Putting up ladder stands----NEED ADVICE!

[utvol5]

I had a scare last Saturday while putting up a 20 ft ladder stand. I've put up several ladder stands in my time, but last Saturday makes me re-evaluate my strategy.

Here is my normal procedure:

1. Put the ladder stand together (all sections into one piece)
2. Carefully lean the stand up right against the tree
3. Take the straps (attached at top of stand) and criss cross them around the back of the tree to give support.
4. Carefully walk up the ladder while a buddy holds the straps and connect the ratchet strap at the top of the ladder.

****I tried a different strategy today, but it didn't work either.

Look forward to reading your advice!!!!!!!

 

[Diehard Hunter]

I tie the straps off to the ladder before I go up. It takes a lot of slack out! Then have your buddy steady the ladder.

 

[easy45]

I'll run long pieces of rope through the seat so that they are hanging down on both sides of the tree then I'll tie them off behind the tree and also I have the stabilizer in the middle rachet strapped to the tree

 

[David]

Ratchet strap, ratchet strap, ratchet strap and a couple buddies. I hate those straps I always use ratchet straps instead. I strap the bar on mine have two guys hold it then ratchet strap the top. No different than a extension ladder

 

[-DRM-]

I just set one up this evening - scotch the bottom, walk it up in the air myself, set against tree, Strap ladder brace/bar in place, CAREFULLY climb ladder and attach top or bottom strap - whichever is easier to get to.

I'm thinking next time, I'm just going to bring a regular old ladder with me and use it on the back side of the tree to make it way easier to attach the straps since the ratchets are on the back side of the tree anyway.

 

[KODAK]

I always take a climber in with me. I use it to attach the ladder stand to the tree.

 

[Bottom Hunter]

they make very lightweight extension ladders. I have one that extends to 12 feet but weighs almost nothing. I rarely use ladder stands but I do help friends put some up. I take the extension ladder and when we lean the stand up against the tree, I go up and attach it to the tree via the extension ladder. If I am alone , I go up and drop a tape measure down to judge the distance and tie a small pulley to the tree and get it up with that and once it is up , again I go up the extension ladder the strap it to the tree using ratchet straps....I also have a telescopic ladder that will go about ten feet up that I use when painting stairways in houses..it works well but surprisingly the extension ladder is lighter.

I began doing this when I tried to get a ladder stand up alone and fell....I didn't get hurt, I was lucky.

Normally though I use climbing sticks and hang-on stands.

be careful.

 

[Savage]

I lean the ladder against the tree, sink the bottom of I by stepping on the bottom rung, then tie off the stabilizer to the tree. THEN I use a ratchet or heavy rope and loop it around the rung and side of the ladder several times, tie it off and use it to put pressure on the stabilizer bar so that there is very little play in it. After that, you can climb to the top to put up your straps pretty securely.

 

[Mike Belt]

I have 1 ladder stand and can easily put it up by myself (although now I seldom if ever use it). It's not like most ladder stands in that it is a single square tube pole with the stand positioned on the top pole and you never have to leave the ground to attach it to the tree. Once it's attached the first time you climb up is to hunt. With the extension it is 20 feet high. I basically put it together on the ground, place the base against the bottom of the tree and starting at the top of the stand, I walk it up the tree. The big difference is how it's attached to the tree. It has a brace about 5-6 feet off the ground from the pole to the tree. Up top there's a stationary peg on one side of the stand and a swiveling peg with teeth for biting into the tree on the other side. A rope hangs off the back of the stand. From the ground and using a telescoping PVC pipe I reach up from the back side of the tree and catch the rope and place it over the swiveling peg and then back over to the stationary peg. When I pull down tight the swiveling peg swings and bites and locks into the tree. I pull down on the rope and cross over the brace that's 6' off the ground, back around the tree, and end up tying off to the brace again. This locks the stand up and to the tree rock solid and all you do is climb and hunt.

This may not be a good description of how it works but it's a great system. I bought this stand years ago from a company in Louisiana and I'm surprised that they went out of business and no one else ever picked up on this idea for ladder stands. No ladder stand that I know of now uses this system but it shouldn't be that hard to weld a couple of pegs like on my stand to your current ladder stands and incorporate this system.

 

[Frank G]

Mike,
Would like to see the design myself. Do you climb to the seat area and place a tie strap around the tree as typical for most stands. Or did I miss something.

