gibblet

before light, if you're careful, it won't sound like much more than a squirrell messing around. i like mixed woods hunting. after 5 or six trips up and down the tree the same way you'll get the loose bark off and it'll get pretty darn quiet going up and down. good idea to wear the path up and down the tree out before season.

one on one

if i've got my choice, it'll be a pine, can climb as high as you like, less chance of the climber sliping,excellent tree to climb.

mobow

Southern MO is full of Loblolly pines, and there is not better climbing tree in the world. They are tall, straight, uniform, and no lower branches in the way. They crunch a little, but when you are up there, no problem at all. I typically climb higher in them than any other tree.

davidmil

YUP, I have and will be in a pine tree in NY come Wednesday. Couple of things. One, you get a lot of junk falling off the tree onto your stand. First thing when you get settled in is to do some house cleaning. First thing I do is take a knife or take a limb saw and scrape off all the shaggy pine bark pieces where my back will rest. If you don't your clothing will be catching on it and pieces will continue to fall off onto your stand. Next after you've done that, kick all the lose pieces you knocked off the tree climbing up and scrapping off your platform. You don't want one of those to go CRUNCH when you move your feet to shoot that monster. You usually have to saw off a few limb stubs as you climb, but that's no big deal. I like to find a pine with another little tree or maybe even a leafy tree next to it that I can pull over and tie to my tree or stand to give me some cover. If there is none I gather some pine bows where I can to weave into my stand to hide me. Works great. Pine trees do sway a big more than some old oak in the wind, but it's part of the game. Can't wait for Wednesday.

Hunter06FlKy

if you take your time and pay attention to how you move your lower platform it can be pretty quiet. that's why i take my time. it takes a little longer but it's a big difference between trying to be speedy gonzalez.

G2 Shooter

I have climbed a few pines and have mixed opinions about them. They offer good cover, at least the ones I have been in. If you are using a climber, you definately have to trim branches on the way up. Preferrably not the day you are hunting. You are better off using a hang on. You have to do house cleaning like davidmil described. The worst part for me is that I get pine sap all over everything. I hate that stuff. I won't use a pine unless it's the best tree for the area I am hunting.

Capt Ray

Nothing wrong with pines, they are usually straight, thick and depending on the type, the branches are on the upper third of the tree. As far as noise, have you ever heard a squirrel in a tree? As long as you don't make any metalic sounds with your stand it will not bother the deer, at least in my area.

kodiak41226

I like to use pine's that are kinda on the edge of a tree line. That way it still has branches all the way to the ground; you can use them to climb up. I cut a hole out for the climber to hook on, and then you have a stand with excellent cover. I can't imagine actually trying to climb up one using the stand, is that possible?

SCbowhntr

In the part of SC that I hunt, pines are pretty much all we can climb. As was said before, they are straight and offer the opprotunity to climb 30+ feet. The little noise it creates doesn't seem to bother the deer...just keep it slow.