For those of you who climb to hunt and hunt mobile, not preset long term stands, what stand are you using and why? Might as well include climbing method as well.
Thanks, Rick
I have a climbing stand and an aluminum lock on. Have some Hawk Helium 30" strap on steps on order. Used screw in steps in the past.
I like three climbing sticks and a lighter quality hang on for most my mobile hunting.Might throw in a couple tree steps for the base of the tree.
I have an old loc-on hang on and I j<st got an XOP. The xop has a lot features that my old stand doesn't.
I use 3 lonewolf climbing sticks and sometimes use an aider on the bottom.
I used to have strap on steps but they were stolen. The sticks are faster.
I also got the xop transport system so I can pack everything.
Lone Wolf, XOP, or the D'Acquisto series HANG ON stands are all that exists in my opinion for mobile hunting. Hang ons with the offset bat wing back bracket allows you to hang in ANY tree you find so you don't have to compromise for a second rate tree in order to get one that is straight and limbless. This is HUGE for trad bow ranges. These are all essentially the same basic design and the way they store flat and grip the trees are the most important features of them which sets them apart from all the other competition. They are the most versatile and stable hang on stands on the market that are appropriate for running and gunning. I run a Lone Wolf with the bigger platform because I'm not a fan of heights and prefer a large spot for my feet. The D'Acquisto series is the highest quality and most feature rich of the lot but they are also pretty spendy at ~$1K all in. While that may sound outrageous if you consider the cost of 6-7 common inexpensive stands and leaving them on public land to get weathered and stolen vs just buying ONE mobile stand it actually levels out financially. If you are on a budget the XOP is a good choice offering you 95% of what a Lone Wolf does with less financial investment. The Lone Wolf series has been the gold standard for serious mobile hunters for many years.
When I don't hunt preset stands... which isn't all that often....I go Old School. Ezyclimb single fold screw in steps and an original 5 pound LocOn Windwalker stand. Bought this stand the first year they came out at a hunting show somewhere about 30 years ago. Dick Idol was selling the stands, around $50.
I've killed a few dandy bucks out of that stand!
That said, I'm kind of a stick in the mud about hunting....we just called it finding a new spot (not "Mobile Hunting") and I must have lost my flat brim cap and Instagram password 😀.
R
Beast Stand hang on. When I used this I sold ALL of my other Hang N Hunt stands. I only use this one stand.
Sticks
I do still like to drill trees and do a lot of pre season drilling along with some in season drilling. end of October into November I almost always drill 4 bolts - this will get my bottom stick 6 feet off the ground which gives me more options if I need to add height.
I have a few Chippewas and Chippewa Sticks which are now used one month or two months at a time on private.
for strap-ons LW and Loc-on with two ladder sticks each because I like the base to be 7-8' and like trees with pines or other foilage around them for that brushed in look I also have LW hand climbers
Like Ryan I have an old windwalker and some Lone Wolf sticks.
Just switched to a saddle but still have my lonewolf stands that i used for the last 20 years. Time sure does fly.
I have the Lonewolf climber and also the Lonewolf hang-on and Lonewolf sticks.. Both are great stands. No doubt with a good tree the climber is way faster, easier, and safer. I used the climber the most cause of the trees in the area i hunted.
If you can only get one stand then get the hang-on cause it'll work in almost any tree. Lonewolf from what i understand is now owned/called Novix.
As far as the sticks go the Lonewolf were the original mobile stick. Only problem with those i thought were the darn single pivoting step. I just recently upgraded the lonewolf stick by adding a double step from Eastern Outdoors and it was a huge improvement which i now use while wearing the tree saddle.
I use the Beast stand and sticks. Wrapped with camo hockey tape. Sitka pack straps for hauling it around. I love it.
Lone Wolf Assault hand climber. In my area it's rare to not be able to find a tree that'll work with it where I want to be.
My set up. I often add a small day pack.
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All of the above stands and climbing methods work well. I wore one of those wind walkers out across 25-30 seasons myself. I have recently taken the seat off of a midsized XOP hang on stand and started using my saddle in place of a harness. I heard about this method of hunting from Jason Redd (Timber Ninja Outdoors) on a recent Stickboys podcast. I have since done multiple dark to dark sits. I love the comfort of the saddle paired with the large platform of the stand. It has also made my week side shot much easier to make than with my regular saddle platform.
Already mentioned by a few,Windwalker tree stand and some mini sticks. Have the pack
that came with Windwalker TS. Makes a good system and the only way to go on public and hike way back in.
LWCG is hard to beat for weight and slim set up BUT very expensive. I rarely hunt a spot more than 2 times and move on so worth it to me. Now the original LW hand climber is my main stand as good climber trees are not hard to find around here most of the time. Both pack flat and compact. Ground hunting is getting more and more appealing as I love the freedom of it and way less gear and headaches. That's 4 sticks on that stand. 2 on each side of seat post.
Another pic of the .5 public land stand and sticks by LWCG. I also have the double sticks and like them better but no good pic packed up
Lone Wolf hand climber or the Summit Open Shot. The vast majority of trees where I hunt are climbable. The Summit is more comfortable than the Lone Wolf. The Lone Wolf is a little more quiet and a little faster to set-up.
First loggy with the cable and open shot top.
Thanks for the input guys, I appreciate all the info. I have a Lone Wolf Assault and a couple Gorilla Silverback Lites but the older I get the more of a pain it is to hang and take them down— hence the 2 Silverbacks. I'll usually hang one of them on good fresh sign and just leave it for a week or so on leased land if I'm going back and use the Assault where I don't want to leave it in the tree- it's actually lighter than the Gorillas. I would love to find one of those 5 lb Windwalkers, that sounds sweet! The Beast stand seems sweet too but it's a little pricy— then again I guess I could sell the others and knock a good dent in that price tag...
Thanks again for the replies!
Rick