Treestands in Washington...

[GrainfedMuley]

  Hello everybody. Thank you very much for letting me jion the forum. This is my fisrt post. Of course I have a question...How many people here, or do you know of anybody having a successful hunt using a treestand? I used one a few years ago on the edge of a stuble wheat field and was very successful. Nice 4x4 whitetail with a split right eye gaurd. Wasn't huge, scored 96 5/8's. In my opinion, it was just as nice as some of the deer you see on the outdoor channel. Anyway, I would appreciate all the feedback I can get. Good or bad. Personaly, I have not heard of anybody else using one in Washington. I am sure I am wrong though!  Thanx again everybody.

[strutnrut1984]

i use my summit viper all the time

[rasbo]

I use one if I find a well established bear trail..I will get a climber for blackie

[Elkstuffer]

Welcome to the site. I use tree stands for both deer and elk and have shot both out of them. They can be great if they are hung in the right place. It's nice to get that scent up off the ground. Can deffinatly be an advantage if done right.

Last years buck out of an API self climber

[270Shooter]

is that a yakima area deer elkstuffer? Nice buck .

[Slider]

Thats a nice pic Elkstuffer. Yea I have a Summit Viper also. So cozy I fall asleep in it!!!.....lol  I'm setting it up next late season for Archery Deer!!!

[TeacherMan]

Climbers are way more comfortable than the chain it type.

[bow4elk]

Been hunting out of treestands 20 years...whitetails, blacktails, elk.  I use homemade hang-on stands, Lone wolf, and API.

[jdb]

is that a yakima area deer elkstuffer? Nice buck .

its in YOUR gmu 270! I regonize the back ground

[270Shooter]

is that a yakima area deer elkstuffer? Nice buck .

its in YOUR gmu 270! I regonize the back ground

I was thinking that too, I just didn't want to give away a good spot

[EastWaViking]

I sometimes use one, when I do, I use a summit viper too, they are so comfortable you can sleep in them...and I have. 

[BIGDOG]

Welcome,several years ago my friend(Mtdew)built homemade treestands to use
for archery elk hunting up in Manstash!I killed a cow 15 minutes into opening day the first year we used them,about 12 feet straight down! 2 and 1/2 hours into opening day the second year I killed another cow at 20 yrds!The 3rd year we went over to
hang the stands and found our area logged!    We have never tried them since!   Jerry

[Elkstuffer]

I shot that deer on the south western edge of the cowiche unit. From the looks of his face, ears and tail he appears to be a cascade blacktail and was migrating out of the res. I agree the climbers are a lot more comfortable. I've dozed off a time or two in mine. Not on that day though, it was 17 degrees that morning.

[GrainfedMuley]

 Thanks for the feedback guys. That's great that a treestand can produce good results up here in the northwest. I have a tree lounge. It is a self climber. It is like a lounge hammack with a platform to stand on and a shooting rail to keep you from stepping off the platform. I have stayed in that stand from dawn til dusk. I was quite comfortable. Yes I have had my share of naps also. Don't forget your portable urinal. You sit between two rails so you can't possibly roll out of it. It has all of the bells and whistles. I love it. You realy do see alot more game, in my opinion. I didn't use one this year and was extremely lucky to score a real nice 4x5 muley with eye guards.

[hunterbuilder]

Pics??

[bow4elk]

Love the Treelounge video too...old folks in trees  

I've done many daylight to dark stints in KS, IA, IL, and MI.  Brutally difficult, especially if it gets below 35-40 degrees.  I've literally tied myself into my stand and limbs to nap.  You know you won't get a shot during those drowsy times, but just being up there keeps you in the game as opposed to dinking around camp.

[saylean]

I've never used a tree stand...but have grown curious about it the last year or so...welcome to the forum.

[Blacktail135]

 I have both the older and newer model TreeLounges. With platform. Love 'em. Have taken a couple of blacktail's with the TL. Lotta fun watching critter's from above. Even have had hunter's walk underneath me without knowing I was there. Taken my share of nap's too! I like to setup where my outline is broken or hidden and I prefer not to setup on a alder tree. Wet alder bark is a little slippery, prefer maple or fir.

[GrainfedMuley]

 I will address the pics first. I do have pics of the head and cape just before it went off to the tax...I would love to show them, but I am not the most literate computer nut. So I am not sure how to do it. Somethings I am still a moron about. Cut & paste...no clue...If somebody can walk me through it, I will give it a shot. The second thing is that I have the older Tree lounge with the bow hunter platform, shooting rail, camo skirt, camo water proof roof, the pillow, the cold pad, the arm rest, the drink holder, the stuff bag,(extra nuts & bolts, etc), the leveling bar, and yes the safety harness with buckle. After I wrote that down, I might as well put a Lazyboy in the tree! Here is the kicker...I hunt about 50 miles west of Spokane in Northern Lincoln County. Sorry guys it is all locked up private property. Anyway, The ABC affiliate that broadcasts in Spokane. The broadcast tower is on top of Mt. Spokane. I have a 2" LCD battery TV with a ear phone. Guess what I do when I get bored?

[Elkstuffer]

Geez, sounds like you're really roughing it up there. I came across a tree lounge cable locked to a tree up in the same area where I took my deer last year. It was quite the tree stand.

[Hunting Cowboy]

Nice pic Elkstuffer!

Back in the mid to late 90's I used to archery hunt blacktails out of a treestand. Saw lots, passed up a few small bucks waiting for the big guys. Usually ended the season filling my tag on the last couple of days.

One year I called in a nice 100-115 class 4 pt blacktail Thanksgiving weekend and missed him at 15 and 25 yards. One of my most exciting and regrettable hunts. I overshot him both times. He never knew I was there. He came in 40 minutes after I started calling, and as they often do, he came in from behind.

I have two Screaming Eagle treestands that I picked up in Missula MT from the Screaming Eagle Archery shop which I don't think exists anymore. They're chain on stands and are definately not comfortable sitting in for long periods of time. Treestand hunting during archery season were some of my most memorable hunts.

[Bearhunter]

I remember that year Mike, I would always anticipate hearing your storys after the weekend hunt on Monday at school.  I still remember that story about the two misses and you hitting the limb on one of the shots, I remember were you were hunting also.  There are still some big bucks up in that country.

[rainshadow1]

Had a good pic of my tree lounge, but I can't find it.

I got it for doing looooooooong Cougar stands. It almost worked once. 2+ hour stand, I had one in to 70 yards, but never saw it. Heard it bust (after I gave it a good reason to spook) in super dry crunchy conditions. Heard it take off from 70 yards away from the call, and heard it all the way up the hillside, for probably 500 yards. Never heard it come in.

Found it too much of a pain in the butt to take and set up when I'm trying to do 4 or 5 stands per day. Way more effective than sitting on the ground, but slow and noisy and heavy to pack in and set up and take down 5 times per day.

Gonna bowhunt deer and elk again next year for the first year in about 7. Planning to use it then for sure.

Really like climbing it and sitting in it. I don't know about other stands, never tried others, but I sure recommend the tree lounge. I was at LEAST 90 feet up in a Fir when I called that lion, and I was perfectly comfortable and secure. It's awesome for these tall straight trees around here.

[blindpig]

I have a buddy that has shot a deer out of one and I know another guy that shoots an elk out of his every year.  Of course these are well established areas.  I do have a stand myself (never shot anything out of it) summit viper, self climber, its very comfortable.