Why I Choose Ladder Stands

Hunting has always been a couple of different things for me. It has been a way of providing for my family and a way of escaping all the busyness of life and just relaxing and getting back to nature. This is my time, and I want it to be as stress-free as possible.

Part of my hunt being stress-free is knowing what equipment I need to take with me and where I need to hunt. In order to do this, my family and I begin scouting several months in advance, although I will be the first to tell you scouting is not always an indicator of whether or not you will see deer. It does, however: give me an idea of whether or not I want to put a stand in that particular area. I choose to use ladder stands when I hunt. Usually my stands are stationary from year to year, but occasionally I do move them. This is a luxury I have with hunting the same property every year. I have had to change them around due to other hunters coming in and setting up too close and because of the property being logged and changing the patterns of the deer and also due to the way the forest was lain out.

I choose ladder stands for a few different reasons. My main reason for choosing them is that I am a disabled veteran who has pins and a steel plate in her leg. It is easier for me to climb a ladder than it is to use climbing sticks with a lock on or to use a climber. With a lock-on the climbing sticks are generally spaced too far apart for me to get enough my leg up there. I have a hard time doing repetitive motions with my legs, such as climbing stairs like normal people, therefore I take one at a time .You see, my bad leg does not as much strength as my good one and at times it feels as though I pull dead weight around, with the ladder stand I am able to take one step at a time and still achieve the same outcome. I always lead with my right leg and pull the left one up, then repeat until I make it to the top. At times it seems this is a bit strenuous, especially when bundled like the stay puff marshmallow man in 0 degree weather but in the end, the reward is worth the effort.

I have never been a fan of ground blinds because I like to see what is around me, and what is coming into my area before it gets right up on me. My family has not had good luck with ground blinds, as they always get made, even if the blinds have been left in place for a while, so this has never really been considered an option for me. I will say that I have been curious as to the Hay Bale Blinds as there is a hay/ alfalfa field where we hunt that seems to attract all the boys. Maybe if I could blend in with the round bales my perception of ground hunting would change.

It isn’t always about the hunt for me, there have been days I go out and see nothing, or at east nothing that is in season. So I sit and watch the other wildlife from 17 foot in the air. I love the view, and where else can I be rocked like a baby by the wind as it so vigilantly blows.