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Season destroyed by the beast stand

bigmike23

bigmike23

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2020
Messages
1,701
Location
NE PA
This year was by far worst deer season I ever had. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong, whether it be the weather, wind, or equipment failure. I've had a very difficult time getting on deer this year. Tonight was the final day for the archery PA season, 5 minutes left to go I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around and it was the Giant 11 pointer I had on cam throughout the season 15 yards away. The position he came in from required me to stand and turn to my right. As I stood the antler bracket made a loud metallic squawk and that was that. I had issues all season long with the original antler bracket, and the new one they released making noises because of how aggressive they were. I can live with mistakes I make, weather moving when I shouldn't have or making a noise I shouldn't have. But equipment failure I cannot live with. I am so sick and disgusted in my stomach i can't think straight. Just omg screw this stand
 
bigmike23 said:
This year was by far worst deer season I ever had. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong, whether it be the weather, wind, or equipment failure. I've had a very difficult time getting on deer this year. Tonight was the final day for the archery PA season, 5 minutes left to go I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around and it was the Giant 11 pointer I had on cam throughout the season 15 yards away. The position he came in from required me to stand and turn to my right. As I stood the antler bracket made a loud metallic squawk and that was that. I had issues all season long with the original antler bracket, and the new one they released making noises because of how aggressive they were. I can live with mistakes I make, weather moving when I shouldn't have or making a noise I shouldn't have. But equipment failure I cannot live with. I am so sick and disgusted in my stomach i can't think straight. Just omg screw this stand
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That sucks man. Makes it worse being about the most expensive stand on the market too. Sorry not trying to twist the knife.


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I might have missed if you posted about the stand before on here. But have you tried to silence the bracket yet? I know you only posted a few minutes ago. Just curious if your thinking it’s the bolts or if the bracket has to much play on the post. Or did it squeak off the tree?
 
That's terrible man. I agree it's unacceptable considering the high price. Hoping you get a better go during firearms season.

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It's 100% the bracket. If you take a lw batwing bracket and cam lock it, it pushes extremely hard against the bark preventing the kickout. This garbage bracket being so aggressive penetrates and wedges itself into the bark. The bracket wedged in there creates the sound. It doesn't do it on every tree, but at least half the trees I've been it this season. I gave all the teeth chamfers to slide down the bark better and that still didn't help. I guess for now Im going to put the batwing on the stand
 
bigmike23 said:
This year was by far worst deer season I ever had. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong, whether it be the weather, wind, or equipment failure. I've had a very difficult time getting on deer this year.
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Unfortunate to hear how poorly your season has gone. That does not sound enjoyable. Keep after it, things will get better.

I have to wonder, though....the title of this thread is "Season destroyed by the beast stand" - yet your post above sounds like several things went wrong - weather, wind, equipment, etc. While the beast stand - or the bracket that mounts the stand to the tree - may have messed up one opportunity on a specific deer - it doesn't sound like that is the only thing that went wrong this year? Perhaps that is the "straw that broke the camel's back"? In any event, keep after it....things can only get better, right? Good luck the rest of the season, hope your fortunes improve!
 
Alright, I'm right there with you brother. I too, know the pressure we put on our selves to be successful. Equipment failures that occur when you are doing all the right things and are in the zone with a buck on the hook.
Two take aways, ease the pressure a bit by trying, I mean really trying, to look for some positives from the season. I know it will be tough but try to dwell on them vs dwelling on the should a, would a, could a.
Take a look at your setup now, over the next week, and attempt to knock out any of the quirks you've found to this point in the season. Then come rifle you will ha e corrected what you could correct.
In a nut shell you gotta let it go, don't forget about it, but let it go. I wounded a banger this year, that gave me a 25y broadside, picture perfect dream shot. I thought there was no way that deer was not dead. Took a week off work, searching, Completely devastated the spot. It was nearly season ruining, I was so burned out from the mistakes I made, and the should a, would a, could a's, I just needed to get a sit in and see a buck, any buck. Well I said F it, and went to an old faithful stand in WV for an am sit and wouldn't you know it, a tank of an 8pt gets pulled past my stand @ 7am. 17y shot watched him fall. It happens that fast, on minute the seasons over, I don't know how to get back in the saddle, the next I'm zip timing my tag on my biggest bow buck to date. It got me over the hump.
So keep at it, mitigate what you can, correct the correctable, and keep asking yourself, how bad do you want it! Good luck next Saturday, be safe, happy hunting!
 
