Ways to prevent use of a ladder stand
Whitetail Deer
I'm switching my setups to ladder stands (I'm tired of replacing 7 straps per setup for hang-ons). I had good ways of preventing unauthorized use of the hang-ons, but I'm not sure how to stop any casual trespasser from using a ladder stand. I'm considering a 6' tall piece of plywood locked to the top side of the ladder so the rungs can't be used to climb.(This is how they prevent kids from using the ladders on demo playsets at big box stores). Does anyone have a better way?
Thanks
I did the same thing, but... I used a heavy piece of plastic; like the ones that are kids roll-up sleds. I used black and camoed it. I hole sawed a couple of holes on each end.
I used a cable and lock to lock the plastic in place...worked well.
I have thought about doing the same thing, but never have put it together. Something like this would sell imo if you wanted to go through the steps of patenting it and bringing it to production. I know I would buy some:)
Matt
Thanks guys - it's nice to know I'm on the right track.
In comfort zone ladder stands they sell a extension that has I think two rungs that u take with u so someone can't climb. Just a thought
How would you prevent someone from just pulling themselves up by the poles till they got to the steps?
It would have to be way taller than 6'. With a little bit of upper body strength you could pull yourself up.
How do you stop climbing up the backside? Might sound dumb but the angle isn't that steep on most and for 10 feet a guy could easily do it.
One thing I can think of is locking what we called up North a "bear welcome mat" to the platform. Basically a piece of plywood with nails punched through every 2 inches. (we set it up in front of windows, doors for bears.) Lock that down to the top of your platform and I doubt anyone will want to stand much less sit up there ;)
Take the bottom section with you but, before you do loosen the ratchet strap so it will not support someone climbing up. Has worked for me and haven't had one stolen since doing this.
I bet I could climb up there no matter what you did to the ladder.
What if you just attached something on the seat area making it impossible to sit in or use the stand once I got up there?
Just a thought.
Can you go there every day to check on it? If so chain a really mean dog to it and bring food & water when you go. lol
And C: Pay Kelly Harris to keep an eye on it.
I'm not trying to keep you out MulePower! Nothing will stop a determined trespasser or thief. However, I am trying to stop the casual guy who is walking through my property with his rifle on his shoulder and sees a very welcoming ladder stand. I take the bottom sections from my lock-on sticks with me. I don't think I could take the bottom section of the ladder with me as suggested above.
As for higher than 6 feet - I could see 8 feet, but as you know most of the folks will not be able to do a chin-up to get above the 6 footer!
Any other ideas?
I have started purchasing ladder stands with seats that attach with nylon webbing straps and foot platforms that tip up. When I leave the stand, I take the seat with me and lock the foot platform in a vertical position using cable and a padlock.
No seat, no platform, the stand is harder for a tresspasser to use, but you have to haul the padded seat back and forth.
Someone who's determined can cut the lock...if they're determined enough to cut the lock to drop the foot platform, they're probably going to cut the lock to steal the stand too, but they'll have to get their own seat.
I take the bottom section with me and stash it in a blow down on my way out so no one steals my stand. Takes a minute to do and easy to put it back on and tighten things back down the next time I sit it.
Hey 4 points! It didn't stop me. he he he
The ladder stands that I use have a take out section near the bottom that remove 2 steps I made round steps out of 1 in alu bars that are threed on both ends you can carry them in you back pack and put them in the ladder in a min or just hide the section near by .
I always remove the middle section
Put concertina wire around the whole property.
Get a lifesized picture cutout of Rosie O'Donnel and put it in the stand. YIKES!!!!
cover it with Obama stickers....
Jack- The same guy that would use someone else stand on someone else land is likely an Obama supporter......think about it..... They want some one else to do the work, buy the stand, buy the land, set it up and then they expect to be able to use it:) Just sayin....:)
I think the idea of rendering the seat unusable has much merit. It might be as simple as attaching a metal cone, locked on either side. Like a hi way orange cone, but metal. If you see a guy sitting on it, he has other issues. ;)
Actually a locked rubber cone might work. If a guy goes to the trouble to cut it off, he gets a free hunt, but you get notice. That would be a great first step.
Good luck!
What is sad it that it has come to looking for solutions to keep people out. Nothing sucks more than having a stand compromised by some idiot who doesn't have a clue how to hunt it, messing up the spot. I thought I saw a device somewhere on the internet that addresses the issue of keeping people from climbing your ladder.
This looks easy to replicate.
Orionsbrother-I've been looking for a stand that has an easy removable web seat.
