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!
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