Treestands
A Birds Eye View

Fixed Position Treestands

Upon the recommendation of a co-worker I then tried an Amacker fixed position treestand. These stands were compact, light and easy to install and take down. They came with a T screw that you put in the tree and hung the treestand from while you positioned it. It was then held in place with a ratchet strap and a cinch strap at the bottom of the stand. These treestands were very stable, but were small. After a couple of hours my knees needed to straighten out. Also the seat was the fold out style seat with a foam padded bar. Somehow after awhile it seemed as if the foam padding on the bar would disappear and the bar was trying to cut your legs in-two. When I use these stands now, I carry one of those foam seat cushions to add some comfort. I still use these treestands and find them good for my son. He's still relatively small and likes the stability.

The next stand I bought was a Big Ben manufactured by Loc-On, purchased at the recommendation of my knees. This treestand has a large platform providing ample room to stretch your legs when needed. It also has a rather large seat that is comfortable enough to stay awhile. The drawback with this stand is that it is made of steel. I don't how much it weighs but it is quite a chore to hang. The strap on this stand is a simple cinch strap, thank goodness. Sometimes I will use one of the T screws from the older Amacker stands if I can find one. I have to make sure I have eaten my Wheaties before I head for the woods to hang this stand. One other problem that I have with this stand is that it makes a lot of noise when it is cold. I could probably remedy this with some plastic washers.

My favorite stands are the aluminum Gorilla Silverback Magnum treestands. These stands have a roomy 24 x 30 inch platform and the aluminum construction makes them nice and light. They also come with removable pads for the grating seat that are quite comfortable. I take the seat pad with me when I'm not using my stand so that it will be dry each time I use it. I just strap it to my fanny pack and carry it along. Although these stands are large, they are easy to put up due to their light weight and cinch strap. These stands are the first that I reach for and are the ones that I put in my favorite spots.

I always use a safety strap when I'm in one of my stands. I have grown to like the straps that came with the Amacker stands. Lately I've been thinking about trying one of the body harness style safety straps.

Some might ask why I haven't tried one of the climbingstands. Well, in my neck of West Virginia woods there aren't many trees that are straight enough with no limbs for a climbingstand. These stands would limit my hunting site possibilities. I also like to be able to leave my stand up and just remove the steps or ladder. With a climbingstand I would have to either take it in and out all of the time or leave it attached to the tree.

A Close Call

A couple of years ago, I was hunting on a very windy day. I had climbed into one of my Gorilla treestands for the evening. After only about 10 minutes of swaying back and forth and noticing a couple of dead trees standing nearby I decided that maybe I would be better off on the ground. The next day I walked out past this stand and saw that indeed a dead tree had fallen and hit the stand. That might have been one exciting hunt if I had stayed put the evening before. With some help from a local factory my stand was straightened out and back in service the next year.

When you purchase a treestand I would recommend an aluminum stand with a large platform and a comfortable padded seat. These stands will be much easier to install, lighter to carry and provide comfort to allow you to sit for long periods of time.

To purchase my favorite, a Gorilla Silverback Mangnum treestand, you can go Cabelas here. To find the stand quickly just type gorilla silverback magnum into the search box on the Cabela's site.