Ladder Stand Challenges (final pics included!)

You need to hurry and get this contraption on the market as I ain't gettin' no younger. Turned 69 on my last B-day.
Them 20 ft.+ ladder stands aint gettin no lighter even for two people.
Tree fell on me back in 2011, had 2 compression fractures and 1 burst fracture on my backbone. Makes wrassling with a tall ladder stand kinda tough. Iffin you want someone to try out this contraption your making holler at me.

Jim Boyd said:

Morning Tideup ( great name and would also make a great boat name!)

Headed to the camp this afternoon and plan to put the extra heavy Millenium up. It will not have the “flex in the middle” problem that many stands have - I see this a lot with top heavy stands like double ladders stands or stands that have a roof added.

This stand is just massive and heavy. I have created a cable type girder system for the ladder of this stand and while this is the first time I have done this, my hope is that it provides good rigidity to what is a tall and heavy ladder.

Not sure where we are gonna put it but it will most likely be in some thick and nasty - will try to get some pics of the stands and provide a summary of the time and difficulty needed to put the stand up.

Another real world test.


Thanks for asking!

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That is the name of my boat Jim 😄

Dang Larry - So sorry to hear about the injuries.

Yes, the taller, stronger and heavier the stands get, the tougher they are to put up.

Ladder stands are here to stay, that is for sure. I would imagine they make up 35-40% of total stand sales - not in numbers of units perhaps but potentially in revenue. That is just a SWAG though.

It is not just the lifting of the stands, it is the securing them to the tree once you have them elevated.

My guess is the minor injuries occur while lifting (strains, stresses, back problems, etc) but the real injuries occur while trying to secure the stand to the tree (someone falls or the stand collapses).

We did not get the Millenium up - spent the weekend cutting in new plots and tearing the disk up (again).



Tiedup - love it!!!!!

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One of my fears in the woods is taking a sudden jolt which I might get from a climbing stand so I gave up on mine and started using ladderstands. My wife and I went out to put
up a ladderstand 2 yrs. ago and almost had it up when it tilted to one side and flipped over and it hit her in the head.
Can't repeat what she said other than that she wouldn't help me again. So unless I get help it doesn't get moved. I have been following along on this idea of yours so I hope something becomes of it. I hope I can hunt another 10 to 15 years before I have to give it up.

Larry, no reason you can’t hunt from a ladder stand indefinitely, as long as you can walk to the stand and climb the ladder.

Heck I know many folks that drive the ATV or golf cart right to the stand and hunt. They are gun hunters but they harvest deer regularly.

You can do it, brother!

Fortunately I have a friend who helps when I need him to but if it gets into deer season I usually won't move them.
He's married and works and hunts so it doesn't leave him a lot of time.
I might not feel froggy everyday but I still get up and go to work and I probably won't give that up for a few more years. Can't picture myself sitting around doing much of nothing even tho I do too much of that now on the weekend. I did take a nice buck last season and I hope that continues.

Jim,

Still waiting to see the miracle contraption, season is fast approaching and stands need moving.

SGaither - we have used the devices several times this summer - and I will apologize for this next part - I have not had time to either pursue a patent and have not been able to get any of the stand manufacturers to exhibit any real interest.

I know this will sound like ego and I don’t mean it that way - but my guess is they want to see the idea but not pay for it, thus my reluctance to show it off.

I am reading a book on patents right now and this may help guide me in the process.


Sorry the news is not great and THANK YOU for asking.

So Jim, what's it gonna take for me to get on your porstaff and try this gizmo out? I'm willing to pay cash money for the opportunity.

Jim Boyd said:

SGaither - we have used the devices several times this summer - and I will apologize for this next part - I have not had time to either pursue a patent and have not been able to get any of the stand manufacturers to exhibit any real interest.

I know this will sound like ego and I don’t mean it that way - but my guess is they want to see the idea but not pay for it, thus my reluctance to show it off.

I am reading a book on patents right now and this may help guide me in the process.


Sorry the news is not great and THANK YOU for asking.

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Thanks for the update. I completely understand and would not show any stand manufacturers until you had a patent in hand. Good luck securing your patent.

if its that much better than what's already out there, why not skip the reading and go straight to a patent attorney?

elfiii said:

So Jim, what's it gonna take for me to get on your porstaff and try this gizmo out? I'm willing to pay cash money for the opportunity.

