deer stand question

[adamr]

Im thinking of building a nice big deer stand probably 6 x9 mostly so I can take young kids out and out of the cold but my buddy whos land this will be on thinks we should just have a 2 man stand that you can slide on skids and move around with no roof or windows. Exept hes never hunted deer until this year I could build this stand right between 3 intersecting trails heading towards a 4 acre food plot of corn. I would like insulated windows roof tin on the outside. [PoorWordUsage] pipe. and heater keep in mind our season runs late in the year and our winds can get to 50 mph any opinions on which way I should go. thanks

[ranger20]

i would not put a steel roof on it it will make to much noise if falling acorn,rain ext.i would use plywood,also run cable ties in the ground this will make it so the wind dosnt take it away

[Code-Man]

I bulit a 4x4x7 enclosed ontop of 4x4x16'. That was a pain in the rear to get up! Thank God we had access to a bucket loader.

Here is an idea that I would suggest and I'm seeing a lot more up in Northern MN. If you are hunting open area and have access to Hay Wagons build your deer stand on that and drag it out to where you want to put it. You can make it Portable by lifting on and off with a pay loader or you can make it perm by attaching to the boards.

If you are building an enclosed stand spend the time and money to make one that will last and works good. Reason mine is 7' tall up above is one of my buddies is 6'6" and with winter boots gotta be flirting with almost 6' 8" ish so just figured to be safe so no one is hitting heads. If I were to have to the resources I would put a staircase on it instead of ladder and I would also put a "porch" on it to transistion from in and out of the stand safer.

Some people have a local telephone company or buisness close and they buy old telephone poles and drop them in which work great if you can get them. Otherwise I would suggest renting a 3-point Post Hole digger and try digging to china. I would strongly suggest with down in SD I'm taking it's pretty open like around Fargo here and dig your hole 3-4 feet deep. Get your posts down in there and concrete the suckers down there then top off with soil on top so you know it wont tip. Get below the frost line if possible. I went about 2-2.5 feet and mine has shifted pretty bad.

Windows are always nice sliding or flip inward design. Make a shooting ledge along the edge so you can steady your shot. When thinking dimensions look at a portable fish house for size and it never seems when you get done with a project that you built it big enough...especially with 1-2 kids plus gear in it with a Heater! I would also insulate the thing. It will keep kids' voices in and wind out! Just my two cents worth.

[paceman]

Good stuff Code.

[Code-Man]

Just trying to make sure people learn from my mistakes/failures. I wish I was a carpenter but then my agriculture side is working out for me. Atleast I got something good out of my degrees at college.

I just think if people are going to spend the time on a project like this they should spend the extra time and money and build something that will last and they can also enjoy for multiple years.

Also I forgot to mention something. My dad made his without any help from me and he went to the carpet store in town and bought padding and carpet from them. He went two deep with the padding all the way around his stand (Floor/Walls) figured cheap insulation and then went carpet over the top of it so that way it's another form of insulation and if something falls against it it's hopefully not going to scare anything. He did do one big thing that he's regretting. He put tin on the roof. Says in a light right it's anoying in a heavy rain he's ready to jump from the stand! He did over hang his ceiling and in a rainy day/snow he don't get much coming in when he puts his gun out the window but on a windy day nothing really helps.

Up north I'm seeing a lot of guys that are building huge stands and at the bass they put plywood around it. Finally saw what it was used for during season. They drive their four wheelers under their stands and instead of leaving it exposed they have the plywood covering it with a door so they drive in and out. Don't know if their home or not. I think that's just lazy but someone was thinking on that one.

[fishnhooks]

Quote:

Up north I'm seeing a lot of guys that are building huge stands and at the bass they put plywood around it. Finally saw what it was used for during season. They drive their four wheelers under their stands and instead of leaving it exposed they have the plywood covering it with a door so they drive in and out. Don't know if their home or not. I think that's just lazy but someone was thinking on that one.

I have a 5x8 stand (boxed in 5x5 and 3x5 deck)and I was planning doing something similar with mine this year except I was just going use some kind of blind material around it. Lazy I think not..I think brilliant would be a better term

[Code-Man]

lol Lazy cause your not walking out there all the way...don't get me wrong if I had one I'd be doing it. But if your going to cover it up you should be able to use Tin in that situation to cover it unless you want it to breath.

[bottomdweller]

Heres one I built last year. 6x6s with cross bracing. I wish I would have done stairs but I can redo it in the future. 8x10 shack. Marvin integritys I got cheap. I insulated the floor still need to finish the inside but its worked out pretty good so far.

[matthothand]

Go all out. If you can keep those kids comfortable they will enjoy it more and be more likely to take up the sport. Staying comfortable also allows you to stay on stand longer and perhaps get your deer when your buddy is back at the shack because he couldn't wait it out. Our biggest stand has a staircase and deck with vertical slide windows, a bunk, excellent heat, rubber coated roof, insulation, carpet, and office chairs. We shoot a lot of our deer in the middle of the day and a lesser stand would've made that more difficult.

[paceman]

Great looking stand bottomdweller

[Code-Man]

How do you like your windows that close to the floor?

[bottomdweller]

Thanks, I like the windows its perfect whether I am standing or sitting I can shoot either way.

[terminal tackle]

sweeeeeeeet stand,I give it 2 thumbs up

[vister]

i think its a bit lazy drivin the wheeler right out to the stand. i have a neighbor that drives their big suburban right out to the 12x12 elevated stand, that has a big heater in it. i'm guessing they have blaze orange underwear and socks on, because that is all they need to wear never walking in the weather.

isn't half of the hunting experience supposed to be enjoying the outdoors and gettin a little exercise!?

i wonder what people from the west would think, as i have never seen a cowboy with a cab on their horse!

[bottomdweller]

If you use siding or whatever for your walls, camo it while it is on the ground, sure makes it easier. I only use this stand when I get to tired or it is very cold out, I was in a accident that left me a pretty bad back and lots of nerve damage, if its real cold I cannot feel my legs or feet getting cold so I use it as a safety precaution.

[crothmeier]

my 5x6 stand has a tin roof on it. i havent really noticed any problems with rain or anything, but im on the edge of the woods so i dont get much for branches dropping.

Mine is 13' off the ground, built on a metal frame (old gas barrel stand) that i lagged to railroad ties that i dug into the ground. it tipped once in high winds (its on the west side of the woods, wide open) so we ran mobile home anchors in the ground and cable tied it on the corners. used just OSB for the walls, painted her up camo, no windows no heater, comon guys its deer hunting, not sewing time.

[bigbucks]

How high is your ceiling & how big is your gap between walls & roof? I've really debated on building one of these for a crappy weather stand in a really exposed travel spot, but I'd want to be able to draw my bow while sitting or standing, as well as gun hunt it.

[harvey lee]

I used meatal legs for mine and then painted them so they should last for a long time. Windows on all side that one can shoot out of. Roof is shingles and carpet on the floor.

Floor is 8ft of the ground and its approx 5ft tall inside.

For years I sat in the nasty weather some days and now we can sit in comfort with a heater.

I love it for rifle hunting.

[crothmeier]

its 6' tall at the front and 5' tall in the back. it has a 14" tall opening all the way around for shooting. i made the bottom of the opening the right height for sitting in the chair and resting the gun on it. i left a 24" wide opening in the back to climb in through as i have a metal ladder that was on the gas barrel stand to climb up on.

[Bear55]

These stands are great when the weather turns bad, however I know a couple of guys who have missed a chance at a nice buck because they were fumbling with a window instead of taking their safty off, so they do have their draw backs.

[crothmeier]

i dont have windows. DRESS FOR THE WEATHER!