Summer tree stand check & maintainance

[fasteddie]

https://www.fieldandstream.com/gear/tree-stand-maintenance-tips/?utm_term=FAS W365 - 050123&utm_campaign=Field %26 Stream_Whitetail 365&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email

[wolc123]

Thanks for the reminder.  I definitely have some work to do on the stands and blinds.  Thats a bigger priority to me than turkey hunting.  The only turkey I ever killed was from one of my deer hunting tree blinds in the fall.  
 

That one definitely needs some work.  It is too narrow and it is difficult to get into.  Im going to take care of those issues before I try and shoot another turkey out of it this spring.  
 

I’m also going to fix up a couple of my truck cap blinds here at our place during turkey season.  One is currently in a good turkey spot but I need to move it into a better location prior to the early September antlerless gun season.  I also need to add hinged overhead fold-out shutters over the (3) glass sliding windows on that.  None of those would open easily last deer season when the temperature dropped below freezing.

 

 I will probably put that project off (and the move)until June because that freeze up won’t effect the turkey hunting.  The other one here needs a plywood floor patch by the back entrance.  I’ll carry that patch piece back during a turkey hunt and nail it down after. 
 

im also going to build a new tree blind on the front edge of my woods,where I cure you have a double ladder that I bought from a former site member here for $ 20.

I am going to move that wide ladder stand over to my parents woods, near the back of my foodplot (which is going to get some serious rework this summer).  That will give me a stand near the front and back of that long plot, giving me more versatility for wind direction.  
 

I also made a new foldaway seat for my “trailer park” ladder stand over there, near the back of my parents woods, which I may also move a hundred or so yards.  I’ll move that during turkey season, to the spot where I seen my last tom turkey and also saw (2) antlerless deer on my last deer hunt on this year’s New Year’s Day afternoon.  
 

The problem with that location, is that all of the high ground at the back of the woods, is too close to the trailers to use guns.  It  will be “crossbow only” for both deer and turkeys.   Had we not just had 8 consecutive days of rain, I could have probably got it more than 500 ft from the closest trailer.  With all this rain, the swamp back there will be full for sure, and that will force me to within about 400 ft of the closest trailer (crossbow setback is 250 ft, gun is 500 per NY regs).  

 

Edited May 4, 2023 by wolc123

[First-light]

I have 3 20' Muddy ladder stands on the property. I turned 60 this year and my Brother inlaw got me a new stand. I told him I'm scaling down on the height of new stands. He got me a 17 foot stand. Not that 3 feet makes a difference if you fall from the top but  it works! lol

[wolc123]

4 hours ago, First-light said:

I have 3 20' Muddy ladder stands on the property. I turned 60 this year and my Brother inlaw got me a new stand. I told him I'm scaling down on the height of new stands. He got me a 17 foot stand. Not that 3 feet makes a difference if you fall from the top but  it works! lol

10 ft is my maximum upper limit, but I am most comfortable about 7 ft up. 

[fasteddie]

I am guessing that a 15' stand has the foot platform at about 12 1/2 feet . i feel comfortable at that height . I bought some ratchet straps to replace older ones . At the end of a season , you should loosen the straps a tad bit so as not to gird a tree and allow for the tree growth .