I've came across many old wooden stands but honestly I've just sat at the base of the tree and I've taken 2 deer just from my gut feeling "this hunter knew the deer would be here."
Yes in regards to the wooden stands but as well as the techniques and lack of common sense in regards to hunting in general.
Did you even read his post or just the thread title? He was not bashing old timers at all, the title is in jest.
Ive done the same thing. Only I made improvements. I climbed the old rickety wooden ladder 10' to the first big limb, with the top section of a ladder stand on my back in an old huge white oak. I climbed limb to limb until I Got 20' in the air to a huge limb that was as big as a tree itself. Placed the ladder stand on it and leaned it against the tree and tied it off. Repaired the seat with ol' conveyor belting. The seat was just over 25' in the air. My pull cord didn't touch the ground. Killed my first bow buck. Young, Dumb , and Broke.
Back in the late 70's when we were just cutting our archery hunting teeth my buddies and I built and hunted out of wood stands exclusively. The remnants of some of those old stands are still visible. I would have no problem hunting out of a well built and "maintained" wood stand.
Definitely makes you wonder who was there before you and what they may have harvested through the years!!
Killed my first deer with a bow out of an old wooden stand. Probably wasn't even 10 feet off the ground.
just standing on a limb or 2x4's and a little plywood. didn't know any different until about 15 years ago.
