deer stand - left ouside all year

[korupt21]

I'm wondering if any of you out there who have metal deer hunting stands (mine happens to be a two person ladder stand), leave them in the woods all year?

Will this be OK or will the stand take major abuse from the elements, rust and fall apart.

Just wondering what most people perfer to do. Leave them or take them down and store them inside.

Thanks

yes it's on private land so no issues there.

[Tippman]

I take all my stands but one down every year. The one I leave up is a large heavy portable that is just too big a mess to deal with and appears to be in the same condition as it was 3 years ago when I first hung it up. I do take the cushioned seat off so the squirrels don't chew it up though.

[surfs]

I leave my two person metal stand out all year as well. It's been out for the past two years and I haven't had any problems with rust from the elemenets. My last stand was out for five years and when I upgraded the only thing I needed to do was use a little wd-40 to get the bolts off. So my two cents is that it will be just fine. Oh, and my stands are in the Duluth area so we know what the winters are like there.

[harvey lee]

I have left climbers,hang-ons and ladder stands out for a year or maybe two at a time.I always pull my tree steps for the hang-ons as I dont trust them from year to year.

Once every two years all my stands come down and I check everything all over to make sure things are still all tight and lube up any moving parts.This has worked well for me for the past 15 years without any problems.

[almostthere!]

Got a question.

I know the medal will with-stand the elements, but what about the stands which comes with those nylon straps. Will the straps still be good after a year in the rain and snow?

[SSSTaxidermy]

The straps would (in theory) most likely withstand a season out in the elements, however I wouldn't trust it. Better to take the safe route at that junction.

[KOTTKE]

any stand that has a material on it is a magnet to squirels I have found. I leave 5 ladder stands in the woods year round but I always take the straps down.

[tealitup]

Change the straps with a cable lock style - they make the locks that you can tighten the cable - works nicely

[chris63]

Hello,another thing to consider is the chain or strap will grow into the tree after time.Stand will be hard to remove or rendered unsafe after time.jmtcc63

[Stratosman]

I have left them up before, and need to stop because first off the darned tree rats eat my seat cushions, the tree grows enough that my screw steps are harder to get turned out, and I don't like the strap having increased pressure on it. Plus I always move them back to early seaon spots anyway next season.