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How’s your life insurance?
Gene Plihal
for Smoky River Express
Every hunter worth his salt should have a good tree stand to hunt from. Not because it necessarily enhances his chances of getting game but because it does two very important things to make a hunter a true sportsman.
First, while sitting up in a well-made tree stand for hours or even days, the hunter has an opportunity to view the grandeur of a brisk morning punctuated with a breath taking sunrise or sunset. A good tree stand gives a hunter the opportunity to think and reflect on what he’s doing, why he’s doing it and why it’s worth protecting (the outdoors and hunting that is).
Secondly, a good tree stand takes away the pointless meandering in a vehicle. First of all, a hunter can’t shoot out of vehicle or on a road allowance unless he’s shooting a shotgun. So, what’s the point in putting in all of those miles spooking already spooked wildlife with the occasional errant, illegal bullet? I talked to an enforcement officer a while back whose disgust with this type of road hunting was captured in his comment, “Yep, one of those road “hunters”. The implication of this comment was that about all these guys would get hunting this way would be an occasional ticket or the contempt of the land owner who hadn’t given permission to hunt his property.
So, if you don’t walk to hunt, consider a tree stand. A cup of coffee in hand, and sandwich in the lunch bucket, and a vista worth more than money can buy is what tree stand hunting is all about.
The first step in setting up a tree stand is finding a good spot. Private land that you have permission to hunt is ideal because with the land owner’s permission you can build a tree stand that you can go back to for years. Of course, this land should have the quarry that the hunter is after. Edges of fields next to tree lines, creek edges or the perimeters of other water bodies such as swamps or small lakes are ideal.
Once the location has been established, building materials are the next item to consider. A few years back I had a former guide of mine who had worked for another outfitter come back to me one day stating, (approximate paraphrase) “Gene, I was helping Jim-Bob (name changed to protect the guilty) guide last week and one of his stands had a loose board on the end and his client stepped on it and fell ten feet. That can’t be good can it, Gene?” I said, “It’s not only not good, it can be lethal.”
So, go out and buy good sturdy lumber, preferably treated lumber to withstand the elements. I have build virtually hundreds of tree stands over the years and just got through building two more deluxe units and repaired an old one that’s been around a while and one thing I have noticed about tree stands is that since they are out in the open, not touching the ground, the lumber benefits from constant exposure to the sun and wind thus keeping them dry. I have had tree stands last as many as 15 years! But, start with good treated lumber, preferably two 4x4’s about eight feet long for the bottom beams supporting the whole structure and you’re off to a great start.
These bottom beams, using a level, should be placed on both sides of two trees to form two parallel floor joists, if you will, on which all of the rest of the floor boards are nailed or screwed.
Make certain the two trees on which these beams are attached are solid. Use 8-10 inch screw type spikes to make certain the beams are firmly affixed to the tree.
The floor boards are then nailed across these two beams. One by sixes about four feet long make about the ideal length for the floor boards. Each floor board should have at least two screws or nails running into each of the two main support beams. Test these floor boards once nailed to make sure they are absolutely solid. And, each and every year, check these stands out before using them. Wind movement can work loose boards or screws.
The floor, which should span the distance between the two trees, should be at least four feet in width as well as length. This gives the hunter room to not only place a chair up in the stand but also to place back pack, weapon, shooting support, and so on.
I also build a rail around my stands about two and a half feet from the floor level. This must be solid because a hunter will often lean on it to gain perspective or to peer, with binoculars, in a particular section of the field. These rails can be screwed or nailed to form a box around the complete tree stand utilizing the tree again to provide something against which a support two by four can be nailed or screwed for the railing. Use your imagination, but make certain it (the rail) is rock solid.
The last step is camouflaging the tree stand by tacking branches or what have you on the outside of the stand so the occupant isn’t too conspicuous in the stand. With a good safety harness to fasten the occupant to one of the trees (one can fall asleep up there, I have) and one is ready to go.
Tree stands afford the kind of serenity and peace of mind that hunting should provide the hunter. Chasing animals around in vehicles seems like such a pointless and illegal endeavour compared to the vastly greater quality of hunt offered by a tree stand or being posted near a field edge. Give it a try. Good hunting but, more importantly, be a good hunter.
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