Passing by old treestands

[Altiman94]

I am wondering how many of you pass by old treestands (usually home built with wood) and wonder about who hunted it and what they saw/harvested from it?

I have a spot back home (as I call it) on public land with an old wooden stand in a big forked Oak.  I've shot several deer out of it and had to replace pieces to keep it safe.  I haven't hunted it in 5 years, but everytime I did , I always wondered who built it and how they did from the stand.

Now, I still see them but rarely (usually never) sit in them.  I carry my own stand in and out and try to stay mobile.  But, I still wonder about those old stands and fond memories of my 'spot back home' with that old wooden stand.

[ronp]

I often pause and reflect, too, when I encounter an old stand while out scouting a new hunting area.  And I make note of the spot and will hunt nearby the following season.  The stand is there for a reason, and the reason is that it usually is productive spot.  Sort of like having someone else helping you with scouting an area.

[mississippidave]

I found two on a new property I have permission to hunt on....Old woodies with old aluminum  extension ladders.....old school.

[jcar315]

Originally posted by ronp:
I often pause and reflect, too, when I encounter an old stand while out scouting a new hunting area.  And I make note of the spot and will hunt nearby the following season.  The stand is there for a reason, and the reason is that it usually is productive spot.  Sort of like having someone else helping you with scouting an area.

Spot on without a doubt. I have said "it's there for a reason" too many times to count.

Well put and nice thread.

[BowHunterGA]

I always pause and then try to figure out if the location is still a good one or not. Many times I find myself thinking, what were they thinking when they put that there????   :confused:

[Rob W.]

I set up my stand once in what looked to be a good spot. After a couple hours I noticed an old board nailed to a tree about 15ft up. I sat and pondered who might have hunted there before me. The land had been in my family a long time right up until about the time I was born. Later that day I took my first trad deer in that spot. I like to think a past hunter in my family was helping me out on that one.    


Rob

[mickeys4]

I always stop,look around to decide why here.It usually don't take long to figure out.

[Tree Rat]

Yeah I do, but half of them are mine and I think how stupi......er brave I was 30+ years ago.  :p  

I do notice them in other sections of woods and quickly try to determine why and if it was/is a good choice.

[LimBender]

An old skeleton of a wood stand helped me find one of my favorite stand locations.  If somebody else thought enough to build a stand there, it's worth investigating.  
What isn't so cool is finding old metal stand junk, rat infested chairs, a pile of old beer cans (usually with pull tabs), and other assorted junk from someone's old honey hole.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

  me , me, me!

 I often ponder those thoughts. I also look around to see why its was there because when it was built, the wood probably wasn't hauled in by 4 wheelers. Not many people would put in the effort to haul all that material in the woods on a whim.


I look to see if it was used ads a bow or gun stand. Neat to see but sometimes can be an eyesore as well when you see a lot.

[Terry Lightle]

I have 1 on my property about 50 yards from my back door and have the same thoughts every time I go past it.It is on a major trail that I hunt

[karrow]

those type of stands always make me stop and look around. Just to try to see what that hunter saw.

[RedShaft]

i do, at one time someone took the time to put it in that exact spot, cause it was good area. bad thing alot of those are broken backs waiting to happen! i like the ones that are so old only thing left up in the tree are a couple nails or a single board left, and if you wasn't watching closely you would have never know it was there.

[joe ashton]

I always take a moment to have a look around and try to see why that stand was placed in this location... always hoping to learn from people who came before me.  I've learned a lot...

[Zbone]

Yeah, I also reminisce and ironically for the past couple years or so have been taking pictures (when I have a camera on me) of these icons of the past. In my area most are dilapidated to the point there is not much left but some make unique photos.

[Bjorn]

I hunt by spot and stalk; when I do see them they provide interesting clues about what others have seen.

[toddster]

everytime I hunt and see one of the old stands, I know that if must be a good spot.  Then i do think of how it was back then and if they enjoyed it as much as me.

[ron w]

I always wonder if the hunter saw anything from the stand or just put it there because he or she thought it might be a good spot. Some are just barely able to tell they were even stands now. Been there a long time.....kind'a neat to think about.

[Stan the bow man]

I came across one this season did some wondering my self about the old wood platform . Hung a lock on up higher about 10' killed a cow horn spike out of it. I noticed I could hunt almost any wind direction out of that old oak tree.

[rbdover]

I love finding old stands and am amazed at how low they usually are. They're often located near where deer still travel and if you can't find sign promising a better place to hunt, go with what might have worked before. Climb higher to improve your chances, and use modern equipment and a good harness and life-line to improve your safety.