need a fast grower for possible tree stand location

Mitch

Active Member
I'm looking 10-15 years down the road for this, but i'm wanting to put some trees in the ground in a certain location in the hopes I'd be able to use them as a possible tree stand location. Cottonwoods are fast growers, I know. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what trees or where to purchase?

Thanks!!
 
I'm looking 10-15 years down the road for this, but i'm wanting to put some trees in the ground in a certain location in the hopes I'd be able to use them as a possible tree stand location. Cottonwoods are fast growers, I know. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what trees or where to purchase?

Thanks!!
loblolly or loblolly x pitch could do it...
 
sawtooths grow pretty fast. And they put out mast early on as well. They limb out big time and will help break up your outline when in the stand.
 
Not sure how maples grow where you are but they are fast growers here and tend to hold their leaves until about now. Elm is another quick grower that holds its leaves a bit later into the fall as well.
 
Why not put in a blind - ground or elevated and simply plant trees to "hide" it. Fast growing trees tend to not be very strong and sway in the wind or may even lack the girth to provide the stability you need. Just a suggestion.
 
I second that. Cottonwood drop leaves too early, will not be good choice. I had a group planted in 2001, they are big enough to support a stand. Put one up in September thinking it would be great. Now, my stand looks like it is floating in mid air.


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these are 15 year old cottonwoods in middle of standing beans.


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Brushpile told me to plant Hybrid Poplar was a fast growing screen. I do believe that would be a good option to hide an elevated ground blind. I would recommend you plant them in three circles (6 feet out, 10 feet out 14 feet out as an example). Think of shooting lanes so plant them in with line of sight (shooting direction) in mind.

Hybrid Poplar grows great from cuttings - which is a great savings. I followed Brushpile's advice and everything he said worked out great for my needs. He shared with me - now I share with you.
 
Hybrid Willow grows very fast too. As everyone else said: Elm, Maple, Osage Orange, Cedar, etc...

I hunt from the ground all the time. I make blinds with natural materials and may have several within 50yrds of each other. One for each wind direction! Cheap, easy, permanent, and never get stolen. I make them similar to a duck blind; frame of thick branches covered with some cedar limbs or grass mats. Opens up a lot of opportunities that most people miss out on because they never consider NOT hunting from a tree.
 
I was absolutely amazed at how fast the Hybrid Poplars that Brush planted from cuttings grew. I think in some of his you could be hanging a stand in less than 5 years.

I have a spot I needed a stand but no good trees but very thick. I ended up going with a 15ft tripod stand. Worked great with the crossbow.

todd
 
I would not hang a stand in a cotton wood, hybrid popular, or probably even a hybrid Willow.

Trees I would recommend are loblolly, short leaf pine, loblolly x pitch, or sycamore all seem to have grown fast and seem sturdy.
 
Elevated stand as others have said. A few pear trees planted around it. They grow as fast as any other tree on my place and hold their leaves late into season.
 
Just remember when it comes to trees for a stand or cover you have to consider what happens if/when the leaves drop. Oaks and beech trees hold their leaves well into fall but may not grow "fast" or consider a conifer.
 
Hybrid poplars, like Todd mentioned would work right, in terms of a screen for an elevated box blind?
I have lots of bur oaks i've grown from seed. They are officially 1 year old so hopefully next year they will be planted in the area this box blind will be built and I can also start some sort of conifer to get the party started.
 
From what I have seen the hybrid poplars are very similar to cottonwood and that they do not hold their leaves well once fall comes around. Once leaf drop happens your looking at sticks and you would have to have quite a few to get an actual screen with them - same with the willows. Yes you can train them into multi stemmed shrubs but for hunting season screen they may not provide you much - just my opinion. Them burrs may be your best bet.
 
If you go into my Little Blue thread, you will see the 13 year old pitchXloblolly that i hung a stand in and killed a buck out of last year.
I planted that tree and hundreds of other pichXlobs and gave them absolutely no TLC. I would think if you kept them weed free, in good soil, you could top 13 years. I know the pitchXlobs i planted by my garden in good soil could have held a stand inside of ten years.
Sawtooths were not big enough at that age.
 
I had the same thoughts and had a sawtooth in the plot that I had planted and was big enough for a stand.So it was going to be so neat to shoot a deer out of a tree I planted.Then in a week it was top dead.After testing from the state it had canker from the year before and got cut down.So as much as you can plan it doesn't always work.I had a deal where I could buy 8ft trees from a nusery that were balled and planted myself at the end of year.
 
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