Hung your stands yet?

[Ranger J]

As I hunt largely on public land I have to wait for the first of September to hang my stands.  My wife likes to go out a couple of times a year but has knee problems so I try to hang her stand where I can drive right up to it or have only a short walk to it.  As I was walking across a grassy field to look for a spot in a wooded area for her stand I heard what sounded like insect wings hitting the grass.  My first thought was that I had disturbed a bumblebee nest and that they would soon come busting out of the grass looking for trouble.  As I stood there I soon noticed that the buzzing sound was moving away from me and finally stopped about thirty feet away.  Needless to say I took another path out of that field.  In all the years and this includes quite a few this is the first time I have ever encountered a rattler.  From every one I have talked to about they say it was probably a pygmy rattler and the insect wing sound is how they describe the 'rattle' sound.  Although these small snakes have a reputation in the Ozarks for being rather bad tempered this one was a gentleman and he went his way and I went mine.  I will be more careful in that area until the cold weather arrives.  Of course you can only imagine what my wife had to say about the placement of her stand.

RJ

[single action]

not yet, i will be out hanging mine on the 6th of oct. i usually have them up by now, but my work schedule makes it impossible this year. Cant wait to get out there though!

[Ranger J]

I still have three to hang and one to reposition.  A few years ago My wife's father, an old shop teacher, welded  me two great stands with shooting rails all around and swivel seats in them.  The only problem is that they are all in one piece and kind of hard to move.  Actually one was made for Sue and the other for our daughter Sarah and as Sarah was about twelve at the time (now twenty one and off at college) the shooting rail is a tad low for me but still great stands.  A plus is that you can fall asleep in them and there is no way you can fall out.   I once fell asleep in one and woke up to find a deer about twenty yards away looking intently at me.  I guess it was trying to figure out what that loud noise was.   Maybe it just wasn't too bright.  I should have left it alone to pass on its genes as it was just about the toughest deer I have ever eaten.  I'll probably hang one more below  the ridge I hung Sue's stand on (now known as rattlesnake ridge) ant two more on her father's land near Piedmont.  I always liked to get stands out early so the deer can get used to them and also to squirrel hunt from.  Not only do I get some squirrels but it lets me see where the deer are moving at in case I need to change positions of the stands but also to reduce the tree rat population clost to the stands.  That way I don't have to spend so much time looking overmy shoulder to check out noises other than the deer.

RJ

[jenkst]

Ranger; About twenty or so years ago, after the baker climbing tree stand came along, I decided to make my own. Did a fair job making it and decided to go and give it a try. Went to Bufford Mtn. to my favorite hunting place. I walked about a hundred yards from the car to a nice white oak and place the stand around the tree. Got in the stand and went up the tree maybe four feet and noticed that it wasn't going to be level. So I decided to come back down the tree and try to adjust it to be more level. I had gotten the stand down to about two feet off the ground and then decided to jump off the left side. When I turned around and leaned over the left side of the stand I was looking at what I thought was a copperhead all coiled up on the rightside off the stand. Iam sure glad I hadn't jumped off on that side. I picked up a long stick and polked him. He began to rattle and I knew this ain't no copperhead. He's maybe between two and three feet long and mean looking. About ten or twelve button's on his tail. I thank the Good Lord above for his protection that day. He's the first I had ever seen. Me and my son have encountered a few turkey hunting in the spring in the same area. On the first day of bow season this year I walked upon two copperheads mating in some tall grass on the trail I walked on. A man's got to keep his eyes open all the time when in the woods. Wish you the best this deer season and be safe.   Jenks

[Ranger J]

While I haven't seen many rattlers,  the Ozarks seem to be copperhead central.  I have got so I keep the vegetation closely trimmed around my house to discourage  them by limiting the habitat.  Several of my dogs have been bitten by them and have developed a distinct dislike for them.  I can tell when one is in the back yard at night by the way the dogs bark and growl at it.  Sue and I have just bought a new home and 10 acres in the Salem area.  The 10 acres are in a long strip and have pasture on one side and a large wooded area on the other.  In the back part there are lots of deer sign.  While we will not take possession until after the gun season it looks like I will not have to go far to hunt next year.  This year I will be hunting on my usual public land location and on Sue's dad' place.  I don't know about the latter as the state is widening the road and whacking a small bit off his land.  I hope to go down there in the middle of next week and check things out.  I may have to move a semi permanent stand I have there and hang another of my 'two man' stands.  I also may stop by in Ironton to try to do some gun trading.

RJ

[rocko]

slip on over to Fredericktown to do your gun trading. theres a shop just south of Cherokee pass by Greens flea market. They are lot more reasonable on prices, and easier to deal with then the folks at ironton.

[Ranger J]

I have all four stands hung now and all but one 'dressed'.  As I was hanging camouflage on my wife Sue's stand the other day I heard a vocalization and looked and saw a nice doe about 45 yards away I guess commenting on how I was hanging the 'drapes'.  Promising event.  I haven't got down to hang the netting on my stand yet as it won't quit raining.  Next week looks better.  I am seeing a lot of deer all of them does and fawns.  No bucks yet but where the does are the bucks will follow if you get my drift.  Otherwise why do bars have lady's night?  wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

RJ