 

[MUP]

I just set one up this evening - scotch the bottom, walk it up in the air myself, set against tree, Strap ladder brace/bar in place, CAREFULLY climb ladder and attach top or bottom strap - whichever is easier to get to.

I'm thinking next time, I'm just going to bring a regular old ladder with me and use it on the back side of the tree to make it way easier to attach the straps since the ratchets are on the back side of the tree anyway.

Same here, but I will not climb a stand that isn't secured first, so I use a stik ladder up the backside to climb up and secure the ladder stand ratchet straps after getting it stood up against the tree.

 

[Mike Belt]

Frank G....No. That's the beauty of this stand. It's 100% safe because you never have to get off the ground to completely attach it to the tree. Everything is done from the ground and like I said, it is rock solid attached to the tree. The only climbing you do is to hunt. When you pull it everything is done from the ground again. You never have to climb up or down in a stand that is not secured to the tree first. Another great feature of this stand is that everything packs together and there's a great padded section that fits over your shoulder for carrying and the stand is so well balanced while being packed in or out that it's hands free. It also only weighs in at 58 pounds which isn't too shabby for a 20 foot ladder stand.

 

[-DRM-]

Same here, but I will not climb a stand that isn't secured first, so I use a stik ladder up the backside to climb up and secure the ladder stand ratchet straps after getting it stood up against the tree.

I'm still (relatively) young and (arguably) stupid, lol.

 

[Hunter 257W]

Frank G....No. That's the beauty of this stand. It's 100% safe because you never have to get off the ground to completely attach it to the tree. Everything is done from the ground and like I said, it is rock solid attached to the tree. The only climbing you do is to hunt. When you pull it everything is done from the ground again. You never have to climb up or down in a stand that is not secured to the tree first. Another great feature of this stand is that everything packs together and there's a great padded section that fits over your shoulder for carrying and the stand is so well balanced while being packed in or out that it's hands free. It also only weighs in at 58 pounds which isn't too shabby for a 20 foot ladder stand.

Mike, I'd love to see a picture of that stand you have if you have one handy.

 

[scn]

Ladderstands are about all I use now. If I put one up by myself, I make sure that there are ropes/straps attached at the corners of the seat section at the top of the stand.

1. Walk it up until it is upright on the tree.

2. Pull out the bottom until the seat and platform have a very slight lean back into the tree. Folks get into trouble when it is too straight up and down.It wants to kick out at the top if it isn't angled back a little. Angled in also makes it safer to climb if wet.

3. Secure the brace as high as you can reach on the stand and tree.

4. Criss-cross the ropes/straps on the corners behind the tree as high as you can. Once criss-crossed, loop them around the outside of the lader and through the interior of the ladder on each side.The ropes will end up behind the ladder dangling down.

5. Attach a rope rachet to one of the bottom rungs of the ladder. With loops in the end of each strap/rope, hook the s-hook for the rope rachet through both loops.Pull as tight as you can.

Once secured in this manner, the stand is "almost" secure enough to hunt as is. Then, simply climb the ladder and secure the rachet at the seat section with very little concern of it falling or kicking out.I add a chain and turnbuckle to all of my ladders that get left out for the season so I don't have to worry about squirrel damage on the rachet strap.

 

[MUP]

Same here, but I will not climb a stand that isn't secured first, so I use a stik ladder up the backside to climb up and secure the ladder stand ratchet straps after getting it stood up against the tree.

I'm still (relatively) young and (arguably) stupid, lol.

I'm just skeered, plain and simple!

 

[Urban_Hunter]

The ropes that are tied on each side of the seat should be crossed behind the tree and tied to a ladder rung about eye level.

^^^^^^^^

If you do this, and attach the ladder stabilizer bar, it can't go anywhere. Pull the ropes attached to the seat as tight as possible and tie them off, then you just climb on up and ratchet her down.

 

[utvol5]

SCN....I like the idea of the ladder stand leaning back a little. I've probably put my ladder stands to upright in the past.

I also liked the idea of using a climber to secure the ladder to the tree.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[ArkansasDude]

Since I hunt alone, I place ladder stands up by myself. I use screw in steps to climb up the tree to place a pulley hook in the position I want to lift the stand. I use a hoist pulley system used to dress deer. You place the ladder laying on ground away from tree with front up. Pull hoist to get stand leaning on tree then gradually pull it up into position. Climb up screw in steps on tree to ratchet stand securely. It is the safest way I have found if setting one up by yourself. The hoist pulley system makes all the difference in the world but just be sure you get the pulley hook high enough for the height of your stand and extend the length of the line if needed.

