Mobile Set Up

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Crawdad31
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Re: Mobile Set Up

Unread postby Crawdad31 » Wed Nov 29, 2017 2:49 am

I've been running for the past couple years an xop air raid and 5 hawk helium sticks. That is mostly in hill country where I get about 30 feet in the tree. I would say it is the most versatile setup I've run. My friends have climbers and some areas we hunt I know he can't get into the trees I can. I've gotten into some crazy trees because it was the tree I needed to be in. Now that I've been hunting out of this setup I can hang and hunt in roughly the same time as my buddies but without all the noise. I silenced everything I could or that would make noise. In the swamps I usually only carry 3-4 sticks really depends on where I am going and if I have been there before, hang and hunts in new areas I carry the 5 sticks. I will say the Air raid is a great rut stand, good sized platform and comfortable for all day sits. With that said I would like to go a little lighter and pick up the vanish xt. The sticks I don't think I can find a light stick and the double step is really nice when hanging the set. My mission is to start shaving weight were I can. Next season is all about weight reduction. I also custom painted my sticks as I found the factory grey deer didnt like. Went to walmart got all the different flat camo rustoleium paint and painted them up. Deer don't even notice now. Highly recommend doing that.


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Re: Mobile Set Up

Unread postby mspaci » Wed Nov 29, 2017 4:11 am

Im a summit climber guy, I did nothing to silence it & guys tell me they cant hear me. I have hang on & sticks & a guidos web. The climber goes 95% of the time. Mike
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Re: Mobile Set Up

Unread postby Brummit3 » Wed Nov 29, 2017 4:40 am

In regards to these mobile set ups. Do you believe that quality tree stands and climbing sticks are essential for mobile hunting? Or do they just need to be silenced? Or is that extra weight savings what makes it easier to hang up/climb up?
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Crawdad31
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Re: Mobile Set Up

Unread postby Crawdad31 » Wed Nov 29, 2017 5:03 am

Brummit3 wrote:In regards to these mobile set ups. Do you believe that quality tree stands and climbing sticks are essential for mobile hunting? Or do they just need to be silenced? Or is that extra weight savings what makes it easier to hang up/climb up?


For me the batwing on the xop stands and lone wolf stands give you both safety, and versatility, when I hang my xop stand even on crooked trees its rock solid everytime. Not to mention, being able to level a stand left to right and leveling the platform up and down is huge. Ive hunted from some old hang ons and a couple climbers and never liked them. When I got the air raid I was hooked. Just feels much much more safe for me at least and like a said in a previous post I can get into some crazy trees. I got into a maple tree that had three trunks, that I had to climb two of the trunks and hang in the middle trunk. This was in the middle of a hedge row in an urban area to hunt a buck that was coming from another wood lot to chase doe's and the tree was the only one with a shot to the scrape. There is not one tree you could a climber in that hedge row. I wish the story ended well I lost that buck, never found it. So for me its a versatility and safety thing. Worth every single penny in my opinion and I hunt mobile 100% of time.
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Ragingun
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Re: Mobile Set Up

Unread postby Ragingun » Wed Nov 29, 2017 6:03 am

Just hunted with my little bro. He hasn't hunted in years since he was overseas. He likes the way I hunt, only hunting a spot once or twice per season. This gun season that just past he asked me to follow along and of course I comply. I only had an extra summit climber which I really enjoy using but everyone knows they're not nearly as mobile. Long story short, hunting the swamps he was upset that he either couldn't find a tree or had to sit a certain tree because of the climber. I can also hang my Alpha 2 in the same amount of time it took him to climb with the summit plus I was quieter as well.
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Ragingun
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Re: Mobile Set Up

