Leave your climber in the woods?

I just started using a climber last year and yes I did this several times. Works out pretty well.

I used to leave my old climber in the woods at the base of the tree I hunted out ot. That is until I came back one evening to find it gone. Now I use lock ons with logging chains and pad locks. I set hem up in August but take the climbing sticks with me and don't put them back up intil the week before season starts. I also use a climber too but I don't leave it behind anymore.

When I used to use a climber the only time I would leave it would be at the end of and evening hunt and I was planning on coming back in the morning.

Sad that "supposed deer hunters" would steal from other deer hunters.

We had lost severall hang ons over recent yeras , even though they were locked in.

Last year we set up a POS stand and cheap screw in steps and put up a camera 20' away at the same height.

I also put a trail camera on the trail leading into this stand.

I put it up in a tree pointed down .

We were setting trap for this stand thief.

After all that trouble , last year was the first year that no one stole our stand. We didn't catch him, this time.

.

nope not when you lose hang ons and ladder stands ,,,($#@^%$# thieves) what goes in come out hopefully more

Not to defend the person or persons who may have stolen mine at all. But it was stolen only after I found thier ground blinds set up in my family's woods. No one has permission ot be back there at all so they were trespassing. No I didn't take them home, (I am nicer than that) I took them down and carried them to head of the trail and set them there all nice and neat with a note that said you are tresspassing so please take your things and don't come back. (this was during early bow) Came back a couple of days later and the stuff was gone but they left me a not so nice note full of four letter words calling me names and such. About a month later (opening weekend of gun season) the only time I left my climber in that woods it dissapeard.

Oh well I chalk it up to a lesson learned and now when I find things back in my woods I take it home with me and leave notes tellign them to come by and pick it up if they would like to have it back, but to be aware that I will ensure the police are there to write thema ticket for tresspassing. Have not found anything back there in awhile now and only occasionaly see foot prints maybe they got the point.

D, this is coming from a long time coon hunter. The saying down here goes something like this: "There is nothing legal about a coon hunter." ;D

Years ago a friend of mine was hunting public ground and left his climber locked in with a chain and pad lock at the base of the tree. Upon returning, he found someone sawed the tree down and stole the stand. It is unbelievable what people will do.

I have thought about it, but have not. The 5 minutes I may save is not worth the chance to come back and find it gone. |Also, what if I change my mind due to wind, weather, sitings? Then if I need it, I have to go in there and get it which may mess things up , so for me I pack it out each and every time.
Solo

I have the same stand and another older API climber. I removed all four of the pins from each stand and replaced them with long shank hardened master locks so that it is always locked but I don't have to unlock it every time I climb.

I always leave my stand out overnight if I am going to hunt that area again soon. I put mine at the very base of the tree, spray them down with scent eliminator and camouflage them as best I can (from both deer and thieves). I can climb quietly without disturbing deer but attaching the stand is much harder to do quietly especially in the dark.