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Leaving Tree Stands & Straps Year Round

I've never left my private land Lone Wolf hang-on stands, straps and climbing sticks out this far into deer off-season. Now being mid-May, I'm considering leaving them out through next January. I checked one of my set-ups in a mature sugar maple yesterday and things seemed okay although climbing stick straps were very taught. Should I release the clamps and allow slack for all straps? It doesn't look like the tree is growing around my equipment but I'm worried about straps eventually breaking as growth accelerates into late spring and summer. Do you any of you have experience with maintaining your tree stand equipment left out year round? Thanks in advance for any helpful information.

I've always carried in and out, never left anything in the woods except a gut pile :) I would say if your straps are getting tight I would be concerned about safety. Also rust and weathering would also impact safety as well as some PETA fanatic cutting part way through a brace or strap. Besides, the exercise is good for you :)

At the very least id loosen them to allow for tree growth and wind sway,but i would check them often ....i have 2 stands up for 5yrs now..at yr 2 the straps seemed ok until i climbed up..after i changed all the straps i kinda forgot about the stands..this past season i checked them, when i get a chance its now turned into a overhual..

I leave mine ,losin the straps and change if they are bad some time you have to cut them off ,this year one of my chain ons I had to hack saw off

I leave mine out year round. Replace straps every other season and replaced all stand cable with galvanized steel chain. All bolts have also been replaced with #8 galvanized steel bolts.

Same as Silverado. I also use screw in steps, if not pulled out every 2nd year, the tree takes them.

If I could leave stands up year 'round on private land, I'd build permanent. They still need pre-season checks, but Portable = Theft-Prone.

Besides - Permanent stands are a lot more comfortable.

Permanent stands take a lot longer to build maintain and move ,that's the down side

All good ideas and suggestions. Thank you! Permanent stands would be great but don't think they're feasible on the smaller properties I hunt.

Hey meat, do you know that there's a show called meathunter?

BBB I may be wrong but I think it's called Meateater

Its Meateater bbb..its a pretty cool hunting show.....no it has nothing to do with drunk sorority parties...lol

http://www.themeateater.com/topics/full-episode/

Lol notme.

"Permanent stands would be great but don't think they're feasible on the smaller properties I hunt."

Why not? A good spot is a good spot. Best thing about a smaller property is a shorter drag.

Maybe it takes a year or two per spot to dial in your location, but it probably shouldn't. One year I didn't see much from the stand I was in on opening morning, so I took a walk, bumped a buck & a doe, found their trail, and next year a buddy of mine and I put up a stand.

I think that spot has produced a deer on opening day of rifle 9/10 years for about 25 years since.

'Tain't that hard unless you're real picky.

Permanent stands are tough on the 1.5 to 4 acre properties I hunt due to do inconveniencing landowners. True, I've left my hang-on stands out this off-season but in 10 minutes they can be down. As it turns out, one of my landowners is moving so I'll need to take that stand down asap. I'd love to have a "Cadillac" permanent stand/raised blind that protects from weather but unless on my own property I don't think it'll work for me currently.

Meat Eater was recently on Netflix. May still be there. Season 1, I think. Even my wife enjoyed watching it. Now I just need to convince her to watch drunk sorority parties with me...

Meat eater, that's the show!! Watch out if you google that! Make sure the wife and kids aren't around :)

Quick on the draw eh bud...lol

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