Leaving climbing stands in woods

Legitimate question... why do folks leave climbing stands in the woods? I read about this all the time, and hunted around folks all my life who'd leave their climber (or an extra) in the woods.

I primarily ask because don't your seats and arm / gun rest cushions get wet??? I mean, it rains during the week and gets that stand soaking wet, then you go in on Saturday morning when it's 25 degrees and have to sit in that WET stand. (yes I realize most seats are removeable, but good grief it isn't easy, my API is 12-15 yrs old and I've never removed the seat from it)

I ask secondarily because is it really that difficult to walk in/out with a climber? Heck, I made a 1.26 mile walk (each way), Friday and Saturday at Choccolocco WMA (which you may know is extraordinarily steep and rugged), and have done similar and even longer walks with a climber for 30 years. Most of those years have been with a 23 to 26 pound API and/or Summit climber, and a large shoulder bag full of goodies (probably as heavy as the stand), my gun or bow, and often extra clothes/bibs/jackets tucked in the stand.

And I also think about varmints eating the cushions.

I don't really mean this series of questions as a critique, I just wouldn't dream of leaving my good stand in the woods.

I leave my Olman in the woods all year if I find a good spot for it. Summit never stays more than a night in woods if I can help it.

I've left a stand in the woods, covered it with a plastic bag to keep it dry - Ended up getting bit by a brown recluse that made its home inside the bag
Left one in the woods on private hunting club land - It got stolen
Left one in the woods, chained to a tree - Squirrels or some rat ate up the padding

I'm pretty much done with leaving stands in the woods

BTW All the stands I left in the woods were Summits

I have 4 summits I set them out in bow season and leave them all season if it rains I take a black trash bag in my pocket and fold it over the seat while hunting works ok

It’s a good way to get a stand ruined In Cold weather. If water gets inside the stand it can expand and split the metal. Not to mention the climbing cables can become rusted on a summit or ol man.

From my experience with a summit. Unless you hunt the next morning your not gonna get a wet azz. The seats dry pretty quick. I leave mine out until I move locations.

I hung an Ol Man one time several years ago (Because all there’s just the mesh sling seat) and it stayed out probably a month or slightly longer, frankly it ruined that stand because water got inside the tubing and just rusted it really badly. And overall it just looked something iron that sat out and weathered.

I'll leave mine from time to time but only if I'm gone be back in the that evening or the next day

I buy cheap used stands and put them out all over the state in various public and private lands that I hunt. I don't know if there have ever been any of them stolen or not, but I do know that I have forgotten where several of them are. Currently have about 10 climbers in the garage at home and another 5 or 6 on various lands throughout the state. I also keep one in the back of my truck all hunting season in case I see a place i want to get out and hunt.

Lowered mine almost to the ground, black garbage bag slide over both pieces and covered with brush, this year I'm packing in/out and its kinnda nice having it when/where I need it. Hunt private land lease.

I leave six Summit’s in the woods at my club during the season (I pull them after the season is over). All are cable locked to trees, but they are also in areas that are a long way from club boundaries. I also make sure they are angled so water doesn’t flow into the tubes when they are locked to the tree. Last, I don’t leave seats on them. The seat I use attaches in about 30 seconds. Easy. So no wet arse for me.

i'll leave it if i plan on hunting there next few days. if its suppose to rain I'll throw a trash bag over the seat. I always keep a few in my hunting bag for what ifs. they don't take up much room.

Never ever ever. If you don’t think a climber hanging off a tree at 3’ off the ground catches the attention of a 4-5 year old buck I encourage you to place a camera on a stand left in the woods. They do not like it. I will not leave a climber in the woods for any length of time.

What's difference in a ladder?

Ive leftem..matter o fact...i need to go get one first chance i get an proly take my gun an bust one

if you are going to leave a Ol Man out in the weather remove the plastic end caps. This is where the water collects causing rust and possible damage from freezing.

Pack it in, pack it out every time.

This

Im curious to this as well

The answer is they ain't one.. other than maybe spotting one quicker, but both r noticed...after a few times they get used to it trust me...is it smart? probably not for a couple reasons..weather, thiefs ect

I would think that a ladder stand left in place for a while they probably get used to. I guess if you left a climber up year round other than scent when you used it would probably be no different

I never leave my climber in the woods for all the reasons you describe.

