Ladder hunting / ladder stand
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roadkill46
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http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=BvBuh&m=1qPB2dTl79.RJW&b=I09H8aa9ZndR0uWudR.IiA
lotta guys here hunt with ladders, to include custom built ones. i personally can't see carrying one around, but that's me. they seem to be whacking them though.
lotta guys here hunt with ladders, to include custom built ones. i personally can't see carrying one around, but that's me. they seem to be whacking them though.
rizzo
New member
I use a 6ft fiberglass ladder when the brush is thick and I need to get above things to see animals on the approach. Once you start hunting on a ladder in the thick brush, you'll never leave it at home - it'll blow your mind what you'll see from there that you wouldn't have been able to see if you were on the ground. Carrying it is easy; I use a pad where it sits on my shoulder, and a buddy of mine uses a strap. Some guys use shorter ladders to make it easier to carry, as well. It's not uncomfortable to sit on, and it's not perfect for every stand - just another tool in the toolbox.
Here's what my ladder looks like - I painted it with Krylon. I usually use a shotgun because of the close quarters, but it's not hard to get a good rifle shot from their. I've seen some guys mount a u-bolt on a top rung and then use a monopod stuck in the bolt to steady their rifles.
Here's what my ladder looks like - I painted it with Krylon. I usually use a shotgun because of the close quarters, but it's not hard to get a good rifle shot from their. I've seen some guys mount a u-bolt on a top rung and then use a monopod stuck in the bolt to steady their rifles.
emtpredator
New member
i have seen guys out west do this i have always wondered what it would do here in the east in the woods and crp fields that are so thick that u can only see the tips of their ears as they bounce towards you.
motox
New member
I would not say guys out west use ladders....... I would say guys in AZ use ladders. I never heard of any other predator hunter using a ladder.
Look at all the responses besides mine..... they are all from AZ guys.
I got nothing against it. it seems like a good idea for real flat land. Just too much to carry around in my opinion. But these AZ guys are obviously getting it done!
Look at all the responses besides mine..... they are all from AZ guys.
I got nothing against it. it seems like a good idea for real flat land. Just too much to carry around in my opinion. But these AZ guys are obviously getting it done!
BallisticBen
New member
Hey thanks for the info. I find the whole ladder thing very interesting. When I travel through those flat sage covered areas, I often think of strategies for calling dogs. I too would like to learn more about it. Do you sit on top of the ladder, or just stand on it and use it as a rest also?
Webopper
New member
People think that lugging the ladder around is a pain. Sometimes when you are in the really thick stuff it is, but when you are in the flats with the sage and creosote it's not too bad. I actually fashioned a shoulder strap on mine to make it real easy.
Not uncommon for me to go a quarter mile or so with it though...
Not uncommon for me to go a quarter mile or so with it though...
Hyperwrx
New member
Elevation is the key. The higher up your eyes are in terrain that has obstacles the better your view will be, and in turn, you will see more predators. Paths open up before your eyes that you never could have seen just standing there. Cats and coyotes that attempt to sneak their way into a stand using vegetation are many times in plain sight now. The hard charging coyote that is coming at mach 1 to the caller now is seen at 100 yards rather than 30.
Getting a better view by elevating your eyes to 9' is just one reason ladder hunting is successful, the other is fooling the coyote and his 'horizontal plane of focus'. A coyote comes trotting in through bushes scanning his immediate surroundings for that screaming rabbit. His eyes are looking for movement and are concentrating on a horizontal lines perpendicular to the ground probably 1-2 feet off the ground. That's where the last 50 rabbits he's captured were located. Suddenly from 15' ahead of him the rabbit goes silent and he is left walking around looking into bushes and brush for that rabbit. Little does he know that you are sitting motionless 10' to his right but also almost 10' vertical. He is oblivious to you because you've pushed your ladder back into the limbs of a tree and you are making practically no movement. All you now need to do is swing that shotgun down in 1 fluid motion when his head is turned and dust him. This seems almost too easy and really once you get the basics down, it is. I have had coyotes with in 3' of my ladders base with no clue I was on it. I had a bobcat walk UNDER by ladder coming into a stand.
