The retiring of a great wooden stand

After months of agonizing over the safety in a 24 year old wooden stand, I made the time to retire this old thing. Probably the best $40.00 in treated lumber I spent back in 1990. Just after aquiring my farm, I was lacking cash, so I bought all the lumber and constructed wooden ladder stands to suit my needs. As the years have past, one-by-one they have sub come to rotten boards, eye bolts failing, and the repairs costing more than my original investment.

Of the dozen original stands I built, this one has lasted the longest and by far out produced all the others combined. From the notches I engraved for each buck shot from here, 17 are still visible amongst the squirrel chewing.

So, I hung a two man stand in the vicinity with the intent to hang my hang-on stand above it. Hard to believe the hours spent sitting here when reflecting back over 24+ years. Well, hopefully the spot continues to bless us with more great memories. Trail cam pics are looking grim as I haven’t captured anything more than 2-1/2 years old yet between 14 cameras out.

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Always said to retire a good old wooden stand.

I have to say, though, I don’t miss the hassle of hanging from one arm like a monkey and trying to drive screws with the other hand. Forget about accidents when using the stand, the most likely accident I was going to have was while building one.

We finally gave up on wood stands when I calculated out the cost of replacing 2 stands and with all the lumber costs, etc, we could buy steel 2 man ladder stands for just a little more money, they last forever, and they are easier to put up.

Grouse

Over the years we try to salvage some wood off a older stand to use on a newer one. Just our way to honor the old stands.

We have a few old wooden stands that are still up, but we don’t use much anymore. They’re pretty much there to commemorate who built them. So many memories! We still build wooden stands but we also have a few metal portables. My old school father-in-law can’t seem to get away from those heavy, wooden stands though. He’s been resistant to portables, saying they’re not sturdy and you can’t move in them. He has us youngins to build all the wooden stands for him now, so there’s no point in debating with him! Here is one of the stands we built last year. A bit much for my taste. It’s pretty much a fort on posts. But I’m smaller and more flexible than my fellow hunters, so I guess they need more room for comfort.

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Sharon wrote:

We have a few old wooden stands that are still up, but we don’t use much anymore. They’re pretty much there to commemorate who built them. So many memories! We still build wooden stands but we also have a few metal portables. My old school father-in-law can’t seem to get away from those heavy, wooden stands though. He’s been resistant to portables, saying they’re not sturdy and you can’t move in them. He has us youngins to build all the wooden stands for him now, so there’s no point in debating with him! Here is one of the stands we built last year. A bit much for my taste. It’s pretty much a fort on posts. But I’m smaller and more flexible than my fellow hunters, so I guess they need more room for comfort.

The REAL reason is that us guys are still little boys at heart and all of us want the biggest baddest tree fort around!

Huntindave wrote:

The REAL reason is that us guys are still little boys at heart and all of us want the biggest baddest tree fort around!

Pretty much what I suspected! There’s nothing more fun than a good tree fort! This deer stand has 30 year shingles on the roof. During construction, I’m on the ground foolishly asking why we’re putting 30 year shingles on this deer stand? They laugh and say “Because we CAN!” (The shingles were leftovers from a recent roofing project, so I understand).

@Sharon M – You silly girl. I almost wouldn’t have believed you asked such a thing. If you were surprised on 30yr shingles, I guess you’ll think this is way over the top. R-38 +2″ foam ceiling, R-13 walls, R19 floor, and wall to wall shag carpet to reduce sound in the Tower this year

I call this the Hunting Condo, Heated, insulated, real windows.
Yes I agree it really is a adult tree fort.

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That sounds nice and warm & quiet, Randy! I’m pretty sure I’d fall asleep in a stand like that! Honestly, I could fall asleep sitting up straight on a log… Those early mornings are hard for me! Trying to keep warm and trying to keep quiet keep me from going (completely) insane in my deer stand. :crazyface:

LT came in from college at about 2 in the morning. Stayed up and went right out to the tower. by 8, she needed a knap.

I’ve had the tower on here before, but for those that didn’t see it

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Awesome Randy, now that is a hunting condo, will have to change the name
I call mine (Hunting Condo) back to a hunting shack…Well done!

live2fishmillelacs wrote:

Awesome Randy, now that is a hunting condo, will have to change the name
I call mine (Hunting Condo) back to a hunting shack…Well done!

Keep the name, my neighbors have been calling it Trumps Tower based on Donalds tower in Chicago

So I guess when some one “hunts” from one of these, the camo clothing is just for “tradition” purposes? :>) :>)

I don’t give my ladies too much crap about the time spent in the tower with the heat. They put their time in sitting in freezing drizzle, snow, single temps. Plus only one is in there at a time. The other sits exposed ain a treestand