Climbing Tree Stands: Buy The Grand Ol’ Man Product

For deer and bear hunting, the Ol’ Man Treestands item was easier to use, was more stable, and was quieter than Loggy Bayou, API, and Summit brands.

The API Predator stand was noisy, due in part to sloppy manufacturing.

While the evolution of the climbing treestand may not yet be complete, it has progressed. Tales of archers and gun hunters “taking a ride” down the tree is something that was too common in early treestand models, but the marketplace, liability, and litigation have sorted out a lot of those bad old designs. Most—but not all—of today’s climbing stands are infinitely safer than their predecessors, so the important question for treestand hunters is which models are the most comfortable, easiest to use, and the quietest.

To find out, we decided to test four popular models of treestands to determine which one best fills the needs of today’s deer hunter. We looked at safety, ease of assembly in the woods, how quiet the stand was to set up on the tree, how quiet it remained while hunting, and how portable it was. We also looked at how well a given treestand adapted to hunters of different sizes. Our tallest tester was 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighed about 230 pounds. Our shortest tester carried the same weight, but in a 5 foot 8-inch tall package. With these physical factors in mind, our testers judged the stands for comfort, leg room, and ease of shooting a bow and rifle.

We bought three of the stands from a major catalog shop. The fourth is sold direct or through pro-shops, so we ordered from the manufacturer. The Loggy Bayou XTC stand, which we ordered from Cabela’s, cost $229.99 and required that we purchase a backrest for $49.99, a climbing aid for $64.99, and a foot rest for $49.99, bringing its total cost to $394.96. Like the Loggy Bayou stand, we bought the API Predator from Cabela’s for $214.9 and a shooting rail/foot rest for $27.99. The Ol’ Man Treestands Grand Ol’ Man stand is sold only through pro-shops or directly from Ol’ Man. Suggested retail on the stand is $220, but we have seen the item advertised for as little as $190. It required no additional equipment. We also bought the fourth stand, the Summit Shooter 2, from Cabela’s. It cost $199.99 and didn’t require additional rests. Here’s what we thought of each item.

Loggy Bayou XTC
This stand gets high marks for comfort and for good looks, but that’s about where it ends. As a climber it leaves a lot to be desired, in our opinion. Most problematic: After climbing high in a tree with the unit, the hunter must step over the XTC’s backrest to sit down—a move we think is difficult and perhaps dangerous.

To begin reciting our problems with the stand, the footrest can ease an aching back, but its installation requires that the customer drill the stand. We would think that in a stand costing as much as this one, the company could have pre-drilled the holes. Nonetheless, the backrest indeed improves the unit’s comfort and helps keep the hunter’s back warm. Also, it quiets the noise of clothing rubbing against rough tree bark.

However, as we noted above, we think there is a problem in getting the backrest into position. It must be swung away from the tree for the hunter to climb, and then he must shove it back through his legs toward the tree in order to sit. The tall hunter could barely step over the seat back; the short one didn’t have a prayer of executing the maneuver. Having to step over the backrest while in a tree may be unsafe, in our view. That’s how hunters lose their balance and fall.

The seat was comfortable, perhaps the best of those tested. But it came with a warning not to get it wet! If this means the material will not stand up to dampness and will mold, mildew, and deteriorate, that is unacceptable in an outdoors product, we think.

While the stand was moderately noisy to set up and climb with, once it is in place and every thing is cinched up with the supplied strap, it is quiet to hunt in. However, we worry that the climbing aid, which is positioned above the sitting hunter on the tree trunk, could fall down and hit the hunter in the head.

On the positive side, the Loggy Bayou XTC was the easiest of all the stands tested to shoot a bow from while sitting down, primarily due to the lack of any siderails. All other shooting, bow or rifle, was also easy with no interference from the stand. The stand backpacks well with the straps included and is not too heavy. Actually the best use may well be as a fixed-position stand that is cinched in place with ratcheting binders. Using this procedure, and using steps to climb, eliminated most of the problems we encountered. However, this is a very expensive stand to be used in this manner. Most fixed-position stands cost half as much as the XTC.

Field Tests Recommends: We would not buy the Loggy Bayou XTC stand.

API Predator
We liked this stand a lot, but it wasn’t perfect.

Constructed from aircraft aluminum, it will hold 300 pounds, so it was light, but strong. With the Predator’s two-piece climbing system and the steep angle of contact with the tree, it is very solid, stable, and safe. The cushioned seat is comfortable, and the nylon back and arm rests make this stand more comfortable than a lawn chair. We should note that it will mark the trees and damage the bark. Repeated use may cause permanent damage to some trees.

The stand weighs 28 pounds; while it does not come with backpack straps, they are available as an option. It folds up to a relatively small package and should be fairly easy to pack in the woods. Set-up is noisy and is best done in advance of hunting to give the woods time to calm down. However, climbing into the stand after set-up is relatively quiet. Once in position the stand proved to be noisy, we thought, as the hunter shifts his weight or otherwise moves. We found it impossible to stand up without creating some noise, which can spook close game and is unacceptable in our view. In our opinion, part of the noise problem was due to sloppy manufacturing. The holes that were drilled in the frame for the various assembly pins all had burrs of metal left from the drilling process. These burrs would cause the stand to squeak with any movement. It was relatively easy to file them off, but it shouldn’t have been necessary. Even after correcting this problem, we still thought the stand was noisy. Much of this was due to the design having many flexible joints. However, a few minutes with some unscented oil and a roll of black vinyl electrician’s tape corrected the problem. We lubricated all the flex points and taped all the pins and joints, which seemed to correct the noise problem. It should be noted that this is a common situation with many climbing stands.

