Why so many box stands?

[Jameson]

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...

I think this is happening more and more. And no doubt everyone who is doing it means the best.

I question if it is a good thing. Just let the kids wait till they are old enough to endure the elements. Just because he wants to go along it may be better for him to wait until he is older to experience the real thing.

Are you going to go through extra steps to make sure they see deer, too? Plant a food plot or have a bait station out in the area up to 10 days prior to hunting it, etc?

What then are we really showing and teaching the little ones? Are we teaching them real hunting or are they learning that hunting is sitting in a nice comfy stand on stilts and seeing many deer every time out? Kinda what they see on TV....

P.S. lawdog, you aren't doing it all just for what your kid wants.

[Heartman]

I see their relative value, but don't like them. If located on private property, build 'em. But on public property I don't like them at all - to me it sends a message of ownership...a provincial attitude that says the stand and all the land it overlooks is mine and mine alone since I have claimed it with "my stand". Whenever I come upon an unoccupied treestand I climb right up - mostly just to see what things look like from up there. Would I shoot a deer from someone else's treestand? Sure - wouldn't hesitate - why should I? I own the land too.

I think any kind of permanent construction on public land, involving any man-touched materials should be banned in MN. I realize this goes WAY AGAINST today's attitudes, but there are those of us who don't like them. There are those of us who have issue with this provincial attitude. However, using portable treestands will accomplish the same thing, and remove the pervasive attitude of ownership so prevalent in our public woods. Find a tree, put it up, hunt, take it down and put it away.

OK, blast away as I expect my opinion will draw a bunch of negative comments. And I do realize if I feel strongly enough about this I can address the issue through the proper channels of state legislation.

[TruthWalleyes]

It's a comfort thing. Call em wussies if you'd like, but stop and look at yourself too.

I don't need to own great winter clothing either....But i'm sure a lot more comfortable when the weather is not idea.

I don't need cool breathable rain gear for the summer...But when it's 90 and raining - it sure is nice to be dry.

I don't need a portable ice house with a 18,000 BTU heater either...But fishing in a comfortable shelter has its benefits to being in the elements.

[Musky Buck]

I want no part of a box stand got an old one from the 80's that's too dangerous to use anymore, I feel I can't consistently take a mature buck year after year from the same one, some have that good of spot,area,etc. but for me it's my 6 ladder stands I rotate to and fro, I also can hear much easier and get turned to shoot and my metal won't rot lol. Honestly I think it is tougher to consistently take a mature buck year after year from them so I like the mobility my ladder stands offer and I never overhunt them, but if I had a consistent spot where every year this is deer central I'd build one, but we had straight lined wind in 2005, tornado in 2010, the landscape changed and it was much easier to relocate my ladders, anyway I hunt alone currently but someday soon that will change so I'll lol have 2 ladders on the same tree, I'll give up comfort to have better chances at a mature buck, when I first built that box stand in 1985 the deer didn't seem to like it or they sure checked it out and didn't really want to just walk that trail by it, bit skittish as it was out of their normal what's what.

[bigbucks]

Yes, I think there's more of them, to answer the original question.

I think for many of the reasons mentioned. I built my first box this year, but it's just sides & a floor. I couldn't bear to close it completely & only be able to see & hear out windows. In that spot it's too much of 360 degree spot. I plan to build at least one fully enclosed box for one location that's exposed & has one direction a deer is VERY unlikely to come from.

[CANOPY SAM]

I question if it is a good thing. Just let the kids wait till they are old enough to endure the elements. Just because he wants to go along it may be better for him to wait until he is older to experience the real thing.

Are you going to go through extra steps to make sure they see deer, too? Plant a food plot or have a bait station out in the area up to 10 days prior to hunting it, etc?

What then are we really showing and teaching the little ones? Are we teaching them real hunting or are they learning that hunting is sitting in a nice comfy stand on stilts and seeing many deer every time out? Kinda what they see on TV....

P.S. lawdog, you aren't doing it all just for what your kid wants.

[Musky Buck]

Let me pick my own post apart before someone else does, I can't afford 6 box stands, in the swamps I hunt water is present year round so wood rots quickly, I know buy treated stuff, with that being said I can't get materials to where I would need them, winter only maybe with deep snow forget it, I don't own a 4 wheeler, here's the kicker I can handle my 30.06 shooting free handed for years now, I have 100% confidence in that so I like the idea so many have that box stand so they have a steady rest to shoot from hitting their mark with accuracy at least much of the time. The box stand is relatively safe also, don't need a harness etc. The finale is in most of my areas it's red willow central, you have to build a tower of some sort or forget hunting red willow,cattail,tall grass, you bet most of my ladder stands are as close to that red willow as possible, the nearest tree as possible and I have a lot of acres I can hunt, people that have like a 40 a boxstand makes perfect sense you're covering 440yardsx440 kinda takes having mega stands out of the mix. They are everywhere no doubt but boy after opener those big boxes in many of my locations you hear very little if any shooting, they stick out like a sore thumb, have scent trails going to and from and the stand gets a good dose of human scent, I think those stands advantage me in especially 1 of my areas, good deer numbers and those stands do much better as there's simply more deer to go around, but some spots are the spot on the spot and that box stand is ideal especially if you can double up and it's muzzleloader a good spot to be in for that also. How much comfort do you want ? I need mobility to be successful.

