That's weird. I was just talking about the opposite here near St. Louis. mosquitos aren't bad at all here this year. I just moved and thought maybe they sprayed better but coming from people in different towns they concur
I don't have the luxary to have stands setup but I have trees ready to go in the areas I hunt. That way when I hunt I know to take either my climber or portable stand with sticks. If I decide to move to an area I haven't hunted I will probably take my hang on with sticks as I can get into most trees versus a climber. I use to always take my climber but then I found out that I never could find a tree to get in where I wanted to be.
Guys - If you don't have them already do yourselves (and your families) a favor and buy yourself a good harness that has a linesman belt system built in. It's super safe, and leaves both hand free to do the hanging. It's so much easier to do and you don't have to be doing this pulley, using one hand garbage.
Hold on there partner, I in no way advocate putting stands up without a safety harness. All the pulley system does is help me to hold things in place and prevent me from having climb while holding the stand. No one, and I mean no one should ever climb without their safety gear. Maybe I should have made that clear in my post. Blessings..........Pastorjim
Was supposed to go this weekend..... To move 2 stands and put up a third and another trail camera but work ended those plans real quick.. Hard to get anything done work 70 hr weeks let alone find time to drive to the cabin 2 hours away. Don't know when or if any of that will get done this year now
Yes I do have a safety vest with a linesmen belt. But you still have to either climb with the stand or pull it up to you and then hold on to it while getting the straps situated. I have done it that way for years but found the hoist to make the process even easier. The older I get the more I like things easier. The hoist just does the lifting and holding for you and all you have to do is tighten the straps. The hoist is called "pine ridge EZ up"
I am hanging my stand pretty much each hunt, even spots I know I'll hunt each year on private I prefer to go in with stand on back because if my gut tells me to do something different I'm going to follow that instict.
I hung two last weekend. Will do two more this weekend. I don't leave stands out. Weather is hard on them.
My stands stay up year round but shooting lanes are trimmed by early August at the latest. I think I left 3 gallons of sweat in the woods last weekend. Deer should be returning before season opens I hope lol. I agree with the other MN guys. The skeeters are really bad here this year. Might need to have a 2nd thermacell going in early season.
I will add that while I could leave my stands out year round at my farm I don't because weather deteriorates the plastic washers and corrodes the metal on stands. Ratchet straps, lifelines etc also deteriorate in the sun and weather. I got tired of creaky stands and getting out to go climb in one and having the ratchet strap appear like it could fail any moment. Now they all come in each year for the winter and go back out the next.
Some stay up year round, some get put up a few weeks before season, some get hung the day I hunt them. It really just depends.
Usually on the hottest day with the highest humidity sometime in August when the mosquitoes and deer flies are at their worst. Enjoy!