Homemade tree stands

[fasteddie]

I don't care for the wooden stands . I buy the steel stands from DICK's . At the end of last season , they had a "buy one - get one free " deal . I have two pressure treated stands that are permanent but one was damaged in a windstorm .......

[Proline]

I have built many but I'm with Eddie............for the price Dicks sells them at its not worth the effort.  Preseason in Sept you can get stands in there for $30 and after Xmas they I have gotten as low as $19 with a coupon. ANd they are more comfy than what you can build complete with a wratched strap and harness.

[elrod]

When I first started deer hunting there weren't any commercial treestands. Only what we called permanent stands that were nailed to the tree. A little later on people started making loc-on type stands. First I saw where made with a basketball rim with a piece of plywood on top and spikes welded to the back part of the rim and a swing down brace underneat plywood that had a sharp point to stick into tree trunk. Had a small chain that went from brace to bottom on plywood to keep from cutting out. Fastened to tree with a chain tightened with a small turnbuckle.

Some of the stands we made back in the late 60's and early 70's were better than a lot on the market today. Some had swivel seats (a pc of pipe fastened to the stand with floor flange and threaded on top end with a round padded seat on top fastened to top of pipe with another floor flange threaded so you could put a little vaseline on the threads and not tighten down all the way so it would swivel. Some had an offset built in the pipe so as to get you further off the tree trunk. Many other good homemade stands back then.

[jonny5buck]

I have to agree with the above statement....i understand the ease of climbing into and hunting from a large wooden platform.but a good portion of hunters use inferior materials and workmanship on the finished project...Today you can purchase a good quality stand even on a budget...that will last for yrs and yrs...even those should be inspected annualy....

I finally talked my dad into tearing down a few of his ol wood contraptions after a morning where a rung broke on the wooden ladder i was climbing...that was the worst feeling in pitch blackness....we spent the rest of the morning inspecting and tearing down 2 more wooden ladders and the platforms...he now hunts metal ladder stands with a guardrail...i hunt portables and a climber stand.

I realize there is some safe wooden box stands and others ...just please inspect them..and think of all that use them...no-ones life is worth risking for a deer...ever~

[kellory]

I have two home built stands, but I don't build with wood. mine are cut and welded steel angle and exspanded metal decks built for specific tree sizes. Both were designed to be portable, but have become permanant with time. One is just a standing platform with a add on tree seat, but my main stand, a permanant on my land stand, is 4x5 feet welded steel 1 1/2 inch angle with an exspanded metal deck and a drop leg ( both chained to the tree) twice as many tree stairs as nessisary to make it an easy climb even in layers, bow hanger and drink holder are screw ins I made, and the finish was done to blend with the tree from beneath. My safety harness attaches to a cinched cable allowing about 2 foot more movement than standard, and no noise. My pack and gear hang fro tree stairs on the back side of the tree, and it is positioned over a watering hole I dug a couple of years ago.(I dug in a french drain to keep it filled) I thought of adding a mini-fridge and a sleeping coach but why go overboard.

[kellory]

If I built from wood, or did the minumum, I would agree with you. But I am a belt and suspenders kind of guy. I over build, and build in fail safes. My stands are stronger than anything you can buy. and my designs were checked by an engineer after the build. The only way my main permanant stand is going down is under my control, or the tree will fail first.

[mark swimme]

You can also get panels to buid your own at www.insulatedhuntingblinds.com , they are easy andgo together by screwing them them together at the corners and its all aluminum insulated panel . Each side weighs 25lbs on my 4x4 .

[HuntingFool94]

All of your suggestions are great - I have built my own and bought some nasty to put together 2 man ladder stands, then hang on stands - but seems like I get the stand set based on scouting for October bow hunting and then the deer pattern changes after the rut when food and bedding dominate. So, take down the stand and move it - as my land is inaccessible to ATV - that means take it apart - move (a couple trips) - then reassemble and attach - pretty full day there and I too am not getting younger. I was thinking about a climber stand but I really don't trust that too much.
I have used a seat that attaches to tree and you keep your feet on the ground but that limits your view more than being up high - same with the ground blinds, only use those when I need to stay out of wind / cold - add in that ground level bowhunting is extremely challenging - you need lots of cover to avoid being spotted
I have a hang-on with adapters so that I put the adapters in several trees and just move the hang on stand, but that means putting in several sets of sticks or moving sticks and moving hang on - while the adapters make the setup and attachment easier, it is still a process.