Deer Camp

 From the newest deer stand there is moon over the swamp...

Deer Camp

From the newest deer stand - daylight in the swamp...

 

An Anniversary Of Sorts

On several occasions I have shared that our deer camp is celebrating a 30th anniversary this year.  Yup, thirty pretty terrific years under current management.

When we acquired this property there were already a handful of tree stands to be found.  Fashioned from scrap lumber with rickety ladders it was natural that some of the locals would hunt here.  Because most of the eighty acres were cleared for farming the resident whitetails were confined to traveling in the protection of a handful of wooded corridors.  It was here that the stands were built.  And deer could be ambushed either sneaking thru the cover or more certainly attempting to cross an open field.

In many respects hunting was easier in the early days as a consequence of the cover; or lack thereof.

All  of that changed when fifty-five acres were taken out of production and enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).  A couple of ponds were constructed, 40,000+ Wisconsin hardwoods and conifers planted with an additional seven acres planted into native grasses and forbs.  

First item to note:  The reforestation and permanent cover changed the hunting dynamic completely.  Not only did the property eventually attract and hold more deer; the hunting became more difficult.  Nevertheless, the former offset the latter and because the neighboring landscape remained largely farmed the deer tend to concentrate where there is cover and browse.

The tree stands were also upgraded both in number and in design, construction and durability.  It was mostly the use of green treated lumber that advanced the technology.  Trees were generally available and it seemed like a terrific idea to construct a stand in the crotch of three of four handy green ash trees.  Like this from August 16, 2008.

Second item to note:  Stands such as these, located in trees, require near-constant maintenance and attention.  Trees move, boards break, things loosen and become dangerous.  That is what comes from meatball carpentry.

I would add that a handful of steel stands were purchased, assembled and deployed.  With the exception of the prolific Stand of Death, most hunters preferred the wooden tree stands because the metal stands were cramped and slippery to climb.

With the passage of time several events occurred that near-simultaneously changed everything.  The forest grew into maturity and emerald ash borer appeared on the scene.  The good news was that we had planted a diverse selection of trees and just like managing a diverse stock portfolio there is safety in numbers.  The bad news was that all the ash became dead or dying.  It is heart-breaking to see a forty-acre (or larger) woodlot in my community almost entirely composed of dead ash trees.

With the handwriting on the wall we began building and constructing wooden tower stands.  Constructed of green, treated lumber they were comfortable, roomy enough for two hunters and safer.  From November 16, 2013 there was this - the first generation of Guard Tower deer stand. And, most definitely, a step-above meatball carpentry.  This is in a class of its own - wood shop.

With years of experience we also had a general idea of where to locate them.  More often than not adjacent to a failed tree stand or somewhere along our 3.5 miles of trails.  If you clear a trail, whitetails will travel it.  And they do so at their own peril.

These have evolved as well with the introduction of manufactured metal brackets combined with more green, treated lumber these latest generation stands are nearly indestructible and likely to outlast most of us.

Last weekend four of us sited, assembled, erected and completed this.  The fourth generation Guard Tower.  It is also adjacent to a now long-failed stand that was on the property when we moved-in.

Anyway, I took some photos of some of the early generation stands so I could invite you along a walk down memory lane.

This is my first stand.  

It was adapted from a sketchier build that predated our arrival and upgraded several times.  I killed my first deer from this stand.  It was from I here I made my first bow-kill.  Back in the day, and before the trees grew-up, it had a commanding and unobstructed view.  If this stand could talk - oh, the tales it would tell.

This stand is named after one of the first members of our deer camp - Clayton.  It was constructed of treated lumber salvaged from the demolition of a deck three houses ago. Countless deer have been killed from this location as it overlooks a seven acre meadow that I clear with a bush hog in odd-numbered years.  Thirty years ago Clayton and I could see to wave to one-another from our stands.  Mature forest obscures the view now.

