• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Blast from the Past (? old stands, old memories anyone?)

SG843

Active Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2016
Messages
155
I know that most of us are into weight reduction and enjoy the engineering and techy side of saddle hunting but............

Scouting/shed hunting led to my annual visit to one of my first bow stands. This stand actually implanted the wisdom into me to start using a rock climbing harness while sitting. Technically the start of my SaddleHunting career. Built in ‘88 by my Uncle as a gun stand with just large nails drove into the tree as steps. Scary to think of the many no harness climbs and sits in this thing. Armed with a dove bucket and bow perched in my nest, Good times for sure!!!!! I personally removed the bucket in the mid 90’s for sentimental value. (Still have the bucket) How and why I made it through the first few years without becoming a paraplegic or copse, our good Lord only knows.

Actually sat staring at this stand for a good 15min while a half dozen hunts, 25+ years old vividly flashed through my head. Figured I’d snap a picture and share with this group. Most look at me like I’m a blabbering fool when I try to explain. Figured most of you could relate or at least understand. LoL
IMG_0491.JPG

Any of you guys have some stands that seems to hang on and age right along with us???

Also laid eyes on a duck blind that me and a good friend built in ‘94. I’m truly amazed that I actually found the thing. Haven’t seen it since ‘98. The cutover/swamp that it is in grew up to be impenetrable. Trees were removed by several scrappy men and their chainsaw with a Chinook helicopter lifting and flying to the loading deck. A sight to see in itself. Time has allowed it to grow up now where I can walk it again.
IMG_0493.JPG


Also found a tree, that I had developed a close relationship with over several decades, laid over onto her side due to the past storm and flooding. Killed several good SC deer from this one tree. Countless memories. Wish I would have snapped a picture but kind of stood there in slight remorse and disbelief.

Apologies for the cheesy sentimental post but thought share worthy.

Looking forward to new beginnings in this young Saddle worthy tree.
IMG_0496.JPG


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Oh we all have those kinds of memories. One of my favorite sets got mauled during a logging spree. The landowner/logger mentioned that he knew where my sets were and planned to avoid them. Well darned if his son didn't.

The good news is that it allowed me to try a few other areas that were even more productive. So a bittersweet story - but that old mangled stand still sets in the tree, a reminder of both the past, the present, and the possibilities.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I know that most of us are into weight reduction and enjoy the engineering and techy side of saddle hunting but............

Scouting/shed hunting led to my annual visit to one of my first bow stands. This stand actually implanted the wisdom into me to start using a rock climbing harness while sitting. Technically the start of my SaddleHunting career. Built in ‘88 by my Uncle as a gun stand with just large nails drove into the tree as steps. Scary to think of the many no harness climbs and sits in this thing. Armed with a dove bucket and bow perched in my nest, Good times for sure!!!!! I personally removed the bucket in the mid 90’s for sentimental value. (Still have the bucket) How and why I made it through the first few years without becoming a paraplegic or copse, our good Lord only knows.

Actually sat staring at this stand for a good 15min while a half dozen hunts, 25+ years old vividly flashed through my head. Figured I’d snap a picture and share with this group. Most look at me like I’m a blabbering fool when I try to explain. Figured most of you could relate or at least understand. LoL
View attachment 4126

Any of you guys have some stands that seems to hang on and age right along with us???

Also laid eyes on a duck blind that me and a good friend built in ‘94. I’m truly amazed that I actually found the thing. Haven’t seen it since ‘98. The cutover/swamp that it is in grew up to be impenetrable. Trees were removed by several scrappy men and their chainsaw with a Chinook helicopter lifting and flying to the loading deck. A sight to see in itself. Time has allowed it to grow up now where I can walk it again.
View attachment 4127


Also found a tree, that I had developed a close relationship with over several decades, laid over onto her side due to the past storm and flooding. Killed several good SC deer from this one tree. Countless memories. Wish I would have snapped a picture but kind of stood there in slight remorse and disbelief.

Apologies for the cheesy sentimental post but thought share worthy.

Looking forward to new beginnings in this young Saddle worthy tree.
View attachment 4128


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Absolutely love this post!!! I'm hopelessly nostalgic so this really hits home for me. Most of the places that I grew up hunting have long been victim of the urban sprawl. I doubt I could find any of the old wooden stands I hunted. Thanks a lot for sharing this.
 
Last edited:
Great post.

I remember my father talking about places he hunted and how they were lost too development. Now when I visit home, I too have lost areas to urban sprawl. Yet the memories last.
 
That's pretty cool to go back like that. Great post. I didn't start hunting until late in life so I don't have the scary memories but I do remember every spot or tree I ever hunted and I still have every stand I ever bought. Use them for my kids now that I'm here with SH

Sent from my SM-T377V using Tapatalk
 
What a cool post. I really enjoyed reading this. I need to hear more about this Chinook operation.
 
I think back and its amazing I didn't end up breaking my neck in the old days. In the early days of my bow hunting career they had just begun allowing bow hunters to hunt from elevated stands here in Michigan so there wasn't many (or any) legal options other than standing on branches in the tree. That's how we did it for many years . . . no safety harnesses. The pile of angle aluminum shown below was my first "real" tree stand. A homemade Baker knockoff I built in the early 80's You can still see the unpainted area where the plywood sheet was installed as a platform.
20180307_181957.jpg

Later I built some homemade plywood hang on stands that attached to the tree with a chain and eyebolts. Seemed great back then, just scary now. These have been hanging in this corner of the barn for 20+ years. You can see where the porkies have been feasting on them .
20180307_181624.jpg
 
I use to hunt out of a loc-on Sprint. Then I went to a loggy bayou tree stand . It was a climber . But the one I remember the most is a tree house we built for my uncle . It was huge and we used a block and tackle to lift the roof it was open on all sides. It was for bowhunting and kinda resembled the look out tower the use to look for Indians at a fort in the old west.
 
Back
Top