Simpler times

[muddyboots]

We had a baker story. It's about same as yawls but we just left it on tree. We called it the baker stand. lol this is a good one. I had a buddy that we hunted with all time. He stopped at coop and they had a new climbing stand that bolted together in 2 halves. After about an hour trying to hook that thing up we left it at the gate of hunting lease. We came back after going hunting abd someone had stolen it. We always laughed at that one.

 

[tn24]

A Baker was my first stand. I used to say it didn't matter if I saw a deer or not it was always exciting hunting out of that thing.

 

[BSK]

I had a Baker, and have the scars from falls to prove it.

 

[Jaahspike]

Reminiscing about the old days. Chucks stand thread got me thinking about my first stand. My dad had built some contraption that he called a climber. It was held together by bolts and wing nuts. You had to be careful not to drop the in the leaves or you'd be hunting the ground. The top was welded together and had a carpet for a seat. The bottom was a baker. He had hunted out of it for years and it was nicknamed the widow maker by his hunting buddies. I was 9 years old and remember it like it was yesterday. You don't forget stuff that scares the crap out of you. In particular I remember how it didn't fit good together and how it clanked as I walked through the woods. It was heavy and at the time it seemed to weigh as much as I did. At times I thought it would benefit me as much if I just dragged it, at least then my shoulders wouldn't hurt from where the seat belt straps dug into me. I remember climbing it for the first time practicing in a light pole in the drive way if I went up a foot at a time I slid back down 6 inches. This happened till I got to ten foot or so. It couldn't have been much more than that because dad helped me pull up the bottom stand from the ground. He tricked me though because my first hunt we climbed twin poplars in the dark. He went up one I went up the other he had to help me the whole way. I thought we'd go about 15 ft maybe 20. No! we went about 40 ft if not higher. He was a smoker in the past and he said it was important to make sure the deer couldn't smell you. Anyway as I sat there he told me sit very still don't move, I didn't bother telling him he didn't have to tell me that. I wasn't worried about not moving because of deer I was more worried about the stand tilting and sliding and me falling to my death. By the way I didn't realize they made harnesses. Reading this back I may call dad and ask why he hated me so much. I walked in that year as a 9 year old boy. By the next year I had that climber down to a science and I came out of that season as a 10 year old man. In my mind anyway. Let's hear some good old days hunting stories.

My favorite sentence in the entire paragraph:
I wasn't worried about not moving because of deer I was more worried about the stand tilting and sliding and me falling to my death.

It feels like you are describing the first climber I ever used. For some weird reason the seat actually faced the tree so you had to make sure you set up correctly or you would have no shooting lanes. It wasn't like I could turn around once I got to the height I wanted because the seat was bolted and made to face that way so that was a challenge! I cherish those kinds of memories!!!!

 

[Bon3_Daddy]

My brother used to take me hunting with him. I was 13 or so and he was 19. One day he took me to a place in the woods and set me on a stump near the edge of a clear cut that was partially grown up. He said "wait here and I'll be back in a little bit." He disappeared in the woods behind me and thirty minutes later I hear the awfullest sounding dog bawling off in the distance. It sounded like it was being strangled, was on the other side of the clear cut, and was getting closer. It would get quiet, then bawl again maybe 5 minutes later. But still getting closer. I was already formulating how I was going to brag to my brother that I shot a deer being pushed by this lone stray wailing dog while he was out being lost somewhere in the woods behind me. Anyway, here comes the bawling dog, getting ever closed. After about 20 minutes I finally see movement near the sound of the dog. That dang dog was wearing an orange hat, and looked an awful lot like my brother…. Yep, it was him, trying to jump a deer for his little brother while acting like a dog moving through the clear cut. Pretty awesome dude. What a great memory.

Great Story!

 

[Knothead]

I had a baker and would like to share some stories, but can't. Just brings back too many bad memories. Let's just say, it's an absolute miracle I am alive today. Only by the grace of God am I still here.
Wish I knew if that old Baker was still hanging on the tree I left it on—35 years ago. Yep! I just walked off and left it !

I wonder how many hunters died back in the Baker and Amacker days!!??