I walk a few hundred yards out to a stand from my truck generally. Carrying it is really not a hassle. I swing it up on my shoulder and the other shoulder carries my shotgun on a sling. I am not large in stature and 42 and carry one all day long- 15+ stands with no problem.
Successful night callers always use elevation to their advantage. A ladder would be a logical tool.
I imagine a ladder will work anywhere there is thick stuff. West as well as back East. I have seen Rich Higgins use it successfully in a cotton field. I have seen him use it successfully in the middle of a flat dirt area with nothing to break up his human form other than his 3d leafy poncho he wears. Coyote walks into opening, looks at ladder and dismisses it as a threat and continues looking for the screaming rabbit.
Its just another tool in your bag of tricks. Some guys don't want more than 1 or 2 tools while others get suckered into every single new tool that comes out. All I know is when someone shoots 70+ coyotes in a season from a ladder, there has to be some advantage he's getting. I need every advantage I can get. I'm not getting younger and my eyes and ears are in a downward spiral.
As I mentioned above the basics to advanced ladder hunting techniques are covered in an article in Trapper and Predator Caller that comes out on shelves next month.
Getting a better view by elevating your eyes to 9' is just one reason ladder hunting is successful, the other is fooling the coyote and his 'horizontal plane of focus'. A coyote comes trotting in through bushes scanning his immediate surroundings for that screaming rabbit. His eyes are looking for movement and are concentrating on a horizontal lines perpendicular to the ground probably 1-2 feet off the ground. That's where the last 50 rabbits he's captured were located. Suddenly from 15' ahead of him the rabbit goes silent and he is left walking around looking into bushes and brush for that rabbit. Little does he know that you are sitting motionless 10' to his right but also almost 10' vertical. He is oblivious to you because you've pushed your ladder back into the limbs of a tree and you are making practically no movement. All you now need to do is swing that shotgun down in 1 fluid motion when his head is turned and dust him. This seems almost too easy and really once you get the basics down, it is. I have had coyotes with in 3' of my ladders base with no clue I was on it. I had a bobcat walk UNDER by ladder coming into a stand.
I walk a few hundred yards out to a stand from my truck generally. Carrying it is really not a hassle. I swing it up on my shoulder and the other shoulder carries my shotgun on a sling. I am not large in stature and 42 and carry one all day long- 15+ stands with no problem.
Successful night callers always use elevation to their advantage. A ladder would be a logical tool.
I imagine a ladder will work anywhere there is thick stuff. West as well as back East. I have seen Rich Higgins use it successfully in a cotton field. I have seen him use it successfully in the middle of a flat dirt area with nothing to break up his human form other than his 3d leafy poncho he wears. Coyote walks into opening, looks at ladder and dismisses it as a threat and continues looking for the screaming rabbit.
Its just another tool in your bag of tricks. Some guys don't want more than 1 or 2 tools while others get suckered into every single new tool that comes out. All I know is when someone shoots 70+ coyotes in a season from a ladder, there has to be some advantage he's getting. I need every advantage I can get. I'm not getting younger and my eyes and ears are in a downward spiral.
As I mentioned above the basics to advanced ladder hunting techniques are covered in an article in Trapper and Predator Caller that comes out on shelves next month.
rizzo
New member
Originally Posted By: HyperwrxGo purchase next months issue of Trapper and Predator Caller. There will be an article on ladder hunting in it.
Don't be so humble, Scott.
Everyone who is interested in ladder hunting needs to read that article, which is written by Scott. He introduced me to ladders a few years ago and in my opinion he is the best authority on them.
And to answer the above questions: I often hike quite a ways to most of my stands, at least 200 yards and sometimes 1/4 or so, and I don't make exceptions when I use a ladder. Once you get used to it, it's no big deal. But if you should decide to lay your camo ladder down and come back later, don't forget where you put it - right, Webopper?
And you can sit on top, or set it up so that you can stand on the lower rungs, lean against it, and then use the top as a rest. I prefer to always sit on top, as it gives me the greatest height advantage, but when tall cover is limited I will lean against it.
Hey Scott - remember this thing?
Don't be so humble, Scott.
