Permanent Stands

[Arnie Oakley]

It seems like you can't drive more than a couple hundred yards here in Wisconsin without seeing someone's permanent deer stand. There was an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel once, that had pictures of some of the "swankier" stands in the woods. Some of them had recliners, electricity, microwaves and one even had TV so the hunter was assured of never missing a Packer game. My stand is a screw in seat attached to a huge oak tree, with a giant branch to rest my feet on.

Just wondering if any of you guys hunt in luxury like some of the locals around here?

Gary

[ColoradoHunter5280]

I see those kind of stands/blinds every time I go back to my Native Michigan for deer season. I always get a kick out of the "luxury" blinds. In my humble opinion, they are an eyesore, but to each their own. I have a high-school buddy that purchased 20 acres that backs up to some state land. His dad built a rather ridiculous blind (I wish I had a picture). It is a two story blind that serves as a cabin as well. Although it is absolutely the ugliest think I have ever seen (it's got vinyl siding!), I have to admit there is sort of a redneck cool appeal to it. If any of you have pictures of some of these types of blinds, by all means post away...

[pre6422hornet]

I have seen some big ones up in the UP of Michigan during my days spent on the track. No matter how many times it happens my hair always stands up on the back of my neck when I run across one. Now mind you I hunt in 100% public land that encompasses hundreds of square miles. It amazes me what lengths people go to "hunt". I ran across one last year that had a bait pile of sugar beets that easily was 10 feet in diameter and 5 or 6 feet high. Upon closer inspection ( after I determined it was empty) it had a recliner, heater, little stove, and a cot. This thing was made with wood and was aluminum sided and the roof was real shingles. Now this one was in the middle of a cedar swamp, with no drag marks at all indicating it was brought in. A 4 wheeler trail was cut into the swamp leading right to the bait pile from a pipe line. Now in Michigan blinds have to be removed after season on Public land. This one obviously stays put all year round. It would be impossible to see from the air, given the swamp is so thick. I just looked at it and chuckled.

My idea of a blind is sitting 20 feet up in either my Ole Man or Grizzly climber on the downwind side of a good trail. And I just carried that 20lb climber in two miles and I will carry it out at nightfall another two miles. It is a pretty good workout.

[JimmyJ]

... If any of you have pictures of some of these types of blinds, by all means post away...

This could turn into a GREAT thread!!! Lets see 'em folks. All those fancy, fandangled, ugly, rednecked, most god awful stands/blinds you've seen or use and have pictures of!

[buckgitter]

Well I don't have any pics but I do have a couple of luxury stands. One is a Texas hunter box blind, one Big Game Luxury ladder stand, a couple of homemade box blinds as well. BUT I rarely use any of them! Only if its cold and I have my son will I use the Texas Hunter. The others I use on occasion, but I am impatient and I can't sit long. I need to get up and still hunt. So my stands sit empty unless my Dad uses them..... Bow season I only use a Summit climber......

I must admit its nice sometimes though to be able to sit in comfort and out of the weather and enjoy the wildlife and the scenery in a blind.....

[The.257Sniper]

Yep heated with reclining chair with tinted windows, 13 of them super nice in texas.

[alkazoo]

heres a pic of my blind.
Its the 3rd one down, cedar hinged window.
Been using it now for 6 years here in northern michigan on our deer camp property....
works out well, the hornets and wasps love it in the summer time also!!
http://huntingdeerblinds.com/index.html

[CannedHeat]

heres a pic of my blind.
Its the 3rd one down, cedar hinged window.
Been using it now for 6 years here in northern michigan on our deer camp property....
works out well, the hornets and wasps love it in the summer time also!!
http://huntingdeerblinds.com/index.html


Looks cozy....I'd take two and do an ice shanty with the 2nd one. Nice.

[Arnie Oakley]

By the way, I wasn't trying to be a wise guy with the luxury comment. Wisconsin can have some awfully cold weather, and I sure wouldn't mind one of those heated blinds myself.

Gary

[Lodiman]

I know a guy whoi works construction. I think he told me he had like 6 or 8 grand in his stand, Insulated, elevated, beds, electricity, heat, dual pane windows, He said several hundred in just bolts alone. It is on his own property.