[Heartman]

Me too, Musky Buck. Mobility allows me to go find the deer if they aren't moving. Without saying good or bad or anything, it is what makes my hunting experience satisfactory - being able to move around.

[TRZ II]

I have built three on my 80 acres. I never hunt them opening day, I agree with Muskybuck ont he scent deal, although I did nail a giant 10 2 yrs. ago from one. But boy are they nice when it gets rainy or really cold like 2nd sat. this year it rained all day and i never left he stand. Plain and simple for me they can make hunting more enjoyable and that is what it's all about!!! I also got a youth into hunting this year and hunted with him an entire day and was able to teach him more in a day than I learned in the first 5 yrs teaching myself how to hunt.

[Sinker]

Right on Tony. I sat up in portable hang-on stands for many years on public land and after we bought our property eight years ago. But after I started hunting the muzzleloader season three years ago, I realized that to be able to stay out there as long as possible in December, I needed to do something. I bought a commercial one-man blind and mounted it on 10' treated 4x4's. Swampy area so we brought it across in March 2011 when it was frozen. My daughter has sat in it more than I have, which was another reason I did it. She shot a nice 5-pointer out of it this year. Have other ladder stands scattered around so it really doesn't get used day after day. Later.

[Mike Wallace]

We built one last year we call Cinderfellas Castle: 7x8 with three swivel boat seats in it.

We built it because it was fun to plan, easy to find, comfortable to sit in, protected from the wind, elevated in an area that was logged out, and it's sometimes nice to sit with a pal.

But mostly, because it was fun to build.

[shortfatguy]

I still hunt out of ladder stands, hang ons, and climbers. But it is nice to have a dry stand for those wet days or a warm stand on those late season cold days. Its also the stand I take kids to hunt in and my wife like to go out once a year and sit with me there too.

[mabr]

Ive laughed at them in the past. I was to manly to hunt out of one of them personally, let the kids and the old men hunt out them not me I'd say.

Ohhhh how does age change the way I think. Im building one this summer and setting it for next season after this ML season. It will be a good vantage point to do summer scouting and be a good cold weather sit when needed. I hunt all 3 seasons and will still have hang ons, ladders and climbers BUT I will have a big nice heated enclosed box blind next year.

[paceman]

I built my first one for the 2009 season. I wasn't sure if I would like it as it does reduce your ability to see/shoot in some directions. But man I became a fan right away as I believe it rained half that season. I also shot a nice 10 point out of it and have shot deer out of it. Every year. I have built one a year since and now have 4 scattered across our land and will continue to build them. After they are up for about a year the deer don't even look at them. This year with the ugly weather the second weekend the stands were all full as friends/family called and asked to come over.

[Musky Buck]

10 4 guys, I'm not for or against and you bet in rain etc. I've certainly wished I was in one just so I could be out longer and or a break in the weather and you could get out if you wanted somewhat dry. I find it a touch interesting after a year they don't even look at them anymore, is that because the deer are pushed you're seeing or are some already avoiding it so what isn't seen isn't known or like I said if you have the spot on the spot like some of my relatives it's in the ideal place or is the area so flooded with them the deer are very used to them, certainly after opener in my area those big field box stands are done for the year basically, those hunters this year even quit or maybe sit the 1st hour and head out, who knows though. I took a few large bucks from my old box, no roof, but in the day where the deer weren't bow hunted, no trail cams, little pressure, but today isn't then and well the last 6 bucks I took came from 6 different ladder stands true story, weird when I think about it but true which means maybe if I was a 1 stand man I may have ate several tags, man I wish I had a favorite, I simply play the wind and hunter pressure like if the field guys scent is being blown into the swamp forget that swamp today, they aint budging until dark dark. I need mobility and like mobility or a view of new yet familiar terrain. The key thing I like about the box stand is they don't see movement, keep your scope clear from snow/rain/etc., way more comfortable, keep your gear cleaner, ladder stands you hope the buck is alone, those does without me moving still tend to peg me 1/2 the time or so then I need that chance in a hurry because she won't likely come by again in shooting light if she's alarmed, means she won't drag a buck by either, good luck to all hunters wood or metal, the final key is safety for all of us.

[Gordie]

.....

Thoughts?

Because you can!! Just like using a 300 win mag for deer because you can.

Its like asking why does everyone need a 4-wheeler to go hunting when your legs will get there also,

or

Why does everyone want a bigger and better boat for fishing?

To be honest with you its because we can.