I have

Cougar Claw Super Sport Tree Stand/ Swing Bar Top Climber,,Its like Lone Wolf sit and climb but better..The adjustabilty is game changer...3rd hand straps and quiet strips..
...Solid when reaching your desired height..Very quiet on set up and climb...18lbs w/th out >,,took foot rest off for long hikes for now. USA made and owner Donnie Paul is nicest in the industry.

 

Yup, I had a couple of questions before I purchased so I called and spoke to Donnie. Very helpful.

 

Maybe I missed it, but how much higher can you climb now, in those big trees, than you could with the Summit?

 

With the Summit, you have to set the cable length at the tree base before you start climbing. Most trees gradually taper and the setting at the base is good enough for a gradual taper that I could easily get 20 plus feet up if I wanted. Two trees that are in ideal locations have extra large diameter bases so I had to set the cables longer than normal to fit around the tree at a height that I could get into the stand to start climbing. When the cables are set that large, I could only get about ten feet off the ground. With the adjustable stand, I can set it at the base, climb to ten feet and then readjust the cables to climb to the 20 plus elevation. One of those trees is on a hillside with the trail above the tree so at ten feet, I was eye level with the deer on the trail. Now I can get above that same trail.

There are lots of other trees around, but with a climber they have to be straight without low branches so I'm really restricted to which trees I can climb.

 

Saw the limbs off. Unless their crazy big

 

Certain types of public land in MN does not allow cutting branches/shooting lanes.

 

I have summit, higher level and Cougarclaw….the CC is superior and much much quieter too.

I may sell the higher level and get another CC. I gave the summit to one of my sons.

I’ve also owned a lone wolf climber and sold it.

Cougarclaw has them all beat in my opinion.

 

Would one of you guys measure the distance between the holes the pins go in. or measure the gap in the cable. I have a Treewalker stand and I want to see if the cables would fit in my stand so I can use the adjust-ability of the CC. Also how long are the cables from end to end Thanks

 

I owned a Summit Viper SI for a couple years and liked a lot about it.....not the cable system. Maybe I am less talented than some of you, but getting those coated cables adjusted at the base of the tree was challenging enough for me.....let alone trying it in the air.....plus the process is noisy.

Early this past winter I bought a used Cougar Claw from Jim at Third Hand and have done some customizing to get it the way I prefer. Did a sponge painting job to cover the nicks and then replaced the stock seat with a Slumper mesh seat I had on the Summit. Of course it came with Third Hand accessories......stabilizer straps, bow holder and stealth pads for the treads. To finish it off I wrapped the back diagonal braces in foam pipe wrap to pad them a bit and added LWCG straps/waist support for carrying.

So far I like everything about the CC....it is lighter, comes with a foot rest and the cable system is a lot quieter than shoving those cable stops through the square tubing past the clip. Planning to give it a good workout this fall.....starting Friday 10-1 on opening day.

 

The Cougar Claw is superior to any climbing stand that I have used from the LW sit and climb and hand climber, to my custom Summits, the Higher Level and Equalizer.

To be fair, I never thought that I'd replace my custom Summit, it's by far been my favorite stand since I cobbled it togethe and has led to the demise of countless deer. As I have gotten a little older I started becoming less patient with regard to starting the climb with stand on extreme angles to account for diameter changes as I climb and/or getting to height only to have to come down, adjust and climb again and/or risk adjusting that stand mid-climb (which certainly can be done as I've done it many times, but is dangerous).

All that said, I wanted to give the "leveling" stand phenomena a try...neither the Equalizer nor the Higher Level were for me...I'd rather not get too into it, but lets just say neither are as advertised with regard to ease of use, packability and total weight. I thought at that point it was me and my Summit, then I was introduced to Donnie and Cougar Claw...I can't believe this is such a little known product, not only because of the craftmanship, design, and performance, but because of Donnie himself. I doubt you call Summit or LoneWolf customer service and speak with the person who designed and perhaps even built/tested your stand. Immediately I thought, this thing is going to cost a fortune, as that's sort of the small market way these days, not at all, certainly in the wheelhouse as the others.

