Ladder vs lock on

[catman529]

Just thinking, I wonder what people prefer for a permanent stand (not a climber). Ladder is real easy to set up but they don't seem to get much higher than 16 ft out of the box. Lock on is tougher to set up but can be really low profile which is great on public land. Buy climbing sticks that usually come in 20 ft which is my preferred height to climb. I got one lock on on public land that you won't notice till you are 10 yards from it. So I would vote lock on as preferred. I've hunted out of both but I like to be a little higher than most ladder stands and I like how concealed the lock on is.

 

[ImThere]

Im with you cat i want to get rid of all my ladders for lock ons. People woudnt notice them as much. They are much lighter to carry also

 

[Spikes Tactical]

I have both -

Purchased an extension for the ladder stand making it 20 foot. I prefer it because it is easier to get in and out of but it also is much more visible.

For my lock-on I like a larger platform as it makes me feel a bit more secure when up in it.

 

[BSK]

catman529,

Not only will you find that different people have different preferences, but as you mentioned, each different hunting situations (i.e. private versus public land, permission to hunt versus a lease, etc.) may also produce different preferences.

For me personally, each of the two stand type choices have their positives and negatives.


LADDER

Positives:
Easier, safer, and quieter to climb in and out of
Much safer to hunt from

Negatives:
Limited height
Usually takes two or more people to put up
Less mobile
Visually obvious
Fewer tree choices (requires tree to have specific features in specific locations)


LOCK-ON

Positives:
More tree choices
Easier to move
Can be set-up by one person
Less visible
Can attach them much higher in the tree

Negatives:
More dangerous to climb in and out of
More dangerous to hunt from
Depending on stand size, the platform and seat can be smaller than a ladder stand

 

[BSK]

Although lock-ons have more positives than ladder stands, I still prefer ladder stands due to their ease of entry, safer hunting and exit/entry, and for the ladder stands I use most, larger platform and seat area.

 

[woodsman87]

I like and hate both of them at the same time. I feel like I am in the wide open in a ladder stand, and if I bowhunt out of a ladder stand I feel wierd. I almost never do.
Lock ons are ideal to hunt out of with a bow, but man I hate setting them up. Never have liked heigts in the first place.
I use a climber about 90% of the time.

 

[Winchester]

Hands down the loc on is by far the best choice of the 2 for me. Much much more versatile in many areas from, weight, ease of relocating, less visible, unlimited height and tree types, etc.
A loc on can be used anywhere there is a tree big enough to hold your weight.

 

[Headhunter]

I have hunted thousands of times out of lock ons and summit climbers (and a homemade climber, never a problem with it, never slipped) and have only hunted out of ladder stands a few times. Only times I have ever been scared or almost had a falling issue was in ladder stands.

 

[volunteer1]

I own 8 ladder stands and I like the accessibility. I also have some old climbing stands on our propoerty. Ive looked at loc on but have yet to purchase. I like laddder stands but loc ons most likely will offer you more diverse options that a standard ladder stand will not.

 

[deerhunter10]

For me its ladder stands I own both. Out of our 35 stands only 5 are loc ons. They are more comfortable besides millunium but with out the price tag. They are safer and they aren't a but to get up in a tree. But I only hunt private land. In many cases you don't need to be that high up. But we have extensions on some of ours. For most cases you will have more money in a loc on then in a ladder to. And I have little cousins that hunt and I do not want them any where near a loc on at the time.

 

[BSK]

Hands down the loc on is by far the best choice of the 2 for me. Much much more versatile in many areas from, weight, ease of relocating, less visible, unlimited height and tree types, etc.

A loc on can be used anywhere there is a tree big enough to hold your weight.

I completely agree with all your points Winchester, but being an old guy that doesn't like climbing in and out of trees like a monkey anymore, I STILL prefer ladder stands, simply for their ease of entry/exit and the safety issues.

 

[catman529]

you know, the small platform and open area of a lock on doesn't bother me as long as I am tied to the tree. Getting in and out is definitely a risk, I may need to build more life lines in the off season so every lock on has me attached the entire way up and down.

Ricky the one thing I like about the ladders is how you can carry one in on your shoulders, put it together and lean it against a tree. Yeah they stick out real bad and don't climb very high which is why I don't like them, but I definitely won't be carrying my lockon all over the WMA during season like you do with ladders.

 

[knightrider]

cat do not use ladder or hangon stands on public ground, people on here will be calling you the devil for taking up a tree on public ground! lol!

 

[BSK]

If I were hunting public land, I don't think I would use anything but a climber (too worried about getting stands stolen).

 

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

Five years ago I would have said Lock ON. As I get older I find myself in more ladder stands and shooting houses than Lock Ons.

 

[catman529]

If I were hunting public land, I don't think I would use anything but a climber (too worried about getting stands stolen).

if you hunted where my lock on is, you wouldn't want to carry a climber in there every time. How much are you losing if a cheap lock on gets stolen? Also it's cable locked and farther back than most hunters will even go.

