Best way to get rifle up in deer stand?

sheriff john said:

Makes sense. Most of ours have no "floor", thus nothing to rest the gun butt upon. Short barrelled guns - JBMR, "Hawkens", etc. are less problematic than full-length. Gotta be a trick someone's successfully used. Holding between the knees don't work for me. Still can't reach the muzzle without possibly dropping the gun.

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Besides me being a big guy and liking the extra room. I also am die hard bowhunter. With the large platform I can flip up the seat and stand comfortably and shoot, turn around etc. I only use the large platform stands now on my property and leases. I like feeling comfortable and safe.

Ditt44 said:

This........ have two of them and should have four or five and no need for other 'gear'. Works great from center fire to ML...

Third Hand Tree Stand Gun Hoist

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Yes Sir thats the one I use as well for guns or a version of it - it protects the front sight and muzzle from dirt and mud.

I use a haul rope. A bit thicker than Paracord. I tie a loop to the end, and I have a spool of rubber coated wire that I attach further up near the barrel. I do haul muzzle up (unloaded). Same deal if I'm using my climber, I just trail the rope up. Once in position, cap her up and wait.

Spikebuck said:

I use a pull up rope tied to the stand and hanging off the ground high enough that when attached at the back of the trigger guard the gun muzzle (pointing down) is off the ground. I make sure, when I set the stand, that I have a clear pull up path...no branches, twigs, vines, etc. I just slowly and carefully pull it up and haven't had any issues with it hitting anything.

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This is exactly how I’ve been doing it for years without a single issue.
Jay

I have a leather boot on the stock of my rifle with a heavy duty loop sewn on. I attach about a 3 foot rope section, via a carabiner, to this loop, then a quick loop around the barrel and then attached to my permanent long pull-up rope on the tree stand. The barrel points up. The rifle is not primed, there's a toothpick in the vent, a frizzen stall on, frizzen open, and cock down. The rifle just barely touches the ground on its butt. Seems a safe way for me and the rifle.

I'm also in the pull rope camp I tie the rope around the wrist of the unloaded gun so that the muzzle is about at my knee standing on the ground. We only have 4 "ladder stands" left now out of 30 permanent stands we've all become light weights and all of our stands are box blinds from 10-15 feet off the ground with heaters and most have windows for those days that the temp is about zero and the wind is blowing from the one direction you need to be able to shoot

Flash79 said:

Was wondering the best method to hoist your rifle up into a ladder stand. I’ve used a pull rope for a bow, but on a long gun it seems to me it may swing around too much and bang into the tree or metal ladder. They always tell you for safety reasons not to have anything on your back when climbing, although I have done this had the rifle on a sling but it was a short ladder and much smaller climb up and down. Just wondering how some of you did it without damaging your rifle. If you used a pull rope where did you attach it on your rifle?

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I'm wondering, about the premise. Do you need to be in a tree stand?

Not trying to be a wise-acre, but when I taught hunter safety all of us senior instructors would get reports from the previous year of all of the "hunting accidents". Most years nobody was shot, and ALL of the accidents were climbing in or out of the tree stand. Some were quite serious and even fatal. I mean you fall just right, 10-15 feet, and that can be the end.

YES I know they give you some advantages, and I've tried them, but never got a shot from a tree stand, and then all the reports got me spooked about them. From the ground, I've gotten plenty of deer. I hope to get one this week too.

The admonition not to sling it on your back is because if you fall, and land on your back the gun or rifle tends to add to the severity of the damage you receive, and the modern guys have had some accidental discharges when landing on their back-slung guns (mostly SxS with exposed hammers)

Ditt44 said:

This........ have two of them and should have four or five and no need for other 'gear'. Works great from center fire to ML...

Third Hand Tree Stand Gun Hoist

The last thing you need is a rope to break, a sling stud to pull out or whatever non-sense is bound to happen. This is the best thing I have seen and tried.

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This was the type of hoist that we would recommend in class, because the muzzle isn't pointed up at you as you raise or lower the rifle or gun, AND because the muzzle is covered, so that when it touches the ground you're not stuffing it with dirt and debris. The muzzle is also not swinging right or left at anybody, even if you think you're alone in the woods.

One of the instructors would use a "shopping basket" because it would protect the gun (he was using a SxS) from banging into to stuff going up and down. What he was using is called a "Frail". They were popular for carrying items at market in the 18th and 19th century, and history has come full circle, and they are available again. They would work for something like a half-stocked rifle or shotgun, or a SxS caplock shotgun, but not for my muskets or long rifle. The guy who showed it to me pointed out it was natural fibers so wouldn't "clunk" like a plastic tub if it banged against the side of the tree or landed funny, and it was a natural color.

I might dye it darker if it was me, today. Hauling something that light colored up with a rope, might draw fire if there are any yahoos about, eh?



LD

Dave, you are absolutely right that a treestand isn't a necessity. I do about 90% of my muzzleloader hunting at ground level in a low turkey seat.

That said, treestands can be a huge benefit in some spots. While bowhunting, I probably do 90% from trees since movement is required at the time of the shot.

The question was on safely getting a gun into a treestand, but hunting from ground level is always an interesting topic. Perhaps another thread?

Spikebuck said:

Dave, you are absolutely right that a treestand isn't a necessity. I do about 90% of my muzzleloader hunting at ground level in a low turkey seat.

That said, treestands can be a huge benefit in some spots. While bowhunting, I probably do 90% from trees since movement is required at the time of the shot.

The question was on safely getting a gun into a treestand, but hunting from ground level is always an interesting topic. Perhaps another thread?

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Well I was genuinely curious LOL.

LD

Spikebuck said:

Dave, you are absolutely right that a treestand isn't a necessity. I do about 90% of my muzzleloader hunting at ground level in a low turkey seat.

That said, treestands can be a huge benefit in some spots. While bowhunting, I probably do 90% from trees since movement is required at the time of the shot.

The question was on safely getting a gun into a treestand, but hunting from ground level is always an interesting topic. Perhaps another thread?

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Yep, tree stands are a huge advantage for many places. Bow hunting even more so. I've killed many big game critters from both the ground and tree stands in the last 48+ years. In the mountains a tree stand is priceless. If I'm going to be stationary, its a tree stand for this ole boy. I dislike even hunting from my ground blind, other than during bad weather.

Use some common sense and take safety precautions and you will most likely be okay.