes my above setup, Im out ~$60

[rudyc]

I've been using the Lone Wolf "sticks for over 10 years and there is no way I'd ever go back to steps. In many of the places I hunt, it's illegal to use screw-ins, plus the fact that I believe the steps are soooo much safer and quicker to use than screw-ins. I can set 3 sticks without breaking a sweat in less time than it takes me to put in a couple of screw-ins. It's pretty easy to strap them together for a nice compact package and attach them to your pack or stand when going in. Your mileage may very, however, the sticks have been a welcome addition to my hunting gear for years.

[Lefty]

I built steel stand I designed rails so you couldint fall out , and built for two . I put removable wheels and handles and wheelbarrowed it to the site. Trimmed the tree and buillt a ladder the stand was 35 feet up .
It was in a place nobody would walk it out And few people hunted
Before I left Utah I gave the location to a few neighbors to hunt

I quit worring about theft, I also tend to go places others dont take the time. I did have some srcewball steal my sd card and garden hose last year

[Triplebhunters]

Havnt purchased the book as of yet. On Christmas list. Hunt whitetails out of trees and here is a couple observations I will share.
Harness wear it. Get the best lightest and breathable one you can afford. If you wear one that comes with stand. Hang it on a hanger, to put it on. Do a dry run before you hit the woods so you know how in the woods. Try and find a safety course. Ours was advertised by game commision. $12.00 if I remember right.
Screw ins. Illegal most places. Check the laws. They do make a nylon strap with hooks on it. Works good for binocs, range finder. I always hold my bow, so haven't tried that.
Ropes. After you pull up your gear don't allow the rope to dangle, other than safety reasons. Deer will see them vibrating. Wrap rope twice before clipping it, sturdier and quieter.
Tree stand hunting can be relaxing. Have fun.

[Moose Man]

Thanks guys, really appreciate the fast responses. Great insights. Yes, I can't screw in steps so limited to sticks/ladder.

I've looked at the sportsmans guide stands, seem great but I've got some gift cards for cabelas that I can use. If I end up getting additional stands, I'd definitely go with their cheap models.

Regarding safety, have looked at the videos available online, also reading a whitetail book on the subject now.

My greatest challenge will be having faith in the areas, cameras aren't showing too much activity but I had success still hunting one of the areas last year.

Thanks again guys!

[Z Barebow]

I have hunted WT's out of stands for 30+ years. And I hunt to be mobile. One of the bigget problems is if the stand is too big or heavy, you will hunt in a spot too long or when the wind is wrong and stand is too hard to relocate.

That being said, you aren't far off of my setup. I use a LW hang on stand/stick combo. One of the neat features is the steps mesh with stand and pack as a single unit. (With bungies). For safety, I finally broke down and bought a HSS safety vest and won't use anything else. (If you want a Seat of the Pants harness, I have one which I would sell you). I have a fractured vertabrae from a 1989 treestand fall which can be used as a case study as to why you must always wear a safety belt.

I know the LW is not cheap, but I don't leave it out. It is so easy to set up and take down there is no need to leave it. If you do want to leave it, by a Python cable and lock that bad boy in. Only knock on the stand is the seat needs some padding reinforcement.

[aron]

Sticks are definitely more convenient than steps for me. One thing I've done to help with theft is to use sticks for the top half or 2/3's of the tree and screw in steps for the lower portion. I than take the screw in steps with me each time. This seems to help with theft or someone "borrowing" your treestand to hunt out of. Just a thought.

As Z Barebow mentioned, the larger the platform, the more cumbersome to relocate, especially if you have to haul it in 5 miles. I would also not recommend the smallest platform available out there as they feel unsafe for me when I'm 18+ ft up, especially since I don't like to sit still.

[cnelk]

I know very few people that have packed in a stand 5 miles and a 1500 elevation climb ... me included
When you are all done, you wont be a beginner anymore!

Good luck!

[Moose Man]

Thanks again for all the tips, getting excited. Just waiting for my gift cards to show up in the mail and I'll pull the trigger. (As a side note, in case you have thankyou points tied to your citibank account, cash in for cabelas gift cards..)

Yes, it's not a short hike but it's a 3.5% success rate unit (rifle non the less..) and I've found some remote areas with activity and no one else around. Some more productive areas closer but with that comes people and I'd rather be alone than deal with "crowds", especially if I'm in a stand. And, hauling gear in/up will be a perfect addition to my training for my elk hunting premiere end of september...

As of now, I'll stick with sticks and a lighter stand for the remote areas, I might set up a different one for different zone.

Very fair point on overhunting an area, based on camera activity, I'll mix it up with still hunting, have too much energy to spend days on end in a tree..

Thanks again, hoping my next camera harvest will look promising.

MM

[wideangle]

I use a Summit Viper SD I picked up on Craigslist for a decent price. It is a climber.
I can move this stand easily to other locations although I do not hike in more than a quarter mile.

[Triplebhunters]

Moose man looking at the cabelas archery catalog today. The harness I would reccomendation is page 125. Ultra lite or ultra lite xtreme, by HSS. The ones with pockets hold to much heat for me then I sweat and freeze.

[Swede]

My son and I are planning on a pack in bivy hunt for late in the season this year. We will both hunt early too out of our regular camp. Personally I am hoping at least Luke kills a good bull real early. We are taking our stands in on the bivy hunt, and I am facing the same dilemma. I don't enjoy sitting long hours in small light weight stands. Also I don't want to pack in a larger heavy one. As a compromise we are going with two light stands and hunting on the ground in the mornings. We plan to go in with ten trees steps each. My stand is an API Original and his stand a small Gorilla.