To be honest, in the last few years my requirements for a treestand have went from 'light, strong and portable' to 'comfortable to sit long hours in with some room to move around'. And that's about it. I guess it has something with me getting fatter and older   A few months prior, I had bought a tri-pod stand to watch over a bottomland pecan orchard. It was a real pain to get assembled and moved into place, but it was far worth the effort!

The place where I was going to place this new Big Game Titan Ladder Stand was too brushy to put up a trip pod stand. This was my second Big Game Ladder stand (the first was the Big Game Skybox Ladder Stand). I loved the first one, which was also a ladder stand, but it was somewhat narrow for my big behind and it was 20 ft tall. I didn't need one that tall which was another reason I chose the Titan, which is 16 ft to the shooting rail.

Since I live close to a Bass Pro, that's where I bought it. I got it home and put it together. The included instructions were easy to follow and all the nuts and bolts were there! In fact, I was pleased to see that all the little pieces seemed to be of high quality. Sometimes when you by something like this, those little pieces are just cheap as they can be. This wasn't the case here. As with my first ladder stand from Big Game, this one was all quality.

I also used some Olive Drab, dark Grey and Brown spray paint to paint my own personal camo job on this treestand. It's a beautiful black color, but the trees in my area aren't all black with Big Game Treestand logo's on them. Yep, the logo got covered up as well. The treestand now has a nifty 4 color paint job that blends into the surroundings really well.

The Big Game Titan Ladder Stand weighs 79 pounds so it's not one you're going to carry in and out of the woods every time you go hunting! But where we hunt, we put them and use them like a permanent treestand. They stay there unless we feel we need to move them.

As my hunting  buddy had to work, it was me, myself and I putting this stand up. I think the instructions said that three people needed to put it up. I figured much of that was due to liability reasons. Besides, I don't like having my buddy help me because he'll be wanting to log the surrounding area of all trees and limbs! I have to take the limb saw away from him!

What I did was to put the sections on my game cart. The treestand along with the limb saw, pull up rope and other necessities were lashed to the cart. The walk in would be about 1/4 mile across a muddy field and a small branch. I finally made it and picked the tree where I wanted to put the stand.

The way I put up a ladder stand is to assemble it and lay it on the ground with the back of the stand pointing up. I put the bottom of the legs about where I think they need to go when the stand is in place. Next, I lifted the stand at the top and started walking the stand up. While it wasn't the easiest thing I've ever done, it wasn't as hard as I had imagined. Once the stand was against the tree, I attached the stabilizer bar. I then climbed up and finished attaching the Titan treestand to the tree.

I wouldn't recommend anyone install a ladder stand this way. It would have been great to have help, but I just didn't have it that day. Follow the instructions and get a few of your buddies to come along and help...just make sure they're not Paul Bunyan!

First Impressions of the Big Game Titan Ladder Stand

I have to tell ya, when I was assembling this tree stand, I had my doubts about whether or not this Flex Cor seat would be comfortable on my big butt! So I was amazed when I sit down in it and discovered that this thing is very comfortable! This seat looks like it's a cushion on top of bungee cords that crisscross the bottom of the metal frame that makes the seat. This seat also flips up which is nice when you want to stand up.

The platform of the stand is 23 inches across and 30 inches deep. When I stood up, I felt like I could do so comfortably and didn't feel like I would lose my balance and tumble out of the stand. (which is why you should wear a safety belt)

I sit there on the stand for the first time and mentally made notes of which limbs had to be cut. I was enjoying sitting there, just taking the warm Fall afternoon in. I stood up and moved around a bit to see if there were any squeaks or anything else that needed to be attended to before I left. There was.

I must have tightened one of the bolts that run through the back of the seat too tight. It rubbed the side of the stand when lowering and raising. Plus, the seat would make a small metal 'clank' whenever the seat frame contacted the stand where the seat rested.

The rubbing part didn't concern me too much. I was more put out with myself for not testing this when I had the stand at home. The small clank was remedied my next trip with some glue backed felt I use on my bow.

I have mixed emotions about the fold down rest. I wish there was some way it could be made to have the arm rest separated from the fold down rest. When I'm sitting down and have the rest down, I have to stand to shoot my bow. The rest is a little low (at least for me) to be used as a really good rifle rest. But with a little bit of ingenuity, I can make it work. (well, I actually brought along my Primos shooting stick!)

