Thursday November 5th, 2021

I Am Reliably Frustrating

 

“I don’t know why you do this every year!” my frustrated wife said, when I told her I hadn’t gotten the deer stand I had been working on ‘forever,’ finished.

“I was done with it two weeks ago, “ I answered, just as frustrated. “But you didn’t want any of you fifty-plus-year-old 'boys' sitting out in the cold at their ages, although they all started out deer hunting like that, sitting in a tree stand or shooting off-hand. None of them are going to complain about it. They’ll tough it out until I can get it enclosed next year.

“I never used a box stand until my cousin Mike set one up at Palm camp, about 17 or 18 years ago. Remember when you and I went down there on the last night of season, after they had all gone back to da Range and I shot that buck with the t’irty-tirty, over your head? Leaning over to the window on your side of the stand, I told you, 

“Cover your ears, this is going to be loud.”

“Until then I always shot from against a tree in the woods, or across a fallen tree, or reclined on some rickety old boards nailed in a tree someplace, after a long walk in the dark just to get there. I’ve stood on those ancient platforms with it snowing and the wind-blowing; wondering to myself why the hell I was doing this shit. Am I crazy?

“And until Mike’s stand, I said I’d never hunt from a box stand. Or ... or use a heater in one either; because, after all only sissies use heaters ...

“But something changed somewhere along the line, and at least in my first deer stand, here at home in the woods, it was the idea that I could stand in it, concealed, out of the elements -- no heater -- hidden, in its cold dark corners, and just peak at ‘em coming through the woods, unaware. I was still cold in it, but I dressed warm enough so it was still a big improvement over being up in a tree wondering if I was crazy as a waterfowl hunter ...

“Sooo, that’s just what I mean, “ she may have said in reply. “They’re all too old to sit out there on a chair like you had planned. They should be able to get in out of the wind by stepping into The Privy.“

The Privy is so-named because it resembles an outhouse on stilts. This image shows the deck I built onto its front. There was no door on that side. I was planning to enlarge this building in 2022, not 2021.

 It's hard to argue with facts the way the wife states them sometimes. Still, I thought the addition of a deck was just fine, and anyone of the men would be happy to use it the way it was. Sure, rails would be nice; maybe a wool blanket over their shoulders or something to keep them warm, but when the temperatures started to lean more toward winter weather, after the beautiful fall we had, I started to see the wisdom of her years. 

I decided to enclose the deck with three walls and a roof; the major problem being I had to adapt new construction to old construction. Windows that could be opened and closed, would have to wait until next year. It needed a ladder  too-- and not the ones in the photo. I didn't feel like building a new one from 2x6s this late in the year either. I figured I could find one around here someplace...

So, since this wasn't 'my first rodeo' as they say, I gathered my tools, knowing I would accumulate more as time came around, somewhat eager to get on with the project even though it would entail working up and down ladders over ten feet off the ground. Hardly death-defying heights, a person could still get seriously hurt working by themselves in the woods or field-edge, in this case, so I report in on occasion to my wife just to assure her I am still cohesive 'way beyond her line of sight. She appreciates it, mostly.

I use battery-powered tools and recharge them using an inverter in my pickup. I've used electric tools on other projects, by hauling my generator on a snowmobile trailer we have, but this project wasn't going to take that long -- and wouldn't have had the weather cooperated, including high wind, rain -- and snow.

My other deer stand projects have been learning experiences, so I'm ahead of the game when I started this one, using a block and tackle to lift framed-in wall panels to deck-level instead of trying to build them standing on a scaffold or ladders, etc. My hand tools consisted of a De Walt 18v 1/2 inch drill and De Walt 18v reciprocating saw (The best tool investment I've made in years!) But a battery-powered circular saw is in the works too now. 

A half-day spent waiting for a repair on one of our vehicles cost me a several hours of work time on Tuesday, but Wednesday turned out so beautiful, with relatively low winds too, I was able to literally raise the roof and cap it wrapping production up before the sun went down.

FINALLY.

"All the stands have heaters, though not all 'the boys' use them."