As far as craftsmanship and performance, the best I can say is WOW...first of all I never thought anyone could make a climber more comfortable that a Summit, Donnie has found a way. The stock seat that is included is unreal....it seems to have layers of foam, a "stiff"/"harder" layer at the very bottom, topped with a layer of cushion, the combo gives the sensation of sitting on a kitchen chair with a seat pad, no real slump to it. It also includes a back pad, something that I often cut off of stands as they tend to get in the way more than they help, but not necessarily in this case. With a little tinkering and innovation, I uncovered a slightly different way to pack the stand so that the seat stays attached the entire time, out of the way, AND provides lower back support when carrying.....that's just the seat. The cabling system is so simple its genius, one of those "how come I didn't think of this" or "how in the world has someone not mass produced this" type of deals. It's hard to explain, that's why I am trying to finish up a video highlighting the features.

Bottom line, the CC climbs easier than any other I've ever used, it's lighter that my Summit (which has Hazmoore seat and customized open sit and climb design), it packs quickly, it climbs quieter than any I've tried, it adjusts mid air, very easily, but most importantly SAFELY.

I'll share the video as soon as it's done, I know a few have PM'd asking about it, just haven't gotten around to getting something that showcases it.

For a reference, here is a quick hit on my Summit, to showcase the custom sit an climb. Since this clip was cut, I have added the Hazmoore.....

 

The Cougar Claw is superior to any climbing stand that I have used from the LW sit and climb and hand climber, to my custom Summits, the Higher Level and Equalizer.

To be fair, I never thought that I'd replace my custom Summit, it's by far been my favorite stand since I cobbled it togethe and has led to the demise of countless deer. As I have gotten a little older I started becoming less patient with regard to starting the climb with stand on extreme angles to account for diameter changes as I climb and/or getting to height only to have to come down, adjust and climb again and/or risk adjusting that stand mid-climb (which certainly can be done as I've done it many times, but is dangerous).

All that said, I wanted to give the "leveling" stand phenomena a try...neither the Equalizer nor the Higher Level were for me...I'd rather not get too into it, but lets just say neither are as advertised with regard to ease of use, packability and total weight. I thought at that point it was me and my Summit, then I was introduced to Donnie and Cougar Claw...I can't believe this is such a little known product, not only because of the craftmanship, design, and performance, but because of Donnie himself. I doubt you call Summit or LoneWolf customer service and speak with the person who designed and perhaps even built/tested your stand. Immediately I thought, this thing is going to cost a fortune, as that's sort of the small market way these days, not at all, certainly in the wheelhouse as the others.

As far as craftsmanship and performance, the best I can say is WOW...first of all I never thought anyone could make a climber more comfortable that a Summit, Donnie has found a way. The stock seat that is included is unreal....it seems to have layers of foam, a "stiff"/"harder" layer at the very bottom, topped with a layer of cushion, the combo gives the sensation of sitting on a kitchen chair with a seat pad, no real slump to it. It also includes a back pad, something that I often cut off of stands as they tend to get in the way more than they help, but not necessarily in this case. With a little tinkering and innovation, I uncovered a slightly different way to pack the stand so that the seat stays attached the entire time, out of the way, AND provides lower back support when carrying.....that's just the seat. The cabling system is so simple its genius, one of those "how come I didn't think of this" or "how in the world has someone not mass produced this" type of deals. It's hard to explain, that's why I am trying to finish up a video highlighting the features.

Bottom line, the CC climbs easier than any other I've ever used, it's lighter that my Summit (which has Hazmoore seat and customized open sit and climb design), it packs quickly, it climbs quieter than any I've tried, it adjusts mid air, very easily, but most importantly SAFELY.

I'll share the video as soon as it's done, I know a few have PM'd asking about it, just haven't gotten around to getting something that showcases it.

For a reference, here is a quick hit on my Summit, to showcase the custom sit an climb. Since this clip was cut, I have added the Hazmoore.....

Excellent review Joe. Couldn't have done it any better.

 

Look forward to seeing your video on the Cougarclaw Joe !

