Tree stand preference?
Equipment
Looking into getting a tree stand for hunting elk in CO and whitetail in the midwest. I'm looking at the lone wolf assault but it seems pricey. Anyone have tips on what's important in a hang on or a different hang on all together?
I remember another thread saying that lone wolf had a spin off company w/ more reasonable prices. X ops or something.
I'm old school. Loc-on or API, I have some friends who liked the muddy. Honestly it will boil down to what features you value and which ones you can live without, any reputable company will meet your needs.
A lot depends on the areas you are hunting, but to me it really boils down to a few things. Ease of hanging, size/weight, comfort.
I would rank comfort at the top, followed by size/weight and ease of hanging......that's coming form a whitetail hunter than expects to put in 8+ hrs in the stand...sometimes all day.
If you were just using it for a few hours at a time, the comfort could be bumped down the list.
Regarding costs.....the "nice" ones are not cheap!
For me comfort is utmost importance and nothing I've sat in even compares to the Millenium M100. I also like how easy they are to hang with the brackets and that extra brackets are available so you can have one stand and multiple set ups.
If hiking a long way - ie: elk - I will use my light lone wolf. I will take a few lite climbing sticks, even though it is a climber. Never know what type of tree I will encounter.
For whitetail hunting where I don't walk far, I definitely go with a more comfortable heavier stand, with a more cushy seat.
If you are hiking a long ways, go lighter. Odds are you are only doing a 2 hour sit for elk due to thermals. If like me, Most of that 2 hours you are likely standing anyway.
game of tradeoffs. I like the comfiest climber I can find....I'm going to leave it wherever I'm hunting anyway for a day or two at least.
I use steel that is cheap and comfortable for whitetails. I don't really care about how heavy they are. I don't like climbers but just bougjt one for elk hunting and kamikaze whitetail setups. I bought the XOP Strike Force for $169 shipped from Eders. Excellent deal IMHO.
Here is a pic of my typical elk tree stands
Ladder sticks and hang on stand.
Only spend 2-3 hrs in the mornings or evenings in it. Not all day
That set-up looks terrific! C
Cnelk, I like your setup. I've never used a stand before. Which stand is that?
That's the cheapest sticks and stand I can get from Sportsmans Guide.
I think they are approx $60 for that setup.
I also have the XOP climber but this fall will the first use of it
Cnelk tell me there is a fall restraint on him some where...
Not cheap but Chippewa Wedge-Loc and a few sets of climbing sticks. The stand has a bracket system that can be made easily for under ten bucks, so one stand and a bunch of brackets and you are good too go. Shawn
Thanks for all the input... I went with the lone wolf alpha
"I went with the lone wolf alpha"
You will not be disappointed.