 

[Volbuck777]

My favorite sentence in the entire paragraph:
I wasn't worried about not moving because of deer I was more worried about the stand tilting and sliding and me falling to my death.

It feels like you are describing the first climber I ever used. For some weird reason the seat actually faced the tree so you had to make sure you set up correctly or you would have no shooting lanes. It wasn't like I could turn around once I got to the height I wanted because the seat was bolted and made to face that way so that was a challenge! I cherish those kinds of

My favorite sentence in the entire paragraph:
I wasn't worried about not moving because of deer I was more worried about the stand tilting and sliding and me falling to my death.

It feels like you are describing the first climber I ever used. For some weird reason the seat actually faced the tree so you had to make sure you set up correctly or you would have no shooting lanes. It wasn't like I could turn around once I got to the height I wanted because the seat was bolted and made to face that way so that was a challenge! I cherish those kinds of memories!!!!

Man I had a stand like the one you described. Did yours have a bar that ran back to the tree between your legs.

 

[Lost Lake]

My first climber was a TSS (Total Shooting Systems).

It was a wooden platform and used the metal band with a rubber sleeve instead of a blade. I loved it. At the time I bought it, they didn't make a hand climber for it, so bear hugging the tree was required to climb. Man it was hard on the chest and arms if you were climbing a rough barked tree, or it was wet.

But, that stand made a huge difference in how I hunted, and I started killing a lot of deer. I wish I'd have kept it just for sentimental reasons.

I was also gifted a Warren and Sweatt bladed climber, which was a Baker clone. Good lord I'm surprised I lived through using it the few times that I did. It'd spin around a tree in a heart beat.

I do miss some of those old days.

 

[Jaahspike]

Man I had a stand like the one you described. Did yours have a bar that ran back to the tree between your legs.

It may have but I don't remember. All I remember is it being challenging. I didn't look at a hunting trip as just going to see deer but also working so hard to figure out where to find a good tree with shooting lanes

 

[BSK]

My first climber was a TSS (Total Shooting Systems).

It was a wooden platform and used the metal band with a rubber sleeve instead of a blade. I loved it. At the time I bought it, they didn't make a hand climber for it, so bear hugging the tree was required to climb. Man it was hard on the chest and arms if you were climbing a rough barked tree, or it was wet.

But, that stand made a huge difference in how I hunted, and I started killing a lot of deer. I wish I'd have kept it just for sentimental reasons.

I had one of those as well. A HUGE step up from a Baker. I bought a hand climber for my TSS that doubled as a sling seat. Most uncomfortable dang thing I ever tried to sit on. Eventually, modified my TSS by mounting a center post and wooden seat on pivots that would allow it to fold flat to the floor while climbing/carrying. Extra weight, but much better than the hand-climber sling seat.

 

[Lost Lake]

I had one of those as well. A HUGE step up from a Baker. I bought a hand climber for my TSS that doubled as a sling seat. Most uncomfortable dang thing I ever tried to sit on. Eventually, modified my TSS by mounting a center post and wooden seat on pivots that would allow it to fold flat to the floor while climbing/carrying. Extra weight, but much better than the hand-climber sling seat.

Yes! I eventually found the post type seat, and it made a huge difference in comfort!

 

[cathunter]

My first climber was a TSS (Total Shooting Systems).

It was a wooden platform and used the metal band with a rubber sleeve instead of a blade. I loved it. At the time I bought it, they didn't make a hand climber for it, so bear hugging the tree was required to climb. Man it was hard on the chest and arms if you were climbing a rough barked tree, or it was wet.

But, that stand made a huge difference in how I hunted, and I started killing a lot of deer. I wish I'd have kept it just for sentimental reasons.

I was also gifted a Warren and Sweatt bladed climber, which was a Baker clone. Good lord I'm surprised I lived through using it the few times that I did. It'd spin around a tree in a heart beat.

I do miss some of those old days.

First climber I bought was the tss. Came in a kit . You had to supply your own plywood. Still have it in the shed. Made a few homemade death traps copied after the baker. That was at least 40 years ago.