 

Once you climb with a CC...you"ll never look back...Wish you did it sooner

 

I used to do this, untill the first time i lost the bottom platform, came untied, now its one of the stands i use but do not really feel safe on, my lone wolf hang on, might be noisy and a bit slower but is way more adjustable and feels safer overall, noise dont matter much when setting up, i never set up where deer are, just where they will be latter...

 

I wouldn't even attempt it without Thirdhandman's treestand straps. Before I had them, I always made sure my rope stayed tied.

 

Well I took my Cougar Claw out for a real woods experience late this morning to make sure everything was up to snuff. I went to one of the places I hunt, but not right where I plan to hunt so it was a real world trial. From the point I got out of the Jeep, I approached things as if I was hunting....the only thing missing was my bow and arrows. Put my RC harness on, hooked the Q-safe to the stand, walked into the woods with the stand on my back and looked over some suitable trees.

I really liked my Summit Viper SI, but the Cougar Claw is definitely a step above from a practical perspective. Adjusting the cables to the tree was quick and quiet. As Third Hand Jim has noted in prior threads on the CC, the way the teeth are designed causes them to really grip on and it was very solid during the climb. I'm 6' tall and had zero issues sitting on the hand rail while lifting the platform with my feet/legs. I was purposely wearing knee high Muck boots so it felt realistic with no issues with the stirrups. I ran into a pretty good sized branch about 14' and didn't want to saw it off for a test run, so that is as far as I went today. The Slumper seat was adjusted really well so I just sat there for a while, then stood up and mock drew from a variety of angles.

My first "real" experience rated an A+.....I'm very pleased and ready to put it to use starting Friday evening. There was no reason to adjust in the air, but I am sure that is coming at some point in the season. Thankfully the CC is designed for that eventuality.

 

Glad you enjoyed the new climber. Yours must be their Den Prowler model. I bought the Bubba Prowler model and from the CC website: "It is exactly like the Den II, except the (Bubba) Top Climber is 2″ Wider and 3″ Longer and a (Bubba) Base Climber is 3″ Longer. To compensate for the Larger Top Climber, it comes with 4 inch Removable Climbing Strap..." I'm 6' also and the 4" wide climbing strap was definitely needed in my case and it works perfectly for the purpose. I also used that 4" strap as a temporary seat to sit facing the tree for a bit (but there is no back support like I would have if I would switch the regular seat to the end of the top frame).

Looking forward to going out this weekend again with it.

 

^^^^ Is this your first year with the CC?

 

Yes, my first season. Jim listed it in the AT classifieds this winter and I bought it with the hopes that the cable system was quieter and easier than the Summit. I know that you did some work to make your Summit cable system less binding, but overall the CC is just a nicer stand from my comparison. Looking forward to having my bow along shortly.

 

Glad you like it Alaska. You will learn to love it and want you start getting used to adjusting the angle at your climbing. The other thing to notice is how easy it is to climb since it opens more because the arm placement is different than a summit.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using http://bit.ly/Archery_Talk_app

 

Looking on their site it would seem that there may be a bit more flex than the Summit out on the platform due to the angle bar connecting so close to the rear of the platform?

 

I didn't notice that at 200#....felt very solid and comfortable. As Joe noted above, he has owned a tested about every climber on the market and put the CC at the top of the list. It impressed me today in the woods.

 

Jim will have to chime in on the exact model of CC that he sold me. The shipping box has three models listed, the Den II, the Bubba and the Cub....but none of the boxes are checked to indicate. I'm sure it isn't the Cub and it didn't come with an extra strap, so it is probably the Den II. Very similar in size to my Summit Viper SI and roomy enough for my use. After doing a complete woods setup, I too am looking forward to getting it in the woods for a hunt.

 

I have a Treewalker and really like how it bites the tree and how comfortable it is. I don't like that I can't adjust it once up a tree. bought an equalizer and it is a good stand but dont feel as secure as the tree walker. I wonder if someone can comment on he cougar claw compared to the Treewalker and/or equalizer ability to bite into the tree securely.

 

I had the Equalizer and with the double row of teeth it bit into the tree nicely and I felt very secure until I opened up the mechanism and seen all of the plastic. The stand was probably very safe but my paranoia about the plastic got to me and I felt less safe in it.
The Treewalker just tore up the bark too much.

