Box Stands for Deer Hunting

[Immike]

Decided to start my platform today. I prefab at home to reduce impact on the stand sight. And it’s a lot easier to get the details done with it on the ground. This one will be another lean-to on 2 trees (white oaks) with teeth welded to deck and double chain on each tree so not too tight. Don’t want to kill my trees or stress them out. I bolt the bottom of the supporting ladder to a heavy board so it can give in the wind but not sink down.

Making good headway with the 2” steel pipe ladder so far... steel is slow and heavy but I want this to last forever. Rebuilding stands needs to end somehow.

Okay, progress as promised... painting tomorrow!! It will be wood from here up.

Painted olive green with tiger stripes of flat black made with a simple template

 

[markT]

Cleared out some trees this WE with my Kubota CTL.. we've had so much rain I could jerk out 12" diameter pine like a tomato stake. Here's the new view. Those cedars are ~18'-20' tall.

 

[Immike]

Finished the 2x6 t&g floor last week and have it waiting on the trailer under roof. Just framed the back wall with 5’ studs and full span opening under a boxed 2x4 header of 16 1/2” for the glass. This works well for 16” tall glass which is a common off fall at the glass company. Building the walls with 5’ studs also keeps the material working back into the project.

If my dear friend Pete will help me with the pictures as soon as his in laws go away.

 

[4xforfun]

My shack. Black circles are where I have steel...and sometimes....in some places...bait

 

[4xforfun]

A few more

 

[markT]

Wow.. that is amazing.. well done sir!! Deer do not stand a chance..

 

[Immike]

Holy cow, now that’s a great stand!

 

[hammerjack]

Here is one of my 4x4 box stands.

 

[AckleymanII]

Ours look similar to hammer jacks. We started off with a pallet for a floor with treated plywood on top, cut cedar trees for posts.

trying to look several different directions is ROUGH on your neck.

 

[markT]

Nice. Is that a pee pipe?

 

[hammerjack]

Yea ran in a hole with gravel in the bottom. Some evening are about a six pack hunt.

 

[shootinstuff]

View attachment 1031973 I built this three years ago. The floor is 10' above the ground. Has a trap door in the floor. I tie down a sturdy pop-up blind that I leave on the platform for about three weeks during deer season. I have built two of these. It's very important to anchor each leg of the stand securely to the ground to prevent them from blowing over when the blind is attached (don't ask me how I know). The platform is 5' x 5'. Works really well for rifle hunting.

Was so impressed with kcjim's idea that I built my own 10 feet high. Took me $400 (not including the doghouse blind) and 3 weeks. Just finished yesterday.

A friend said "Wow you might need a bigger freezer". I hope that is the case.

I may convert it to a regular box stand with a roof after the next hunting season as I am getting old and have a somewhat fear of falling. Just see how it goes.

Kcjim, what type of a chair do you use in yours? Thanks.

 

[Immike]

View attachment 1044180

I may convert it to a regular box stand with a roof after the next hunting season as I am getting old and have a somewhat fear of falling. Just see how it goes.

Put a short railing around the blind so you can’t fall off the platform... I’ve built a couple of these from steel and the railings help attach-wind proof the blind also. Makes it a little easier to get on the ladder in the dark as well...

 

[shootinstuff]

Put a short railing around the blind so you can’t fall off the platform... I’ve built a couple of these from steel and the railings help attach-wind proof the blind also. Makes it a little easier to get on the ladder in the dark as well...

Thanks for the reply.

A friend suggested the same. My thinking (and this is just my thinking out loud) if I go that route is that I would like the railing to be designed so that blind would fit around the railing. So in other words the railings would go inside the blind. Well, I have two different pop-ups one being the Ameristep Doghouse and the other a Barronett Big Mike. I would like for both of them to work. While both have the same 5' x 5' footprints the outside dimensions are different. More testing is needed I guess.

My biggest concern is being able to steady myself as I getting into and out of a chair and moving about as needed. One thought I've had is to fasten a chair or bench on to the platform and just use that for steadying purposes. I just do not have as good as balance as I did when I was in my 20's.

One thing is for sure is that I need to get away from hugging trees.

 

[Immike]

Thanks for the reply.

A friend suggested the same. My thinking (and this is just my thinking out loud) if I go that route is that I would like the railing to be designed so that blind would fit around the railing. So in other words the railings would go inside the blind. Well, I have two different pop-ups one being the Ameristep Doghouse and the other a Barronett Big Mike. I would like for both of them to work. While both have the same 5' x 5' footprints the outside dimensions are different.

My biggest concern is being able to steady myself as I getting into and out of a chair

The ones I built the railing went inside the blind with a expanded wire floor and extra bracing for the post for a swivel boat seat. About 6” back from center is pretty good. Bolt that seat on a 18” post so seat height is around 20”. This gives you a little weight on your feet for when you need to move.

 

[timeout]

Thanks for the reply.

A friend suggested the same. My thinking (and this is just my thinking out loud) if I go that route is that I would like the railing to be designed so that blind would fit around the railing. So in other words the railings would go inside the blind. Well, I have two different pop-ups one being the Ameristep Doghouse and the other a Barronett Big Mike. I would like for both of them to work. While both have the same 5' x 5' footprints the outside dimensions are different. More testing is needed I guess.

My biggest concern is being able to steady myself as I getting into and out of a chair and moving about as needed. One thought I've had is to fasten a chair or bench on to the platform and just use that for steadying purposes. I just do not have as good as balance as I did when I was in my 20's.

One thing is for sure is that I need to get away from hugging trees.

What about a railing all around the outside for safety, (actually were your stand a deck off the house, a railing would be mandatory) then bolt another mini rail to the platform on the inside, next to where you will be getting up and down on the chair?

 

[timeout]

The ones I built the railing went inside the blind with a expanded wire floor and extra bracing for the post for a swivel boat seat. About 6” back from center is pretty good. Bolt that seat on a 18” post so seat height is around 20”. A foot stool is optional. Lol

Love the boat seats in a blind. Problem with that I had was coon going in and tearing them up. Must make certain the blind is masked bandit proof!

 

[Petros284]

Decided to start my platform today. I prefab at home to reduce impact on the stand sight. And it’s a lot easier to get the details done with it on the ground. This one will be another lean-to on 2 trees (white oaks) with teeth welded to deck and double chain on each tree so not too tight. Don’t want to kill my trees or stress them out. I bolt the bottom of the supporting ladder to a heavy board so it can give in the wind but not sink down.

Making good headway with the 2” steel pipe ladder so far... steel is slow and heavy but I want this to last forever. Rebuilding stands needs to end somehow.

Okay, progress as promised... painting tomorrow!! It will be wood from here up.

Painted olive green with tiger stripes of flat black made with a simple template

Posting these pictures for Immike of his stand in progress

 

[Petros284]

Posting these pictures for Immike of his stand in progress

a few more

 

[timeout]

Posting these pictures for Immike of his stand in progress

Immike should be selling these! Very nice indeed!