# Trad bows and climbers?



## deast1988 (Jul 27, 2014)

What do y'all use to compensate for the length of a bow? 58in and 60in bows I know there's plenty longer but wanted to hear your thoughts as far as climbing stands go.



BuckyT lots of fun yesterday preciate all your help and always good to shoot with new people and get advice. Surprised I wasn't really doing stuff wrong just need more practice.


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## Allen Oliver (Jul 27, 2014)

I switched to a Summit Open shot. You can use a climber with a bar across the front just practice with it and find the best way to set it up so that you do not have any problems clearing the stand when you shoot. If you have a summit viper just buy the top section of the Open shot. Some of the other guys on here have done this because the foot piece of the open shot is kind of small.


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## BowHunter89 (Jul 27, 2014)

+1 for the Open Shot easily one of the best investments I made for bowhunting. However it's not recommended for those who aren't 100% comfortable with heights.


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## Todd Cook (Jul 27, 2014)

Like Allen, I use a summit openshot. I can use a stand with a rail if I need to, but I don't like them. I like chain ons best. I shoot a 68" bow without problems, but I lean into my harness.


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## Barry Duggan (Jul 27, 2014)

Like Todd said, adjust your safety harness to allow you to lean out. I hear tell, some folks who use climbers, with rails, use the rail as a brace, in conjunction with tension from their safety harness.


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## sawtooth (Jul 27, 2014)

I bought the open shot last year..... I love it. The platform is a little small, and so is the seat, I wish the pad didn't flop around so much but i remedied that with a strap. Great climber, but as stated earlier, if you aren't completely comforatable in a climbing stand this one might not be for you.


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## Munkywrench (Jul 27, 2014)

Honestly don know the make and model of mine but it h g a rail. I set the platform close to the seat so that when I stand it's out of the way. Little uncomfortable for my 6 foot frame though. Need to cut it and make the arm able to swing


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## deast1988 (Jul 27, 2014)

Preciate the info,

I've got a viper steel

And a goalith SD both are awesome stands just the rail and bow length. I've hunted out of an ol man climber and I think the sit on top with the foot rest down would be the ticket. I really like my ol man bow ladder it's on a pea patch. Got it hid good in the branches but need to double check clearance. Just trying to cover all angles of this. Preciate it all.


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## Bucky T (Jul 28, 2014)

Had fun too David!  It was nice to meet you and your brother.

I use a Summit Open Shot climber for my trad hunting.  

That dragonfly never stood a chance between us all shooting at him.

LOL!


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## Skunkhound (Jul 28, 2014)

I've always lowered the rail(seat) height at my knees once I get my platform to the height I want it, and I've shot bows as long as 64" out of it no problem. This year I'll be shooting a 68" longbow, and have yet to shoot out of the stand, so I might have to make some adjustments. I can't remember who told me this, but another good idea I might try is to set the rail really high, like almost to your armpits, and you'll never have to worry about the bottom limb hitting.


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## frankwright (Jul 28, 2014)

I have two Ol Man's and I really like them. With the gun rest down in the foot rest position, you can climb very easy sitting down and it is like sitting in an easy chair while hunting.
When you stand to shoot the bar is out of the way more than a normal sit and climb type stand.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/prod...sion-series-steel-climber-tree-stand?a=969718


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## bowtoater (Jul 31, 2014)

*Tomcat ll*

I use a tomcat ll. the foot room is small but the mobility is what I like. The rail is low enough not to be in the way but you need to be comfortable with climbers. I am looking for another one


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## sawtooth (Aug 3, 2014)

I have shot many a deer out of a tomcat II .  I have owned three of them. Great stand, just not fun to carry.  I "loaned" the one I have now to my cousin- four years ago. I likely will never see it again.


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## swampstalker (Aug 9, 2014)

I use an old tree lounge most of the time. I would rather shoot sitting down while hunting so these work great for me. I take the foot platform off to eliminate some of the weight and it packs smaller this way.  As stated above, I too use the tension of the safety harness to lean out when I shoot.


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## deast1988 (Aug 9, 2014)

I got a lone wolf sit n climb, I like the compactness and how it's similar to an Open shot just a little more confining. It should do great with where and how I wanna hunt. I don't care for hand climbers but this is as close to one you get. 20lbs shouldn't be awful either. Watch my limbs stay safety strapped and I open my self up to some spots I've seen deer use in the past and already have some trees picked out. 

Thanks, for the tips and info.


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## markland (Aug 11, 2014)

I think I posted this on another site, but I strictly use 'Ol man treestands and with the upper seat portion you really need to prepare for that with a longer bow.  Of course I try to shoot 58-60in bows and that helps but the bar definitely needs to be a consideration.  I usually try and set my stand so it is facing forward or angled to the left of where I expect to get my shots so I can shoot off the front or right side of the stand since I am RH.  This keeps my lower limb tip away from the seat bar and gives me more room to clear when I draw and shoot.  I also do not like super close shots and prefer to setup where my shots are no closer then 10yds or so because that creates more angle down with your lower limb and brings it closer to the stand.  In those close shots I will have to move out to the end of the platform and lean over the seat bar basically or just try to shoot off the right side as much as possible.  I also set my seat part as low as I can so when I stand to shoot I have more room and if I have time between seeing or hearing the animal and shooting time I will drop the seat portion down to the platform and really open up my options for getting shots.  Dropping the upper portion down to the bottom platform is your best option if you end up with a very close shot.  I have shot off the left side and even behind me before but you have to take a second to make sure your limb tip is cleared before releasing.  But with as comfortable as those stands are to sit in and figuring I will be sitting a lot more then I am shooting or standing, I just make do with it and arrange the stand in a position that will give me the most options when shooting.   My average kill shots normally run in the 12-18yd range and this is usually no problem off that stand when setup properly.


