When I started hunting years ago, I had neither the means nor the know-how to use a stand.
Working in food service doesn't always equate to good money. By the time I scratched enough together to buy myself a hanging stand and some screw-ins, I had been hunt public land for a couple of years. And unsuccessfully at that.
Keep in mind, this little slice of public land was a mere 300 acres, split fairly evenly between marsh and crop land with smattering of hardwoods between. This equated to about 80 acres of truly accessible hunting land with proper cover and given that is was the only public wildlife area in four counties, the attraction for a lot of in-and-out hunters was high.
Knowing next to nothing about tree stand placement and etiquette, I hung my stand a mere 40 yards from another hunter's stand and about 30 yards from a second. As you can imagine, the ire I raised between these two was a palpable heat that made sitting my newly hung stand unbearable. So I did the courteous thing and moved my stand a little father in and away from the two with established claims and made due.
For two more years I hung my stand out at that property, only hanging it at the first permissible moment the state allowed in the hopes to beat out the competition.
To no advantage.
The property was simply too crowded and pressured to hunt successfully. While the area yielded several dozen deer, antlered and antlerless alike, the ratio of deer to hunter was weighted too heavily on the hunters side to make it worthwhile. Between the immense amount of effort and competition with both seasoned ethical hunters and those willing to bend or even break the rules tipped the scales for me.
Not long after, I was presented with a golden opportunity - a slice of private property with very little pressure, great habitat and a shorter drive (which meant more time and opportunities in the hunt!)
This property did come with one other hunter, a seasoned fellow who kept the back half of the property groomed with trails and several stands that he used off and on. After we crossed paths one fine autumn day, we worked out a schedule. He would hunt when I couldn't and vice-versa. He even offered the use of his stands so long as I kept him apprise of herd movements when we crossed paths every now and again.
The partnership worked out well and I learned the value of a good stand and even more importantly, proper location. Between his friendly advice and the use of his vantage points I took my first deer - ever.
As time wore on, his situation changed and he vacated the property, taking every stand but one. The one he left behind was nearly forgotten and heavily neglected. On an overgrown fence row leaning against a tree slowly choked out by wild grape vines was one of those big box store economical ladder stands. The tree had grown over the now rotting straps holding up the ladder by way of a few young branches from neighboring box elders. The view was insufficient, the location difficult to get to and the stand no longer safe to ascend.
When autumn was at its end and winter winds stripped the leaves from every branch, I took the opportunity to cut the stand free and relocate it. To date, it still sits in the same spot I set it up in after replacing all the straps and mending what needed.
But a ladder stand has draw backs. They are not very portable for one. And they are limited in height. Some may feel this is of little significance if you find a prime location. But in my experience, deer aren't always keepers of routine. They are not always predictable. Especially when the landscape changes with the growth of vegetation, storm damage and lack of maintenance.
Fast forward a couple years and my hunting partner registered us for a reserve hunt. Excitedly, he reported we had been drawn and we began to prepare - scout out the property, gear up and map out locations we felt would be most profitable. When the day came, he brought his brand new climbing stand while I had a Thermaseat. Yes, those round cushions that resembled a creme filled doughnut filled with the same stuffing you find in old bean bags.
Needless to say, the hunt was an adventure. Though between the two of use, we only walked out of there with one little button buck that my partner dropped a little before midday the last day of the hunt.
His success lead me to start looking for a better way to get a better view, an advantage. The following year I was ready with my own climbing stand. But they have their drawbacks too: bulky, heavy and cumbersome to hook properly to a tree in the quiet dark of the early morning.
In the years that followed, I used the climber regularly and only harvested one deer from it. Again, location is key and finding suitable trees can be a challenge.
So when I came across a forum post about saddle hunting, I was inspired to find a better way.
What's the point of all this? Trappings. One of the most memorable hunts was another reserve hunt that took place on a property that was bisected by old railroad tracks. I had done a good bit of scouting and found a nice tree to hole up in with my climber about 50 yards from the track and right near the main intersect of a heavily used run and a foot path. Gaining entrance to the woods an hour and half before sun up, I was set and ready to shoot well before it would be light enough to see anything. As time ticked on and the sun broke the horizon I saw a spot of orange through the branches slowly heading in my general direction. I knew it was another hunter, coming in late and tramping up the railroad track as a leisurely pace.
The footpath near my stand bent in a soft curve to tee off the railroad track as I watched the bright orange resolve itself into the clomping form of heavyset hunter I could just make out the gray smoke of the cigarette he was greedily burning down. Right at the end of the footpath he stopped, unslung his shotgun and racked a round before dropping to the ground with a grunt. And there he sat, like an orange beacon fire smoking away at the base of an old gnarly maple.
Frustrated that I could smell the cigarettes he kept smoking and that he took no effort to blend in, I turned by attention off along the run I had seen fresh tracks on the day before. No sooner did I turn my head than I heard the BOOM of his slug gun thundering down the track. Startled I looked back down the path through the mess of branches to see the fellow climb to his feet, sling his gun over his shoulder and head back down the path the way he came.
A little while longer I heard the rumble of a Gator piloted by the glaring orange form of hunter followed by the familiar scent of cigarette smoke. The Gator motored down the track and shut off some 30 yards from the beginning of the foot path I sat suspended near. Within another 20 to 30 minutes, the Gator revved to life and trucked on down the path with the tell tale white of a deer's tail bouncing off the back of the vehicle. Sure enough, the man bagged a nice six point with little effort and virtually no preparation.
Now I am a huge believer in that preparation is not wasted time, but sometimes it's more about how you prepare rather than what you prepare. Nearly everything that man did flew in the face of what I thought was required for a successful hunt - he came in late, was noisy, absolutely no scent control (especially with the number of cigarettes he burned through) and no concern about his silhouette sticking out against the back drop of all that timber. But, he left with a trophy within an hour of sitting down and I plodded out empty handed after hours of patiently waiting.
Since then, I've found that knowing where and when to be is almost more important than what you bring.
So saddle hunting may be a bust this year. And it won't be without effort. But you be sure I will take the time to figure the where and when.
In life we can get all the gear and gizmos in the world that promise us success. We can spend a fortune for the perfect tools, the best clothing, and even spend untold hours perfecting our skills. I'm not diminishing any of that. They certainly afford better chances and hopefully more ethical harvests.
In the end, being where you need to be is where it's at. And that, that's something you can't buy and you can't make. It's something you have to learn and be aware of; constantly vigilant.
Opportunities for a better job can come from applying to the right company with the perfect resume. It can also come from a choice encounter with a guy at gas station chatting about the weather. Finding the right person to spend the rest of your life with can come from countless dates with countless people. Or it can come from some polite chit chat after bumping into someone at a cafe. Take stock in every opportunity. Which, for those like me who prefer the company of trees, birds and squirrels while seated 15 feet in the air to the bustling of city streets or the clamor of revelers at the local watering hole that may be a challenge. But let it challenge. Those are the moments when you just might land that Booner you've been hoping for.