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Elfii

I want you, Marvin and Sandra to be the very first folks to test and report on the device, honestly - I do.

Having you pay me is not the issue, brother - Pro-Staffers should test items for free!

When I am able to take the device public, whether I can make any money or not - you three will be the first people I reach out to.

In the meantime, I just have to ask for you patience - and apologize for the delays.

I have been slammed so far this spring and summer and have just not worked on the project as hard as I should. Traveling about 50% of my work time has not helped either - just finished a 14 hour training day in Houston...

Jim

SGaither said:

Thanks for the update. I completely understand and would not show any stand manufacturers until you had a patent in hand. Good luck securing your patent.

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Appreciate the patience and kind words, SGaither !

Mexican Squealer said:

if its that much better than what's already out there, why not skip the reading and go straight to a patent attorney?

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MS -

Can’t hear tone via the forum so I can’t tell if there is frustration or sarcasm in your comment, so I will just assume there is not. You can correct me if I am wrong.

You asked me if it is “that much better than what is already out there” - why don’t I go straight to a patent attorney. In all candor, I have never even seen (nor heard of) a device that is even remotely similar to mine.

I am pretty sure that there HAVE been but to my knowledge they have never been produced and marketed.

You also asked why I would continue to read the book. - it is entirely possible (perhaps even probable) that I have not considered all options yet.

My wife is in the legal field and her opinion (although she is not involved in patent law) is that even a full patent only protects you so far... Many is the device or invention that has been very slightly modified and reproduced. Defending the patent can be prohibitively expensive. Deep pockets vs the little guy? You can probably guess who generally wins that battle.

With that said, I am not in a hurry and I feel like time is on my side. My SC crew has seen the device and my IL crew (one guy is in both crews) will see it in September. I will likely take one of the prototypes up to Illinois and simply leave it there - and one of them is in the barn in SC right now.

This will permit additional low vis testing (with people I already know personally and have hunted with for a few years) in various settings, which will allow me more opportunities for two things: find any deficiencies / potential improvements and also get more hands on feedback and opinions.

My buddy Keith and I have three more 20’ or talller stands to put up in SC in the next few weeks and he and I (along with two other buddies) will also be putting up 4 Millenniums in Illinois over Labor Day. Two of the Milleniums have been modified to over 21’ and they are very heavy.

I am confident these upcoming tests will assist me.


Thanks

Fun following this. Keep up the good work JB.

Wonder if GON would get on board and sponsor ya

Jim

That making a living always seems to get in the way of hunting and ? fishing. I am planning to do something about that in about 22 more months

Keep on working on it as you can. Sandra, Lee, and I will be glad to test these tools and report.

Jim Boyd said:

Elfii

I want you, Marvin and Sandra to be the very first folks to test and report on the device, honestly - I do.

Having you pay me is not the issue, brother - Pro-Staffers should test items for free!

When I am able to take the device public, whether I can make any money or not - you three will be the first people I reach out to.

In the meantime, I just have to ask for you patience - and apologize for the delays.

I have been slammed so far this spring and summer and have just not worked on the project as hard as I should. Traveling about 50% of my work time has not helped either - just finished a 14 hour training day in Houston...

Jim

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I'm hangin' tight Jim but I ain't gettin' no younger.

Lee,

Not sure I knew your name!

After a 15 hour training day today - I ain’t feeling any younger either.

Marvin, I still have 5.5 years to go but with 34 years logged at the same employer, I fear the years will zip by and I am not wanting to rush Father Time....

Our SC season is less than 2 months away, I will be working in Illinois over Labor Day, I have the 3rd week of October off for the SC rut and will be in illlinois hunting the first two weeks of November.... my dance card feels full and that is not taking into account a week at the beach with my bride in early August and several weeks of work travel thrown in there. No darn wonder I feel old!

But....come on season!!!!!

I had a chance to use Jim's first prototype at the club this past weekend putting up a 15' 2 man ladder stand by myself. Jim gave me "Ladder Stand Erect 101" course and off I went. This tool makes it very easy and safe for one person to erect a ladder stand. The improvements Jim are making from the first to second prototype will just refine the process and make it that much easier and safer.
Great invention Jim.
Karl