Bowhunters will debate the merits of ladder stands as opposed to climbing stands. They each have their positive and their drawbacks, and every hunter must decide what works best for them. To that end, Realtree offers this exploration of ladder stands, with four essential things to keep in mind when setting up in the woods on a ladder stand.

We set a bunch of single-person ladder stands, typically 16-footers that we purchase at Walmart. Those stands are inexpensive, but solid and quite comfortable for the money. Hanging them is easy enough, but it requires two people and does make a lot of disturbance. Ladder stands are fine for bowhunting, provided you accept and adapt to their drawbacks. Keep these things in mind…

Photo: Bill Konway, Realtree