Treestand nostalgia

Interesting observation. One I've never thought about. I have 4 such stands on my property from years ago. One is still usable(safety not withstanding). The other 3 not so much. Been contemplating taking them down just to return the woods back to its natural state so to speak. Thinking I'll just leave them up now. Ground blinds are the big thing up in Bayfield county where I hunted for many years in the NF. Found many of them in my travels up there. Some pretty elaborate. Shot deer out of a few of them and built a few myself. Great topic. I totally get it, the nostalgia thing.;)
 
Bowsnbucks said:
Natty - Do you hunt with moccasins / buckskins on when you track/stalk ?? :D Use a spear ?? :p ( No offense either, but Bill left a thread hanging - had to yank on it !! )
Many deer taken by tracking & stalking - I've done it myself. Benoit family of Maine - monsters in the woods. It's an exciting way to hunt.
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Ha! Funny. No moccasins, but I do go light. Sandwich, water, some rope, map, compass, knife, and a lighter.

The Benoits have had a few rough rough years. Larry passed away obviously. Then Lane. And I'm pretty sure Larry's grandson got himself in some trouble with the law. Still....my idols and legends in the Northeast big deer woods.
 
kl9 said:
Ever heard the song A Different World by Covington? You may like it
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Yep that pretty much sums it up. Not a different time, a different world.
Thanks for posting that.
 
The past is our finest teacher, and nostalgia removes the rough edges from it!
 
There was a similar thread a little while ago discussing the first climbers and old safety harnesses. I shot my first archery deer out of one of those nailed in stands and an old lawn chair. It was on a friend's family farm and that's where they all hunted from. Most of our public land stands were sitting behind old blow downs or fallen trees. I worked in the car business for years. We got used to hearing people say "they sure don't build them like they used to". Our response was always "and thank God they don't". The past was necessary because it got us to where we are today - but we hunters sure have better and safer options at our disposal than we used to.
 
I have old home made stand all over the property. I know where they all are because I BUILT THEM. I started out with just a board wedged across some limbs with a nail in it so it wouldn't move. No such things as ladders, I had to jump as high as I could and grab limbs the swing my feet up balancing on the limb the climb over onto the board. I then evolved into the two tree method. Nailing boards on a big tree for steps and nailing boards between two trees and making a platform. I remember one tree that grew faster than the other causing a nice slanted stand that made it easier to stand in. I then evolved to the triangle stand where I nailed two boards against the trunk making a triangle out to a limb and putting boards on for a platform with a few nails for support. They were never more than 10 feet off the ground. A lot are still standing and I walk by them all the time and remember back when. Bill is right, they are quite nostalgic now in the present. Some of these are 40 years old. If I didn't have 4 foot of snow right now I'd go get some pictures.
 
I found three new ones this spring on some old army corps ground. Brought back memories from 20 years ago.


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The first deer I shot from a tree was in a double trunk home build. 2 boards across, one in the middle for the platform. Nothing like a 1/2 square foot platform!

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I was so stupid when I was young. I cut a 2 foot section of 2x6 in half and put it back together with a heavy hinge. I cut slopes on the edges. I would find forked trees, climb up in them and snap the board in the fork. Nothing but pressure holding it in place. No such thing as safety belts or climbing aids. All this done with firearm slung over my shoulder.

I'm quite surprised I'm alive to type this....

I haven't had a close friend killed by falling out of a tree stand yet, but I had a couple come close with broken rigs, punctured lungs, and broken vertebrate. I hope when young readers see this thread they take away how STUPID we were when young and don't get the idea this kind of idiocy is OK.

Jack
 
We hunted out of homemade deer stands built into trees.
I know it sounds stupid, but they were secure, safe and effective. Now I realize the tree probably didn't appreciate the nails.
 
bwoods11 said:
We hunted out of homemade deer stands built into trees.
I know it sounds stupid, but they were secure, safe and effective. Now I realize the tree probably didn't appreciate the nails.
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Trees move in the wind. There is really no fastener that is secure over time.
 
yoderjac said:
Trees move in the wind. There is really no fastener that is secure over time.
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Well they are all still there. 25 years later
 
bwoods11 said:
Well they are all still there. 25 years later
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I have some still there 25 years later and that doesn't make them safe. I'd think of it this way. A tree can be dead and stand for many, many years and then when conditions are right become a dead fall. In the same way, torque stress on connectors can cause fracturing but the connector may hold until conditions are right for catastrophic failure.
 
A well maintained deer stand built in a tree is no more dangerous than a store bought stand that is set up and ignored. Welds, bolts, straps, mesh, ladders and tree pegs can become stressed and fail as well.
 
I am not saying they are safe?

Everyone, and I mean almost everyone hunted out of stands like that in the 1980s in my area. Ladder stands were non existent.

Most of our stands had side rails, good ladders, really good reinforcement.
I know of one guy breaking through one and getting hurt in my area.

One guy... Compare that to guys falling out of portables, heck I slipped and nearly impaled myself on a tree step.

Hunting 12-15 feet off the ground can be dangerous.
 
If I were to build one today, I'd cut some slots in the support lumber and use BIG lags and boiler washers to allow the trees to sway in the wind without cracking the lumber. Slots would allow movement to some degree. Same method for the side rails. P.T. lumber or white oak for it's water - sealing properties.
 
Satchmo said:
A well maintained deer stand built in a tree is no more dangerous than a store bought stand that is set up and ignored. Welds, bolts, straps, mesh, ladders and tree pegs can become stressed and fail as well.
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You are absolutely correct! Stands left out and not examined and tested from year to year can be just as if not even more dangerous.
 
Bowsnbucks said:
If I were to build one today, I'd cut some slots in the support lumber and use BIG lags and boiler washers to allow the trees to sway in the wind without cracking the lumber. Slots would allow movement to some degree. Same method for the side rails. P.T. lumber or white oak for it's water - sealing properties.
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Or just build a free standing stand like many of those shown in the Project section. Using a live tree as a support that grows and moves in the wind would require so much more engineering to ensure it is safe that it wouldn't be worth any cost savings in lumber.
 
We have many stump sprouted multi-trunked oaks that made great locations for homemade stands. We designed them to slide as the trees moved. I think ours were pretty safe with annual maintenance. We've moved on to ladder stands and home made box blinds. My father abandoned his after 30 years but only because he finally realized the location was too disruptive and he was willing to hunt the edges instead.
 
chickenlittle said:
We have many stump sprouted multi-trunked oaks that made great locations for homemade stands. We designed them to slide as the trees moved. I think ours were pretty safe with annual maintenance. We've moved on to ladder stands and home made box blinds. My father abandoned his after 30 years but only because he finally realized the location was too disruptive and he was willing to hunt the edges instead.
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My last one was built on steel sliders. Didn't matter if the trees moved. It was there til there
Loggers cut around the slides and took the tree.
 
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