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Post by royalcoachman on Oct 6, 2009 7:35:38 GMT -5
Fellas...as I've written before, I'm new to the sport and don't have much money to spend hunting so I'm trying to construct my own ladder stand to use. Can anyone suggest any plans on building one as inexpensively as possible? Also quick assembly is important. I'd like to construct it saturday afternoon and have it up by saturday evening. A list of materials and some sort of instruction would be appreciated (I'm not that handy). Thanks
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Post by raporter on Oct 6, 2009 9:08:56 GMT -5
As one who has built many stands I can asure you that you cannot build one as cheaply as the ones you buy one and still have it as light, portable and safe.
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Post by Woody Williams on Oct 6, 2009 9:17:32 GMT -5
As one who has built many stands I can asure you that you cannot build one as cheaply as the ones you buy one and still have it as light, portable and safe. Menards has some great looking Big Dog ladder stands.. |
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Post by DEERTRACKS on Oct 6, 2009 9:18:31 GMT -5
You will be money / time ahead & much safer to purchase a standard aluminum ladder stand without all of the bells & whistles. Wooden ladderstands are much more bulkier & heavier to haul into the woods & set-up.
By the time that you purchase, cut, & assemble the treated lumber, nails, bolts, & fastners you will have spent considerably more time & money.........
BTDT!!!!!!
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Post by oldhoyt on Oct 6, 2009 10:23:04 GMT -5
I use 2, 10 ft and 2, 8 ft 2x4s with 1x3 (2 ft long or so) for the rungs to make the ladder. I overlap the 2x4s by 2 ft, so total height is 16 ft. I use 2, 3.5 " carriage bolts on each side of the ladder to join the 2x4s. For the platform I use 2x4 for the frame and 1x6 or plywood for the platform. I join the platform to the ladder with a carriage bolt and some nails on each side, and I install an angle brace. I angle the ladder out a bit so it is not vertical when installed to the tree. A slight angle makes it easier to climb. That's the basic ladder stand. You can use a lag screw(s) to attach the platform to the tree or you can use ratchet straps.
I spend less than $20 to make these. I usually get "economy" lumber from Menards. They have a bin full of it and it's usually weathered and warped a bit, but useable for this purpose. I also use whatever scraps are laying around. If you have nothing laying around the house, like nails, screws, bolts, etc., you may spend more. Also, if you really aren't that handy, perhaps you would be better off to buy a stand. You should have some basic idea of construction before making something to suspend yourself 16 feet off the grond.
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Post by swilk on Oct 6, 2009 11:58:08 GMT -5
rural king has/had 20' ladder stands on sale for $107.
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Post by HuntMeister on Oct 6, 2009 12:03:52 GMT -5
oldhoyt, do you have any pics to go with your materials list / assembly instructions?
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Post by hammerofthor on Oct 6, 2009 12:41:43 GMT -5
You might as well just buy one. You cen get a 15 foot ladder stand for around $50-$60.. I think its pretty inexpensive, and its REALLY easy to set up, and safe. They usually come with a harness as well.
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Post by jkd on Oct 6, 2009 14:27:12 GMT -5
Don't forget about the option of a ground blind setup, either a popup or just construct your own out of camo burlap and some brush. If you work the wind right and have good concealment with your shooting "window" open to a portion of the trail, a ground setup can work. Tree stands have become popular due to the increased viewing area the hunter has, but in archery, you're wanting them up close and personal, so a ground setup should not be overlooked. In the old days, we didn't hunt out of trees at all, and still managed to kill plenty of deer. Another option is to find a good heavy wood pallet and nail 2 2x4's between two adjacent trees (on either side), place the pallet on top and nail or screw it into the 2x4. Then you can use the ladder stand below to access the platform, giving you a bit more room to manuever. You can nail an additional 2x4 at waist height for a guard rail. The ladder below can be hunted out of by itself, but you won't have much room for gear. Marked down to $59.99 www.ruralking.com/big-dog-basic-ladder-15.html |
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Post by royalcoachman on Oct 6, 2009 14:50:13 GMT -5
Hunting a ground blind sounds like fun. Seems like it would add an extra element of difficulty to the equation. Don't know if I'm ready for that yet.
Is there a Rural King near Noblesville?