Clayton has passed-away and his stand is no more.  The tree snapped and everything came down a few years ago.  You can see Clayton 2.0 situated adjacent - a second generation Guard Tower.  My business partner's son killed his first deer from there a couple of years ago.

This craziness is something we named the Left Handed Bow Stand. Likely because a lefty could theoretically shoot from it.  

It is trash now and a second generation Guard Tower proudly stands on the opposite side of the trail. 

This is Don's Stand. 

Named after another initial member of the deer camp it is large enough to lay down-upon and take a nap.  Don retired from hunting a number of years ago and his stand has largely been taken over by the encroaching forest.

This stand is named the Arm Pit.  it is featured in the first photo pictured above and now abandoned.  Look at all of that dead ash!

Again, many deer were taken from this stand as it is a swampy, natural wildlife corridor associated with Silver Creek.  Six Deuce killed his first deer here and New Guy killed a trophy buck here.   I took this photo from the foot of a third generation Guard Tower installed in 2023.  Braumeister killed a nice buck from Arm Pit 2.0 last November.

This is the the Creek Stand.  Dead ash trees too.  It is over Silver Creek, has a view of the two trails paralleling the creek, one of the ponds and the seven acre prairie planting between the creek and the house.  This stand shares some notoriety but I'm not at liberty to speak of it.

This was a favorite of mine.  Many years ago I killed two deer on the same sit, within five minutes, with a vertical bow, on my birthday.  My first crossbow kill was from this stand.  I killed a couple of deer from here the first year New Guy hunted with us.  And the month before I had my hip replaced I shot two more deer from this location on a November gun opener.

Officially abandoned in 2023 this stand has not yet been replaced.  Locating a replacement here is going to require some additional figuring.

Last but not least there is the Taj Mahal.

Constructed by a father/son team of hunters it takes its name from the fact that it is the largest stand ever constructed.  Anchored to a couple of posts sunk in concrete it is also attached to a couple of dead ash trees. 

Last year, out of an abundance of caution we removed the ladder from the Taj and erected a replacement third generation Guard Tower; Taj 2.0.  I killed a deer from here last November.

I'm going to stop here as the deer season is nigh-upon us so there will be much to talk about between now and January.  Thanks for joining me on this walk down memory lane.

And eat more deer!

How To Build A Deer Stand

Just as with The Taj, the Arm Pit deer stand was a perennial favorite of the hunters channeling thru deer camp.  Plenty of deer were scored at these locations.  Alas, those stand are installed in dead ash trees and are no longer safe for use.

Here is Arm Pit 2.0 going thru final assembly and deployment.

In the last photo you can see the forest stand of dead ash in the background.

Sigh.....

How To Build A Deer Stand

Last week I shared that Braumeister and I were going to deploy and perform final assembly of a couple of replacement deer stands.  The locations had already been scouted and brushed-out in preparation.  Located in the vicinity of their predecessors they were beyond the damaging reach of toppling ash trees.

These are constructed of treated lumber and make use of factory fabricated steel brackets that hold the four main posts at the appropriate angle along with the platform for a hunter to lurk.  The foot print of the platform is about a foot smaller (4X4 feet square) and the legs are taller (10 feet).  A nice, safe, comfortable and long term forest improvement that we have a really good feeling about.

Here is The Taj 2.0 going-up and with final assembly.  Each platform included a large ring bolt on one side for purposes of hoisting it aloft using the winch on the Kawasaki Mule.

Note:  The aluminum ladder is temporary and will be replaced with a wooden treated lumber ladder.

 

 

How To Build A Deer Stand

The last three great deer stands were both late and great.  The Taj, the Armpit and the Creek Stand are being retired on account of safety issues.  They're all built in ash trees who also are dead or in their death throes.  It's sad on many levels - not only because of the demise of the ash trees on the landscape but the memories of uncounted deer taken over the decades from those stands.

