Built Stands

[catscratch]

I grew up in 2x4 tree stands. Haven't been in something like that in decades. I went to ladder stands (seriously, I buy extension ladders off craigslist and bolt a platform to the 2nd from the top rung and hunt from that) and ground blinds. I mostly hunt from natural ground blinds now as it suits my terrain better.

 

[E_308]

I spend more time in an old treated lumber stand that I have rebuilt many times than any other stand I have. It gets new wood every 5 years or so. It is also only about 10-12 feet off the ground That said with ladder stands under $100 I don't see me ever building another wood stand.

 

[j-bird]

First of all I would NOT use nails......screws and coated screws at that as well as treated lumber. Put as many things in your favor as possible. Like was said taking care of the stands and ensuring they are safe before use is very important for ANY stand type.

I guess I figure that if I'm going to build something in that location for hunting - I might as well build an elevated free standing platform and remove the need for the tree altogether. Even if the platform isn't enclosed a low cost pop-up blind may be a more cost effective option for you on the platform.

ANY stand has a useful life and often times we stretch that for the sake of $ or time. "One more year won't hurt" sort of thinking. I pull my stands every year - and I still had a failure. It really got my attention and spending a couple hundred bucks to replace was money well spent in the long run. I also put dates on that sort of stuff so I know how old it is now. You think you remember.....you don't. Due to my little incident I will be replacing some additional stands once season closes and the clearance sales start - I have some I know are 10 years old or more......they may be fine, but that was what I thought before. I prefer not to end my hunting career with a thud!

 

[OkieKubota]

I have built and hunted out of many a home built wooden stand whether it be something I built or something I happened upon in the woods but this was many years ago as a kid. I don't believe I have been in one since I turned about 25 or so. As far as safety I am sure they can be safe but most are built from cheap grade lumber and if they are built tree to tree or multiple trunk tree or even trunk to limb they are going to constantly be flexing which means working those attachment points...for that reason and the fact that the nails are hard on trees and red oaks in our area have a tendency to die when they get any damage whatsoever I no longer have interest in a treestand made of wood nailed into a tree.

Ladder stands and hangons with extra straps tend to be very safe if you stay attached to it and don't just simply fall out and are cheap nowadays. I prefer a nice ladder stand to anything but I do have some spots I hunt with hangons - watch those cables!

I actually like to see the remnants of an old wood stand up in the woods and wonder what the original user saw from their perch. Some are actually in pretty god spots and I have put ladders and hangons on trees that have old rotten wooden stands in them mostly on our deer lease but in the 20 years I have been there most all the remnants have even rotted away now.

A friend of mine owns 30 acres he inherited and it is all open pasture other than a section of woods on the very back that we deer hunted many years ago when it was still his grandfathers land. Across the fence from the North Corner someone had built a big old platform in a spreading Oak tree and on that platform they had placed a large recliner... I suppose it felt pretty good that first year but after that I would think the mold and must from that recliner sitting out in the elements would make it less than "nice" to sit on...

 

[MK111]

I built wood platforms 25-30 years ago and all have rotted apart. They are safe the 1st year but after that I won't trust my one life on the them. Now it's either store bought ladder stands or towers built on 4/4 treated legs. Ladder stands are put on with chains.

 

[catscratch]

I'm with OkieKubota on the killing trees deal. I killed a lot of trees when I was younger with nails. They seem to get sick and slowly die.

 

[CTM1]

I'm with OkieKubota on the killing trees deal. I killed a lot of trees when I was younger with nails. They seem to get sick and slowly die.

I agree on this, every tree I have ever seen with an old stand was dead or dying and it was not from old age.

Perhaps a homemade style ladder stand that is strapped to the tree is a better option.
Something like this.

 

[OkieKubota]

I agree on this, every tree I have ever seen with an old stand was dead or dying and it was not from old age.

Perhaps a homemade style ladder stand that is strapped to the tree is a better option.
Something like this.

I bet it would be more expensive to build that than to just but a cheap ladder stand unless you saw your own lumber...

 

[buckdeer1]

There was a deal on one of the other sites where a guy had plans for what he called the high chair deer stand,it was kind of neat

 

[The Famous Grouse]

What got me out of the wooden stand game was mainly economics.

We always have been very cautious about stand safety and making sure they were solid, so we built everything out of treated lumber. Well, over time, the price of that lumber and the fasteners has gone up and up and up... So suddenly we were looking at over $100 to build a solid stand in most places.

And then when you build it out of wood, it requires maintenance every year and generally it lasts 5-7 years before parts need replacing. More time, more $.

So I started doing the math and I can get decent quality metal ladder stands for $100 or so each. I use the "double" stands so that everyone has extra room to move and see behind them. There's no telling how long these things will last. I've had some 10 years already and they show no signs of wear of safety issues. I check bolts and nuts, inspect for cracked welds, etc. Never found a problem that seriously compromised a stand.

We throw all ratchet straps away every 3 years and replace them with new ones. I use 2 ratchet straps per stand, so there is redundancy.

Metal ladder stands for me are cheaper, safer, lower maintenance, faster to build and put up in the tree, faster to take down and move, and they last longer. I cannot see any reason why I would ever go back to wood nailed in a tree.

Grouse

 

[Fish]

Thanks guys. Appreciate the comments.