Several of this hog stand's advantages include: No scent trail to be cut from entering or leaving the stand; excellent sound reflection from anything wading through...some disadvantages include: hog snorkles that are not tipped in OSHA Safety Orange or Yellow are difficult to notice; hunter should be wary of 35 mph plus airborne projectiles (wood ducks).
We've been to the photo of this stand with you before...but that's OK.
My worst (and best) stand was filled with wasps. I was unfamiliar with the stand pointed out to me in the woods from the road when dropped off. I climbed the ladder rungs nailed to the trunk of the tree (not my idea) and was confronted by no apparent opening in the platform overhead. So I carefully hand over hand climbed underneath with rifle and gear strapped on then out then up and over the outside railing. I was determined.
I didn't like the idea of getting down the way I got up, but that decision would come later. It was chilly but not cold. Mid afternoon; shining sun.
I sat down before noticing the BIG deer watching me from the road from where I had just come. It walked away. No time to load up or shoot. Nice deer though and it was still early. Hope springs eternal.
Then I noticed the wasp's nest within four feet of my head. They were aggitated, flying to and from the nest but interestingly, at first, not in the direction from which I had originally arrived up and over the railing but now that I was seated four feet from there they were all over - the deck, the railing, the tree trunk, my pants, my shoes, etc. Some landed on my coat and I flicked them with my finger as best I could into the oblivion beyond the railing never to return. I crushed other bodies against the tree trunk and flicked them into the oblivion beyond. Those on pants, shoes and the deck were easier to flick. Fortunately none landed on bare skin, neck, or face. A few tried.
Wasp flicking lasted about 45 minutes. Quite a few of the wasps were now on the ground in various states of death and the nest had was flicked down. I was so engrossed in the wasps that I didn't see the deer until it was 20 yards from the stand. Apparently it was so engrossed in feeding that it didn't notice the man in the tree flicking wasps. My first buck ever went down at the shot.
Now, how to get down, avoid the wasp nest, not fall into the not-quite-dead pile of wasps below, and get to my buck ASAP. Lift the stinking handle to the obviously hinged hatch through the platform deck - now why didn't I find that before? Looking back, it was fun with serious consequences avoided at the same time.
