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11-23-2015, 05:48 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 971
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Homemade treestand and whitetails
With a young family this year my time chasing whitetails was severely limited, and it seems whitetail rifle season always happens around flu season.Restricted to weekends I was exploring new quarters I had permission on with lots of sign but zero luck.
Last weekend with the colder weather I was able to access an old spot. Measured 3" of ice the night before. It was a small crossing with the quad so I went for it with my homemade stand on the back. With the unnerving cracking sound of ice behind me I park the quad and proceed on foot. Walking in with it still being fairly dark in the morning I bump a deer near the fence line. I get to a familiar spot and rattle for the morning. No action besides coyotes.
So I'm committed to being there for the day so I make the to rounds around the quarter to see were the most tracks are, with there being a recent snowfall. Right away it becomes apparent were the most traffic is.
So, I set up my tree stand I built, after lunch. Me being a carpenter it came easy and had I good idea from an example I found during bow season. The thing worked great. Anyways, after that was set up I backed the quad out of there and walk back in and sat for the rest of the day.
1:30 two does trot up the clearing at 300 yards. They kept looking back so I waited for a buck, but he never came. Exit does.
2:30 I start rattling every 30 min first set of rattles a coyote comes down the field and sits 20 yards from me. There was a good crosswind so I knew he didn't know I was there. Exit coyote.
3:30 3rd or 4rth set at rattles I see another dark shape enter the clearing at a distance. It coming from the place the coyote did I assumed another coyote. Looked the my low power binos and saw that it was a deer but I didn't see antlers at first against the snow. This was at 400 yards, slowly he closed the gap to 250 yards. By then I saw that he was a decent 4x4 and with little whitetail opportunities this year it was on. Gave a grunt with the tube and his ears perked right up. He finally came broadside 80 yards from my stand. Made a noise to stop him, put the crosshairs on the vitals and my .303 Brit did the rest. He piled up 60 yards away.
Need less to say I had to take the long way out that didn't involve ice, with the extra weight. Last 2 years have been a bust for whitetails for me so it's nice to have days like these.
Hope these pics work
 [/IMG]
 
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11-23-2015, 05:51 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: At the end of the Thirsty Beaver Trail, Pinsky lake, Alberta.
Posts: 24,612
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Perseverance paid off. Heck of a tree stand, how do you get that monster up and secured?
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Be careful when you follow the masses, sometimes the "M" is silent... 
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11-23-2015, 05:58 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 971
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Go up with a chain and caribiner first. Clip on a length of rope then pull it up. Prob weighs under 20 pounds
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11-23-2015, 06:41 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Ft. McMurray
Posts: 38,585
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Congratulation on your hunt!
That 's a nice deer!
Cat
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Anytime I figure I've got this long range thing figured out, I just strap into the sling and irons and remind myself that I don't! 
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11-23-2015, 06:52 AM
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Banned
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: edmonton
Posts: 11,434
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Congrats on your buck. Thats quite the stand you made for yourself. Certainly did the job.
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11-23-2015, 08:41 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,191
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Awesome write up.
Love how you updated the modified stock with your 303. I hunted for many many years with a Lee Enfield.
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11-23-2015, 08:51 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: AlbertaSask
Posts: 4,180
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Very cool experiences from your stand...glad you ended up with some tasty treats for the winter...nice Buck!! Thanks for sharing, that tree stand you built there looks like it's pretty big and solid?
Zip 
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"Never be ashamed of scars it just simply means that you were stronger than what tried to hurt you"
"Good judgement comes from experience, and experience...well,That comes from poor Judgement"
"KEEP SMILING"
Zip
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11-23-2015, 09:10 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 971
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2x4 "frame" with 1x4 deck boards and 3/8 sheeting gussets. All wood on wood connections are glued with PL. solid. Light enough for one guy to hang. Had to build my own as my hunting budget was tapped out with all my archery gear I purchased this year. Think I'm gonna make another one now.
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11-23-2015, 09:15 AM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: A bit North o' Center...
Posts: 11,154
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Great stuff! Congrats on your buck.
That's a cool-looking stand. A friend of mine builds his own as well. He found the design in an old hunting magazine. The article was named "The Silent Stand".
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11-23-2015, 09:17 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Calgary
Posts: 3,857
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Cool write up and story of your Whitetail season, great job and buck!
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11-23-2015, 09:30 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: AlbertaSask
Posts: 4,180
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nmaksymyk
2x4 "frame" with 1x4 deck boards and 3/8 sheeting gussets. All wood on wood connections are glued with PL. solid. Light enough for one guy to hang. Had to build my own as my hunting budget was tapped out with all my archery gear I purchased this year. Think I'm gonna make another one now.
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Thank you..now that you have the first one built, they just get easier from there.
Good job!
Zip
__________________
"Never be ashamed of scars it just simply means that you were stronger than what tried to hurt you"
"Good judgement comes from experience, and experience...well,That comes from poor Judgement"
"KEEP SMILING"
Zip
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11-23-2015, 12:21 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 8,334
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Nice Buck, and set up.
Congratulations.
BW
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11-23-2015, 01:16 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,822
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Real nice buck, I shot my first with a .303 also.
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11-23-2015, 04:34 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: In transit
Posts: 937
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That is a great looking buck! After reading the account of your hunt, you should consider taking up predator hunting!
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11-23-2015, 04:42 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 971
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funny you say that. I left the stand there for that reason
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11-23-2015, 06:21 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: In transit
Posts: 937
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nmaksymyk
funny you say that. I left the stand there for that reason
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Looking forward to more pictures and stories. Sounds like you have a great spot for killing some coyotes!
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11-23-2015, 06:36 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Ashmont
Posts: 234
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Good job, love the old .303 rifles they still do the job and still accurate as the day they were built.
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11-24-2015, 11:20 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Cochrane, Alberta
Posts: 1,758
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Can you post a few pics of your treestand showing the design...looks cool.
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"You're gonna need a bigger boat!" - Martin Brody, 1975
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11-24-2015, 11:56 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 971
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Important thing is the back piece is a 2x6 with beveled edges to get the spread on the platform
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11-24-2015, 06:22 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: High Prairie, Alberta
Posts: 2,501
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Nice story, I enjoyed reading! Congrats on the buck!
( sorry bout havin to own a Polaris quad though.....  )
.
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11-24-2015, 08:36 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canmore
Posts: 2,105
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Good story & nice pics, I'm eating beef and pork this year, SKUNKED.
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Woke up with a pulse, best day ever
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11-24-2015, 09:20 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,387
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Nice deer, nice stand, nice rifle. Pretty Nice all around.
How do you get up into your stand...didn't see any ladders/steps?
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11-24-2015, 09:35 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Innisfail
Posts: 2,022
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ex811
Nice deer, nice stand, nice rifle. Pretty Nice all around.
How do you get up into your stand...didn't see any ladders/steps?
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11-24-2015, 10:43 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 971
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If you zoom in you'll see screw in steps on the back of the tree
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