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Post by swilk on Oct 6, 2009 14:59:02 GMT -5
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Post by dadfsr on Oct 6, 2009 15:51:52 GMT -5
friend of mine that is archery hunting on my property got tired of seeing deer in the old pasture every night when he was walking back to his truck so he set up one of the "pop-up"style blinds about 50' out from the woods in the pasture and had about ten within shooting range before the night was over, finally taking a nice doe just before sunset. I was kind of surprised that he didn't set it up in one of the areas that I had backed my ole bushhog into along the woods so the deer wouldn't notice a blind quite as much. Didn't make any difference to the deer though because he got off another shot two nights later from the same blind/same place but missed when it caught the edge of the window rather than going thru the shoot thru screen. I think he was even surprised because he has been a stand hunter all his life and never thought about using a ground blind. One thing for sure though when on the ground -scent control/wind direction is even more critical.
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Post by jkd on Oct 6, 2009 16:13:21 GMT -5
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Post by jkd on Oct 6, 2009 16:26:22 GMT -5
One other thing I forgot to mention... one downside of homemade ladders and wooden platforms is that they get slick in rain or snow... when we've used them in the past, we put down some hardware mesh material on the platform to give more grip.
Also, make sure and get some help to set things up... if you've not worked with a ladder before, they can be a bit much for one guy to set up by himself, plus you've got somebody there to spot you when you're getting straps on and so forth... an extension ladder is useful in getting things positioned and strapped down... there are some youtube videos that also show pulling up a ladder stand with ropes to set things up, but I've not tried that...
You'll also want a small board to place under the ladder legs to keep it from wanting to sink into the ground. I've also found that the ladder units that just shove together tend to want to come apart, and I've gone to drilling a hole through the assembled unit so I can put a small bolt or pin in to lock the ladder segments together, if the unit doesn't already have some similar system... last thing you want is to have the bottom drop out when you're climbing up or down...
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Post by 36fan on Oct 6, 2009 16:36:42 GMT -5
Menard's also a very similar ladder stand for $50 or $60 (I can't remember which). Tthey have a store in the Castleton area, and one in Fishers. I've been using a couple of hang-on stands from Menard's for the last few years with no complaints.
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Post by royalcoachman on Oct 6, 2009 16:53:34 GMT -5
Thanks Fellas. Looks like I'll be heading to Menards this weekend and ordering a hunter safety system on amazon.com
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Post by duff on Oct 6, 2009 17:32:06 GMT -5
Good choice. wooden stands have a tendency to rot after a few years. Metal stands should last you for a long time unless you get ripped off.
Don't write off the ground blind idea. I started with ground blinds just used the natural stuff like blowdowns, old fence, stumps and large trees. I never used any store bought materials except for sting to bind some things together but grape vines work well in most cases. This will allow you to hunt the areas that you don't put your stand in.
It isn't any more difficult to kill a deer from the gound as it is from a tree. It's all about your confidence in your ability. Keep asking questions and reading about stagety and figure out for yourself what works for you and what doesn't while you hunt.
Don't set your stand right on the trail. Set it off about 15 to 20 yards and try to use the limbs to break up your stand location.
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Post by wileyonetoo on Oct 6, 2009 19:30:19 GMT -5
My buddy and I attended one of DNR Bow Certification courses a couple of years back and they covered all types of stands. They said to stay away from home-made wooden stands as a general rule. They have seen too many issues, including injuries.
Ck out Menards for sure. I bought a 22' stand there about 6 weeks back. Hunted out of it Saturday.
JKD is spot on with the ground blinds, natural and man-made. We have had success out of the man-made version. Just built the natural blind last spring. Can't wait to hunt out of it. The weekend after we put it together my wife and I watched 5 does feeding about 60 yards away. We had the wind and they never knew we were there.
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Post by scrub-buster on Oct 6, 2009 20:42:41 GMT -5
Walmart had a Remington 15' for around $80. Looked real nice.
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Post by bowhunt01 on Oct 6, 2009 20:57:41 GMT -5
I would have to agree with alot of others that you would be better off buying an aluminum. Gander Mountain, Menards,etc. usually have them for around 50 bucks so by the time you buy all your supplies to build one and then your time and the physical therapy costs to recover from the back injuries after carrying it out in the woods your better off buying one.
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