There are pros and cons to climbers.

Pros - versatility. I was able to see 6 deer go down a trail this year that was 40 yds out of my range. I climbed down, picked out a tree 15 yds on the other side of that trail and 30 seconds after I was up the tree I arrowed a nice 11 ptr.

Not having your stand get stolen is a HUGE plus.


Cons - Carrying in the extra weight.
Setting up and tearing down each time.
Having to pick a good, straight tree.

 

You may spook one once in a while but for the most part they are not that noisy and the versatility cant be beat. They certainly have good and bad points but the good outweighs the bad big time.

 

Yeah, very true they are versatile! I was able to move my stand according to the wind. I'll probably keep it. I did kill my first buck with a bow this year in the Goliath. They are noisy though..

 

 

Lucky

I've got a steel Viper and I don't think its noisy but I guess I'm lucky because where I hunt it is already pretty loud....cars, airplanes, new construction, shooting range, just a noisy place. But I guess if the deer are born there it seems normal to them.

Earlier this year I walked my son to a new hang on stand, we whispered a little, and I trimmed half a dozen limbs for him from the ground, which made plenty of noise. 45 minutes later he killed a 150+ buck that was probably in the area when we were making all the ruckus.

 

I've got a steel Viper and I don't think its noisy but I guess I'm lucky because where I hunt it is already pretty loud....cars, airplanes, new construction, shooting range, just a noisy place. But I guess if the deer are born there it seems normal to them.

Earlier this year I walked my son to a new hang on stand, we whispered a little, and I trimmed half a dozen limbs for him from the ground, which made plenty of noise. 45 minutes later he killed a 150+ buck that was probably in the area when we were making all the ruckus.

My first stand was a steel viper. I coated with bed liner and it is dead silent. Any knocks now are s low thud versus a loud ting........ also better on my bow should it hit. not much heavier and probably will extend the life of it since it is now protected from water.

 

I don't think the noise makes a ton of difference unless the deer are very near to where you're trying to climb. I always worry about it, but I've actually had several instances where deer came in while I was still climbing. I've always believed that if they see you coming in, they're gone anyway.

 

Yep, same here. A deer came in at 50yrds when I was only 6 ft up, had to pull all the slack out of pull rope,pull up bow, then take Quiver off and stick it between my legs, nock the arrow, draw, shot under by a foot at 30 yrds but luckily the deer ran a bit then tried to circle around to see what just happened and right before it got directly downwind I shot her at less than twenty yrds. They are not gonna spook a deer unless they are close enough to see you climb or very close to hear you.

 

My API isn't that noisy I don't know how many time i have just gotten in a tree and just set down pull my bow up and have had deer under me. I have gotten down before with doe around me before and they just watched me till I got to the ground before they spooked. I have never spooked any deer climbing with it in the last 20 + years I have used it and I have taken a lot of buck and some doe from it. I went out once just got in the tree and was pulling my bow up when a big eight came down the trial to me and I shot him he went about 60 yards and dropped dead. I called my wife and she said I was only gone about 30 minutes and I had a long walk in. Some time I think they think it's a buck rubbing there antlers on the tree or a animal climbing the tree it's a natural sound in the woods and I have never spooked a deer will climbing.

 

noise

any noise will spook a buck if he is pressured.no pressure on him,normal day.smell is what scares a buck if not pressured.
i took my summit 180 max and sprayed insulation foam inside it.it was not loud to start but i feel closing those opening will help.

summit skins help too on any tings etc. or as said you could use spray bedliner on outside.secret is practice. practice using your stand on tree and it will be very quiet.where the cables go into a summit channel, i did some modifications so cables go in more quiet.

no doubt a lock-on or ladderstand is more quiet.both are difficult to move to another tree.lock-ons are getting better on moving but i feel there is no better comfort and being able to move than the climbing treestand.
bucks today if spooked by your smell will not come back to that spot.when we had lots of buck here in pa a buck would return ,NOT ANYMORE....

bucks that are left are older and wiser do to the AR 3 POINT RULE.,

folks you have to be able to move in ARCHERY, you cant sit it same spot day in and out,it aint going to work.
lock-ons are nice because you can put like 3 out at different locations BUT the hunters are stealing them now.if not for stealing on publicland i would say a lock-on rates right up with climbers.problem with lock-ons was bad seats and dangerous steps,they have improved on those but not STEALING.

take care sproul................

 

The lone wolf climbers are pretty darn quiet

 

I don't think the noise bothers them at all, I have climbed real noisy trees up and down many times with deer that were in ear shot that I couldn't see at the time and it didn't bother them at all. Squirrels are loud as can be, climbing a tree often sounds like a squirrel or other animal and I know guys that will bark when they get up which makes sense.

 

I second bdeal.Buy a lone wolf and no more noise, put a summit seat on it and no more sore ass.The best of both worlds.

 

I've hunted out of a Summit Viper SS for the last two years. I also like how comfortable it is, but to me it is very bulky and I make more noise in climbing up and down a tree than I like. I bought a Lone Wolf Alpha hang on and 4 climbing sticks. The Lone Wolf is much more compact when carrying, lighter, and most important to me very, very quiet.