And to answer the above questions: I often hike quite a ways to most of my stands, at least 200 yards and sometimes 1/4 or so, and I don't make exceptions when I use a ladder. Once you get used to it, it's no big deal. But if you should decide to lay your camo ladder down and come back later, don't forget where you put it - right, Webopper?
And you can sit on top, or set it up so that you can stand on the lower rungs, lean against it, and then use the top as a rest. I prefer to always sit on top, as it gives me the greatest height advantage, but when tall cover is limited I will lean against it.
Hey Scott - remember this thing?
rizzo
New member
Oh man, that thing is so heavy! Next time we hunt together I'll snag it from you if you don't want it - I've got a rookie up here that really wants to get going with ladders.
You know, I've still got all the pics we took of it with it on my back and the coyotes hanging from it and all that - good times!
You know, I've still got all the pics we took of it with it on my back and the coyotes hanging from it and all that - good times!
coyotesniperFJ
New member
I enjoy elevated hunting a great deal. I went out today and made a few stands, some in some pretty thick stuff. I managed to bag a triple today on one stand and the only way I was able to pull off the triple was because of my obscured place amongst the bushes and backdrop. Here are the dogs:
And here is the custom tripod I use made of carbon fiber and aluminum:
And here is the custom tripod I use made of carbon fiber and aluminum:
rizzo
New member
Hey Paul - are you selling those things yet??
Originally Posted By: huntinazAnother ladder question:
When using hand calls, do the coyotes see you easier too since you are elevated, or is it still an advantage to have a ladder and use hand calls?
Well I'm still blended in pretty well, but since I can generally see them coming from farther out I can stop calling when I see them and either lip squeak them in or just give them a little call to keep 'em comin. Yes they do look up, but to be honest with you I don't think they really associate a noise that high up as a threat worth running from. I've had them come pretty close and just look up at me, act a little nervous but still stick around long enough for a shot. In the really, really thick stuff I'll sometimes just stick to a digital caller, but when I go with mouth calls I try to use a call I can operate without my hands, like an open reed or a straw reed.
And the ladder will always give you an advantage when it comes to being able to see the unseen, no matter what call you use.
Originally Posted By: huntinazAnother ladder question:
When using hand calls, do the coyotes see you easier too since you are elevated, or is it still an advantage to have a ladder and use hand calls?
Well I'm still blended in pretty well, but since I can generally see them coming from farther out I can stop calling when I see them and either lip squeak them in or just give them a little call to keep 'em comin. Yes they do look up, but to be honest with you I don't think they really associate a noise that high up as a threat worth running from. I've had them come pretty close and just look up at me, act a little nervous but still stick around long enough for a shot. In the really, really thick stuff I'll sometimes just stick to a digital caller, but when I go with mouth calls I try to use a call I can operate without my hands, like an open reed or a straw reed.
And the ladder will always give you an advantage when it comes to being able to see the unseen, no matter what call you use.
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coyotesniperFJ
New member
Glenn, I am still working on it. I was hoping to have them ready to try to market this season but I have had some issues. One, this product I am thinking about will be pricey and I am not sure many people will buy it when they can get a ladder for $49. So in the end, it may be just a product that gets custom built for a few guys who want one. I am also working on a lighter seat design and heading towards a full carbon fiber model but that is next season's version.
I do want to get one or two of these tripods into some hunter's hands to test em out so let me know and maybe you can test one of them out!
I do want to get one or two of these tripods into some hunter's hands to test em out so let me know and maybe you can test one of them out!
Kenny_Borel
New member
Do you have any pics of just tripod. I'd love to see it. That looks great!!!
Originally Posted By: coyotesniperFJI enjoy elevated hunting a great deal. I went out today and made a few stands, some in some pretty thick stuff. I managed to bag a triple today on one stand and the only way I was able to pull off the triple was because of my obscured place amongst the bushes and backdrop. Here are the dogs:
And here is the custom tripod I use made of carbon fiber and aluminum:
Originally Posted By: coyotesniperFJI enjoy elevated hunting a great deal. I went out today and made a few stands, some in some pretty thick stuff. I managed to bag a triple today on one stand and the only way I was able to pull off the triple was because of my obscured place amongst the bushes and backdrop. Here are the dogs:
And here is the custom tripod I use made of carbon fiber and aluminum: