You can spend serious time scouring YouTube or The Outdoor Channel to find what gear you need in the woods. But in reality, it’s a pretty short list. If you’re a mobile hunter who likes hang-on stands, several accessories are key to your success. One of the best tools I’ve found in recent years is the Muddy Outdoors Pro Climbing Sticks.
The Muddy Outdoors Pro Climbing sticks are lightweight, compact, and very easy to use. Attach them to your hang on stand as you hike into your spot. Or, attach them on the outside of your backpack.
Depending on how tall you are and how long your legs are, the 4-pack of the Pro sticks will get you about 10-15 feet up in a tree. That is more than adequate for most hunting situations, and many folks actually prefer that so the flight of your arrow will be less vertical.
What I really like about the sticks is how easy they are to put up and remove. If you are a hang and hunt guy, you can attach yourself to the tree and work your way up. Once you get enough practice, it’s common to be done in 5-10 minutes with the whole set up. When you get really good, you can get them all hung without having to go back down the tree. I usually have a rope attached tied to my harness and the treestand. So, once I’ve reached the top of the climbing sticks, I just hoist the stand up.
There are a lot of different options out there for climbing sticks. I’ve used several different brands. I use these sticks often and am very impressed. Although they don’t quite get you up as high as some of the other 3-step versions, they are more portable and easier to handle. If you haven’t tried them yet, I would definitely recommend it!
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