 

^^^^Do you have a climber now?

 

I have a few. Not sure what I have left other than one new Cougar Claw.

 

I took this photo after climbing off the Cougar Claw late this morning after my field test. It was very secure going up and down, but note the tree shows zero effects or evidence that a climber had been used on it. Just a really well designed stand.....with Third Hand accessories, a slumper seat and LWCG carry system it is about perfect for me.

 

See you have a Q Strap. I have had mine for many years now and really like it

 

Yes sir! I read about it on a climber thread several years ago and decided to invest.....a very prudent investment. Note the position of the Q-Safe.... that is were it ended up as I clipped off and stepped down off the platform. When I stepped on to climb, clipping on was the first thing I did as well. Even with a top end climber and Third Hand stabilizer straps, it is wise to have a secure back-up system to keep you from rapidly returning to the hard ground.

 

Looking at the Q Safe does it have slots to hook on to once set to eliminate slack in the tether when seated?
That stand looks good, especially the finish.

 

Yes, the Q-Safe has a double strap that is sewn into partitions so you can move the caribiner upward to provide the desired amount of slack or tension while at height. It is easier to watch their video than explain it....

Q-Safe Tree Strap Safety Anchor | Blinded Hunting | Ohio

Innovative Safety Anchor for Deer Hunters with patented spring technology that makes it easy to hunt safely

www.blindedhunting.com

The finish is customized. When it arrived from Jim, it had a few nicks in the dark green factory paint job from use and I decided to start over. After wiping it down completely with a rag soaked in 91% isopropyl alchool, I worked on it for a few weeks doing a sponge paint job with a variety of Rustoleum camo colors. This was done in June so it had plenty of time to cure in the sun to dissipate the paint odor. Worked well from my perspective.

The only thing left is the seat section front rail pad. I replaced the larger stock one with foam pipe wrap and taped it in place with camo duct tape. I asked my wife to resize the stock velcro cover, but decided to try camo grip tape instead. That should arrive tomorrow and I will post a photo with my impressions.

 

When I seen I can hook on to different lengths watching videos a couple of days ago I ordered one. Thanks.

 

Anytime, Chuck. I haven't used anything else with my climbers since the Q-Safe arrived a few years ago.

 

Can a Hazmoore seat be used on a CC stand?

I have one on my summit and love it, but there are a lot of things I really like about the CC.

 

No but a sling seat will work. Buckshot treestands sells one that works well. It also sheds weight over the stock seat.


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My question is why do guys use a climber vs a stand and sticks? Weight is the same or less with the sticks. The sticks will get you into any tree in the woods vs hunting for a suitable tree. Sticks get you into a better tree for background. With sticks you can pull the bottom one or two and return the next day with little effort and hunt the same tree again. Time from the bottom of tree to being hunt ready is the same. Just looking for why guys even consider a climber anymore? And i still have several. None get used anymore.

 

I guess it depends on the climbing stands and stands and sticks your considering. My climber is a Summit Viper so every stand and stick combo I use is compared to them. That said, every stand and stick combo is usually at least 10lbs heavier.
I will always choose my Viper unless conditions dictate I need a hang on. I hunt in very climber friendly woods, if I didn’t a hang on would be my preferred set up.

 

I use both…the stick/stand set-up is absolutely more versatile, but not even close with regard ease of getting set and I’d like to think that I am fairly skilled with both. The sticks and loc-on require much more effort, from attaching each stick and/or adjusting for a one stick to attaching the stand and packing and un packing.

I know severs will tell me I must be doing something wrong, trust me when I say I’m not. I can get to the base of my tree with my climber on my back and be set at my hunting hunting faster and more importantly safer than if I got to the same tree with my M7 and sticks.

It’s not significantly faster, but it is easier in every regard….at least for me.

 

There isn’t a climber in the planet that weighs 10lbs…because if there was I’d probably have it (lol)

Viper with no mods will be around 22lbs

 

And my stand and 4 sticks are just under 20 lbs hunt ready.