Tower deer stand project
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Tower deer stand project
As I age (knocking on the door of 50) and as my Dad gets older (76 years young) and as I have been helping more and more new hunters get into the sport, comfort has been more of an issues to extend time on stand. I have several locations in funnels on farm land that would work well with an enclosed tower type blind since I have already had success year after year with ladder stands in those locations.
I plan to build some tower type blinds but would like to make them dual purpose stands that work for both gun and bow hunting. I scanned the web for ideas and designs that are commercially available. I quickly learned that manufactured blinds are very expensive (from $700 to $1,500 and that’s just the blind without the wooden structure that gets it off the ground) So I set about designing my own.
My objectives were to have a stand that can be enclosed for really foul weather, that could seat 2 people comfortably, elevated at least 10 feet to the platform meaning a seated person’s eye level would be about 14 feet off the ground, has horizontal windows for gun hunting and lower, vertical windows for bowhunting.
I then used a CAD design software to model the stand. Here is one of the early versions. It does not yet have the roof or door designed but I have since worked out those details.
The stands will be built from treated lumber but I want to build a prototype out of regular pine to work out the bugs and make improvements. Here is enough lumber to build the entire stand with the exception of the plywood and window materials.
I priced this amount of treated lumber at Home Depot and its around $250 and includes
4) 4 x 4 x 10 long
48) 2 x 4 x 8 long
6) 2 x 6 x 8 long
7) 2 x 4 x 10 long
The design has to be 76 year old friendly which is why there are more rungs that are closer together on the ladder than need be for strapping young folks. The internals of the box are 41 by 64 by 75 tall.
Here are some pictures of the prototype during construction. (I have already begun making changes from the CAD model. )
The walls being framed up.
Here is a wall with the sheeting on and painted (I figured the inside of the blind should be dark like most pop-up blinds) The dotted lines indicate a potential location for bowhunting, vertical windows but I am reconsidering their locations at this point.
A few views of the framed up box.
I think I need to make the porch larger and change the swing of the door. I also plan to install safety rails around the porch.
As long as I have a black stand, I will have to (during the firearms season) use a black gun. I dont have an all black bow or I would have used it for the picture.
To be continued …………………….
I plan to build some tower type blinds but would like to make them dual purpose stands that work for both gun and bow hunting. I scanned the web for ideas and designs that are commercially available. I quickly learned that manufactured blinds are very expensive (from $700 to $1,500 and that’s just the blind without the wooden structure that gets it off the ground) So I set about designing my own.
My objectives were to have a stand that can be enclosed for really foul weather, that could seat 2 people comfortably, elevated at least 10 feet to the platform meaning a seated person’s eye level would be about 14 feet off the ground, has horizontal windows for gun hunting and lower, vertical windows for bowhunting.
I then used a CAD design software to model the stand. Here is one of the early versions. It does not yet have the roof or door designed but I have since worked out those details.
The stands will be built from treated lumber but I want to build a prototype out of regular pine to work out the bugs and make improvements. Here is enough lumber to build the entire stand with the exception of the plywood and window materials.
I priced this amount of treated lumber at Home Depot and its around $250 and includes
4) 4 x 4 x 10 long
48) 2 x 4 x 8 long
6) 2 x 6 x 8 long
7) 2 x 4 x 10 long
The design has to be 76 year old friendly which is why there are more rungs that are closer together on the ladder than need be for strapping young folks. The internals of the box are 41 by 64 by 75 tall.
Here are some pictures of the prototype during construction. (I have already begun making changes from the CAD model. )
The walls being framed up.
Here is a wall with the sheeting on and painted (I figured the inside of the blind should be dark like most pop-up blinds) The dotted lines indicate a potential location for bowhunting, vertical windows but I am reconsidering their locations at this point.
A few views of the framed up box.
I think I need to make the porch larger and change the swing of the door. I also plan to install safety rails around the porch.
As long as I have a black stand, I will have to (during the firearms season) use a black gun. I dont have an all black bow or I would have used it for the picture.
To be continued …………………….
- Hodag Hunter
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Re: Tower deer stand project
Way cool stand.
Can build all that for $250.00 that would be great if the pine lasts.
Keep us updated.
Can build all that for $250.00 that would be great if the pine lasts.
Keep us updated.