Overall, I am very pleased with this treestand. It's one of the most comfortable treestands I've ever used. During the hunting season,  I sit in this stand from 4 to 6 hours at a stretch. When my buddy sit in it, he actually called me while in the stand to tell my how comfortable it was. I never did kill a deer from that stand, but it wasn't because I didn't see 'em. I had several deer below my stand and they never knew I was anywhere around. The right one just didn't come along while I was in the stand.

If you're looking for a rock solid ladder stand that is easy to assemble and one that you can sit in comfortable for long hours, then try the Big Game Titan ladder stand. I think you'll find that it fits the bill very well.

Click here to see the Big Game Treestands Titan Ladder Stand at Bass Pro.

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So, here are 10 gift ideas for the Deer Hunter on your Christmas list. They vary in price range so that anyone can afford at least one of them. You Guys and Gals can thank me later!

Hunter's Specialties Butt Out Big Game Dressing Tool

Cost: $9.99

Some of you may remember back last year when I did a review of the Butt Out Tool. Every time I use this, I can't believe I didn't invent it. It's so darn easy to do and makes a crappy job (pun intended) easier and cleaner. Get this for your Deer Hunter, they will thank you the next time they field dress a Deer.

Razor Edge Sharpening System

Cost: Kits - $22.95 to $229.95 - individual hones less

If it's one thing I love more than a great gun (okay, maybe I should have said 'as much'), it's a great knife. I don't know why, but I just feel a special connection when I'm handling a good knife. So it only stands to reason that I have used nearly every sharpening system known to a Hunter. Diamond hones, Arkansas Hones, etc. You name it, I've tried it. Nothing has ever given me a great edge like the hones I bought nearly 20 years ago from Razor Edge Systems. If you have trouble maintaining a correct edge on your knife while sharpening, then get the Guides. I'd recommend reading the book and/or watching the video if you're not skilled in bringing a knife to a razor sharp point. Click here to visit Razors Edge Systems. They also make hones for fish hooks and broadheads. I'd recommend getting your Deer Hunter one of their kits.

Lifetime Hunting and Fishing License

Cost: Varies from State to State

I'm not sure if every State has a Lifetime Hunting & Fishing License. I do know that Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Kansas do. These make excellent...and I mean EXCELLENT gifts for your kids. They're also not too shabby for other Deer Hunters in the Family if they do not already have one. My Dad bought my Oklahoma Combo Hunting and Fishing license for my 16th birthday. Back then, they were $225. I can't tell you how many times these have paid for their self. I've lived in different states for about 15 years of my adult life and it was always a great feeling to know I could come back to Oklahoma and hunt or fish without having to buy those expensive Non-Resident license! Contact your States Wildlife Department to see if they issue Lifetime License and the procedure for obtaining them.

Brownell's NRA Officially Licensed Magna-Tip Screwdriver Set

Cost: $49.99

I hate working on a gun or scope mounts with regular screwdrivers. In fact, I won't unless it's an emergency. Regular screwdrivers are not designed to work with the screws that hold your gun together. They're tapered and do not grab the screw properly. Few things in life are as ugly as damaged gun finishes caused by someone using a regular screwdriver on a gun. Get yourself, or the Deer Hunter in your life, a Magna-Tip screwdriver set from Brownell's. These are the nicest and most durable set of screwdrivers I've used. I've had a set for over 10 years and it has saved me from screaming curse words many times over while working on my guns. The set I'd recommend is the NRA Officially Licensed Magna-Tip Kit. You can see a video of all of the Magna Tip sets by clicking here.

Magellan Triton 300 Handheld GPS Unit

Cost: $149.99

Even if your Deer Hunter goes hunting behind your house, they should always have a compass or GPS unit with them. Nowadays many hunters are carrying these little handheld GPS units with them hunting, fishing, hiking and camping. Many more are using them for navigation while driving. I prefer the basic GPS units. I just want to know where I started from, my waypoints(stand locations or fishing spots) and where I've been. I don't need all the bells and whistles that come with many of the GPS units on the market today. The Magellan 300 has all these features and a few more, but not so many useless features as to leave you needing a 300 page manual to figure it out.

