Why so many box stands?

[Jameson]

Anyone else notice how many box stands you see while driving around these days? Why so many lately?

With the popularity of cordless tools it's easy for people to build them? But chainsaws and hammer and nails have been around a while.

The cold weather? But folks say it ain't cold here anymore.

Folks building stands to keep the youth(now 10 year olds)/elderly comfortable?

.....

Thoughts?

[Jeff13]

I think it's for comfort, personally I've hunted in them and its just not the same feel. I grew up hunting in small tree stands on public land, and now use portables. To me it doesn't feel right in a giant walled box. Just my personal opinion.

[charliepete]

It's all part of the wussification of America. Anything that requires hard work, perseverance, common sense, ability to cope etc are being replaced with things geared toward placating whiney overweight cry babies who are used to things being easy and would rather spend money than learn to enjoy the outdoors for what it is (that's actually being outdoors if you aren't catching my drift).

[hockeybc69]

Safer than using trees.

Trees swaying in the wind is a recipe for problems with nails and screws holding the structure together.

Where there isnt trees, its about the only option you have. Lots of box stands placed out in the wide open terrain to watch over the landscape.

Easy to build at home, and haul to the desired location, rather than build it from scratch in the woods.

Just to name a few things.

[leechlake]

don't have any myself but I think many are made as part of the hunting experience. By that I mean, it is fun to work on hunting related projects pre-season if you can. Whether you like them or not I think many are made because they are a fun thing to make while you can't actually be hunting (at least with firearm)

[tunrevir]

I think alot of it has to do with the popularity of the hunting shows on TV these days. Many of the shows have guys in box blinds and people think, hey that is a great idea, I can stay warmer, less scent gets out to the deer ect. We have a half dozen box blinds in Wisc that our party has built and uses for rifle season and muzzleloader seasons. They are a nice option when looking for warmth during the late season and allow you to sit for longer periods of time. We have also used them with our youth hunters that are just starting to hunt as a way to keep fidgety hunters out of sight. Personally, I like the open air stands and definately prefer them over ground or box blinds when bowhunting. I like to see the whole woods and hear what is coming versus being cooped up in a box.

Tunrevir~

[NoWiser]

They are great for keeping you warm and dry while you are texting and playing Angry Birds. Nature can be so boring without cell phones, you know!

I have no desire to hunt out of one. Maybe when I get older that will change, but I'm happy as can be shivering away all day in my climber 20 feet up in a birch tree waiting for the next chickadee to come by and land on my hat or gun barrel. I have relatives that brag about their fancy stands complete with vinyl windows, heaters, and urinals. Each to there own, but that just isn't my idea of deer hunting. If they enjoy it, I have no problem with it. I know it's a lot easier for me to move my stand quick when I find a fresh rub line on the edge of a swamp and decide to hunt that buck.

[Jameson]

Safer than using trees.

Trees swaying in the wind is a recipe for problems with nails and screws holding the structure together.

Where there isnt trees, its about the only option you have. Lots of box stands placed out in the wide open terrain to watch over the landscape.

Easy to build at home, and haul to the desired location, rather than build it from scratch in the woods.

Just to name a few things.

Wrong thread. This isn't a pro/con question, but rather are they more popular now and if so why? Or are you saying the desired locations are now less wooded? It's now easier to haul them due to atv's?

[highlife4me]

I have hunted out of many different stands, everything between ones built with sticks to a box stand complete with a roof and a staircase to climb into it. If it is a nice day it does not matter where I sit but if it snowing or raining or a stiff breeze I will take a comfortable box stand for an all day sit every time. I also feel much safer in a box stand too.

Deer hunting is not a cheap as it use to be either. Everything costs more, and to justify the cost some feel you need to spend as much time in the stand as possible and for many you need to be comfortable.

[Jameson]

I think alot of it has to do with the popularity of the hunting shows on TV these days. Many of the shows have guys in box blinds...

I don't watch much T.V., and when I do it's Ricky Rubio, so I was wondering if the hunting shows had anything to do with it.

[CANOPY SAM]

Why not? They are a little restrictive to see out of, but the benefits far out weigh the drawbacks.

[hockeybc69]

You completely read into my post the wrong way jameson.

Or did i read yours wrong.

Are u talking houses on stilts or simple box stands with No windows roof etc...

[mainbutter]

It's all part of the wussification of America. Anything that requires hard work, perseverance, common sense, ability to cope etc are being replaced with things geared toward placating whiney overweight cry babies who are used to things being easy and would rather spend money than learn to enjoy the outdoors for what it is (that's actually being outdoors if you aren't catching my drift).

irony, anyone?

