We planned 2 days to put up deer stands in the woods in October.  The first year would have to be all temporary stands.  There would be 6 of us hunting.  We planned for 4 tree stands and a ground blind that 2 people could use.  In the end, we went with ladder stands, but there are other options for tree stands that could work well for you.

Types of Tree Stands:

• A climbing stand is a good selection if you want the stand to be temporary and not worry about spikes or screws to climb up the tree.  This one might take a little practice at home before you head to the woods. A good choice if you are hunting in public (State, County, etc.) land and don’t want to leave a stand in it’s location overnight.  The base section is separate from the seat section and each can be moved independently to work your way up the tree.

• I’ve come across a ‘tree saddle’, but don’t know anybody who uses one.  It doesn’t look comfortable for any length of time, but it’s supposed to give the hunter the greatest ability to shoot from all sides of the tree.  A ladder, spikes or screws are needed to climb up with this stand and you will need good sturdy branches overhead to rope over to secure the stand.  It’s recommended that the hunter has a lineman belt too.  One of our son’s was a lineman for a few years.  He also has the spikes to use on his feet, attached to his boots to climb, that would be helpful with this stand too. I had to look up more information on a tree saddle. The moving around part makes sense with bow hunting. I found this article that was helpful https://bowtricks.com/6-best-hunting-tree-saddle/

• Ladder stands feel the most secure.  They are easier to put up if you have help, we had that.   A ladder stand will be the most comfortable to sit on with flexible seats and even arm rests.  It’s also easiest to get up and down on.  November weather in northern Minnesota can be pretty cold and wearing layers of clothing is something to consider when climbing.

If you are using tree stands on public land in Minnesota, Rules doesn’t specifically prohibit the use of spikes or screws on the tree trunk to climb on a portable stand on State land, but some states may.  It’s always best to check with your State’s hunting regulations. Also be aware of any State or National Park rules, those can be different than the general State rules. For more information on hunting public land in Minnesota, check out this link: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/tips/locations.html

• A ground blind with a 360° view is a nice option for 2 hunters.  Plenty of room to set up 2 chairs.  Check the height of the chair in relation to the openings you will use to shoot through.  We found out that the quick fold legs together lawn chairs were too low for a few of us.  A ground blind is quick and easy to put up, steady enough to be left for the deer hunting season.  And the dark screen over the ‘windows’ allows the hunter(s) to do some moving around inside when planning an extended time in the woods.