[WMU3A]

I purchased an old combine at a farm auction and towed it with my tractor right into the middle of my largest hay field. Has windows all around, nice comfy seat and doors to open on 2 sides. It's been sitting there for 9 years so far without moving ...the deer pay no attention to it.
My buddy built an octogan shaped building up on stilts 16' high at a high point in one of my clear cuts. That too has windows on all sides and a nice shelf he sets sand bags on for a rest, a folding table and a 2 burner gas stove. Believe me when it is raining hard, sleeting ,snowing and the wind blowing that is one comfy spot to sit in...sometimes there are 4 or 5 of us in there at one time...playing cards, frying deer sausage,etc...when a buck is spotted none of us bothers to shoot it cause we don't want to miss a hand of cards!!
The day will come for all of you when killing a deer is no big deal and you'll be happy to just spend a day out with your pals.

[Arnie Oakley]

I purchased an old combine at a farm auction and towed it with my tractor right into the middle of my largest hay field. Has windows all around, nice comfy seat and doors to open on 2 sides. It's been sitting there for 9 years so far without moving ...the deer pay no attention to it.
My buddy built an octogan shaped building up on stilts 16' high at a high point in one of my clear cuts. That too has windows on all sides and a nice shelf he sets sand bags on for a rest, a folding table and a 2 burner gas stove. Believe me when it is raining hard, sleeting ,snowing and the wind blowing that is one comfy spot to sit in...sometimes there are 4 or 5 of us in there at one time...playing cards, frying deer sausage,etc...when a buck is spotted none of us bothers to shoot it cause we don't want to miss a hand of cards!!
The day will come for all of you when killing a deer is no big deal and you'll be happy to just spend a day out with your pals.

That's very true. The more I hunt, the less I hunt. It seems like we quit earlier every year to go and have a few beers, and no one seems to mind at all, except the young guys.

[Kellyelk]

I purchased an old combine at a farm auction and towed it with my tractor right into the middle of my largest hay field. Has windows all around, nice comfy seat and doors to open on 2 sides. It's been sitting there for 9 years so far without moving ...the deer pay no attention to it.
My buddy built an octogan shaped building up on stilts 16' high at a high point in one of my clear cuts. That too has windows on all sides and a nice shelf he sets sand bags on for a rest, a folding table and a 2 burner gas stove. Believe me when it is raining hard, sleeting ,snowing and the wind blowing that is one comfy spot to sit in...sometimes there are 4 or 5 of us in there at one time...playing cards, frying deer sausage,etc...when a buck is spotted none of us bothers to shoot it cause we don't want to miss a hand of cards!!
The day will come for all of you when killing a deer is no big deal and you'll be happy to just spend a day out with your pals.

No one out here uses a big stand although I see quite a few deer stands from a bygone era.

But what you said is a very true aspect. My dad is at this stage full time now for the most part. I suspect once he gets his big bull elk, he will be done with the killing. I too am starting to see this and rather spend time with my family and friends more and more. We seemingly find ourselves in camp before last light on many days. I think its because we enjoy the time together sharing meals and being together.

[CannedHeat]

If I had my own property (hunting..that is), I'd do something pretty similar, minus the TV and what not. I'm a PM for a construction firm and when I was "in the field", lots of guys I worked with had some pretty sweet set-ups they fabricated. A guy can do alot with the right resources. Couple good ones were done with old tube scaffolding, that I remember. The farmland which I have permission to turkey hunt on has an octagon building about 8 feet across and the guy put drop down windows on every angled wall with tethers and weights for the windows thru eye hooks. Probably the coolest thing I've seen made by someone. Barstool with backrest in the middle that spins 360 and it sits right at gunrest and window height. I'll get a pic next month when I'm up there for gobbler season.

My stands consist of a tree and a couple of hooks to hang stuff off of.

Now ice shanty....whole nuther story.

[longrifle]

My BIL in Canada got an old outhouse from someone, built a stand out of old oil pipe and added a few school bus windows. It works really well and sure beats sitting in -30 weather.

[birdhunter1]

The best permanent stand I ever saw was an old burned out combine at teh end of a fencerow, a platform was made in the hopper and it had a little roof overhead with sliding "windows" and a little platform outside to rest a bipod of a rifle on. Kinda ingenious to say the least.