Mike I would take a day and walk the swamp when I had plenty of time. I would take pen and pad and write down the different scenarios of what if's. You seem to have a good grip on the area so take notes on where,when,and how you would get to the stand as well as where,when, and how the deer would be moving on different days. I think it's really best to set up crosswind instead of north-south and lose some of your hunting days.We still have alot of south wind in Texas during deer season. As far as the stand I would look for an old mature hardwood to build in or one w/a naked side to attach to.It's easy to take 12 or 14 ft 2x4's and a good screw gun and cross brace them w/self tapping screws.The base can be 4x4 with a plywood base on top.Once you've found your tree then you can just anchor it to the tree w/the cordless screws. I just use the black drywall screws that come in 1-6in lengths. If you have a big enough tree I would just build an old fashioned tree stand...the best.Don't just blindly pick a tree, you might have to get up into several to see which one has the best view. A good looking tree on the ground is not necessarily the best 10-12ft up in the air.Lastly, I would again weigh all of my options before building something but wouldn't dallie around either to give the deer a chance to get used to it. powdr
