well after alot of door knocking without success i have had to resort to hunting a property that i have rifle hunted for many years. there are fallow deer there but they are very skittish and nocturnal. there are clearings and there is bush, very thick bush. even with a rifle you work hard for a deer there as they don't enter the clearings until about 30 seconds before it's too dark to shoot. this means it's virtually impossible to stalk them with a bow.
so, now that i'm a trad bowhunter that needs to be close to things i'm going to try ambushing them on a trail back in the bush. so i thought i'd make a climbing tree stand.....just because i can and because i need one to get close to a deer on this place!
being a boilermaker by trade i had no trouble knocking up the frame, and being handy on a sewing machine it wasn't hard to make all the cushions.
the frame is aluminium, i used motorbike chain for the 'wrap around the tree part', and after a trip to the rubber shop for some foam i made up some cushions with some green canvas i had. then i canabalised my old backpack for it's harness. now i have a very portable stand.
i must say it works great, is comfy and it feels as safe as a house
so far it has cost me about $AU85. that's for the paint and foam from clark rubber. i haven't got the bill from work for the aluminium yet but i get it at cost price, overall i think it will be a worthy project. i figure i'll be ahead when i shoot the first load of venison out of it.
only problem is i've got to stay awake.......man it's comfy!