Hunting Mountains Tree Stands or Ground Hunting

[mowinman29]

I hunt sum steep land that's hard enough jus to carry a bow or gun into , I hate carrying tree stands into these places then setting them up , but then if I don't and I am hunting from the ground im wishing I was in a tree , I have several different stands , guidos web , alpha with sticks , tried it all , whats some of the setups that you guys use for not so flat land ? does Dan always usually hunt from a tree even when gun hunting ? i need to find one good setup as far as equipment and stick with it i think, just curious what you guys use to get the big ones .Thanks

[Milk Weed Seed]

Not sure what the trees are like in your area, but hill country usually produces straight trees good for climbers. I would be lost with out my LW hand climber. Very light and easy to use. My 13 year old has no issue using one.

[mowinman29]

i have a new assault hand climber i had just posted on here for sale , i may need to give it a chance i have only climbed two trees with it , it sure is easy to carry

[parkersdad]

I hunted the mountains here in North Carolina twice this year. Both times I took my hand climber and had to climb a tree that was less desirable for a climber. If I go back up there I will have my Alpha and sticks. In the mountains you may not need to get as high so you could probably get by with three sticks to cut weight. That would be my stand of choice since the trees are kind of big and gnarly. Good luck!

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[AttackMode]

I personally use the LW hand climber and it works for 90% of where i want to hunt. I also have an XOP air raid and 4 Lw sticks for those odd trees that pop up every now and then. At one point i did dabble with a tree saddle with 4 sticks but i just didn't feel like it was necessary for how i hunt. With my hand climber i can easily attach all of my gear to the stand. Then using the molle hip belt and shoulder straps it makes for a comfortable carry up the mtn. I also have the XL belts on the hand climber for the larger trees and they work great.

[Southern Man]

I have a lone wolf hand climber that is pretty lightweight. I also use lone wolf sticks with an old 6lb hang on stand. But my favorite way is ground hunting. I have an ASAT 3D suit I wear and this year bought one of those Kill Suits. The kill suit blends in really well. I bought a small 3 legged stool the folds up and slips in a pouch. The seat rotates also. It works well. Our woods are thick tho, mostly, even after leaf drop. But I'm not one of those that kill the big ones.

[Beartown18]

I would be in a tree if at all possible, I am just more confident in a stand.

[May-39]

I have hunted the hills of Monroe County Kentucky and all over Michigan..I still like my saddle and sticks the most..When I was younger, I ran climbing spikes.
I have an ultra lite climber and late in the year it's that and a heater body suit.
I have found with my saddle, lower is as good and sometimes better than way up...One stick gets me over grass but still keeps my background in thicker stuff versus skyline. This is also true in hill country..Plus wind has been much more predictable.
Three sticks fit real nice in the rifle carrier pouch on my backpack..
Looking to get a used eberlestock X2 which carries 4 sticks real nice.

[checkerfred]

I'm struggling with this same thing. I have an assault and sticks. It's fairly light but when you start trekking a few miles, and thru hills, it can wear you down. Not to mention it's just not as comfortable for long sits like climber. Then if you kill a deer you have that to deal with. I have considered a hand climber due to weight, but again the comfort level and then you have to deal with finding straight limbless tress. At least with the assault if I hunt thick stuff, I can find a tree. The hills around here have lots of mature hardwoods but I come across several ridges with thick points that I know a climber won't work. I'd rather just deal with the assualt and have more options

[JoeRE]

I hunt bluff country - not mountains but nice steep hills up to 300 feet. I have found in many spots its easier to hunt off the ground in hills because sometimes I can find a knob or rock outcropping that gives me an elevation advantage just like climbing a tree would. About 1/3 of my bow set ups are currently off the ground...it varies from year to year though, just where I am hunting.

Gun hunting is a different story. I think I have killed only one buck out of a stand with a gun and a couple dozen off the ground. Most were late season with a muzzleloader. A few places (mostly where visibility is an issue) a stand is needed gun hunting but the majority of spots a stand serves no purpose in my opinion.

[mowinman29]

Does anyone ever go and set up trees with pegs before season then jus carry in and out each hunt with the alpha stand , seems it would sure be a lot lighter to do this the stand is east to quickly attach to tree and I know it would be more comfortable than a tree saddle I think

[ Post made via Android ]