Another small but annoying problem was with the plastic caps supplied to plug the ends of the aluminum tubes. That chore was left for the customer, although we think they should have been installed at the factory. If that were the case, they would soon have noticed that in several locations the plugs could not be inserted due to bolts that were in the way. We could modify the plugs by using a knife to cut a relief on two sides to clear the bolts, allowing the installation to proceed. These may be small things, but they show a lack of attention to detail, in our view.

Our testers found the stand easy to climb with and comfortable to use. Shooting a rifle was easy, and with the optional shooting rest the rifle could be held steady. Shooting a bow while sitting down was difficult for all but straight front-on shots, we thought. With the arm rests in place, it was all but impossible to shoot a bow from any other angle without standing up.

Field Tests Recommends: Overall, we liked the API Predator stand. We recommend you buy the $214.99 item and accompanying shooting rail/foot rest ($27.99), but be prepared to spend a little time working out the kinks before you hunt with it.

Summit Shooter 2
The price is right on this stand, and it is ruggedly built, but we weren’t taken with the Summit Shooter 2 unit—in large part because it hurt our butts.

We thought the seat design was lacking. The foam seat is suspended by two nylon straps that are attached to the stand by hooks. It has some promise, but it would create a hammock effect that pinched the butt of the hunter and became uncomfortable quickly. Perhaps the problem could be corrected by inserting a plywood piece between the seat and the straps to stiffen it. In defense of the design, it is easy to switch from facing away from the tree to facing the tree.

Our hunters found the stand to be a little too small, with leg room lacking. Perhaps a smaller person might not agree. The stand is built from steel and is extremely rugged, but it is heavy. We found it awkward to backpack with the enclosed straps and uncomfortable to carry long distances.

The stand is easy to set up on the tree, but requires extreme care to keep noise to a minimum. It doesn’t take much of a slip to make the metal bars and threaded bolts sing out. We did like that the knob-style nuts were attached to the stand with lanyards. Anybody who has ever dropped one of the old-style wing nuts while setting up a stand, particularly in the dark, will understand. There is nothing more frustrating than looking in the leaf litter for a wing nut that you so cleverly painted camouflage.

The stand climbs relatively quietly and with no noticeable problems. The contact on the V section is made with a couple of steel U-shaped loops that depend on your weight to grip the tree. While we experienced no problems with these, we wonder about their security. We feel that the design is safe enough if you use it correctly, but that it doesn’t allow much for the “stupid” factor. Once the stand is in place, you use a supplied nylon strap to secure it, so it is safe enough while hunting. While climbing you are forced to have your weight placed correctly, but it’s the time in between that we worry about. The best bet would be, once reaching your hunting position, to secure the stand with the strap before doing anything else. On the up side, this stand does very little damage to the tree.

The safety strap is complicated the first time you use it, but once you understand its use, it becomes simple. Most of the problem is in the confusing instruction booklet. We like that the safety strap is attached to the stand; that way, it can’t be lost or left behind. Also, when used properly, the stand, the tree, and the hunter are all attached.

Our hunters were not able to shoot a bow while sitting down, but shooting with a rifle was not a problem.

Field Tests Recommends: Overall, we believe the $199.99 Summit Shooter 2 is a good stand, particularly for a smaller person. However, it is heavy. If it is to be backpacked much, that must be considered. We do recommend that you buy it, but be prepared to modify the seat and be certain to use the safety features such as the locking strap.

Ol’ Man Treestands’ Grand Ol’ Man
We really like this stand. It has some innovative features that are sure to be copied in the years ahead. Most notable is the tree-gripping system. It uses a 3/16-inch cable sheathed in an industrial rubber hose to wrap around the tree. This is attached to the stand with pivoting arms that allow the hose to grip around the tree with maximum contact. The cable is inserted into a tube on the right side of the stand and is held in place by a pin that is inserted through holes in the tube and through a loop in the end of the cable. Setup on the tree was very fast and with practice, virtually noiseless. The two-piece stand climbs very quietly and easily. The flexible hose holds the tree extremely well, but on occasion will need some coaxing past a protrusion. Blades on the V section grip the tree very securely, although they do damage the bark.

The seat is a fishnet mesh that slides quietly out of the way for climbing or when standing up to shoot. It is surprisingly comfortable to sit on, even for extended periods. As with any stand having a full rail surrounding the hunter, this stand is difficult for most hunters to shoot a bow from while sitting down, although with practice it becomes easier. Any rifle shots are not a problem.

The stand comes with backpacking straps, and at 27 pounds is easy to pack in the woods. (There is a 10-pound version in the works, the company says, and that lighter model is said to be every bit as user friendly and as strong.)

This stand is ready to use right out of the box and required no assembly. It is so easy to use that most hunters can take it out of the box and go hunting without even reading the directions. We don’t recommend this, however.

Our hunters had plenty of room in this stand, with one exception. The stand is rated for trees with diameters of 8 inches to 20 inches. However, when using it on smaller trees, the pivoting-link arms will rob you of some seat space. On the smaller trees we found that some hunters will need more room to sit down. However, this is not the case with larger trees, and any trees small enough to cause problems are marginal for hunting anyway.

Field Tests Recommends: We liked Ol’ Man Treestands’ Grand Ol’ Man stand the best of the four we tested. Overall, our hunters thought it was easy to use, climbed easily, and descended quietly, comfortably, and securely. We recommend it. To buy the unit, you’ll need to find a hunting store that carries it or order it directly from Ol’ Man. You can reach the company at (800) 682-7268.

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