I've been considering building several permanent stand locations for next season cause I have plenty of lumber and not much desire to buy a lock on. Is it worth the effort to build some platform type stands or do the deer just get used to them and avoid them?
Killed some pretty big deer out of those types of stands
Everyone of them I've seen, look like an accident waiting to happen!
A friend built some fairly large ones on primo spots of his property and within a few years the deer pretty much avoided them. At that time he started having to use them primarily in gun season only. Having said that, in my lifetime deer have learned to pretty much look up in the trees all the time and I've had plenty of portable stands that weren't concealed well enough and the deer were aware of their location before I ever hunted them. If I built permanent I'd go small and camouflaged enough that you wouldn't immediately recognize it from the ground. The best spots aren't often going to have the right trees/cover where that is possible. I'm lazy and don't like to put it up and take it down every time, but it's probably the best way not to burn a good spot out fast.
Lot's of hunters severely injured or killed every single year due to "permanent" stands. The trees continue to grow and weaken the joints - no matter how good you think you build them. Just food for thought...
A properly built permanent stand is as safe as any climber or hang on stand out there if it is done right. But they must be strongly built, and they must be well maintained with frequent inspections.
If you are talking about nailing boards in live trees...you are asking for trouble. As trees grow and sway in the wind, nails will be pulled loose. If you are talking about sinking sturdy posts into the ground and then building a platform on that...that is a different matter.
If they are built right with treated lumber and not nailed into the tree that can be great you know like a deck on your home.
My uncle builds stands out of what ever scrap wood he has and what ever nails he can find. They all pretty much need to be maintenance and fixed every season. And in the cold they creak and pop like an SOB. For the work of hauling out all the wood cutting it building ladders etc...and then find out you need it moved 40 yds. One way. I'll take portables even though some,aren't that portable. And in MN. A permanent built stand becomes public property. So unless you build it on private land you could find someone sitting in your stand and by law you cannot kick them out.
That being said I have taken lots of deer out out some pretty shabby lookin homage jobbys. But I also had a friend break his leg really bad. He was climbing a homage stand when a nail head pulled right through one of the ladder rungs and down he went. 3 surgeries followed. Oh and last weekend I had had a homage Ladder break just as I climbed out of it.
Time to eat
Safety is definitely a concern as I will most like not be the only one in them. Can they be kept relatively "safe" though with some yearly maintenance? The main spots I would put them is field edge along trails leading to a food plot. I have very rarely hunted from stands on my property over the years so hopefully the deer aren't too wise to them already.
Anyting permanent is an eyesaw. And, the deer will learn to avoid them.
I have taken over 40 deer from "permanent" tree stands. I agree that they need to be checked carefully every year and repaired as needed. I have taken as many as 3 deer from the same stand in a given year. As in any hunting, minimizing movement and hunting only those times the wind is cooperating is necessary.
I feel much safer in one of my "permanent" stands than in any of my others, including ladder stands and climbers.
Good luck and hunt safely.
I have seen and taken many deer from permanent stands. Typically they become place for racoons to "unload".
I prefer portables anymore. less of an eyesore and can be moved with deer patterns.
Years ago a buddy and I rebuilt an old permanent stand that was in a 3 limbed forked white oak tree. His Dad, my buddy and I killed 9 deer out of that stand including 3 nice size bucks. It wasn't unusal to have 15 does around you at one time. It was big enough for 2 people to hunt out of it had a railing around it. We just kept up with the whole season. Wish I could tell ya how it did the next season but we lost the lease, from what ive heard from some reliable sources someone heard about the abundant deer on the lease and offered an outrageous amount to lease it.
One mans eyesore is another mans work of art.
I love a permanent stand. I love finding other peoples older ones out in the wild and wonder, How many deer?
I don't think deer avoid them. just the opposite is true. they walk by it every day. It becomes part of the wild.
My house is pretty "permanent" but the deer are still there every year when the apples drop
This should have been a poll!! :biglaugh:
That wasn't a pun. I started hunting at a time when portable stands didn't exist. Or if they did they were just coming on the market. My entire family self included killed many deer from them. Some times MANY years in a row. Actually a lot of us killed our first deer from the same Stand. Depends in how they are built and they do need to be checked. I agree with bow berry above. They become part of the woods and the deer get used to them. There's something neat about seeing an old tree stand in the woods. I do feel though. There currently are safer options and if you have too many it can be an "eyesore"
Most become unsafe eyesores of some otherwise nice woods. (http://rs1019.pbsrc.com/albums/af316/scotthpics/IMG_0907.jpg~c200) (http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/scotthpics/IMG_0715.jpg) (http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/scotthpics/IMG_0706.jpg) (http://i1019.photobucket.com/albums/af316/scotthpics/IMG_0714.jpg)
I think they are neat to find and don't consider them an eye sore. I have found several old ones on public lands here in MO. These were probably built by the original owners of the property. They do become rather unsafe though lol. If you do build some see about maybe building them with that new compressed plastic lumber.
