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Author Topic: Frustrating Morning Hunt.  (Read 780 times)

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Offline HickoryNut

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Frustrating Morning Hunt.
« on: December 01, 2007, 01:33:49 PM »
This morning at 7:00 the 8pt that I have been trying to get almost made his last step.  I first saw this nice buck back in early oct. at about 50yds in a trot while bow hunting.  I've been hunting the same area on our lease since.  This morning I hear crunch off to my left and who do I see coming through the brush it's him.  He is only 30yds from me, he stops looks around and I still do not have a clear shot from the ground here.  He moves behind a tree and all I can see thru my scope is nice wide antlers, each each of his sides.  He is facing directly at me with that darned 8in pine right in front of him.  I wait for what seems like an eternity and instead of turning left, which would have been his last step he turns right and thru the brush blocking a shot. OH THE FRUSTRATION.  There will be another day and this is what makes this so much fun.

Now I have a treestand question what is the smallest tree that a Summit Viper will safely go up?  We have very few climbable trees as our lease is 6yr old pines mostly except for the surrounding property?  We are almost locked into ground hunting and I know I could get him if I could get above the brush a little.

Matt
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Offline gr8ful

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Re: Frustrating Morning Hunt.
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2007, 01:41:19 PM »
try a tripod stand.
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Offline HickoryNut

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Re: Frustrating Morning Hunt.
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2007, 01:49:41 PM »
This is a tough place for tripods as well the trees are just to close together in the best places to get the legs set right.   Is there a narrow tripod made by someone.  The other problem is the tripods we do have would be too tall in these trees as you would end up looking through lots of limbs in any direction.  This is a very good place and of the 840 acres we lease this spot probably gets the least attention by any hunter other than me.    How small of tree can a hang on be hooked up on?  I really do not need to be really high in fact 6-8ft would probably work really well.

Matt
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Offline Default

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Re: Frustrating Morning Hunt.
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2007, 01:50:39 PM »
Was just about to say what Greatful said  .... They can be had for the same money as a good climbing stand

  just saw your response hickory .... i have been in tripods that were 6 foot off the ground to 15 foot of the ground , but if it wont work , a good old ladder stand might be the answer , then all the small tree has to do is keep you upright versus holding your wieght under its own power , those can be had cheaper then the other two and can be pretty light , i have taking many deer from this type of stand

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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: Frustrating Morning Hunt.
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2007, 02:09:55 PM »
Dunno about the Viper, but the Viper SS minimum tree size is 8".

Tim

http://www.summitstands.com/categorydetailpages/summit-viper-details.html
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Offline HickoryNut

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Re: Frustrating Morning Hunt.
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2007, 02:16:05 PM »
I was thinking about a ladder I just hate to go lugging it into the woods and changing too many things right now that I have the big boy pinned down and haven't scared him off.  If we weren't in the middle of our season here in Alabama I would just take my week eater in the woods and do some hacking.   I already have the viper and it is brand new never been up a tree yet.  I've hunted from my buddies the past two years.  That Viper SS is awesome.  I got lucky in that mine was a gift last year.  I know what Summits Web site says about the stand but I was looking for some real world info about putting it on a small tree.  Thanks for the input

Matt
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Offline jsoukup

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Re: Frustrating Morning Hunt.
« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2007, 02:57:47 PM »
Sounds like you need some 1.5 square tubing, a plastic boat seat and a friend with a welder. I'd do some searching, find a style you like and copy it, just build it shorter. Then put a couple of cheap lawnmower wheels on it and you could pull it through the woods and set it up quickly. We hunt from box stands and we've started building them with the floors only 5ft off the ground. That puts the base of the window at 8.5 feet. 6 to 8 would make a decent ladder stand.
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Offline HickoryNut

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Re: Frustrating Morning Hunt.
« Reply #7 on: December 01, 2007, 03:58:45 PM »
Hey thats a COOL idea! Why didn't I think of that.  Just so happens I can weld myself and I got a friend who has a portable welder.

Matt
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Offline safetysheriff

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Re: Frustrating Morning Hunt.
« Reply #8 on: December 02, 2007, 09:58:14 AM »
i have a friend who took a record-book pope and young down in w.va.   his stands have blown over a couple times (he wasn't in them!) he told me recently.   i warned him about stands in pine / conifer trees because they don't always send roots deep enough if the ground isn't THOROUGHLY saturated by rain.    you must watch for this possibility when setting up in pines.    any pine on a hillside or in an area that has suffered a lot of drought could be suspect.   

sorry about this bad news; but it is the truth.

good hunting to you,

ss'   
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Offline HickoryNut

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Re: Frustrating Morning Hunt.
« Reply #9 on: December 02, 2007, 12:13:31 PM »
Yep we know all to well  about drought here in North East Alabama.   Our lease has no major hills but boy it is certainly dry, our food plots hardly came up except for turnips and a little rape. I'm looking for a small tripod I think I remember seeing that was only like 8ft high or the folding ladder stand I seen.  I don't remember who made that ladder but it is portable and not very high.  I think I'm gonna change my strategy this weekend and put on my ghillie suit other than my legally required orange hat i should be very well concealed and I may very well just sit right on the edge of his trail he likes to travel.

Matt


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Offline handi243

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Re: Frustrating Morning Hunt.
« Reply #10 on: December 02, 2007, 12:28:49 PM »
Sound to me like you may need to try a ground blind 6-8 feet off the ground in a treestand is really not good. Try a ground blind you can pic them up at sport shop cheap like 20-30 bucks. Use full camo and ALOT of scent killer and cover sent (a large bottle of Scent killer last me about 2-3 weeks) I really believe in it i had a deer walk so close to my ladderstand he almost touched the ladder!!! Never smelled me give a ground blind a try 85% of the time i hunt thats what i use good luck.
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Offline MS10point

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Re: Frustrating Morning Hunt.
« Reply #11 on: December 02, 2007, 12:39:02 PM »
I have a Viper and I think it would probably grip an 8" tree, but it would be borderline. Pine trees tend to shed bark when you climb them and the stand doesn't get a good bite on the tree. I have a Summit "X Pod" that would be perfect except that it weighs about 95#. If you haven't seen one it is kinda like a 12' step ladder with a platform, seat and shooting rail on top. I'm in the process of coming up with some sort of removeable wheel setup for it.
PS you may get more response on the "Treestand and Blind "forum.
TP
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Offline Tunaman

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Re: Frustrating Morning Hunt.
« Reply #12 on: December 02, 2007, 02:04:09 PM »
The Viper will get up an 8 inch tree. Any smaller and you will have a pronounced lean. I hunt in swamps a lot and with big bases and thin tops, I have gotten used    to the lean but boy can it be uncomfortable.
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