Putting a Tree Stand in a Cedar Tree?

[imabballer]

I'd like a little advice if you all have time. I am hunting deer on some new land this season in eastern Oklahoma and am limited to a rather small piece of land. To increase my odds I have scouted extensively and have set up a corn feeder in a small clearing with deer trails running through it. The problem I have is that most of the trees on the property are all juvenile and aren't big enough to set up a tree stand. There is one large cedar tree about 20 yards from the feeder that would be perfect but I have never set up my ladder stand on a cedar before. I know I would have to do extensive pruning (practically removing half of the limbs off the tree) to be able to attach the stand, but I'm just wondering if using cedars is common practice or if it's a bad idea. I would imagine that it would be good for some cover scent but I'm just accustomed to using oaks and other large trees and am not familiar with hunting out of cedars. Are there any bugs or anything that I should watch out for that like cedars more than other trees?

Thanks in advance!

 

[DRYHUMOR]

20 yds, are you bowhunting?

Any time I've used cedar trees, I've just leaned against the base and covered my legs and feet. It's worked well, on occasion I've had deer with 15 feet. However, I've always done it as a temporary measure. I've never tried to put a stand on one.

You might consider hauling in some limbs and tops and what not, and make a ground blind. Dig a hole deep enough to get your legs in comfortably. Make a back board with an angle like an adriondack chair. If you are comfortable, you won't move as much and can sit longer.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

If you're talking about the standard Easter Redcedar, then it's not worth it to do all that pruning. Just buy a little tripod stand and stick it right up against the cedar, with two of the 3 legs touching and even inside the limbs of the cedar, and the seat up above the top. I don't think a ladder stand would work or be stable/safe.

By the way, you don't want to hunt the feeder itself - hunt the trails on the way to the feeder.

 

[Savage Shooter]

If the limbs go all the way to ground make a little blind inside. Cedar limbs are really thick and that works very well, just cut a little space out for you next to the base of the tree and your set. If you want you can take cedar limbs from another tree and place them infront of the space you cut out against the tree to make just a little space for you to shoot out of vissible. It works great and you don't have to worry about if it rains the cedar tree sheds water and there plenty of room to put in a nice comfortable chair so you have no excuses to not hunt all day.

 

[Gbro]

Are there any bugs or anything that I should watch out for that like cedars more than other trees?

Cedars are used to make chests that repel all kinds of insects. Probably the most bug free tree we have.
You do not have to use all ladder extensions for that stand. Keep it lower to the ground and tie back/up/down branches that are in the way. I would never damage a cedar tree.
I use a fixed stand and climbing sticks and pegs to get into the branches of big cedar's, When I was younger, I would just sit in the branches

 

[BUGUDY]

I put a ladder stand in a pine of some kind in Mich once, and worked great. I only trimmed the branches that were in my back. Totally concealed, but all the trails were in front of me so seeing was not a problem.