I say build some, what kind of wood are you going to use and what type of design? Are you gonna use one tree or more to build each stand. If your design and wood is right a permanent stand can be VERY safe.
Forty years ago(!), a good buddy nailed up four permanent stands, with my permission, to trees in the best locations on our farm while I was away at college.
Within a few years, each of those trees died. Each has long fallen over, but no other tree in each area is positioned to take advantage of what was an amazing hunting site.
25 years ago, a kid nailed up a permanent stands to one of my remaining favorite trees WITHOUT permission. That tree is dead and gone, too.
Perhaps this does not always happen, but every permanent stand I have ever been around has meant the end of the tree. Perhaps that won't matter if you own the land and have a number of other options, but I regret that they ever happened on our place.
I have gone to only ladder stands due to age creeping along and medical trouble... but also to keep my trees alive.
I have hunted a stand this year that my late father hunted from 30 years ago. My son rebuilt the stand a little higher than the original about 4 years ago and my grandson missed his first buck out of it last year. I had to repair it last year after a wind storm.
I am hoping my 17 year old grandson can take one from it this year as that will be 4 generations of successful hunting from the tree. I figure that big old oak will still be around when I'm gone.
Nostalgia!!!
this is one occurrence when I will choose modern technology over tradition..
Jakeemt great idea with the compressed decking lumber. As far as the tree is concerned I dont have any picked out yet but in my mind I'm leaning towards something you can't get a climber into. I want to place them where they will be as inconspicuous as possible. I'd like to not even have a ladder if at all possible but that may be a pipedream on the safety side. Has anybody had a design without a ladder that worked for well for them that was just a platform attached to the tree? Like I said before, I dont mind maintenance.
I can still remember the sounds of early bow season many yrs ago. Hammering.
This was a time before commercial portable stands and the only ones hunting from trees either built or had built a loc on, permanent stand or just climbed up and sat or stood on a good limb.
There wasn't many bow hunters back then and the gun hunters would take to the woods to build there permanent tree stands during bow season.
I've hunted out of my share of the old ones..but never built one or drug a ladder through the woods.
When we were younger (back in the 70's), all the guys that hunted had stories (and scars) of homemade tree stands that broke, pulled away from the tree, collapsed etc. Save yourself a big medical bill and buy a good one.
Just hunt from a ground stand you won't have too far to fall if it gives out on you.
QuoteOriginally posted by fnshtr:
I have hunted a stand this year that my late father hunted from 30 years ago. My son rebuilt the stand a little higher than the original about 4 years ago and my grandson missed his first buck out of it last year. I had to repair it last year after a wind storm.
I am hoping my 17 year old grandson can take one from it this year as that will be 4 generations of successful hunting from the tree. I figure that big old oak will still be around when I'm gone.
Nostalgia!!!
Now this is just about the coolest and best reason I have ever heard to build a permanent tree stand! That is really cool!
Jake: thanks. I had a doe and fawn within 20 yards of that tree last evening. If the doe had been alone I may have put another notch on the stand.
My grandson will be hunting from it tomorrow. :pray: :pray:
getthose guys who build houses in trees to build them for you. they seemed to have engineered around many of the above cautions-yes, they are dangerous!
Before the baker noise maker, all such were nailed to trees or other wise propped up on them. Nothing like climbing in one before dawn and realize after sunrise the wasps like that very spot too! and they are partially using the ladder.
I think it is important to build them as close to where the trunk/limbs separate as possible. That area does not move with the wind nearly as much as farther up the tree. It obviously takes the right tree to put a good stand in.
I am working on a couple of ideas for building platforms that have "give" build in. Large washers, lag bolts and elongated holes in the support braces. Also have an idea using steel tree steps.
I would never build one like the pictures above. Mine are simple platforms with seats and usually rails (for the younger hunters in the family). I like to pick up older aluminum ladders at yard sales and paint them with flat brown, black and green splotches. You can quickly seal the rung ends and they almost last forever.
Good luck!!!