Tree Stands

[outdoorman]

Hello all,
I have been hunting for about a year now and have never used a store bought stand. Instead, I use recently fallen peices of wood and some rope and (using a tourniquet) fasten the wood to the tree and split a few more small logs for the crosspieces. It works very very well (I nearly fell on a mother boar and her young this evening!!!) If you use camo rope its nearly impossible to see. Has anyone tried this or heard of it? It seems that there must be some draw back or some reason not to construct them. I dont think its illegal since its nearly all dead wood and not freshly cut. Does anyone have any stories about this type of thing?
Thank you all for your time.

[sbschindler]

my advise it buy a store bought stand, it will keep you alive a longer than what you are using now. I use the screaming eagle but I have heard good things about the wedge by chippewa

[JimB]

Really good advice there.I used to do some stuff like that when hunting wilderness areas and before portable treestands.But we all do things in our youth that we think back on and shake our heads.there are reams of statistics of people being badly injured and killed in tree stand accidents.Many of us know people who have had some bad ones.Beyond the safety issue,fixed stands are a liability in other ways.Using one stand too often gives game a chance to pattern you.People pick up your spots also.Mobility is a good thing with tree stand hunting.We are blessed these days with a big selection of well built,load rated portable tree stands and climbing devices.There is a lot of good information here about this stuff and people willing to answer your questions about it.Think seriously about getting a portable stand and a good safety harness and stay safe.

[Dartwick]

If you could go Lowes tommorrow buy lumber, screws and bolts and build a deck on your house that you wouldnt be embarassed of(with out reading a how to book) - then building a tree stand shouldnt be an issue.

If that sounds like a bad idea then you probably ought to buy one.

If you do build one make the platform bigger than it seems you should, youll have a better hunting experience.

EDIT: I was talking about private property. i would never build one on public land even if its legal - I dont want to liable.

[Benny Nganabbarru]

A mother boar and her young?

Anyway, it sounds like a good idea, especially if the area is good for animals and you have sole-access.

[Flatshooter]

HEY Jean-luc, YOU'RE SCARING THE HELL OUT OF ME! GET A STORE BOUGHT AND A HUNTER SAFETY SYSTEM. A SCREAMING EAGLE IS A LOT BETTER THAN A SCREAMING HUNTER!!!!.....Sorry Ben

[frassettor]

Its not worth the rest of your life in a wheelchair..But a store bought brand, and usa a HSS harness

[Fletcher]

I will agree with the others that a well made commercial stand is the way to go.  Falls are far and away the number one hunting accident.      :eek:     I like a Seat of the Pants and have heard the Loggy is very good, too.  

[bill langer]

Outdoorman, Had a brother fall from a comm. made stand and badly break his arm about 10 years ago. The stand had been set correctly and hunted by myself many times. My brother just lost his grip getting in and fell 20 feet. I strongly suggest using a comm. made stand and always use a fall restraint system!!! No matter how well a stand is made or set, accidents happen. Be safe Bill Langer

[Turpentine]

I lost grip getting into a Gorilla King Kong, fell 23 feet, and broke 4 vertebrae. I landed on the roots extending from the base of the tree. Lost over half of my L2 vertebra due to the fact that it burst into 20+ pieces.  I've had 5 operations so far and my back is still bent forward at a 40 degree angle at the L2.  I'm lucky.  I can still walk, but with great difficulty.  

In the past, my brother and I hunted out of several homemade loc on type stands that we built.  They were made of wood, angle iron, and conduit.  They were the strongest, most comfortable, and quietest stands I have ever hunted from. They were also very heavy. Too heavy.  We used a pully to hang them.  Nowadays, most of us can buy a quality stand as cheap or cheaper than you can build one.  Whatever you decide to use, make sure you use a safety harness and lifeline.  I assure you the harness is well worth the hassle.
Turpentine