 

[volunteer1]

I agree. Im a bit older than some on here and I almost exclusively use ladder stands on our farms. On the draw hunts ill use my viper. With said, its amazing how many loc ons I've walked up on when hunting public land. Especially lbl !

 

[easy45]

I'm just more comfortable in a ladder stand, if y'all want to sell me some of y'all's to buy lock ons just let me know

 

[Mike Belt]

I love the concept of walking in and just climbing up a ladder or set of steps instead of hooking a climber to a tree and everything that goes with it. That said, most of my hunting is still done from a climber. Out of everything it has the most mobility. If I had to pick ladder versus hang on it's hang on hands down. They are the stand with the most versatility.

 

[BSK]

I'm just more comfortable in a ladder stand, if y'all want to sell me some of y'all's to buy lock ons just let me know

I hear that!

We just hit the milestone of having 40 ladders up this year, 24 of them being the big 2-person "buddy" ladder stands. I could always use some more!

 

[Vermin93]

I think it partially depends on the make and model of hang on stand. Comfort is a big deal. It's hard to sit still in an uncomfortable stand, and many hang on stands are very uncomfortable. The hang on stands that are truly engineered for utility and comfort are hard to beat. It's one thing to compare a $30 Guide Gear hang on stand to a ladder stand. It's a whole different ball game if you're comparing something like a $250 Millennium M150 to a ladder stand.

Generally speaking, though, I prefer hang on stands at this point in time. That could change as I get older.

 

[Mike Belt]

BSK...I can't remember what the device is called but my buddy just bought one for putting up and taking down his 2 man ladder stand. After helping him manually prior to him getting it I have to say it's the cat's meow for putting up ladder stands. It's basically a heavy winch that hooks to the tree with a cable that snaps onto one of the upper rungs of the ladder. It has 2 flat pieces of metal with spikes that stick into the ground on the bottom side and 2 pegs that fit into the base of the ladder on the top side. This keeps the ladder in place without shifting around. Once you hook everything up you just winch the ladder up on the tree, climb up, and strap it down. Easy and 1 person can put up a 20 foot 2 man ladder easily. You really ought to look into getting one with as many ladders as you have and move around yearly. I can find out the name and where he got it if you're interested.

 

[Snake]

Both , just the area will determine what goes were .

 

[jakeway]

Ladders. I can almost always find a tree where the 15 ft height isn't too low, and you can easily brush it in like a ground blind. I still keep a couple strap ons (I hate it when people call them "lock ons"; Loc-On is the name of a stand manufacturer).

And Catman, you can order Kernmantle rope on eBay for about $0.70 per foot, and make your own lifelines for less than half what they cost at the store. Get 7/16 or 1/2 STATIC rope, 30 feet long, and some 8mm Kernmantle rope for the Prusik knot. The lifelines are the way to go.

 

[ImThere]

cat do not use ladder or hangon stands on public ground, people on here will be calling you the devil for taking up a tree on public ground! lol!

Call me what you will, between myself, Cat and a few others we as a group have about 12 ladders or lock ons on public land. All legal. It is very convient having them out there. Other people use them all the time (i wish whomever is would quit leaving there marboro packs there) i use them all the time we all kill deer out of them. Bash away, get mad or shut up and climb in and hunt them either way.

 

[Engine2c]

Hands down lock on. I primarily use climbers but I love a lock on because you can put one almost anywhere. I've only got one right now but plan to buy several to put up near my honey holes next year. I'm not fond of fooling with my climber and making noise when I'm trying to slip in and out of an area where I know a good buck might be. I feel there's less of a chance at spooking deer when u can just walk in and climb right up without all the noise. I hate ladder stands just for the fact they are so visible, especially once the leaves are gone. I feel totally exposed when using one. The area I hunt is mostly willows and there's not much cover, so the ladders just don't give me the ability to get high enough to feel like I'm hidden.

 

[Headhunter]

I now have close to 50 lock ons hanging. I still wear out the replaceable tubing on my summit climber at least once if not twice per season.

 

[knightrider]

cat do not use ladder or hangon stands on public ground, people on here will be calling you the devil for taking up a tree on public ground! lol!

Call me what you will, between myself, Cat and a few others we as a group have about 12 ladders or lock ons on public land. All legal. It is very convient having them out there. Other people use them all the time (i wish whomever is would quit leaving there marboro packs there) i use them all the time we all kill deer out of them. Bash away, get mad or shut up and climb in and hunt them either way.

I totally agree with you!! I love it when folks used to kill deer out of the stands I hung on public ground!!! havnt put any up in ten years since my last group got gone

 

[parkerxbowhunter]

I prefer lock ons all of my lock ons are way more comforatable witch makes me hunt longer not to mention easier for me to put up by myself with no hunting partners left it makes my life a little easier.

 

[Greenhead]

Catman. You can remove your steps from 8' down on lock ons too. so people can't get to them to steal them.