Deer Blinds or Stands

W

warbirdlover

New member
All you "stand" hunters show us where you sit during rifle deer season. Here is my little 4' X 8' (8' high) "slice of Heaven". And another pic my brother doctored up making fun of me. It sits on top of hill in an oak woods.

attachment.php


attachment.php


attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • 1a1.jpg
    1a1.jpg
    162.3 KB · Views: 702
  • 1a2.jpg
    1a2.jpg
    47.8 KB · Views: 685
  • 1a3.jpg
    1a3.jpg
    130 KB · Views: 686
I use stands here as blinds do not allow good view. I have to go up to see anything.

Having said that, I'm doing more spot and stalk hunts now along with ambush hunts on hogs from the ground. It's a lot more work and not as successful but a lot more fun.
 
Spot and stalk is fine if you're young and strong. If you're old and weak you sit in a blind out of the rain or snow, with a warm heater by you and just enjoy the quiet of the woods. (I'm pretty deaf so I don't hear the heater... or the deer... or much else).... :D
 
Spot and stalk is fine if you're young and strong. If you're old and weak you sit in a blind out of the rain or snow, with a warm heater by you and just enjoy the quiet of the woods.
Click to expand...

That and a "spot and stalk" hunt don't last long when you're restricted to hunting one or two average size farms in Wisconsin. One really needs "big woods" to do that all day/all season. Unless your intentions are to push all the deer over to the neighbors. As most of us who hunt here know, in Wisconsin farmland, sittin' is what works best early in the season and then small, safe, well planned drives later on.
 
That and a "spot and stalk" hunt don't last long when you're restricted to hunting one or two average size farms in Wisconsin. One really needs "big woods" to do that all day/all season. Unless your intentions are to push all the deer over to the neighbors. As most of us who hunt here know, in Wisconsin farmland, sittin' is what works best early in the season and then small, safe, well planned drives later on.

buck460XVR
Click to expand...

You're exactly dead on with this statement buck. I was including the whole country but if the six of us hunting on 120 acres of oak woods start roaming around we chase the deer out and screw up each other's hunting. So we go in the woods in the morning as a group, dropping off at our stands on the way, and come out doing the same thing. Nobody leaves their stand the whole day. And we get deer.

We we've swayed away from the topic. Show us pics of your stands or blinds. That's what I wanted to see.
 
That looks about like the box stands we use in Louisiana. Some are made of wood, some are made of other materials, but scrounged lumber is probably the most common construction material. My brother-in-law is a professional carpenter and he's been building them to be as lightweight as possible and to disassemble in panels so that we can move them when conditions change or when materials rot.

Mine has lots of the comforts of home and if I could figure out how to put a flush toilet in one corner, I might never have to come out of the blind. It's my little bit of heaven as well.
 
In the back yard for quickie hunts

Here's a look from outside.
 

Attachments

  • img640.jpg
    img640.jpg
    193.9 KB · Views: 114
This is one of my stands. By the way, the buck facing the camera as they are sparring only has one antler.

1112180909r.jpg


This is my other built stand. You can just see it between the trees.

MDGC0209a.jpg


I also have a 17 foot ladder stand 25 yards from a big oak tree that is always full of acorns.
 
Don't laugh.....I'm in the process of building a "Hay Bale Blind". Constructed of EMT electrical conduit and cattle panels complete with sliding windows and magnetic door closer. Covered with plastic tarp and duck blind grass....just hope the cattle don't start eating on it. Should be into it for less than $300.


019.jpg


001-5.jpg


004-1.jpg


001-6.jpg


002-2.jpg


006-3.jpg
 
Now that is slick!! You could sell those for big dollars!! I'm serious! And it would look natural in most parts of the US in hay fields.
 
We built steel tripod stands and ladder stands,both designs have swivel seats with a gun rest mounted to the swivel seats.

One of the ladder stands we have has a set of hard bicycle tires on an axle that bolts to the ladder of the stand and a hitch coupler that bolts to the end of the ladder,we can then load 5 tripod stands on the ladder stand which is a temporary trailer hooked on back of a 4 wheeler and off through the woods and pastures we go setting up stands.

The tripods we built are 12 feet off the ground with 8 feet between each leg,the ladder leg is a foot wide ladder we built from 1" steel square tubing and used 1/2" rebar for the ladder rungs,the other two supporting legs are made from 1 1/8" square steel tubing.
 
I prefer tree stands (aka deer stands), unless the weather gets bad.

Tree stand guys chime in here, but it has been my experience that deer are not very interested in stuff going on up in trees. However, stuff on the ground sure seems to get their attention. Feral cats and coyotes seem to notice me in a deer stand from far away. Deer seem mostly oblivious, and when they do notice me they seem to be more perplexed with trying to figure out what that thing is in the tree. Deer seem more easily spooked by stuff on the ground.

I've done blind hunting. While blinds generally conceal drawing a bow, or moving your rifle around it can also be harder to see approuching game, whereas tree stands give you a much better view.

Tree/Deer Stand
Pros: better view, deer seem less skiddish
Cons: more exposed to both elements and the eyes of prey

Ground Blind
Pros: modest shelter, more concealed
Cons: limited view, deer more interested in ground action

A final plus for tree stands, when wearing blaze orange tree stands also make you more visible to other hunters, which allows them the steer clear and improves safety.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top