Anyway, new locations for replacement guard tower style stands have been scouted and prepped and are well out of reach of any toppling ash trees.  This week Braumeister and I will be deploying and performing final assembly of two of them.

Constructed of treated lumber and utilizing fabricated steel post-holders they should stand the test of time and provide a safe, elevated and comfortable place to sit.

Here they are, ready to go.  Component parts including pre-cut decking, bracing and rails all good to go.  Ten foot 4x4 posts are in the background.....

Deer Stand Recipe

2021 features the launch of what is likely to be a three year program of deer stand replacement.  Think of it as a miniature local infrastructure improvement program.  The present goal is the construction and deployment of two new Guard Tower deer stands each year.  

This is a consequence of several factors:

First, the pending loss of three stands that were previous constructed in ash trees that are sick and dying from infestation of Emerald Ash Borer. Plenty of deer have been taken from those stands and as hunting platforms they will be missed.  For sure they'll be utilized this fall and maybe for an additional season to follow. Inevitably, as the trees die these stands are doomed.

Second, the logging operation earlier this year significantly opened the forest canopy and created space and opportunity to deploy additional stands as the deer hunting dynamic and animal movement patterns are altered as well.  Nobody knows for sure precisely how movement patterns will change so this contains an embedded learning curve.  What we do know for sure is that the opportunity for whitetails to hunker-down and hide in the impenetrable cover has been significantly reduced. 

Finally, free-standing platform stands constructed of pressure-treated lumber are both safer and more comfortable than tree stands or cramped and rusting metal stands.  There is a high probability that the stands featured in this post will likely be occupied by yet-to-be-born deer hunters.

Here is an easy-to-follow recipe:

How To Build a Guard Tower Deer Stand

Step 1 - Assemble your materials:  Pressure Treated Lumber, 8 - 4X4X8 posts, 10 - 2X8X10 boards, 12 - 2X4X10 boards, 14 - 1X4X8 boards.  One large box each of 3" and 2.5" deck screws.  Assorted carriage bolts, washers and nuts.  (Pro-Tip - purchase hardware in bulk at Fleet Farm $2.69/lb).  Deck boards purchased periodically at Menards warped lumber sales.  The ladders were salvaged from two previously-abandoned tree stands.

Step 2 - Cut lumber to specified lengths and bore 1/2" holes for the carriage bolts.  The platforms were partially pre-assembled and since they are 5X5 foot square they will fit inside a standard pick-up box.  The balance of the deck boards will be added when assembled on-site.

Step 3 - Scout locations.  Consideration was given to clear shooting lanes, known (and unknown) deer movement patterns, bedding locations and safety.

Step 4 - Haul materials, cordless tools, etc. to pre-scouted positions and assemble in-situ.

Yield - Two Guard Tower deer stands with little - if any - scrap waste.  

BTW - if you measure the tolerances from top to bottom they might be 'off plumb' by about an eighth of an inch.

The deer stand in the background was constructed in 1995 from repurposed boards salvaged from the demolition of a deck three houses-ago.  The tree in which it was constructed is dying and is going to fall before too long.  Because the stand is no longer safe it is being retired and will be disassembled at a future date.

Out with the old - in with the new!

How to Upright a Deer Stand

Almost a month and a half ago storms lashed the peninsula.  There was flooding, downed trees and power outages.  There were straight line wind gusts that knocked dead falls across the trails and blew over one of the Guard Tower deer stands.

click on image to enlarge

 Unbelievable.

In any event it has finally dried out enough for me to get the tractor out and set things right.  The Frau took the video in case things went horribly wrong and there was a coroner's inquiry.
 

Guard Tower Deer Stand Gets a Makeover

It won't block the wind much and it certainly won't last until next deer season but at least the critters won't be able to skyline a hunter as easily.

Incidentally - As I began wrapping this guard tower two deer jumped out of their beds not but 30 yards to the north.

Should be bow hunting from this sucka...