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Re: Tower deer stand project
Racid... good design... and as always great informative post. From my experience with windows on all sides it is gonna allow deer to sky line you in the blind. You might want to consider sliding plexiglass windows in the horizontal gaps... also placing some type of outdoor carpet on the flooring will help dampen any sound of re-adjusting/chair...
Having some method to close it up after season is over is also a good idea or you will be sharing your blind with critters, bees, and swamp bugs next fall
Having some method to close it up after season is over is also a good idea or you will be sharing your blind with critters, bees, and swamp bugs next fall
"When a hunter is in a tree stand with high moral values, with the proper hunting ethics and richer for the experience, that hunter is 20 feet closer to God." Fred Bear
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Re: Tower deer stand project
Let me know when you have this all worked out. I would like one for our property. Right now Cheri has me sitting with her in a ground blind, we need to expand the view and get off the ground. Do you think it's possible to build them here and unassemble for transport then reassemble on location?
Jay Trudell
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- Brandon
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Re: Tower deer stand project
That is awesome and I would love to build one... especially for that price!
Keep us posted and thanks for the detailed photos.
Keep us posted and thanks for the detailed photos.
You can't kill em on the couch
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Re: Tower deer stand project
Jay, since your my neighbor, stop by and see the stand for yourself.
I should clear up the confustion about the price. The $250 was only the Home Depot Estimate for the amount of lumber shown in the first pics. Adding several sheets of plywood and the plexiglass for the windows as well as hardware, screws, nails, etc will run the cost up. I have not priced everything but I think the final bill for everything should be under $500.
Yes, Jay, the plan is to build as much as possible in my garage in Delafield and then take it up north to assemble on site.
I am thinking that black curtains are in order to keep from being sky-lined.
I should clear up the confustion about the price. The $250 was only the Home Depot Estimate for the amount of lumber shown in the first pics. Adding several sheets of plywood and the plexiglass for the windows as well as hardware, screws, nails, etc will run the cost up. I have not priced everything but I think the final bill for everything should be under $500.
Yes, Jay, the plan is to build as much as possible in my garage in Delafield and then take it up north to assemble on site.
I am thinking that black curtains are in order to keep from being sky-lined.
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- Stanley
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Re: Tower deer stand project
Looks good.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Tower deer stand project
Great post Racid.....as usual. I both built tower blinds and assembled manufactured stands. I'm still unsure what is more effecient. The manufactured ones are somewhat portable....more so than the design we used to build the home made ones however the manufactured ones are more expensive $800-900. We have a 4 hour commute from home to hunting land. We were able to assemble the manufactured stands, nearly complete and put them up. Once we got to the land it took us a couple hours to fully assemble the stand and have it up completely, ready to hunt. The home made stands took about a weekend to complete one. That was largely due to the design of them however.....we used telephone poles and there was some seat 'o the pants engineering done as we were using a lot of material we got free or very cheap. BUT the home made stands will likely outlast the manufactured stands, barring any unforseen circumstances that mother nature presents. SO, for me, there are positives and negatives to both. MAnufactured are easier to deal with in my opinion, more mobile than the home made design we used, but more expensive. THe Home made stands seem to be more durable and less expensive....however (again) if you add up the man hours, elbow grease and equipment needed, it would probably be a wash.
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Re: Tower deer stand project
I added a 2nd support under the outer corner of the porch and redid the bracing. I also added a hand rail around the porch. I think I am about finished with the prototype stand as far as improving the design and construction. I need to work out the window details now.
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Re: Tower deer stand project
Racid is there any reason you have the door swinging towards the ladder as opposed to the other way? Seems like it might be backwards?
I'm liking the design, I would really like to see what you come up with for bow/verticle windows
I'm liking the design, I would really like to see what you come up with for bow/verticle windows
"When a hunter is in a tree stand with high moral values, with the proper hunting ethics and richer for the experience, that hunter is 20 feet closer to God." Fred Bear
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- Casper
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Re: Tower deer stand project
Thats awesome. I plan on doing that when I own land one day. Thanks for posting.
The Healthy Herd Pro Staff
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Re: Tower deer stand project
+1 on the bigger porch Rancid, it can be nice to have plenty of room outside the stand to put gear or just move around before you climb in.
I would also suggest putting some guide cables on the 4 corners and ancor them to a post in the ground. It take s a pretty big storm to blow these over but I have seen it happen many times.
I would also suggest putting some guide cables on the 4 corners and ancor them to a post in the ground. It take s a pretty big storm to blow these over but I have seen it happen many times.
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