 

[Lost Lake]

First climber I bought was the tss. Came in a kit . You had to supply your own plywood. Still have it in the shed. Made a few homemade death traps copied after the baker. That was at least 40 years ago.

A guy that hunted the same farm as my buddy and I suggested we get one. He'd witnessed our struggle as fairly new Bowhunters hunting from the ground or from stands nailed up in trees.

We hustled on over to a great old store call Grandpa's in Clarksville, and grabbed a couple of them. Luckily ours came assembled, and after painting them, we were in business.

I later added shoulder straps, and like BSK said, the post type seat.

 

[megalomaniac]

My first treestands were build with the help of my grandad and pressure treated lumber 35 years ago. They are still on the farm in the woods, but severely rotten and unusable for a couple decades. Still great memories of past times when I had no idea what I was doing.

 

[BSK]

My first treestands were build with the help of my grandad and pressure treated lumber 35 years ago. They are still on the farm in the woods, but severely rotten and unusable for a couple decades. Still great memories of past times when I had no idea what I was doing.

The permanent stands we made out of 2x4s as soon as we bought our place 35 years ago are still hanging in the trees. Well, sort of. Pieces of them are still hanging in the trees!

 

[Gravey]

I had a baker and would like to share some stories, but can't. Just brings back too many bad memories. Let's just say, it's an absolute miracle I am alive today. Only by the grace of God am I still here.
Wish I knew if that old Baker was still hanging on the tree I left it on—35 years ago. Yep! I just walked off and left it !

I wonder how many hunters died back in the Baker and Amacker days!!??

I had an older baker stand and if I had to use that today I'd always hunt from the ground. Had an amacker too and it was heavy to tote around. It had spikes that dug into the tree so it wasn't going anywhere but holy crap…did I mention it was heavy?!?!

 

[Knothead]

I had an older baker stand and if I had to use that today I'd always hunt from the ground. Had an amacker too and it was heavy to tote around. It had spikes that dug into the tree so it wasn't going anywhere but holy crap…did I mention it was heavy?!?!

heavy is an understatement. Solid steel. Made all kinds of noise. By the time I got to my tree, I would have to sit and take a breather. Felt like I'd been on a stair master for two hrs. And I was in my early 20's then. No way I could do it now—-nor would I, even if I could.

 

[david k.]

heavy is an understatement. Solid steel. Made all kinds of noise. By the time I got to my tree, I would have to sit and take a breather. Felt like I'd been on a stair master for two hrs. And I was in my early 20's then. No way I could do it now—-nor would I, even if I could.

I still have a couple of Amakers....I put HazeMore seats on them and usually just put them out each year in places that I like to hunt frequently but I'm like you guys, I would never carry one in / out today....

 

[RGC]

We always hunted home made lock ons. My dad would put the steps in and hang the stand when my brother and I were little kids. I remember being 9 years old and walking a loooong way into the Uwharrie National Forest with a ton of clothes on. We get to the stand I'm gonna hunt, I'm tired and sweating by butt off. My dad didn't believe in "wasting tree steps because they are expensive." I couldn't reach the steps no matter how hard I tried and was too tired and weak to do a one handed pull up. So he had me hug the tree and shimmy up until I could reach between steps. I did the same thing coming down. We hunted 22ft to the platform. I had a piece of seatbelt that was slip knotted around my waist as a safety belt. On the way home he told me if I told my momma about my tree climbing adventure I wasn't coming back. I'm glad he raised us to be tough.

 

[BSK]

We always hunted home made lock ons. My dad would put the steps in and hang the stand when my brother and I were little kids. I remember being 9 years old and walking a loooong way into the Uwharrie National Forest with a ton of clothes on. We get to the stand I'm gonna hunt, I'm tired and sweating by butt off. My dad didn't believe in "wasting tree steps because they are expensive." I couldn't reach the steps no matter how hard I tried and was too tired and weak to do a one handed pull up. So he had me hug the tree and shimmy up until I could reach between steps. I did the same thing coming down. We hunted 22ft to the platform. I had a piece of seatbelt that was slip knotted around my waist as a safety belt. On the way home he told me if I told my momma about my tree climbing adventure I wasn't coming back. I'm glad he raised us to be tough.

Great story!