Did some Tree Stand practice today...Sept is closing in

[Bud B.]

I built a permanent stand two seasons ago. This spring the vegetation has gone haywire where I built it. Good thing is it's getting more concealed. The stand is still just as solid as two seasons ago when it was built.

I got the bow out and tried several shots along the trails where the deer usually come in.

Things are looking good for early Sept            


Get out and practice the hunting shots if you can. I'm lucky to hunt on my father's land and practicing there is real easy to do.

[Mike Vines]

[Richie]

  Bud, lets see some pictures of the stand and the shot.

[Bud B.]

Didn't have the camera  :(

In late fall everything opens up after the leaves fall off, but now there are few shooting lanes. But I like the concealment it offers.

This is the only photo I can find at the moment. Cell phone pic of a button buck two years ago.

If he's in the same spot this year I'd be hard pressed to get a shot where he's standing.

[NoCams]

Make sure and cut some small shooting lanes 360 degrees around the stand, trust me on this one ! They will always come the way you are not expecting them too. Please be careful with that stand too, stands like that take more abuse than you would think from the weather. Wear a safety harness ! Good luck this fall.

[NoCams]

Wooops, almost forgot too..... make sure you check for wasp and hornet nests in your stand right before opening day. Had a friend who left a hang on stand out one year and hunted it opening morning. When he climbed in before daylight he had no way to see the nest and they started stinging him before he attached his harness. Yes, he fell out ! Lucky he was not killed or paralyzed.

[Mike Falkner]

Or like a friend here who climbed into his ladder stand on opening morning to find a 2' copperhead occupying the platform.  Set new record for ladder descent....

[Iowabowhunter]

Looks like a good stand to practice from! I like to practice out of our stands, just need to find where I put my safety harness!

[Huntingnut]

 Good idea!

[Bud B.]

Found this picture on the PC.

 

This would be from the button buck's viewpoint. I did take the two Sourwood trees to the left and right (hard to see) and bent them over and tied them behind the stand where I sit to give me a good background. Therefore no 360 degree shot. This pic was from last year early season.

The deer come from everywhere in these woods, so seeing and not shooting is a-o-k. But most come from downhill up towards me.

The legs are now wrapped in clearance sale Christmas garland from good ol' wallyworld.

Man I'm gettin excited already!

THREE MONTHS TO GO!!

[joe ashton]

practice....practice....     ....practice.

2 months..3 weeks and 22 hours!

[rolltidehunter]

Nice

[Frank V]

Wow what a nice place to hunt,
It's always great to have  your own private spot to hunt.
Frank

[Richie]

Very nice , thanks for sharing.    

[Bud B.]

Took another gander at the stand today. I'm itching to go huntin'. Didn't take the bow this time, just checking things out and planning a pruning session coming up. I'll try to remember the camera for my next visit.

The red clay was cut with nice little v grooves of many sizes.

   

Opening day will be fun!!

[JamesKerr]

Looks good can't wait for the season to start.

[olddogrib]

Bud,
If you're going to shoot Forsyth tomorrow, track me down.  I've been carrying around a sack of trad archery magazines for months, if you're still sending them to service members.  We've zigged and zagged this 3-D season I guess.

[Bud B.]

PM sent olddogrib. Got Father's Day plans.

[Fidelios]

What is the minimum eight for a tree stand, by the way? I am thinking of climbing one of the trees at the back of my house. I don't want to harm any tree and the only one which that is easier to climb is one that has a natural kind of platform because it's bendy and the limb goes off and has a nice solid lookind fork. But it's not that high.I would say about 3 meters from the ground.I want to practise as well but I'm kind of reluctant to climb it...

[Bud B.]

Whatever you climb make sure the tree is sturdy and you have a good solid well anchored platform to stand on. Mine is 10 feet high, roughly three meters. But the terrain to the front of the stand drops.

The tree stand in the photos is in a sweet gum tree. My dad hates them and if it eventually dies it'll be no loss to us. I picked the sweet gum because it is a very strong tree. Poplar, oak, and pine are everywhere, but this one was my tree of choice. I'm 47 and my Dad is 74. He doen't hunt anymore nor does he visit the woods, unfortunately.