I like you also got to the point where I was looking for a perfect tree for the climber rather than the perfect tree to hunt out of.

Either way, they're both top quality stands, just depends on what you're looking for.

 

I have all but given up on climbers for several reasons, noise being one of them. The main reason is that I hunt mainly western MD and sw PA, and have to hike up some crazy steep mountains. It's hard enough for me to control my sweating carrying just my bow. Add a climber into the mix, and it's just awful.

Another reason is, as the OP stated in so many words, I found myself compromising on exact stand placement due to lack of an adequate tree. Lock-on's can be hung in just about any tree that's big enough.

I thinks it all comes down to your situation.

 

I'd rather use my climbers than a hang on, but thats just my opinion. Noise hasnt really been an issue as far as i know. To many deer comin in while climbing up or down. Although i try to make it as noiseless as possible. Most of the time it takes seeing and/or smelling you to spook a deer, even the old ones.

 

ol man orlone wolf

 

the simple fact is, you're never going to really know what deer you spook...you'll just know the deer you DON'T spook. there could be that deer 40 yards off in the thick stuff, that just sneaks away in the other direction that you NEVER KNEW WAS THERE...or, you can get in the stand and have a deer come under you 1 minute later. Now, i'm a believer that the stand isn't making as much noise as you THINK it is, but i still try to be as quiet as possible, and I'm still convinced i was too loud everytime i use my climber (summit bullet backpacker) i also believe younger deer can even be attracted by the climbing sound of a climber...somewhat sounds like a deer rubbing a tree. older, more mature deer won't fall for that

 

Perhaps you could get out in the woods early before light and practice setting it up, and climbing while it's dark. Might as well practice putting on your harness in the dark, jam it in your pack all crumpled up and get good at getting it on not being able to see, if you haven't already. jmtc...

 

Take a look at Treewalker Treestands. Very sturdy and only 16lbs.

 

for yrs hunted from ladder stands and for the last two yrs from climbers and i see the same amount of deer as i allways have...

 

It is just a personal choice. some like climbers and some loc ons. Climbers are just not a practical choice for me. I have to have a stand that will work in any tree any where so I use loc ons. I have several different ones for different situations, some will work on any type tree others that will not work on crooked trees. I hunt in very few if any places where I could use a climber. Sure I might find a tree to put it in but it won't be where I need to be. The one thing that I don't understand is people saying how the climbers are more mobile. I see it totally the other way. I use screwins with all my hangons and there is no way I can use a climber and get set up in a tree faster. By the time I got to the tree, take the 2 stand parts apart, hook both around the tree and climb up to where they want to sit and get situated in a climber I would already have my steps in climbed up the tree and set my loc on and did it much quieter

 

I use both but for different situations. I have my primary lock-ons on long term trails and food plots (natural and man made) and then I have my climber for those new areas I find or in response to pressured deer (which in SC we have alot of pressure). What I can say is that I've had deer under my climber (less than 20 yards) eating on acorns for 2 hours after dark and it got to the point that I wasn't going to stay any longer so I lower my bow and start climbing down and nothing spooks so I think the deer slipped out while I was climbing down. I climb out of my stand and take the foot section off the tree and click two pieces of metal together and the woods exploded. I have never been scared by spooked deer until that time. There were several deer that close that never payed attention to the sound of the climber comming down the pine tree until something un-natural occured and these are very pressured deer.

 

pa has lots of straight trees.so climber is fine.lock-ons in my opinion are young persons game.but they are getting better .as you get older sitting in say a sit/climb summit is real nice .when i was 40 a lock-on was ok even tho we had the strap on steps. these new ladder steps are real nice if set up AHEAD of hunting.putting them up in dark and hanging a lock-on is not for me, i am now 56.

i can go up tree easy in dark at 5 am with a summit climber if i cut the limbs off ahead of time,if any .climbers are more comfortable than most lock-ons.
i prep all my locations ahead of time. while the buck is sleeping say at noon, i sneak in and prep my tree so next morning in dark i just put the climber on tree and up i go.
i also hide my climber locked in laural here in pa with mossy oak stuff on top of it sprayed down with fox urine.
both lock-ons/ climbers are great but do to my age 56 the climber is what i want on PUBLICLAND.

TAKE CARE SPROUL..........

 

i used my summit for the first time this past season. I was climbing up the tree and had a few small does come into my shooting area about 23 yards from the tree I just climbed up. Didnt seem to care as they milled around and fed long enough for me to pull my bow up, but still to dark to shoot. O well.

 

I dont know why people say they are noisy.....Mine is as quiet as can be.

 

telescope ladder steps

if a ladder sticks could be made so they telescope up tree 20 ft,like with a small quiet motor the lock -ons would sell like crazy.the steps would go up in about a minute all connected and have feature that would lock on tree above .

up you would go and only have to run strap around tree say in 2 spots.i had this idea for years,i know it would work and motor would not have to be very big to do it.it would all go down to a 5 ft section to carry out.