Hunting equipment
A platform is provided with a ladder to allow the user to easily ascend to the platform. A pair of stabilizing arms and jaws provides lateral stability to the ladder. A climbing stick has a pair of vertical posts attached between the front and rear walls of steps to provide a secure connection. The upper and lower ends extend inwardly and away from each other to provide a gripping surface. A tree stand has a male adapter with a bracket for securing a strap. The strap is used to secure the male adapter in place. Once secured to the tree, the platform area can be attached to the male adapter using a female adapter. The ability to first secure the smaller, lighter bracket and male adapter to a tree before attaching the platform using a female adapter increases the ease in securing the tree stand to a tree.
1. A tree stand, comprising:
a platform,
a ladder attached to a front edge of the platform and extending downwardly from the platform,
a pair of jaws pivotally connected to the platform at a pivot point, each jaw having a first section extending from the pivot point toward the front edge of the platform and a second section extending from the pivot point away from the front edge of the platform;
each side of the ladder having a stabilizer arm extending therefrom, the stabilizer arms attached to a point between a top end and a bottom end of the ladder;
a first cable guide attached to each stabilizer arm;
a pair of cables, the pair of cables comprising:
a first cable attached to a first connection point on the first section a first jaw of said pair of jaws and extending through a first cable guide on a first stabilizer arm of said stabilizer arms; and
a second cable attached to a first connection point on the first section a second jaw of said pair of jaws and extending through a first cable guide on a second stabilizer arm of said stabilizer arms,
wherein each cable causes pivoting of the jaw of a respective of said pair of jaws when tension is applied to the cable, and
a cable tensioner attached to the ladder, the pair of cables attached to the cable tensioner,
wherein tension applied to the cables from the cable tensioner causes a distal ends of the of jaws to move closer together and the pair of stabilizer arms to move closer together.
2. The tree stand of claim 1 , wherein the stabilizer arms are releasably attached to the ladder.
3. The tree stand of claim 1 , further comprising second cable guides attached to the platform, each cable passing through a respective one of the second cable guides.
4. The tree stand of claim 1 , wherein the platform comprises:
a base, and
a frame extending from the base,
wherein the pair of jaws are pivotally connected to the frame.
5. The tree stand of claim 4 , further comprising second cable guides attached to the frame, each cable passing through a respective one of the second cable guides.
6. The tree stand of claim 1 , wherein the cable tensioner is attached to the ladder at a point below the stabilizer arms.
7. The tree stand of claim 1 , wherein the ladder has a first side, a second side and a plurality of rungs extending between the first side and the second side.
8. The tree stand of claim 1 , wherein each jaw is independently pivotable.