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## mudcreek (Aug 11, 2014)

How hard is it to lean over the rail on a Goliath. I am afraid my shoulders won't handle climbing with an open shot. I probably need a sit and climbu


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## deast1988 (Aug 11, 2014)

markland said:


> I think I posted this on another site, but I strictly use 'Ol man treestands and with the upper seat portion you really need to prepare for that with a longer bow.  Of course I try to shoot 58-60in bows and that helps but the bar definitely needs to be a consideration.  I usually try and set my stand so it is facing forward or angled to the left of where I expect to get my shots so I can shoot off the front or right side of the stand since I am RH.  This keeps my lower limb tip away from the seat bar and gives me more room to clear when I draw and shoot.  I also do not like super close shots and prefer to setup where my shots are no closer then 10yds or so because that creates more angle down with your lower limb and brings it closer to the stand.  In those close shots I will have to move out to the end of the platform and lean over the seat bar besically or just try to shoot off the right side as much as possible.  I also set my seat part as low as I can so when I stand to shoot I have more room and if I have time between seeing or hearing the animal and shooting time I will drop the seat portion down to the platform and really open up my options for getting shots.  Dropping the upper portion down to the bottom platform is your best option if you end up with a very close shoot.  I have shot off the left side and even behind me before but you have to take a second to make sure your limb tip is cleared before releasing.  But with as comfortable as those stands are to sit in and figuring I will be seating a lot more then I am shooting or standing, I just make do with it and arrange the stand in a position that will give me the most options when shooting.   Mu average kill shots normally run in the 12-18yd range and this is usually no problem off that stand when setup properly.



Good stuff preciate it. My avg shot last year with the wheels was 22yds. I'm going to keep them this year under 20. This is the 3rd year on a bow farm and it allows them to do there thing unpressured. 2 folks one trad one with wheels. Just planted a pea patch right infront of an ol man bow lite ladder. If they feed the strip it will be 18yds wide so 9yds to the middle. I've got some spots that we've seen deer every year. Like patterned them to certain sections I'm moving into those spots with a climber. Last year I would've set up for 30yds this year I'm aiming for 15. It's coming can't wait.


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## Barry Duggan (Aug 12, 2014)

deast1988 said:


> Just planted a pea patch right infront of an ol man bow lite ladder.


Sure hope your pea patch works better for ya than ours did last year. One day those peas came up, and the next day they were gone. Nothing left but dirt on the ground.


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## markland (Aug 12, 2014)

Yeah unless you have a big plot or multiple plots to plant our attempts with peas or beans did not last very long at all.  Especially if you have hogs, they will line up on your planting line and walk right down the line as they start to sprout up and pull up each and every one of them.  But if you ever did manage to get them growing that would make for an awesome plot to sit.


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## ddauler (Aug 12, 2014)

Years ago we tried peas and they ate every one of them in a 5 acre plot in one night! That was the last time I cared to plant a food plot. We do plant some stuff on our new bow only club but I just go along not a big fan. I like to scout natural food and hunt feed trees.


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## markland (Aug 12, 2014)

The best food plots we had planted were at least a 1/2 acre or more and had 4 or more different types of seed in them that would grow and mature at different stages during the year so there was always something left for the deer to eat during the full season.  Clover as always included in the plot and typically after the rye, wheat and oats were eaten, the clover was still there along with the rape for late season.  With clover being a perennial, it would stay and keep coming back for 4-5 years before we had to replant it as well.


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## deast1988 (Aug 12, 2014)

Good stuff, no hogs "Yet" it's 527acres me and a buddy. Were doing 3 micro plots 1/2 acre to 3/4 acre this year one big 3 acre plot on the back side. Bowonly till the last week of gun season. I'm trying to time the peas to first week only of bow season. Then it's getting turned over into BFO, white clover and turnips/radishes/rape. 2 new plots if they step in there in trouble those will be BFO and white clover only. We plant and have patterns that have held for a few years of movement on our farm. Peas get wiped our quick. I just wanted a holdover till the time was right for the clover. I posted pictures in RCs thread. It's coming first year trad style.


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## markland (Aug 12, 2014)

Sounds like good stuff, good luck and hope you have a great season!


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## deast1988 (Aug 12, 2014)

Here's the view ol man bowlite ladder

[URL=http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/deast1988/media/0B48997A-CEA8-40D3-9033-34254492ED7F_zpsmsumf7lq.jpg.html]
	
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Here's the back big hard woods

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[URL=http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/deast1988/media/BB5BEED9-0ECC-42A9-9A4E-C577AADFD549_zpsqs3y9iwh.jpg.html]
	
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I needed a climber to get in a saddle where we seen a pope 3 times last year just always a touch too far. And I found a funnel/pinch I watched 14deer pass through last year during the rut and one was at least 150 class deer locked down on does.


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## deast1988 (Aug 12, 2014)

Here's one of the new plots
[URL=http://s1275.photobucket.com/user/deast1988/media/E07A6A5D-850B-4EE4-9045-72509A87F0B1_zpse9ox6ftc.jpg.html]
	
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Lock on is 2nd tree from left hard to make out but it's 20 yds wide and on the starting point of a ridge. All drains into a swamp that's bedding cover.


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