Well it's time I think to finally Hunt!
 

If anyone read my post awhile back about buying my first hang on tree stand well I took it back and bought a ladder stand. As I mentioned I have enough permanant stands built out of pressure treated wood that will hold 2 people comfortably, this stand was to be used to move quick and set up on fresh sign as needed.
I know a-lot of you are already ML Hunting, our rifle season does'nt start untill Nov 17th but our Bow Season started on Oct 1st this year 2 weeks earlier than usuall.
I went with my buddy today and we set up our ladder stand near a 50 acre corn field where we hunt, we have permanent stands there but we had 2 good places in mind where the bucks have a run just inside the woods from the corn field where they scent check the does from there. Our stands are up and ready to hunt.
As I write the were still getting a-lot of rain from Hurricane Sandy, the creek in my woods accross the street is a raging river, it's been bone dry all summer.
This is where my Thread starts and as most know I write a-lot.......A-lot of you's must be thinking what kind of a hunter am I to not have hunted once since our bow season opened 31 days ago?
Like I said our bow season started 2 weeks early, in years gone by I used to hunt from day 1 wich used to be Oct 15th and by the time the RUT started all the deer in the area knew where my stands were and had me pegged, especially the Big Bucks, they were gone untill dark.
One year our Grape Harvest was late and we did'nt finish picking Grapes untill Nov 5th, right in the middle of the Rut. When we finally hit our stands it was like Heaven, Bucks in Rut Everywhere! We had Great Success!
So now me and my buddy WAIT untill the Rut begins befor we hunt our stands, it's hard to do but it's well worth the wait. We also have pieces of property that we dont hunt untill opening day of gun season, we dont even bow hunt them. Among our group of hunting buddies we have 5 different big pieces of property we hunt all owned by us and we only hunt them. So if we hunt one piece opening day and a day or so after that, then we go to the next piece of property and hunt that for a few days and so forth. Meanwhile the first spot we hunted does'nt get any pressure untill we get done with our 5th piece of hunting property and it's like opening day each time we hunt a new spot.
Sometimes we hunt them a little longer and a little less depending on the sign or deer taken. I know Im lucky to be able to do this but do any of you wait untill the best times to hunt your stands?
Im excited this year as many of you can remember last hunting season, it was warm and not any snow here in the north, the rut was non existant. We all got deer but many lived especially a-lot of big bucks. We've already spotted a-lot of great bucks and many many does and fawns, our trail camers are loaded with hope.
So it's Bow for me from now untill Nov 17th when I can finally break out the Accura. The cold weather is finally here, snows in the forecast on the hill and the rut has just started.
(BP)

That's a mighty nice situation Breechplug, being able to control hunting pressure on your hunting areas like that. Wish I had that option.

I don't get too excited until the last week of October here. I went out 3 times this year and two were the last week of October and got my buck on the third time out. My brother in law went out a BUNCH from when season started and he ended up getting his buck on the same day I got mine. I make sure I know where the does are and set-up during rut and get ready.

I was in the city the other day and looked at a real nice ladder stand. It held 300 pounds, and weighed 42 pounds and was 15 feet up. Where I live that is all that is needed. Best of all was the ladder get off platform. It had rails to grip and spin into the seat. Very handy for old knees when they have to turn on snow covered platforms. It was under $200.00 and looked nice. I could even picture the tree to put it in. But these new ground blinds I bought after season are so nice to just put up and sit.

Good luck to you in the part of the season you decide to hunt. And if your area is like mine, even though its posted land.. better chain that thing down good.

seen a swivel seat ladder platform stand a couple days ago...looks pretty fancy...thinkin i may go that route next year.think its a rivers edge..cadillac..

maybe this crazy weather and wind will die down for the mornin so i can go sit in the tree for once...geeesh!!

On our land pretty much all we use are ladder stands - most of them 15 - 17 feet high, and we have one we call the "Cadillac Stand" that is 20 feet high and comfortable enough to sit up in it all day, nap, etc. I believe we have 5 ladder stands right now plus 1 clip-on. If you have your own land, they are the way to go IMO. I would agree about chaining them down too - even though our land is posted, we had one ladder stand mysteriously walk away on its own one year...

First, Semi, Yes Im very lucky. Me and My Buddies take our Deer Hunting very seriously, we live for November.
Cayugad, I bought this "Ameristep" 16' ladder stand at Wal-Mart for $89. It also hold uo to 300lbs and is very well build. It has a moveable shooting rail and is easy to get into, included is a harness so you can be safe while in it. It's a 16'er and plenty high enough for me and weighs only 48lbs so I can set it up myself if needed.
I live in a small town and everyone knows everyone. They also know who owns what and what can be hunted and not and more importand where they cant go. I did buy a lock and cable for it but I really dont need it as most know not to mess with Big Ron because I will find out. Plus we have a good relationship with the Game Wardens and my Cousin is a Sargeant with the local police and I bow shoot with them and know them all very well.
Plus I dremmel Tooled my name in the rails of the stand and took these Pics of it befor Connie told me I better get the %$&*(^@ thing out of the Den befor she kills me:eek2:
(BP)

Day 1 of my Hunt, Nov 1st......No Hunt! Still Pouring Rain from the remninents of Hurricane Sandy, BUMMER! I never seen it rain so much!
(BP)

+1000. Praying for some nice private land to fall in my lap. :)

Good luck, BP. And it is time to finally hunt. Season starts for me on Sat and I can't wait!

When is the rain supposed to die down? Would be a good time to be in the woods when it starts to let up. Even still, with it raining for so long, might be an excellent opportunity to still hunt. I doubt the deer are staying bedded for days on end.