now the we have our food plots in, i want to start building a few permenant tree stands for bow season. Anyone have any ideas on where to start. I want it easy to access so my dad can get in and out of without any problems and plus i want it really comfortable. probably put one at 16 foot and the others about 20 or so

To be honest, with the price of steel today and time, you can buy some great Commercial stands for less than steel and labor.
An example is www.biggametreestands.com

I have sold 20" deluxe stands by them for as little as $150.00 and I have 350+lb men hunt out of them comfortably.

Just a thought.

would you be happy with a wooden ladder stand?

I have made several wooden ladder stands and like them but 16' would awfully heavy and hard to deal with in my opinion. I don't usually like to build permanent stands anymore but when I did I used wooden pallets from a local factory.

your right trapper. my dad and i made a 16ft ladder stand when i was a kid. we couldn't get it up the tree with 4 people. we had to hang a block in the tree and pull it up the tree with a truck. it wasn't very fun. we made mostly 10-12 ft. stands that had a seat with a standing platform and armrests. we killed a ton of deer out of them. they were very comfortable too.

That would be quite a site lug! I have shot a lot of deer out of wooden ladder stands and it sounds like we build them about the same. I have built some others where the seat is higher so you are almost standing up and no arm rests for archery hunting. Higher seat makes it a lot easier to draw.

I made a 14 ft. ladder platform leaner stand with a 2.5 ft. rail around and have the blueprint on paper along with the lumber and hardware list. I built it out of green-treated lumber in about 4-5 hrs. for a cost of about $90 or $100.

I just put it back up myself on Monday, well with a little help from my 4-wheeler and winch. Here is a picture.



My brother also built this one. A little more involved, but an awesome stand. He and I put this one up.

which one will i be hunting this year willy??

As far as building a ladder or hang on stand. I have found that it will cost you as much to build one as it does do just buy one. If you dont already have the material's. I built a nice 16' treated wooden ladder stand.heavy as all get out.but sturdy....at least for a few years. And several heavy duty hang on's......After building them all I decided to just watch and catch the stands on sale.I once bought 4 15' ladder stands from Cabelas for $54.00 each...cant buy the steel and welding wire for that. 3 years later I got the same deal from a local farm store. So before you tie up your money and time explore the options. I do have a homade 6x6 yard barn on steel stilts........15' in the air.........it was worth every penny. Drop

honestly im not really worried about the prices but im not gonna go spend an arm and a leg on lumber just to build one. i wish i had a welder(and knew how to use one ) so i could just build one. He just doesnt like the fact that he cant really move around too much in a tree stand (which he shouldnt be doin anyways ) so i was thinking about making a bigger platform around 2'X 2' or so and going from there. I like that blind of your willy. mind if i come try it out? But thats pretty much what im goin for. did you just make a V in the back to wedge it into the tree? looks pretty stable too

Thanks for the inputs guys

I've got the perfect stand for you Lug. It's the most comfortable and most expensive stand I've built.

See above stand available for "trying out."

Buck, I V'd it in the back and ran a vertical 2 X 4 up, then I use two ratchet straps to secure it to the tree. It bolts together, so you can transport it in 2 pieces, the ladder and the platform.

As you can see I tethered it with rope on all 4 corners also to sturdy it up.

ACTUALLY willys lyin to ya.... Those ropes are trip wires.


He's not a very good shot so he trips the deer so they fall down and then he shoots them right willy?

Shhhhhhh!

Buck,check out Wallyworld, bought a 16'-0 stand last year for around $150.00. I`ve built my own out of steel tubing(portable but expensive) out of wood(also expensive,plus hard to move).I was satisfied with the stand I purchased last year,it was solid and comfortable.(made for 2 people) just a thought before investing a large sum of money and time into a home built stand.

At the end of the season or right after Christmas check out all the local Wal-Marts. I got 2- 2man ladder stands for $49 a piece a few years ago.

Heres a stand I built this summer. Its Very simple and it took one day to build! Its up 10 ft., which is good for me!

Click to view attachment

I've beat myself up on this topic for years! Store bought vrs. Homemade! Ya really cant go wrong on either one! Yeah you can save a few bucks on the lighter model but when it comes down to it I'd rather spend the extra cash and get something I know how well its built and I'm comfortable setting in! My first homemade stand was 16' tall and the legs were made with 2x6's! After we got it put up my dad me and my uncle were worn out! But 3yrs later she still in the woods and standing strong! The last one I built and put up I hung it by myself! With the help of a Polaris and a strong rope. She was up in no time! Helps when ya dont want everyone to know where your stand is too!

I've beat myself up on this topic for years! Store bought vrs. Homemade! Ya really cant go wrong on either one! Yeah you can save a few bucks on the lighter model but when it comes down to it I'd rather spend the extra cash and get something I know how well its built and I'm comfortable setting in! My first homemade stand was 16' tall and the legs were made with 2x6's! After we got it put up my dad me and my uncle were worn out! But 3yrs later she still in the woods and standing strong! The last one I built and put up I hung it by myself! With the help of a Polaris and a strong rope. She was up in no time! Helps when ya dont want everyone to know where your stand is too!

Hey BT, my buddy found some plans about ten years ago in Outdoor Life for homemade hang on stands. So we made about six or seven. The only real problem with them is the tree continues to grow, they get beat up in the wind, rain and snow. We check them out every year for loose screws, adjustment to the chain to keep them level and to make sure the wood isn't badly cracked. I'd suggest like others to check out steel ladder stands after the deer season. When you get it, paint it for extra protection and camo. Then if you leave them up full time always check the rachet straps and replace when needed. The two man size stands are pretty comfy and we have a couple because his son in law is 6-6 and wanted to make sure he wasn't cramped.
Remember not only WallyWorld, but Dunhams sometimes have good sales around this area. Good luck however you decide.