Unread postby Ragingun » Wed Nov 29, 2017 6:03 am

Crawdad31 wrote:
For me the batwing on the xop stands and lone wolf stands give you both safety, and versatility, when I hang my xop stand even on crooked trees its rock solid everytime. Not to mention, being able to level a stand left to right and leveling the platform up and down is huge. Ive hunted from some old hang ons and a couple climbers and never liked them. When I got the air raid I was hooked. Just feels much much more safe for me at least and like a said in a previous post I can get into some crazy trees. I got into a maple tree that had three trunks, that I had to climb two of the trunks and hang in the middle trunk. This was in the middle of a hedge row in an urban area to hunt a buck that was coming from another wood lot to chase doe's and the tree was the only one with a shot to the scrape. There is not one tree you could a climber in that hedge row. I wish the story ended well I lost that buck, never found it. So for me its a versatility and safety thing. Worth every single penny in my opinion and I hunt mobile 100% of time.


Do you have a system or way that you specifically level the XOP horizontally?
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tgreeno
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Re: Mobile Set Up

Unread postby tgreeno » Wed Nov 29, 2017 7:22 am

Brummit3 wrote:In regards to these mobile set ups. Do you believe that quality tree stands and climbing sticks are essential for mobile hunting? Or do they just need to be silenced? Or is that extra weight savings what makes it easier to hang up/climb up?


I think if you're young and strong, you can get away with more weight. The pieces that connect you to the tree on the cheaper stands/sticks are not as good as the higher quality stuff. I couldn't imagine trying to hang a steel stand now that I'm used to my aluminum one.
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Jonny
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Re: Mobile Set Up

Unread postby Jonny » Wed Nov 29, 2017 8:11 am

Ragingun wrote:
Crawdad31 wrote:
For me the batwing on the xop stands and lone wolf stands give you both safety, and versatility, when I hang my xop stand even on crooked trees its rock solid everytime. Not to mention, being able to level a stand left to right and leveling the platform up and down is huge. Ive hunted from some old hang ons and a couple climbers and never liked them. When I got the air raid I was hooked. Just feels much much more safe for me at least and like a said in a previous post I can get into some crazy trees. I got into a maple tree that had three trunks, that I had to climb two of the trunks and hang in the middle trunk. This was in the middle of a hedge row in an urban area to hunt a buck that was coming from another wood lot to chase doe's and the tree was the only one with a shot to the scrape. There is not one tree you could a climber in that hedge row. I wish the story ended well I lost that buck, never found it. So for me its a versatility and safety thing. Worth every single penny in my opinion and I hunt mobile 100% of time.


Do you have a system or way that you specifically level the XOP horizontally?


Using the batwing, hang the stand so that it is level left and right. Some trees might only bite into one of the teeth. Then when you cam lock, put your knee on the opposite side of the seat so that the stand doesn't want to shift to center the batwing on the tree.

Seems weird at first, and I had one tree with a nasty lean I could not level. Dewey told me about putting your weight on the seat edge. Went out at home on a tree that leaned, did what dewey said, and it worked perfectly.
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Crawdad31
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Re: Mobile Set Up

Unread postby Crawdad31 » Wed Nov 29, 2017 8:31 am

Ragingun wrote:
Crawdad31 wrote:
For me the batwing on the xop stands and lone wolf stands give you both safety, and versatility, when I hang my xop stand even on crooked trees its rock solid everytime. Not to mention, being able to level a stand left to right and leveling the platform up and down is huge. Ive hunted from some old hang ons and a couple climbers and never liked them. When I got the air raid I was hooked. Just feels much much more safe for me at least and like a said in a previous post I can get into some crazy trees. I got into a maple tree that had three trunks, that I had to climb two of the trunks and hang in the middle trunk. This was in the middle of a hedge row in an urban area to hunt a buck that was coming from another wood lot to chase doe's and the tree was the only one with a shot to the scrape. There is not one tree you could a climber in that hedge row. I wish the story ended well I lost that buck, never found it. So for me its a versatility and safety thing. Worth every single penny in my opinion and I hunt mobile 100% of time.


Do you have a system or way that you specifically level the XOP horizontally?



