Choosing a deer stand for Eastern Shore and Delaware

HoytMan

New Member
New to deer hunting and the last thing I need to purchase is a stand. I’m partial to the Lone Wolf Assault climber, but I’m concerned the trees around me aren’t “straight” enough to handle a climber.


For the Delaware and Eastern shore MD hunters, what has your experience been ? Would a climber work, or do I need a hang on style ....

thanks
 
Tell us where hunting. Private property ? your private property? I'll tell you that I love a climber as they are (to me) much faster to set up and hunt out of. I never liked the idea of working for 20 mins to put up a lock on stand then hunting out of it. Too much noise, too much sweating, too much time. My hang ons are set up in advance of a hunt. sometimes months in advance.
 
Not sure about stands for that area, but I can say for sure that is some pretty country. And the crab cakes are to die for.
 
I've hunted the eastern shore, and the the Lone Wolf Assault climber is an excellent choice if you are used to climbing trees, there's more straight trees in those areas than a lot of other areas. But the Lone Wolf Assault climber is actually often a choice of more seasoned bow hunters, with the 2 piece open design and smaller seat/ hand climber it takes a bit to get used too. Even with a safety harness, losing your balance and falling off a stand platform because it has no side rails is dangerous. I'd advise a lot of practice at low heights before heading into the woods with the Assault. A Summit Viper or a Treewalker ProMag might be a better choice for someone new to hunting.
ALWAYS WEAR A SAFETY HARNESS
 
Seems there's never a perfect tree where you want it! I've cut many a limb off trees to allow me to use my climber.

Look at the Equalizer stand by Buckshot. They allow you to crank and shorten your cables to level your stand after you get to your shooting height where the tree is much smaller in diameter. You can get that perfect seat-to-feet level distance so you can sit all day without cramped calves or that feeling of falling forward. I've got 3 of them and wouldn't use anything else.
 
A climber in general is great for portability. Either if you want to change locations OR take the stand to and from the tree every day due to regulations or fear of theft or damage. They can be a bit noisy.

A fixed position type stand is great if you know you are staying in that spot and you don't have to worry about folks messing with your stand. I feel they are comfortable and quieter once set-up. I like the wider ones so I have some room. Make sure you have enough ladder to step down onto the stand. I would suggest using some sort of climbing ladder and NOT the screw in steps. The screw in steps can become a danger if you fall and they are not real good for the tree either (may even be illegal to use on public ground). Don't cheap out on straps. Most stands and ladders will comes with straps. I don't like a lot of the locking cam straps....I prefer a ratchet style strap. And I am not afraid to use more than one either. I want that stand to become part of the tree.

In either case you need to prepare the tree/location in advance. Slapping a stand to a tree in the dark and climbing up and hoping for the best once light roles around tends to simply lead to frustration. Preparation is a big part of success in the deer woods. This means making sure the stand fits the tree well, you have selected a healthy and stable tree, you have trimmed shooting lanes and maybe even checked what your back cover and the like will be like. Doing all of this in advance in the daylight will make things go so much smoother when your trying to sneak in on the opening day morning.....
 
I live/hunt in Delaware...I have a lone wolf and its been great to me. I keep several pieces of 8' parachute cord when I am climbing on state land because you cannot cut trees. I have a hooey man saw that goes from 3' to 10' when I hunt private to trim trees. Good Luck
 
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