How many seasons to keep a hang on stand in the woods?

[regulat0r]

I had a case of cabin fever yesterday so I took my dog for a long walk in the woods around one of the farms that I hunt. I walked by 2 of my hang on stands. They have been out for 4 years. They looked fine but it made me wonder how many seasons should I keep them out there for. In addition to the regular factory strap, I always use an additional slide buckle strap AND a ratchet strap that I replace every year. They were in great shape this past bow season but with the frigid cold and snow this year it got me thininking. Dicks sells the stands I like for only 40 bucks but I would rather not spend 80 bucks if I dont need to. Any thoughts??

[G-Man]

I take mine down and do maintenance every year, some of my stands are 20 years old , replace cables belts, repair paint on them ,repair seats, I would.never leave a hanging out even if it were chained instead of belted or roped to tree, I invite friends out to hunt and would hate to see one hurt out of shearlaziness on my part.trees are growing and leaving them.up either damages tree (strangulation) or it will damage stand ( stress on belts and stress fractures in metal where straps/ropes connect.

I paid good money for may stands and I take down and put up 30 plus a year. Safety of my friends and myself a re most important!

I have a friend that left his stand up.after we told him to take it down every year for only 2 years(I'm going to put it back in a me tree anyways was his answer,the 3rd year he went to check it at least inspite of being told to take it down and was checking it to see if it would hold him stil and fell 20 ft while trying to get in it. Lucky he was just bruised

Edited March 1, 2015 by G-Man

[jjb4900]

I think the problem lies in allowing the straps to be weakened by the elements...that and eventually they will "grow" into the trees, pretty much a safety issue.

[phade]

The dangerous part isnt the straps because they can be inspected. Hangon dangers come from water entering the platform cables unerneath the weatherproofing wrap. The cable could be rusting and you have no idea until it breaks and the stand either gives way or cants so much so fast you fall.

Edited March 1, 2015 by phade

[jjb4900]

The dangerous part isnt the straps because they can be inspected. Hangon dangers come from water entering the platform cables unerneath the weatherproofing wrap. The cable could be rusting and you have no idea until it breaks and the stand either gives way or cants so much you fall.

the dangers are many....you put any weight on a failing cable or strap and cause it to fail and you could have a problem, not everyone is smart enough to go about checking their stands in a safe manner. The few minutes it takes to take them down and put them back up could make the difference in a safe season or a broken neck.

[growalot]

I never use a hang on that does not have a heavy duty chain that I have painted holding it ,besides the straps...I leave mine out but a couple are home made ones. I have lost one due to the tree growing to fast and my forgetting to loosen it...it's still out there growing into the tree not being used...on store ones I'd be nervous about the cables holding the platform up...

[wildcat junkie]

If the strap & the part of the stand that contacts the tree cut off enough sap flow, it can also kill the tree eventually.

 

I had some "Old Man ladder stands that used a light gauge chain W/a binder. They killed the trees they were chained to over the summer a few years back. Even nylon straps seem to stunt the foliage after a while.

[hunter49]

  The straps around the tree can go bad just from the weather. They also grow into the tree with no stretch to them.  Also if they have steel cables holding the foot platform up the steel can/will rust from the inside out & can break or let go. Even the cables with a plastic coating will hold moisture inside & rust the steel.

[growalot]

Let me add That there is not a stand made out of metal that I ever put out that has not had another coating of rust primer and paint put on it. That includes all the bolts and nuts that rust the fastest...any open tubing and especially welds get a good spraying...and yes I back up  platform cables, on store bought hang ons with chains....doesn't cost much extra and I consider the time doing that verses spent in a hospital bed,chair or worse

[ants]

I don't use hang ons that much any more, but there was a time when thats all I used. I would leave them out sometimes, but I don't think I ever left them out for more then a year. At the end of the season I would loosen the chain and back out the screw in steps. Then the next fall I would lower the stand to the ground  check it out and rehang it. 

I think the best thing to do is to pull the stand every year. 

[Merlot]

I purchased 2 Screaming Eagle hang-on stands in the mid 1990's...I liked them and always removed them after gun season. I would check them over, spray paint with rustoleum, etc., but found rust through parts of the frame, and fearing disaster, threw them out after 10 years of use. Which reminds me that I better check the ladder stands for wear, whenever the weather permits.

[phade]

the dangers are many....you put any weight on a failing cable or strap and cause it to fail and you could have a problem, not everyone is smart enough to go about checking their stands in a safe manner. The few minutes it takes to take them down and put them back up could make the difference in a safe season or a broken neck.

 

I don't disagree with you, BUT, a strap can be inspected in the field...cables with weatherproofing are near impossible to inspect in the field.

 

I agree hang-ons should be taken down and put up again.

[G-Man]

Phade, a strap.can only.be tested close to the ground, it can look fine ( if you can see the strapall the way around the tree)but be uv damaged and tear at a much lower weight then it is tested for, unless you climb a tree with 300 lbs to drop on a,stand I recommend taking them down to test and replace.

[WNYBuckHunter]

We leave ours up all year. At the end of the season we loosen up the straps on all of our stands. ladder sticks, etc. During the summer we inspect all of them to make sure everything is good. Straps get re-inspected and tightened a few weeks before the season starts. Straps get swapped out after 2 years even if they look good. If platform cables show any sign of rust, they get swapped out for chains. Sure, theres a chance the platform cables might rust where we cant see, but thats what you wear a harness for.

[dbHunterNY]

I take everything in after the season.  It saves money as the stands last longer.  also if left out, some start to make noise and as others said get rusty in spots that might make them unsafe at some point that's not obviously apparent.

[jjb4900]

the constant moving of the trees can also weaken the hardware, most are not made with top of the line stainless steel nuts, bolts...etc. I replace all that junk with better stuff.