Hi, Reader,
I have good news and bad news. First, the bad news is that my goal of publishing regularly has already failed only 45 days into the new year. One of my goals for this blog was to post frequently my progress throughout the year to chronicle my first year hunting.
The good news is that the reason I haven't written is I have been scouting a few great locations and preparing for spring turkey hunt. Also, I joined a "sportsmen's association" locally here in Massachusetts to pattern my Mossberg 12 gauge. They have a rifle range and indoor pistol so I'm looking forward to learning new skills and meeting some local hunters for tips and advice. These activities have kept me very busy and along with work, tending to the family and preparing for a short vacation have all kept me from posting about my activities.
I wanted to share my thoughts on tree stands. This may or may not be relevant since so far I've spent no time in my stand yet but I've learned so much about stands and wanted to share some of the knowledge and my thoughts. Obviously the benefits from hunting from a tree stand are in reducing the chances you'll be "busted" or detected by a deer. This works from taking you and your scent up and out of the way. There are two basic types of tree stands: fixed and climbers. A fixed stand has the benefits of being cheaper, secured to the tree, easier to climb up to and once fixed you don't have to lug it in and out with your gear. The "cons" are they are more difficult to attach and you need a way to get up (with sticks, steps, or a ladder.) Also, if you hunt public land they are subject to theft and vandalism. While on one hand a benefit could be "marking your spot" to ward of respectful hunters on the other hand you're advertising your favorite spot, too, giving an idea to hunters who might just be walking by that your location might be "hot."
I decided to get a climber from Lone Wolf. Reason: I'm only hunting public land and I only want to buy one stand (this year.) It weighs 20 pounds and has back-pack straps. I can lug it in, attach both pieces, and shimmy up the tree. There's a seat and a foot rest piece (2 pieces.) You stand up to lift the seat, then sit and pick up your feet and the foot rest moves up. I think some summer scouting and tree preparation will give me already three great spots on public land. I'm also going to try to create shooting lanes while being respectful of the public property and trying to be covert in broadcasting my preferred spots.
"Pros" of the climber are that they are hard to steal since you take them in and out. They are versatile - what if you want to set up on your field and the wind shifts? Some advance preparation will give you chance to set up from any angle. They are faster to set up than a fixed stand. You don't need a ladder or something to climb up on. "Cons" are: they are not attached to the tree so maybe less secure or safe. You need a straight tree with no branches. You will have to carry it in and out for every hunt adding weight and complexity to your packing in and out. As a rookie hunter I'm happy so far with my purchase because I will be able to make multiple sits at many different spots the first week of the season.
There is another option that I considered: the tree saddle. A tree saddle is a harness system that weighs about 4 pounds. It is like a climber in that it's versatile and you take it in and out. You bring some climbing sticks in and a top piece that has a few foot holds and goes all around the tree. You use a lineman's belts to climb up, attach a rope higher than you, then you sit in the harness. As a rookie this looked a little intimidating to me. A "pro" is that the tree saddle serves as your safety harness and seat so it's very safe. I have my doubts about how comfortable it looks but I can't really say because I've never tried it. It costs the same as a good climber plus the safety harness. You'll have to buy some climbing sticks, too. My only con was the comfort concern - it seems a tree stand with a seat and foot rest will let you sit more comfortably for longer. The light weight and stealth are very attractive and would enable you to make more sits than lugging around a big tree stand.
One "must" is a good safety harness. Find out what the best harness is for your type of stand. More people get hurt falling out of tree stands than getting shot hunting. Once I take the stand out for a "spin" this summer I'll post about it. If you have any questions about stands let me know - I did a ton of research on a few different ones. Thanks for reading and "subscribe" by clicking on that "subscribe" on the top right if you enjoyed this.