Did someone say something about saddle hunting? Bwhahahaha

I went as a guest with a boy last year, and even though he told me I wouldn't need a stand, I took mine anyway (just kept it in the cab with the back seats folded up because I drove 2+ hours in the pouring down rain, and it rained like a cow pissing on a flat rock all night). Good thing I did.... seriously that first morning he tells me where I'll be hunting, and says "I trust you are good enough to take my directions and find your own way in there, so just drive your truck over there to the gate and etc..." I drive across their club, get to the gate he told me to and proceed to walk a good ways down a firebreak to a stand he said was already hanging on the tree. He already told me it was a climber, so I was smart enough to walk in there with mine. Of course when I find it it's SOAKING@#$@ wet, and apparently I'm the first one who'd been in there all season because it was literally one big spider web. Well there was an identical pine not 5' from that tree, so I just climbed it with my own stand. I was funny/joking about it when we met back up for lunch, but I gave him down the road for that stunt!!!!

Leave mine in the woods about 90% of the time. Most of our place is behind a locked gate. If it's on the section that's outside of the gate,I use the locks made for buckshots/equalizer climbers. Dont find that it bothers the deer at all,and I do place cameras in the same vicinity of them,usually in always in bow range.

BIG difference in hanging a permanent stand that deer get used to and leaving a stand that you plan on hunting a couple days later they haven’t been used to seeing/smelling. It makes a difference. Trust me.

I put my stands in thrres before season where I plan to hunt that year then I go back after season and haul them out. I dont want to tote them 1/4mile every time I go hunting. I like to ease in quiet as I can. I can drive my mule most of the way to my stand locations, this also eliminates some toting.

When I climbed I had, well I still have them but don't use them, 4 climbers. 3 I left on my favorite trees, and 1 I kept at the barn so I could take it with me anywhere. Leaving them on the tree and just going in and climbing was much easier and quieter than carrying one in and setting it up in the dark.

I guess I don’t get the whole setting it up and making noise. Mine is quiet and easy. I can set it up in less than 2 minutes and make no more noise than if I just walked in and started climbing.

Not to mention the ladder stand is stationary, the climber isn’t. I’m sure they can tell the difference

This is my M.O. in a lot of places. I’ll hang it and usually don’t hunt it for a couple or 3 weeks at least. Matt, what stand do u use?

Dr. B

Lone wolf Alpha hand climber.

I only leave what I want to disappear by a thief. Which is nothing.

I guess I bought a lone wolf because it was light, so I carry it in and out. Cost too much to get stolen and I don't want it to get weathered. If i'm leaving it why not just put up a hang on?

I left my climber when I had 8 acres right behind the house and would want to slip in and out SUPER quietly. But I would only leave it for a day or two at a time. Never anywhere else.

I run summits and typically run quite a few out at any given time. I always have an extra for if I get invited to hunt with a buddy at his place, or if I want to move in on a deer. I use mine like permanent stands. Never had an issue with deer moving around them because the stand and myself are quite mobile. Mine get put out and stay out until I feel like its time to move them.

Something that hasn't been mentioned is any stand or ladder that catches water can also freeze and bust, destroying the stand. Always drill drain holes at bottom of ladder stand legs.

Honestly, I wouldnt care if someone stole some of the stands I have left on public land. I dont think I've ever paid more than $30 for one on facebook marketplace, and the threat of someone stealing it doesnt scare me bad enough to make myself tote one in every time. To me, hunting is supposed to be fun, and a harsh walk in the woods with a treestand on my back wears me out and I'm so tired by the time i get there that the whole ordeal is kinda ruined for me anyway.

Have bucks walk so close to my ladders they would bump them with antlers if they turned their heads.

If someone left a stinky pair of socks in your living room floor, you would notice. If you leave a climber that smells like your shed (lawnmower gas, fertilizer, weed killer), in their living room they will notice it.

Some people think thats part of it..youve hunted with me an my brother..noise makin is no beuno...an youll get the evil eye

That’s right! Noise makers get sent back to the truck.

Same for me. And I also don't get the "don't want to tote it", I don't even notice it or give it a second thought.

so how long do stinky socks stay stinky? That stand won't give off any more oder than any other material left out there. I guess box stands and pop up blinds need to be removed too?

It's been a few years ago, but I asked on here one time if anybody had hung a freakin' NICE, expensive looking loc-on in a certain place on Hollins WMA, and I don't think anybody ever replied to that thread. I had a place I occasionally walked in to, a pretty long walk with a climber, and the first time I went in there I noticed that loc-on in a white oak. It was a big platform, sorta rounded with a nice sling-type seat, had screw in steps (but the first few were removed). I jokingly thought to myself "man I'd like to have that sucker!", but seriously I wasn't literally going to steal it. Well I noticed through that season it appeared nobody was using it, leaves had piled up on the platform and the seat. The next year it was still there, still looked like nobody had been in it. Then the next season it was obvious it had just been abandoned, and by that time it looked ruined.
Having that hindsight, I wish I would've taken it. I'm not a thief, but dern that was a waste of a nice stand (not to mention it was in my way LOL!!)

