Tree steps over the dead season

[gbk]

Hi !

I am wondering what everyone is doing with their tree steps over the "dead season"like Jan til Oct.
I always take them out,take them home,keep them in the shed till the spring, clean them from gunk and sap( with hot water or alcohol dipped rag) then oil them,then hot water bath them few weeks before punting them back in them trees(mostly by mid -end of August they are back in the bush again)

Sound like a lot of work-and it is.But i kind of enjoy it(sort of).I feel better about not having them out for too long either,then having them cleaned from stuff(to avoid potential contamination from tree to tree-if any.)

What You guys are doing with your screw in tree steps after the season is over?I know some people leave them out in the same tree for many years,some take them out and toss them in the shed as is,till the next season..........wondering if what i am doing is it worth it.......... if i leave them for years in the tree-DO i take safety risk(rust-then breakage).Thanx

[nick613]

With my public land stands Ive always taken the steps down and just stored them with the rest of my hunting gear. I currently only have one stand on private land and those steps get left up there year round. There are only about 4 steps in that tree though, you climb up the branches for the most part.

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[ninepointer]

I always take them down.

[terrym]

I use a climber. Nothing left behind.

[marky.mark]

If you enjoy it and they won’t get stolen then continue doing it. If it brings you some joy in your day then I would keep at it. Enough garbage around. Find the little things and be happy.

[tom gobble]

public land always take home, private land leave out but maintain them and oil them in the dead season

[benjhind]

I back mine out one or two turns to allow for tree growth, then screw them in again if necessary next season. Some of my steps I've had for over 20 years and they still look great, but never more than a few years in a given tree. It wouldn't hurt to take them out and inspect them every few years if you are still in the same spot. I don't paint or oil mine.

[delmer]

I always remove all my stands and accessories immediately after I'm done with them for the year and store them indoors until the next year. I figure the less time exposed to the elements, the longer it'll last.

[MikePal]

I figure the less time exposed to the elements, the longer it'll last.

I'm doing the opposite.....seeing how long a $99 two person ladder stand, I picked up at Walmart 12 yrs ago, will last when left out....it wasn't an intentional test, just that the stand is so far back in I decided to leave it strapped to the old cedar.

I loosen the straps after the season is closed and just leave it (private property). Go back in the summer and do a little maintenance, tighten up a few bolts, replace any that are rusted, make sure no beast has chewed any straps and then good to go for the season.

The funny thing is how many times I've had to add wood blocks under the bottom rung because the stand keeps rising up as the tree grows

I'm actually impressed at how well such a cheap stand has held up thru the years.

[johnjyb]

Not being a d##k but a stand should not grow up with a tree. Trees grow outward as shown by the rings inside it and the new growth is from the top. If your stand went up with the tree, we would have miles of barbed wire fences 50 feet in the air all over the country.
John