“What you want in a tree stand is what most guys want—a model that won’t break the bank, or your neck,” says Field & Stream writer Scott Bestul. So if you’re serious about hunting, yet frugal, the Summit Crush Series Pro Ladder is an attractive option. “If you’re on a tight budget, Summit’s Solo Deluxe model has a comfortable padded seat and the security of a shooting rail for just $130.”
“Once adjusted, the harness fits like a familiar pair of cotton pajamas,” says an Outdoor Life review of Summit’s Seat-O-The-Pants Fast-Back Deluxe. In keeping with Summit’s thoughtfulness of design, this harness is engineered to keep hunters undetectable: “rubber coating on the low-profile buckles cuts down on noise.” And when hunters need tools readily available, the Seat-O-The-Pants delivers: “two accessory pockets provide a place to squirrel away those hunting accessories you need at a moment’s notice,” exactly what a dynamic hunter requires.
Considering how much time, effort and machinery (chain saws, bolt cutters, ATVs) stealing someone else's hunting tree stand requires, it's amazing these people bother. It's a common problem: You take the time to find a great stand, find a great spot, and put up a great hunting tree stand, and then someone comes along and steals it! We've talked with Glenn Wheeler, a retired law-enforcement officer who now makes a living as a fantastic outdoor photographer and writer, to get some tips on how to prevent tree stand theft and how to recover the stand and prosecute the hunting tree stand thief.
While hunting is a pretty safe activity, one aspect continues to rack up the statistics: falls from tree stands. Would you send your son into a football game without a helmet? Likewise, would you let him hunt from a tree stand without a hunting safety harness? With bow hunting season starting throughout the nation, it's a good time to review some hunter safety considerations for tree stand hunters.
Hunting is an extremely safe activity. According to the National Safety Council, far more people per 100,000 participants are injured while bicycling or playing baseball than while hunting. Further statistics show that while around 100 die in nationwide while hunting each year, more than 1,500 die in swimming-related accidents. But, there are dangers. Here are a few things you can do to ensure you don't become a statistic.