All my new summits have removable seats so I just pack the seat out with me if I leave one in the woods.

biggest deer ive ever killed was shot from a climber I left on a tree about 2-3 weeks why move them in and out to set up same spot everyday? i cant stand trying to set up in the dark i like to get in about 30-45 min before sun up and can slip 20-25 ft up a tree pretty quik and quietly ive had smaller bucks come in right after i climb i think they heard the tree scraping and thought it may be another buck. I leave my stands outside in a detached carport most of the year so i dont have to worry about gas odors or anything from inside smelling them up. I reall dont think they pay it much attention. the seat getting wet is not a problem i flip it upside down the material is water resistant and the rain rolls right off. water in the stand freezing isnt a problem either if uts set up properly it will be tilted back when its at the base of tree so it will run out. I also have a 6ft cable and cat5 lock i run thru the stand and around the tree so it doesn't get stolen. some people just like to overthink things.

I leave climbers my climbers on public land all year and I've never had an issue. Just don't care to tote them In and out. Same thing with ground blinds

I've been leaving two climbers out all season long for 4 years now. Always convenient just walking to one depending on wind direction. Any less weight and hassle walking into the woods is always appreciated.

I have a dozen climbers in different place throughout the woods.
After putting on a tree I keep them completely covered up with pine branches so they are not visible to a deer or even a person.

I never touch them with my bare hands either.
Only my gloves that have been sprayed with scent killer.

As with others, I want to be able to keep the noise down to a minimum and not sweat carrying one long distances.

I do keep a couple of old Api grandlslams ready for use on the side though.

I guess really my main curiosity was just the seats and other cushions being wet, and then just the general deterioration of a $300-$500 stand. I reckon I'm just a lot more uptight about it (imagine that )

I carry mine in and out every hunt. I’ve had 3 cameras stolen so the last thing I’m doing is leaving a climber out. But to me, it’s no issue setting up in the morning. leaving it out on private land is no different than a ground blind so I don’t think it’s an issue. The deer will get use to it.

Well that depends how long has that box blind or pop up been out there? Did you just bring that pop up home from academy? Yeah it stinks. That box blind been there since you and your daddy built it 8-10 years ago then it's part of the woods now.

Funny how we all have differing fears and ideals.... To me the chance of theft is very low (because I would never leave it on public land), and I also wouldn't be concerned with it spooking deer, I would just never leave it because of it getting wet. And I wouldn't leave it with trash bags or plastic on it because it'd still get wet, and basically just be a spider's nest.

My days of climbing are over but this was my thinking when I was able.

Hey Claims Rep...What kind of seat are you using on your Summits that easily attaches?

THanks

As mentioned earlier, I'm packing mine in/out this year and it takes a few more minutes to get set up than leaving it hanging. Last couple years left it hanging with a garbage bag over it and only one time did my seat get wet was when a limb fell and put a hole in it and it rained, so took the bag and covered the seat with it and still never got wet. As some of y'all have said it's really not that big of a deal and it also gives you that little bit of surprise factor as the deer don't know where the dirty socks are located because they weren't left on the floor. Never had a spider issue either

It has no impact on the deer at all. I have multiple pics of a couple of huge mature bucks feeding on acorns and you can clearly see my Summit Viper hanging on the tree not 8 yards from where the deer are located. I spray my climbers down with scent control all the time anyway but I guess if you were sweating your ass off in one and your odor got absorbed into the fabric it could have an effect on the deer but otherwise, it doesn't. We probably have 30 climbers throughout our club that are just hanging on trees from various members. I will typically pack mine up unless I plan to hunt that specific area for an extended period of time but that is also why I have 6 Summits, if I find a place that don't want to carry one in and out, you can bet it will be hanging on that tree so I can slip in and climb up undetected and noise free.

I don’t leave nor have I ever left any stand in the woods. If I pack it in I pack it out the same day, nothing against it I just prefer not to.

One just like this.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/NEW-Summ...ent-Seat-w-Mossy-Oak-Camo-85249/46881834

I've left them in the woods many times . I'd take them off the tree and hide them under a treetop or rock . I always seemed to kill deer.

The only time I have ever left a climber in the woods was if I hunted a spot in the evening and was planning on going back to that spot again the next morning. Other than that, I never leave it in the woods.