[hockeybc69]

Is this considered a box stand?

[Jameson]

house on stilts aka palace in the sky aka the taj mahal aka ?????

Ya, pretty much anything more than a portable ladderstand or a few boards up in a tree for an elevated place to stand. They seem to be popping up everywhere, and I was wondering if I was the only one noticing it and why it's happening. Did folks just not know how great they were before and are now figuring it out? Why are they figuring it out now?

[hockeybc69]

Gotcha....

We call box stands, the ones that have 4 posts in the ground, and 4 walls around it. No roof, windows, etc....

We have several "box stands" per our definition.... So scratch my earlier post.

I wasnt talking about the type of deer stands that the county can potentially tax you for.

[Jameson]

Gotcha....

We call box stands, the ones that have 4 posts in the ground, and 4 walls around it. No roof, windows, etc....

We have several "box stands" per our definition.... So scratch my earlier post.

I wasnt talking about the type of deer stands that the county can potentially tax you for.

now, I get your first post. I'm talking driving around on the highways and looking out and seeing one elevated-deer-hunting-cabin after another.

Could a part of it be our 9 day season and muzzy? Before folks wouldn't bother to go through the work or expense for 2 or 4 days of hunting?

[hockeybc69]

We want to build one large, fully enclosed stand. Something where a couple/3 guys could go meet if they wanted. Rather than make a trip back to the trucks to warm up or whatever.

We actually do enjoy creating something new for a deer stand, and are looking forward to whatever creation we can come up with. My Dad works construction, so we have materials piled up, including windows, shingles, etc. Basically VERY little cost out of pocket for whatever we come up with.

Previous posts sure paint a picture that its the wussification of america.

If someone wants to go warm up, or just take a mental break for a bit and take a short hike to go meet another party member for a snack and chat,,, big deal on that.

If someone wants to spend the time and money to build one that they call their home for the deer season. So what.

Now why do we see more of them??? Because people are driving down the roads and seeing them, and thinking to themselves... "Dang, I like that."

I will say, that some of them are awfully creative in what they have built....

[Spike76]

Times are changing. If I was lost in the woods and had to spend the night, I'd be real happy to come across one of these box stands. I enjoy seeing all the stands along the open fields when I'm driving up north. I'm sure the loggers would rather see them then the ones built in trees. I like a few boards nailed in a couple of trees, this way people know someone hunts the area. Most hunters don't want other hunters within a couple of hundred yards. You can always move portables around the area where you want them. I wish I would have had a box stand the second saturday of rifle season. I got soaken wet and cold. It was still great, but no deer. I consider a box with 4 sides, top and bottom. It could even be sitting on the ground.

[shortfatguy]

I built my first enclosed stand when it started getting warmer during deer season. I built it to stay out of the rain! I think a lot of guys are getting away from the old style of sitting for a bit in the morning and then doing drives and sitting for a bit in the evening. When you spend entire days sitting in the stand you have plenty of time to think about things you can do to make it more comfortable.

[leech~~]

Our hunting party calls them Texas stands. If I had a few hungy acres of my own land, I be having me a big ol Texas stand or two on it!

[Jameson]

I suppose "we" did kinda come to the conclusion that people are doing less deer drives and more stand hunting these days. It only makes sense then that more stands will be built to accommodate the people.

[lawdog]

I have never had one and for myself still don't need one. BUT, I have decided I need to build one because my little guy is gonna want to come along before he's ready for the elements. He wants to come with now and he's only four. I need to protect him, and hide his certain noise and movement from the deer I want to hunt...

[leech~~]

I suppose "we" did kinda come to the conclusion that people are doing less deer drives and more stand hunting these days. It only makes sense then that more stands will be built to accommodate the people.

Drive and stand hunting are two different things for different kinds of lands. If you tried to do a drive in the big woods we hunt you would be wasting your time. There would be no way to post it all off with out the deer coming out in any direction they wanted and you would never see most of them. Find a good trail and put up a stand is best in our area. We went 6 for 10 guys and we would have all filled out if more guys would have taken all the Does they had seen. All from stands.

[paceman]

I hunt out of an enclosed stand quite a bit while rifle hunting. I really enjoy it. I have spent many many hours sitting in the wind, rain, snow trying to keep dry, warm. Now I sit in comfort and I do enjoy it more. We don't do drives anymore. The more time I spend sitting the better the odds are of seeing deer. I do take my young kids out quite a bit as well. I feel they are much safer as well. I will build more. I hunt different properties for bow/muzzy so I still get plenty of oppertunities for sitting in portys swaying in the wind. I feel I have the best of both worlds......