 

[Mike Belt]

If I can get around to it I'll go dig that stand out of the shed and snap some pics.

 

[de novo]

I bought the 2nd man last season and put up heavy duty 2 man stands by my self with very little effort.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lvjsuyoTcs






http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunting/ ... t104649480

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunting/ ... t104649480

 

[fairchaser]

I have 1 ladder stand and can easily put it up by myself (although now I seldom if ever use it). It's not like most ladder stands in that it is a single square tube pole with the stand positioned on the top pole and you never have to leave the ground to attach it to the tree. Once it's attached the first time you climb up is to hunt. With the extension it is 20 feet high. I basically put it together on the ground, place the base against the bottom of the tree and starting at the top of the stand, I walk it up the tree. The big difference is how it's attached to the tree. It has a brace about 5-6 feet off the ground from the pole to the tree. Up top there's a stationary peg on one side of the stand and a swiveling peg with teeth for biting into the tree on the other side. A rope hangs off the back of the stand. From the ground and using a telescoping PVC pipe I reach up from the back side of the tree and catch the rope and place it over the swiveling peg and then back over to the stationary peg. When I pull down tight the swiveling peg swings and bites and locks into the tree. I pull down on the rope and cross over the brace that's 6' off the ground, back around the tree, and end up tying off to the brace again. This locks the stand up and to the tree rock solid and all you do is climb and hunt.

This may not be a good description of how it works but it's a great system. I bought this stand years ago from a company in Louisiana and I'm surprised that they went out of business and no one else ever picked up on this idea for ladder stands. No ladder stand that I know of now uses this system but it shouldn't be that hard to weld a couple of pegs like on my stand to your current ladder stands and incorporate this system.

Mike, those are made by BuckPro and I have two of them and loveem. They can be carried through the woods by yourself as they are designed to be carried on one shoulder. The gun rest with the skirt attachment is a nice addition especially in cold weather because it seals you in. Very comfortable seat that can't bottom out. Occasionally, you can find them on craigslist or ebay but the company doesn't make them any longer. I wouldn't sell mine although I rarely use them now because of our need to be more flexibile. But they are the best ladder stand out there IMO.

 

[Mike Belt]

At the time I bought mine they weren't Buck Pro but that's not saying they didn't make them also. I also have the additional gun rest with the skirt attachment. In my opinion they're the best ladder stand ever made but as far as I know they didn't make a 2 man version.

I just pulled mine out and took a few pics putting it up. If I didn't screw up the pics I'll try posting them with a detailed explanation on how they go up.

 

[Mike Belt]

Mine is an Ambusher.

 

[TNGunsmoke]

I use a rope over a tree limb above the stand tied to a 4 wheeler and the top of the stand to keep some tension on the top of the ladder and keep it against the tree while I get the ratchet straps cinched in at the top just as an extra precaution. I usually have one or two folks helping me when I hang one, which is always a good idea.

 

[fairchaser]

Mine is an Ambusher.

Ambusher became Buck pro or vice versa before they went out of business. I have one that is aluminum and one that's steel. I also have the gun rest skirt attachment. It's a great stand but I heard there were lawsuits over the patent rights. I guess that's why they aren't making them anymore.

 

[Mike Belt]

fairchaser...Seems like I heard something along those lines. Whatever it was, no one to my knowledge makes them now or has since that company went out of business. As ladder stands go I haven't seen one that could touch this one in ease and safety. They were pricey though. I think I paid somewhere around $300 for mine with one extension and the shooting rail.

 

[Bowdacious]

stik steadies it and I climb. We put the middle section ratchet strap first. The one at the top next.

 

[deerhunter10]

stand it up stand on the bottom to go in the ground ratchet the bottom just enough to keep it there then climb up top to ratchet it down then ratchet the bottom all the way down. like to have someone else there but I have done it plenty of times by myself just be careful it you aren't comfortable don't do it. not worth getting hurt or dying over a stand.

 

[Brisco Darlin]

stik steadies it and I climb. We put the middle section ratchet strap first. The one at the top next.

me and my wife do the same. I figure i can keep the ladder steady alot easier for her than she can for me.