How are you spending your Labor Day Weekend? We are winding down the Summer, and along with spending some family time at the pool (weather permitting), Hubby is using the time off to get ready for the upcoming hunting season. Preparations this year will mean making memories for years to come. We found just about everything we needed at our Local Walmart store. Here are my hubby’s thoughts!
Written by: Ryan Brady…
It’s getting near that time in North Carolina where the temperature starts to slowly fall, the humidity calms down, the trees change color and the two most common activities are hunting and football. It seems that hunting is more than just an “activity” in the south, it’s more like a way of life. For someone starting out, there are a lot of questions on what type of gear to buy and everyone has a budget. This year I turned to Walmart to find some gear and stay within my budget.
This year I decided to try out bowhunting and joined a hunting club with property within a few minutes drive of the house. As I started to get ready for the season, I realized I needed to get a couple of tree stands. There are literally *hundreds* of choices. Many of the larger hunting and outdoor stores in our area carry a large assortment of name brand stands and the prices vary as widely as the selection. I reached out to some friends who hunt and some of the other club members. Their input really helped me put everything into perspective as I started my research on finding the right tree stands for me.
My goal is to not only spend a few hours with nature over the next four months, but also take my daughters out into the woods and show them there are other things out there besides computers, phones, tablets and television. This goal led me to look for tree stands that can fit two people. I also wanted ladder-style tree stands to make it easier to get in and out of. Another reality of investing in tree stands is the risk you take on the investment. You’re placing this item in the woods somewhere and you will not be able to watch it 24/7. There is a risk someone could attempt to steal or damage it. This means the tree stand had to be inexpensive to make it less expensive and easier to replace in the event that something happened.
Walmart ended up having the exact tree stand I was looking for that met all of my requirements. The Ameristep 15′ Steel Two-Man Grey Ladder Stand is very similar to the Ameristep models sold at the larger outdoor stores. I compared this to a similar model on their website and the main features were the same. They have the exact same weight limit, dimensions, etc and really only varied on color. At less than $100, I was able to buy two for the price I would have spent on one at a larger outdoor store. The low price gave me the perfect opportunity to invest in these stands to give my children and I many seasons of hunting together.
The installation was very simple. I used a socket wrench, two different size sockets and a pair of pliers to hold the nylon lock nuts on. Assembly took me just over an hour per stand (although the second stand was faster since I didn’t have to re-read all of the directions). The stands come with a fall arrest harness to keep you safe and a DVD explaining safety tips for installation and use of the tree stand. It took two people to install it to the tree, was easy to install quickly and feels very stable.
Overall I’m very happy with my decision to purchase the Ameristep 15′ Steel Two-Man Grey Ladder Stands. If you’re looking to find some hunting gear for deer season this year, you might be pleasantly surprised by checking the outdoor section at your local Walmart.