What kind do you have?
12 volt battery with hot wire (like for cattle) leads to ladder. hide the leads and battery. when they walk up to climb the ladder....ZAP! Just a thought
Groundblind, I think most guys who aren't more than 50 lbs overweight or senior citizens could climb that.
Hunt98 - Riversedge I don't know the model. Tried looking it up at work, but couldn't do a thorough search. They're out of Cumberland WI. Here are a couple of shots of the seat.
Matt Finney you are an idiot!
And another shot with info. I apologize about the quality of pics. I'm trying to take them in the side door of my trailer while Chicago is getting rocked by what seems like a typhoon!
You could design a seat with nail spikes facing up and lock it. P.S. dont forget your key when you want to hunt.
I saw a guy that used a cable and locked a 2x10 to the seat part with nails and screws sticking up.
DO NOT USE OBAMA STICKERS. Every DEAD BEAT around would be fighting over your stand for sure.
Well I think if you could take like a 5 gallon bucket and put a cable lock through it. To the platform that should do the job. Otherwise, maybe a note asking folks not to use the stand due to a weakness in I t and it's dangerous until you get a new part for it. A little reverse psychology.
I don't know about that Idyllwild. It covers 4 rungs and would be pretty tight on the inside to even get a grip.
All you'd have to do is get a good hold on the fence with 2 hands and lift yourself up and put a foot on that lock. It'd be easy from there.
Am I the only one that's ever climbed a chain link fence?
It needs to be thick plastic that is slick imo. I also think you would want it to cover the front and the back so people can't get their feet on any part of the ladder. Yes, there are probably people that could reach above the six feet section and pull their way up, but if it is slick they would need to be very strong and need to basically pull up to the next step or two with arms to get feet up to the open step.
Have it hinge on one side and then lock on the other. It is doable, but when I looked into it I would have more money in material than what the stand cost. I finally said the hell with it and accept the fact that people will sit my stands and steal them.
Had a camera stolen this week. I love how well other hunters, or so called hunters, treat one another.
Matt
Go to the "Prank" store and buy a few of the fake plastic turds. Place them around on the seat and platform.
-Joe
Not many will stick around to test their authenticity.
-Joe
Idyllwild. The illustration is just that. an idea for a start. The mesh fence can be any size. not necessarily finger poke size. Look up ladder guards and you will see solids in place of the mesh. And no you were not the only guy to climb chain link fences. Sheesh!
I took the time to put a couple Rage stickers on my stand and left my ozone machine and acorn cruncher hanging from my gear hooks. By the time the trespasser stopped laughing his stomach hurt too bad to climb up the ladder and he was forced to hunt elsewhere. A punji pit is also an affective solution but you have to clean out the bodies every few days.
Hang a camo curtain completely around the seat area with a painted PVC pipe that looks like a gun barrel sticking out.
Elaborate with a pair of old boots sticking out on the platform.
Just make sure the wind wont blow the curtain to reveal the fake boots and barrel...
a picture of my mother in law on your ladder would keep the hunters, rodents, bees and big foots away for certain.
Hey guys - check out TreestandDefender.com Bet this product will solve the problem.
I'd just remove the bottom section and hide it nearby. No way to use a ladder stand with a section missing.
By creating a home made prevention device could open you up for further liability. IMO it`s not worth screwing with.....do as Hh76 suggests.
I wouldn’t use anyone else’s stand in the first place, just because...
And the best way to keep somebody else from using your stand is to only have in the woods when you are.
But if you think about it... on public land, you have no claim to a spot unless you’re already physically IN IT, so you can’t really expect another hunter to stay away from a location just because you put up a stand.... And at that rate, maybe it’s better to not have somebody raising a racket putting up a climber 10 yards away?
No wonder I prefer staying on the ground! LOL
The challenge with some of these things are that they are heavy to carry in and may make noise when you're not there (like fabric flapping or plastic/metal banging into the ladder).
I had a friend who was trying to achieve the same thing. In the end, he resorted to a chain at the platform level. It locked in place (combination lock - not needing to remember the keys). What it did was prevented someone from being able to stand up once they got to the platform.
He drilled a hole and put eye hooks in the rail and tightened them down. Then he used a small chain (like dog chain) looped back through the through the eye hooks. It more or less cut the ability to stand up when you got to the top.
The only challenge was that he won't ever know if it worked (prevented someone from using his stand).
Similar to Groundblinds link
Put a sign on it that if you catch someone in it, you are going to shoot them out.
