Treewalker Treestand -- Problems for Trees?

[Meateater]

I used a Treewalker with the optional chill pad last year and really enjoyed it. It is the most comfortable -- carrying, climbing and sitting -- treestand I have ever used, and yes I have used many; treelounge, summit, buckbuster, equilizer, doc's recliner, etc.

BUT, I have come across one issue that has not been discussed on this or any other site as far as I have noticed. The spikes, bolts or whatever it is that gives the TW it's bearlike grip on the tree appears to do about as much damage to the tree as a bear.

All of the other stands I used in the past, a few of which gripped as well as the TW did little or no damage; they only seemed to bruise the bark a little.

The TW goes through the bark, Phloem, Cambium, and penetrates into the Sapwood of most trees. After climbing the same tree once, it has done quite a bit of damage; climb the same tree three or four times and it looks like a bear has actually climbed or clawed the tree a few times. The White Oak I climbed four times last season looks pretty bad, and I feel kind of disgusted with myself for doing this to a tree, especially a mast tree the deer need every year.

The Outer Bark of a tree is what protects it from weather, disease, insects, fire and mechanical injury. Therefore, penetration clear through layers into the Sapwood can potentially kill the tree under the right circumstances.

This is bad enough on most properties, but it is illegal on a WMA to damage a tree with a stand of any kind. I am still hanging onto my last Summit just because of this. I think a WMA Officer would probably give me a pretty big ticket if I was caught using the TW on a WMA.

I am going to take a grinder to my TW spikes and flatten the points so that it will not sink in so far. I don't believe it will loose much of it's gripping ability and will probably perform more like a Summit, which has excellent gripping characteristics and doesn't penitrate the outer bark.

How Bout it? Feedback?....

 

[Rackseeker]

With them cutting the timber on the mountain like their doing. What little damage a treestand is doing doesn't add up to much. It really makes me sick to ride across the top right now, knowing what it looked like out there 25 years ago. I took my 8 year old out there this morning turkey hunting, she couldn't understand the cutting of the timber. As far as stands go I use an API and it also is hard on a tree if you climb it several times. But I really hate to change, I've gotten so familar with it I can put it on a tree in the dark without a light.

 

[Winchester]

This is just one of the reasons I use a Loggy Bayou, rubber grips which do no damage and leave no climbing marks!

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

I used a Loggy for years, and I loved the stand. I didn't like the hanclimber much. I killed many many deer out of it. A couple of years ago, I was using it as a lock on and someone stole it. I still have the hand climber part if anyone needs one, come and get it. I now have a Summit Bullet Backpacker and I love it! It is the most comfortable stand I have ever had.

 

[Meateater]

With comfort similar to a treelounge and a weight of 16 pounds the Treewalker is hard to beat. All it needs is a little help to prevent the damage.

I'll stick with the lighter weight. The distances that I carry make every pound saved a blessing.

 

[Hoyt243]

I was thinking of buying a TW because of the weight,comfort, and from what I have been told it holds on to the tree great.Is this stand real comfortable? I use a treelounge right now and it weighs too much. I can't stand to pack it long. How long are the spikes on the treewalker stand? Who carries these stands?

 

[Boone 58]

i dont own one but they look good!
Would need more info before i sink alot of money in one but from looking at them i see nothing wrong at all.

 

[feldmutze]

Meateater, you are correct...it devastates the tree! I sunk the money into one last year and utilized it last season. I just left it attached to the tree and used a cable to lock it up. It was comfortable.

I'm hoping the farmer doesn't notice the damage on that tree....

 

[Meateater]

I was thinking of buying a TW because of the weight,comfort, and from what I have been told it holds on to the tree great.Is this stand real comfortable? I use a treelounge right now and it weighs too much. I can't stand to pack it long. How long are the spikes on the treewalker stand? Who carries these stands?

Very comfy if you get the Chill Pad that goes with it. I used to usee a lounge but this is just as good once you learn how to adjust the Pad. Spikes are about an inch. click here to check them out... http://www.treewalkertreestands.com/tndeer.asp

 

[Meateater]

Meateater, you are correct...it devastates the tree! I sunk the money into one last year and utilized it last season. I just left it attached to the tree and used a cable to lock it up. It was comfortable.

I'm hoping the farmer doesn't notice the damage on that tree....

Like I said my tree last year looked like a bear had climbed it. I am going to try grinding the points of the spikes a little to see how it works. I'll post here after I get to it.

 

[Gritsntaters]

I bought one years ago and got rid of it bc it was tearing thru the bark and penetrating the sap / water part of the tree. Just sayin. I read where the company closed (see website). Accessories still available though. Too bad bc it was an awesome stand in all ways except the tree damage.

 

[Omega]

My API Grand Slam has some mean teeth on it too, but I don't see it making that much damage, at least not enough to worry about the tree. On pines, it would make them weep sap, and I would get sap all over if I wasn't careful. When I first started hunting I used a lock-on, with screw-in steps to get up the tree. The spikes would get a bunch of sap too, but using the same tree year after year didn't seem to make a big difference to the tree.

 

[Thelonegoose]

I have used a TW for years. I have not seen it damage a tree to the level you are probably talking about. It will remove quite a bit of bark from a pine, but I have never had much of a problem with damage to an oak. But I try not to climb the same tree very often.

 

[csi-tech]

Trees are robust. I have used tree lounges. They chew up the bark of a tree in a chevron pattern. After a couple years I move on to another tree. They have all recovered beautifully and I move back to them. If you strip the bark in the same place completely around the tree it will slowly die. Just be sensible.