I've been on and off the boards lately so in one way or another I missed this thread. So, you've gotten some sound advice and some interesting cartoons (by the way I do not loose my head when I fall from my ladder. Falling is not a normal everyday thing but the last time I did it I had a few witnesses that could not keep it to themselves. Oh well its all in fun ..... I guess)
I like to use a 6' wooden ladder. Why? Wood is relatively inexpensive, has a natural sound, is much lighter than fiberglass and holds paint well. Fiberglass is costly and heavy but strong. Aluminum is light, but it is noisy (clunk, ping, ssssspp ting, raddle ..... unaturally noisy), cold, uncomfortable to carry and bends easily. They work, I know of several callers that use them but I don't care for aluminum ladders.
I believe in painting the ladder. Doesn't matter how you paint 'em just as long as you use a non-reflective natural colored paint. My friend Bill came up with an excellent way to get paint for his ladder. He went to Home Depot and asked if they had any flat return or misscolored returned paint for cheap. He got top quality paint for a song.
As Robb indicated, I sit on the top of my ladder. This does slightly expose you to the possibility of falling but I believe that trading a pinch of safety for increased time on stand and comfort is worth it. As Dogboy indicated, I use a padded swivel seat on my ladder. The top is much like a bar stool (a really really tall bar stool).
I use a shooting stick to hold and shoot my rifle. The stick is made from an adjustable aluminum paint roller handle (I used a stick/broom handle cut to the proper lenght for years) with a tool hanger attached to the top and a spike of some sort on the bottom. The spike is inserted into a hook eye screwed into one of your step ladder steps. This makes a loose joint that allows swivelling and tilting of the stick as needed. The forarm of the rifle goes in the tool hanger for a forarm rest. When not in use I snap it into some broom hangers attached to one of the leggs of the ladder. This system works wonderfully and I have not been able to improve on it for years.
Carrying the ladder. I simply fold it and put it on my shoulder with one of the steps against my shoulder blade. I've seen several people use a handle (Crit R) carefully placed so the ladder balances perfectly on the one handle. Bill uses a pad where the ladder rests on his shoulder to ease the corners. Whatever you do try to make it comfortable for you to carry for a couple hundred yards to your stand. Remember that you will have a rifle (or some sort of arm) to juggle, calls and/or an E-caller and a coyote or two to carry. Make the ladder as light and as simple as possible.
I usually try to find a tree or bush of some sort to set the ladder in. I also try to sit in the shade. This breaks up your outline somewhat but in truth I don't believe that this is necessary. A whole bunch of times I have simply put the ladder in a tall grass field or on top of a relatively bare hill. The coyotes still came and still died.
Another use for your ladder. Several people have seen my method of clearing a fence by placing the ladder over the fence and using the ladder to climb over it without touching the fence. I've had several ranchers comment on how they appreciate the fact that I never touch their fence while hunting. Also the ladder can be used as portable steps for climbing steep banks, like a wash side or a river bank. A ladder is a portable bridge. Several times I have laid it down over a stream or swampy spot to aid in crossing (I do not live in snow country but crossing thin ice is a natural for a ladder. Lay it down on the ice and away you go.)
Oh, here is something that "Rich in Mo" got me thinking about. The coyote is scared to death of the human outline. They can pick it up at suprisingly long distances. I have begun to believe that carrying a ladder breaks up your outline and the coyote will hold longer and be less likely to spot you as you walk out to your stand. Sorta like Rich's crazy cow routine.
