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Old Deer stand on my property
Warbirds
Member Posts: 16,927 ✭✭✭✭
This has to be 10-15 years old & I must have walked right past it in the summer but with the leaves down I found it today.
It is in the far back right corner of my property pointed right at federal land that has no public access.
There is no sign it has seen use in a very long time and I checked thoroughly and no game cameras anywhere around.
I’m gonna take the ladder down just to keep my kids from falling out of it at some point.
Comments
Got enough property to put up one to hunt on your land? That one doesn't have a microwave for pizza, so no loss.
Give your boys a stack of 2x4s, saw, hammer, and nails. They get a really cool tree house, you get a upgraded deer stand.
Someone has shot a big un or two from that stand. Good indicator it's most likely a good Deer crossing. Since it's on your property it would probably be a good place to put up a safe ladder stand or game blind.
When I stumble upon signs of old rotten permanent Deer stands in trees I wonder how many shots he got at the big un's with his Iron sighted 30/30 lever action Winchester while cold, shaking and shivering in the cold weather and then he got Buck fever when he seen him coming. I've found 30/30 hulls in the leaves under that type of old rotten stands.
That stand needs retrofitted or just like you did take the ladder out. Would say years ago it was used.
When we bought this house we found a deer stand back in the woods. We took it down because we only have 11 acres here, surrounded by cattle in pastures on three sides. All I needed was a tresspasser shooting a neighbor's cows…like I don't have enough drama in my life.
That doesnt look very old to me, just built with whatever they had on hand. Id bet someone was hunting it recently.
NOT a chance in hell would I use that.
I built a few stands in my day with permission. My main thing was never use nails. Always used screws an nuts with bolts. Would paint the top side once a year with outdoor paint. Last stand was up for 14 years before property was sold. Was more work taking it down than putting it up. Took lots of deer from that beast.
The 70 year old me says "Tear that thing down!"
The 25 year old in me says "Hold my beer"
Take it down……. speaking from experience, I climbed into a stand I did not set up myself. I got half way up and the strap let loose. I fell about 8 feet and landed on my muzzleloader. Luckily it was warm and the ground was soft instead of frozen as it would have usually been that time of year….. I boogered up my leg and had to replace my scope, it could have been a lot worse..
My rule is if I did not build it or put it up, stay out of it….. If you or your family ever want to hunt, build another one or buy a decent ladder stand. AND wear a safety harness !
My rule is, if it doesn't have guard rails or seat belts, don't go there. What do I know, no one uses stands for mule deer.
I say the tarp is less than 10 years old. The crappy dog chain should also have more rust if it's older. I'd aim a game camera on the "stand" for the two legged trespasser.
if its built using 2 trees for attaching, you can bet your LIFE those nails have A. rusted out or broke , or B.countersunk into the boards so much they can't hold much. either way its a deathtrap and should be torn down. plus the fact that those same nails will be a logger's/sawmill's nightmare later on
The 70 year old me says tear it down.
The 25 year old me says "Hold my beer."
Exactly ^^^
I wouldnt use it either, BUT I bet someone is/was using it recently. Id bet there is prob a current trespasser.
I would definitely tear it down. Maybe set up a camera and get pics first, that way you know who to have a talkin with first.
Yep, no overgrowth on the tree. I would say it was used within the last year. Camo/tarp only looks to be tattered in about ayear's worth of weather. Wouldn't be surprised if builder had plans to return this year.
how do you know it wasn't the old owners stand.????????