It's hard to explain online, but, I will do my best. I always loosely strap the stand to the tree with just the top strap. Eye ball it for level horizontally, then fully tighten the top strap, then the bottom, I always level horizontally before I level the platform vertically, just easier that way. With the batwing you may only have one or two teeth in the tree if it is leaning. It looks sketchy but man is that thing rock solid. What I do is how Dan shows in one of his videos on hanging the lone wolf stand on youtube. Where you step on platform, knee on seat and lift the platform with other foot to cam lock the stand down. Cam lock may be a bad choice of words. Hope this helps, super hard to explain.
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Re: Mobile Set Up

Unread postby Lastcast#1 » Wed Nov 29, 2017 4:30 pm

Aero evolution saddle. Kestral on order. Why not have 2!
2-6 of the new XOP sticks depending on situation.
Hunt any tree, any where, anytime.

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Re: Mobile Set Up

Unread postby Brummit3 » Sat Dec 02, 2017 7:07 am

Thanks everyone for their input. I really appreciate it!
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checkerfred
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Re: Mobile Set Up

Unread postby checkerfred » Mon Dec 04, 2017 6:04 pm

I’ve gone to about an 85% ground hunting setup vs a stand. Each year I get older it gets harder and harder toting a stand and sticks in the hills. First few years I hunted hills I took my assault ii hang-on and 4 sticks. With the necessities (water, knife, rangefinder, layers or cold weather clothes) it starts getting heavy. Then I went to the one stick method. So much lighter but still a pain. Now if I had a bed that I just had to get in a stand I’d use 4 sticks. If I hunt a bed in the morning I’ll one stick. Most of the time I’m on the ground though. This year I’ve seen more deer and have gotten closer by ground hunting. You have to really be on your game tho because they’ll be on you in a hurry. Divergent who’s in here too turned me to ground hunting. We hunt together quite a bit and have seen a bunch of deer from the ground.

Next year I plan on going to maybe a saddle and one stick when I need a stand. Maybe 4 sticks if I need to be quiet and slow and get close
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elk yinzer
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Re: Mobile Set Up

Unread postby elk yinzer » Tue Dec 05, 2017 2:40 am

I used Summit climber exclusively for almost 20 years and got into a hang on setup this year. X-Stand with 3 hawk heliums + aiders. Total setup weighs about 18 pounds. Just a bit heavier than my Summit but much more compact to carry.

Most, probably 90% of the trees I climbed this year, and all 3 I killed deer from, I could have climbed with either.

One thing I've noticed I really like about the hang on is that I can always get it perfectly level. I don't have to guess which slots to use and perform the dangerous trapeze act to adjust the climber to level.

There's just something neat about getting that hanging process down too, honestly. Hanging up there from a linemans belt, going up the tree in one trip with sticks attached to your harness, dead silent...feels like a b.a.m.f. doing it, haha.

The Summit seat is still more comfortable for all day sits and slightly faster to set up and climb.

I will certainly keep and continue to use both stands but I am glad to have the hang on now.
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Re: Mobile Set Up

Unread postby creepingdeth » Tue Dec 05, 2017 5:47 am

Good info here....like all differing opinions. Been using steel hangon and sticks, roughly 34 lbs :shock: Used to the weight but, anrthing that touches that setup makes a steel tubey echo sound. In the market post season, waiting to see Dan's stuff. Really believe being mobile is important and possibly having a climber would be a plus if affordable. Dont need more equipment that makes noise. Take your time, save $, investigate gear, dont need new, pick up something you can use :handgestures-thumbup:
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dewayne
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Re: Mobile Set Up

Unread postby dewayne » Wed Jan 03, 2018 4:28 pm

For the last 10 years I’ve used a climber hunting on public land the same way I would hunt private land with a ladder stand or box blind. After an unsuccessful season this year and some new scouting techniques I’ve decided to change my set up to a lone wolf with sticks. This will be the first time I’ve tried this set up Sonoma little nervous and excited at the same time, September can’t get here fast enough.


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