Jack and the Bean Stalk

lakngolf

Well-Known Member
Great Christmas for Jack (14). He combined some lawn mowing money with Santa to get a PSI Stringer Max. Great place in bham has him all set up and he is ready to practice.
I have not bow hunted for 5 or 6 years so some changes are in order to get him close enough for a shot. What are your go to bow stands? He has a safety harness and I have some of the linemen ropes. We have a couple of ladder stands but they have a shooting rail. Last time I bow hunted I scared deer off trying to get bow high enough.
When my son and I hunted in the late 1900s we used Ol Man climbing stands, which Ioved but my knees caused me to put them in storage. These have the steel cable to attach to tree. Would these still be good and safe.
Oh, and i plan to bring out my bows and see if bham guy can bring back life in them. Thanks for your help
 
Congrats to Jack on the Christmas tree PSI find!
Of course I'll start with "always wear a harness" and then I'd like to add, "always wear a harness". The old man stands should still be good, but don't assume that, put them on the base of a tree and get your heavyset cousin to jump up and down on the several times as a test. It's important to test the mesh seating material as well, a seat suddenly exploding downward could send someone towards the ground with the stand still being properly attached to the tree (if they weren't wearing a harness).
Ladders are easier to climb, but not necessarily safer, since using a harness is limited to attaching to the tree one up at a dangerous height, unless a safety rope is used. I think I'd rather start a 14 yr old boy with a climber.
For an archery climber I like the Summit Openshot for archery hunting https://www.summitstands.com/summit-openshot-climbing-treestand-mossy-oakr-camo
Most of the younger, more sophisticated archery hunters nowadays use climbing sticks with a hang-on seat, the advantage is in being able to climb almost any tree, especially trees that offer more concealment, the disadvantage is needing to be fairly athletic to be able to climb the sticks and hang one.
A good compromise for a more permanent location on private land is screw in steps and a hang-on seat in a tree with more cover.
For a rifle hunting open tree stand I like a two piece climber with a shooting rail, such as the Treewalker, which unfortunately has been discontinued. The regular Summit Viper is always a good choice if the upper rail is desired. One trick that I do to use the Summit Viper for traditional archery hunting is to put the seat straps on the upper bar instead of the lower bar. It helps to tilt this upper part of the stand up in the front so the upper bar is more level, and keep the seat straps as short as possible. This arrangement allows a taller person to shoot over the rail while seated. This is not an ideal arrangement, but allows possibilities for someone who absolutely does not like sitting in a stand with an open front. The front rail also helps in the climbing process by allowing the hunter to face the tree and sit on the rail while climbing (sit& climb), which is easier for less athletic people.
Did I mention; "always wear a harness".
 
Still sadly reminiscing over the loss of the beloved Treewalker company.
bwtree_0721c.jpg
 
Also mourning the loss of the Timbertall treestand company. Their leveling feature was very handy. (although my best friend hated them with a passion because they could be noisy if allowed to move while installing in the tree)

timbertall-baby-lite.jpg
 
Not meaning to get off topic, but I'm on a roll here, so I'll show some artifacts;
I still have one of these Loggy Bayou climbers, but I'm not really mourning the loss of the company, the company was plagued by subpar workmanship and dangerous designs, not sure why I don't throw it in the dumpster, the Loggy bayou climber with the flat metal strap has paralyzed a lot of hunters and it's only by the grace of God that I'm still alive (back before safety belts were encouraged).
The flat metal strap could buckle when applying weight to the outside edge of the platform, shown here under the climbing aid (that's put on the tree incorrectly, it's supposed to be above the seat).

p15202046617358300.jpeg
 
Can you fold the rails back on the ladders? I use those, but mine fold back. They pull double duty then as bow or rifle as long as they're tucked in good to cover.

I also have trees with grade 8 bolts drilled into them that I use my tree saddle with. He might like that.
 
Myself, for a 14 year old new to bowhunting, I’d set up a couple pop-up blinds in strategic spots and hunt with him. Much safer than being in a tree and it allows you to mentor a young hunter much better.
 
Back
Top