DIY deer stand

[tator]

Just wanted to let everyone know that I built a cheap but reliable and sturdy deer stand this summer out of treated lumber. It was pretty simple and cost me around $75. It is nothing high tech, very simple and solid. You can use it as a platform stand or sitting stand. I made mine 12 feet tall, but you could make up up to 14' or 16' depending on the lumber. I also bought my lumber from an amish lumber yard- a little cheaper than the home depot and lowe's. The carriage bolts i got from a store called Orscheln's (it's a mid-west farm and home store). They sell their bolts/screws/etc... by the pound not by the peice. If you would like me to e-mail you rough plans e-mail me at tay44lor@gmail.com. Free of charge of course, just trying to help those out who don't have a lot of money - like me!

i got my ladder stands for wally for 50 post season. just gotta keep your eyes open. i understand dicks sporting goods ends up doing the same thing after the deer season.

75 bucks plus your time thats got to be worth something.

[timetohunt]

Those cheap ladder stands are nice for hte price.

My experience with lumber stands is that they get awful slippery when in the woods for some time, especially when wet.

[tator]

This is true... but i'm plannning on taking my lumber stands down in late Jan. I figure this may give them them an added extra year of life.

Ronn--- are you talking about ladder stands or just the platform/seat stands at wal-mart for $50?

[sdwolfden]

It's nice to see DIY people who do things themselves so they get what they want. We do a lot of things like that. Out here where we hunt, we don't bother with stands. We just sit among the rocks and let the animals come to us. I had an ermine(white weasel) almost climb up my arm when I was sitting on a rock, and I had a 6x7 bull elk 30 yards away from me. Of course, we have camo that actually works for the terrain. We use Army ACU's in digital camo. woodland camo sticks out like a sore thumb here. See the picture of me with my turkey, check out the terrain and camo and let me know what you think.

Originally Posted by tator

This is true... but i'm plannning on taking my lumber stands down in late Jan. I figure this may give them them an added extra year of life.

Ronn--- are you talking about ladder stands or just the platform/seat stands at wal-mart for $50?

ladders. the hang ons will go for 25 bucks post season

[BruceBruce1959]

Originally Posted by sdwolfden

We use Army ACU's in digital camo. woodland camo sticks out like a sore thumb here. See the picture of me with my turkey, check out the terrain and camo and let me know what you think.

I think your clothing choice is absolutely perfect. ACU's work well in many areas. Nice bird too! Congratulations.

[tator]

ronn... where do you buy ladder stands for only $50 in post season? what stores?

Originally Posted by tator

ronn... where do you buy ladder stands for only $50 in post season? what stores?

the wal-mart here in nh. as the season comes to an end they put them on clearance. i picked up i think it was 4 for 50 bucks each. gave one to a friend of mine. hang on stands will be 25. i must have 6 or so of them i've picked up over the years. the gorilla climbers i got for 50 as well. cut that fish net off bought replacement seats sling type from big dog tree stands. so i 65 dollars per climber 6 of them bought over a couple years. dicks sporting goods will run more or less the same deal. its all over stock they don't want to restock for a year. oh 30 for those 100+ ground blinds from ameristep i think it is picked up 2 of those.

like it says 24/7/365 i'm hunting and all the things associated with it.

[tator]

I hear you man... I used to hunt when I was a kid with my dad but we ran out of places to hunt... now i'm fortunate to have married a wonderful woman whose dad just happens to be a cattle farmer. So you could say i've "picked up" the hobby once again. I'm addicted and have been going on 5 years now! Do you use plots for hunting? This year I put out some turnip plots, but nothing huge.
The wal-mart here where I live in mid-missouri doesn't do that with deer stands and hunting supplies. There is a distribution center next door to it, so i'm sure they stock their leftovers there for next year. I'll have to try dicks though... I'm a big guy 6'3" 275, so I'm not much into the self hanging stands... i have one, but it makes me nervous! I love the ladder stands. What time of year do you find these on discount? jan? feb? Thanks for the heads up.