Maverick1 said:
Unfortunate to hear how poorly your season has gone. That does not sound enjoyable. Keep after it, things will get better.

I have to wonder, though....the title of this thread is "Season destroyed by the beast stand" - yet your post above sounds like several things went wrong - weather, wind, equipment, etc. While the beast stand - or the bracket that mounts the stand to the tree - may have messed up one opportunity on a specific deer - it doesn't sound like that is the only thing that went wrong this year? Perhaps that is the "straw that broke the camel's back"? In any event, keep after it....things can only get better, right? Good luck the rest of the season, hope your fortunes improve!
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Ya probably a better way to put it. I'm a bit more cooled off now with a few cold ones in me.
But man I'm so upset at the bracket. I think for now I'm going to put the batwing bracket on the beast stand in the mean time.
On the more positive side, I successfully found my biggest target buck this year on PA public. Took me all season but I found him. Couldn't close the deal but that alone gets me proud
 
I once had a season similar to yours. Everything went wrong it seemed. Finally on the afternoon Nov 22 a beauty 8 pt came in down the fence line. 15 yd Chip shot. I let out a soft grunt to stop him and he bolted! That never had happened before. I literally beat my head against the tree. I looked up and asked the Lord what I had to do get a decent buck. Then I said a little prayer. Then literally 5 minutes later here comes a decent 11 pt chasing a doe. He chased her around a bit but he finally gave me a shot. I watched him fall 30 yds later. He's on my wall to this day. Hang in there. It can change in minute.
 
Anger is an emotion; emotions are pretty much a reflex based on the events you are going (or went) through. I pray that in time you can reflect on the fact that you studied the environment well enough to position yourself in an ideal situation to have a 15 yard shot at the exact buck you were looking for. I have yet to accomplish that. I feel for you man, but my reflex right now as I type this is to not feel sorry for you at all but rather to congratulate you for doing everything right. Sounds like a very exciting day and for it to happen with minutes left of the final day of a particular weapon's season makes it all the more special in my eyes.

I hope in the very near future, that I am blessed to have a similar level of success you've already had this year.

Best of luck to you if elect to head back out this year and next year - for as many 'nexts' you have left in the tank.
 
bigmike23 said:
Ya probably a better way to put it. I'm a bit more cooled off now with a few cold ones in me.
But man I'm so upset at the bracket. I think for now I'm going to put the batwing bracket on the beast stand in the mean time.
On the more positive side, I successfully found my biggest target buck this year on PA public. Took me all season but I found him. Couldn't close the deal but that alone gets me proud
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Ya boy, that's what I'm talking about, the cat and mouse game was won by you, but he came away with the W on a technicality. Now hunt him in rifle like your bow hunting him, stay in the thick stuff, don't let the rifle change how you hunt him, just keep doing what your were doing and you'll get on him again!
 
Sorry about all that.

I find that thin bark hardwoods are the worst for my stands (not beast) because the teeth penetrate and then rub right on the hardwood like fingernails on a chalkboard or turkey call.

My predator platform did it all last year. I'm partly convinced it is exacerbated by the nylon strap which flexes and allows the teeth to move. I now use an amsteel daisy chain and this doesn't happen anymore because the teeth don't move on the tree.

You might try something similar with the beast.
 
Fix it or ditch it. Then regroup and make a gameplan for opening day in about a week. It sucks but it's not even close to being over yet. Get on him and kill him opening day. Use the pressure from other hunters to your advantage. Most of them don't have a clue and are extremely predictable.
 
FWIW I had a pretty bad screw up about 5 years ago. Called a stud 6 in from over 100 yds away on Nov 6. He came in hot, I bumped my elbow on the trunk behind me while coming to full draw, arm buckled, bow dropped, buck ran off. I was pissed, devastated and had a busted bow. Spent $1000+ that night for a new one. Got it setup and ready. Hunted the entire last week of archery and didn't see a single deer (still seems impossible).
I got my head together and made a gameplan for opening day of firearms. I grabbed my new bow (because I was determined to kill something with it) and got setup that morning. Around 1030 am I smoked one of the bucks I was after. A nice 10 pt mtn buck. He came running down the tight trail through the rocks trying to escape the pressure from other hunters. It was the worst drag out I've ever had. He ran down the opposite valley after I shot him and it was steep and nasty. I had to really earn it that year but I look back now and am thankful for the lessons learned. Moral of the story, don't give in just yet. Trust your instinct and go hard.
 
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