Custom Hunting Knife

Cost: Varies

Recently I went shopping for a hunting knife. Since I recently move and I'm in the middle of a renovation, all of mine somewhere in a storage building and I had no intentions of digging through the building and finding them. I have to say, I was more than disappointed with the current crop of mass produced "hunting knives" on the market today. Too many come with crappy plastic handles. What's even more disheartening is the designs? Who is designing our hunting knifes? Klingons? These things look like something out of a Science Fiction movie! They're crap! I did finally locate one of my fixed blade Case hunting knives (by accident). I've had this particular knife nearly 20 years. If you're like me and love a good hunting knife, try buying a custom one. There are many good knife makers out there who know how to design and build a hunting knife. I personally like a blade between 3 and 4 inches long with a drop point. The Loveless designed knives are just right in my opinion and Beretta makes one that Mr. Loveless designed. Dozier Knives makes several excellent hunting knives. Consider them an investment you can hand down to your children. You can also shop on ebay and find hunting knives by up and coming knife makers. The only thing is about ebay is you'll have to sort through a lot of junk but there are some jewels there! There are many fine knives for you to choose from once you get past those. We no longer have to choose from the crap that mass producers push on us.

NRA Membership

Cost: $35 per year

I think every Hunter and Gun Owner should belong to the NRA. If not, don't whine when you guns or ammo are taxed or legislated away. Although other organizations are out there to help Hunters and Gun Owners, only the NRA is large enough to actually help us. I don't agree with them 100% of the time, but at least they have the muscle to do something. By the way, if you don't know about The American Hunters and Shooters Association, stay away from them. They're actually an anti-hunting, anti-gun group formed by the Democrats to try and divide NRA members to lessen their impact on elections. For a political party to go to this extreme in starting and organizing an association to try and trick Sportsmen and Gun Owners, should show you in easy to understand terms, what they have in mind. By the way, the link above is not to their site, it's to the NRA's Fact Sheet on The American Hunters and Shooters Association. You'll learn a lot more at that site.

Gift Cards

Cost: $10 and up

I use to think Gift Cards were cheesy. I still do in a lot of ways. But I understand us Deer Hunters can be a hard lot to buy presents for. So if you have a Deer Hunter on your Christmas list and you don't know what to get him or her, go to one of the online retailers and purchase a gift card for them. There are many to choose from. Some of my favorites are Campmor, Cabela's, Bass Pro, Gander Mountain, Midway USA, Brownell's and Amazon (for hunting books). This way, they can get what they've been wanting and you come out smelling like a Rose!

Magazine Subscriptions

Cost: $15 and up depending on the Magazine

Magazine subscriptions are gifts that keep on giving. When I was a kid, one of my favorite birthday or Christmas presents were magazine subscriptions to Outdoor Magazines. Back then, my favorite were the "Big Three". Outdoor Life, Sports Afield and Field and Stream. This was back in a time when they still wrote excellent articles about hunting and fishing. Back before they went Yuppiefied and starting writing crap like kayaking on Alaskan Bays or Biking down a Yosemite trail. I haven't picked one of those magazines up in ages. They have forgotten who their readers are in my opinion. Instead, the magazines I tend to pick up now are ones like Fur-Fish-Game, Deer and Deer Hunting, North American Whitetail (not real crazy about this one either), Bowhunter, Muzzleloader Magazine and Traditional Bowhunter. Two others that I highly recommend are Backwoods Home and The Backwoodsman. Both are excellent magazines although they're not entirely hunting related.

Books about Shooting and Deer Hunting

Cost: $10 and up

Just as with my magazine choices, the books I read on Hunting and Shooting tend to be older. It seems the older I get, the less I can stomach most of the commercialized junk that gets passed off as Deer Hunting literature. Some of my favorite authors are Charles Alsheimer, Peter Fiduccia, John Weiss, Leonard Lee Rue III, Gene and Barry Wensel and a few others. If you're Deer Hunter is really into Shooting and Hunting, try getting them some books that are out of print. You'll pay dearly for them, but they'll be a unique and original gift! Some of my favorites are any book by Jack O'Connor, One Man's Whitetail by Gene Wensel, BowHunting Rutting Whitetails by Gene and Barry Wensel, Bowhunting Alaska's Wild Rivers by Jay Massey. Actually, any book by the late jay Massey is an excellent gift. I have several signed books of his and hold them dearly. I also like "How To Bag The Biggest Buck Of Your Life" by Larry Benoit. The original has long been out of print and is quite pricey. There was a new printing of the Paperback a few years ago and they're in the normal price range of books. You can find any of the books I listed here by searching Amazon.

Okay, so there you have it. 10 gift ideas for the deer hunter on your Christmas list. Yes, I wrote "Christmas!". I hope you have a Merry one at that! There's no need for you to get another blaze orange tie with Deer on it or a Sweatshirt with a Big Buck on the front. Now you have an idea what your Deer hunter really wants! If you have some unique or unusual Christmas gift ideas, please leave a comment and share them with everyone else.

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