Anyone who uses a tree stand that can give me some hints on how to position the screw in foot pegs? How many do you need? How do you position them to climb most easily and safely get on the platform? How do you raise the platform after you've placed the top peg? I've done it a few times now, and there has to be a better way. It takes me forever and I'm beat after I'm done.
Tree stand advice?
- Thread starter Grizzlypeg
- Start date
canadian hunter312
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Brant County
just screw them in a comfortable distance apart on exactly opposite sides of the tree. this distance is likely different for everyone.
install 2 steps at the top so you can keep your feet level while working. then attach a rope to your safety harness wrapping it around the tree just like tree climbers. feet will be firm and you will have both hands free to pull up and hang the stand. use one of the tie down style straps where you only have to pull and it tightens to hold it in place while you attach your ratchet tie down or chain.
if you are beat after hanging a stand you are doing something wrong or are very out of shape
install 2 steps at the top so you can keep your feet level while working. then attach a rope to your safety harness wrapping it around the tree just like tree climbers. feet will be firm and you will have both hands free to pull up and hang the stand. use one of the tie down style straps where you only have to pull and it tightens to hold it in place while you attach your ratchet tie down or chain.
if you are beat after hanging a stand you are doing something wrong or are very out of shape
I find it really hard to get from the foot pegs onto the stand. Then back down again. I was removing and reinstalling pegs several times to figure out how to put them where I could make the transition from peg to stand. Also,the tree turned out to be too thick to put the safety harness around when I got into the seat. I found the left right range through which I could swing the rifle around to be very restrictive. I'm a lefty and I could pan right of centre easily with the rifle, but not easily to the left. The left arm flared out gets in the way and I didn't like leaning out with no safety harness hooked up. I tied a rope around the tree to hoist the rifle from the ground, then used the same rope to do a make-shift loop around the tree through which I passed the safety harness. I have to admit, I'm not particularly comfortable up on that perch.
It most certainly can be unnerving sitting in tree stands. Standing on something the size of a pizza box 20 plus feet in the air has a way of doing that. You will get comfortable with it as long as you develop trust with your safety harnesses.
You want a harness that has a linesman belt connection on it as well as the between the shoulders drop connection. It must have been a big tree for your tree strap not to be able to go around it, or a short tree strap. I connect my linesman belt around the tree backwards once I’m standing on the platform as well as the drop strap above my head, I feel very safe like this. This gives me more confidence when I stand up because I can lean out against the connected linesman belt, it can limit your side to side movement though.
I connect my drop strap so that when I’m sitting on the seat and lean out a bit, it becomes tight. I usually sit leaning out a bit against that strap support because it’s comfortable and reduces fatigue. Cabelas has a tree strap that is a great item for climbing up to your stand very safely once it’s set up without having to undo the linesman belt all the time to go over tree branches. You just slide the prussic knot along as you climb. This type of tree strap is left attached to the tree after the stand is set up. Do a search on the U.S. cabelas.com for “prussic”. This useful item is the treestand lifeline. Because its left attached to the tree after you’ve left your stand it can be stolen by lowlifes.
As you probably know, make sure your screw in tree steps or branches always allow you to step down onto your platform. I like lots of branches so I almost always select spruce/pine trees for my stands.
To lift my stand up into the tree I use a small pulley with an eyelet at the top of it. Can tire sells them for a few bucks. I tie a rope around the stand laying on the ground then climb up the tree with the other end of the rope. Tie the eyelet of the pulley to a tree branch or screw in foot step above your head then run the end of the rope from the stand through the pulley and hoist the stand up. Once you have the stand generally up to where you want it you can tie off the pulley rope and deal with it safely without having to hang onto the weight of the stand. A linesman belt wrapped around the tree is a must when first setting up the stand so that you have both hands free.
Be safe up there, tree stands are dangerous. I don’t want to give the coyotes a chance to chew on my carcass.
You want a harness that has a linesman belt connection on it as well as the between the shoulders drop connection. It must have been a big tree for your tree strap not to be able to go around it, or a short tree strap. I connect my linesman belt around the tree backwards once I’m standing on the platform as well as the drop strap above my head, I feel very safe like this. This gives me more confidence when I stand up because I can lean out against the connected linesman belt, it can limit your side to side movement though.
I connect my drop strap so that when I’m sitting on the seat and lean out a bit, it becomes tight. I usually sit leaning out a bit against that strap support because it’s comfortable and reduces fatigue. Cabelas has a tree strap that is a great item for climbing up to your stand very safely once it’s set up without having to undo the linesman belt all the time to go over tree branches. You just slide the prussic knot along as you climb. This type of tree strap is left attached to the tree after the stand is set up. Do a search on the U.S. cabelas.com for “prussic”. This useful item is the treestand lifeline. Because its left attached to the tree after you’ve left your stand it can be stolen by lowlifes.
As you probably know, make sure your screw in tree steps or branches always allow you to step down onto your platform. I like lots of branches so I almost always select spruce/pine trees for my stands.
To lift my stand up into the tree I use a small pulley with an eyelet at the top of it. Can tire sells them for a few bucks. I tie a rope around the stand laying on the ground then climb up the tree with the other end of the rope. Tie the eyelet of the pulley to a tree branch or screw in foot step above your head then run the end of the rope from the stand through the pulley and hoist the stand up. Once you have the stand generally up to where you want it you can tie off the pulley rope and deal with it safely without having to hang onto the weight of the stand. A linesman belt wrapped around the tree is a must when first setting up the stand so that you have both hands free.
Be safe up there, tree stands are dangerous. I don’t want to give the coyotes a chance to chew on my carcass.
I always place one screw in step/skyhook up above my stand chain. Roughly 2 feet. When stepping off the last peg before hitting the platform it sure gives you a good hand hold in case you do slip or the stand kicks out from under you. That extra step also makes for a good place to hang a quiver or anything else you dont really need right away.
How big of a tree are you sitting in, if your safety strap wont reach around? Mine is about 5 feet and I always have plenty extra.
How big of a tree are you sitting in, if your safety strap wont reach around? Mine is about 5 feet and I always have plenty extra.
