# DIY tree stand/platform



## Stub (Aug 13, 2013)

So been asked a few times now. "Why not just make your own stand, you have the wood?" I always told friends "I will just buy one, they aren't too expensive". However, it got me thinking a little more about the idea.

Just wondering if any of you guys make your own stand/platform on your property. Having a little bit experience building sheds, coops and a ton of good, leftover wood in my barn. I really been flirting with the idea recently. Hard part would be hauling the lumber and not having any power tools to work with. That and having to work off the ground. Other than that, a simple platform should be relatively easy to make. It doesn't need to be pretty since no one will every see it.

I looked at a few Google images of homemade ones to get some ideas. I really like the idea of a platform to stand on, especially with some wiggle room to move around. Being able to stand, adjust my position, and shoot would be a big bonus for me.

So probably a long shot - but, do any of you guys have any pictures of homemade platforms/stands you done yourself? If so, would love to see them and get some ideas for myself if this is a project I want to tackle.

Thanks guys.


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## zonic (Aug 12, 2013)

Hey Stub,

My father-in-law gave me some good advice when I started making my own.

1. Don't nail support beam at both ends - when trees/limbs blow around they'll rip out. Instead nail one end, and make some type of "glide" at the other end on the other limb/tree so the beam can ride and obsorb the movement of the limb instead of rip free. I usually toenail a couple big spikes, and bend them around the beam slightly to create the glider end.
2. Redundant supports. I like to nail a chunk of 2x4 under beams here and there for extra insurance.

I'd take a pic of mine, but it is a rotting death-trap right now.

Steve


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## ncheels (Jun 3, 2009)

Also, check the DYI forum. Bet you can search and find some there.


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## Stub (Aug 13, 2013)

Thanks I'll keep tree growth in mind and also take a look at the DIY forums. Appreciate it.


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## reddogge (Jul 21, 2009)

We make them down at our rifle hunting camp. They are covered all around but you could adapt them to bowhunting. Basically a 3'x4" piece of plywood on a nailer between two pine trees with two supports from the end of the platform nailed back to a nailer board nailed to the trees. We nail a plywood roof overhead and put plywood all around it. Like I said you could make the sides a lot lower for bow. We nail two boards between the trees with a board on top for a seat and use old fiberglass ladders to climb up in the rear between the trees in the rear.


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## zonic (Aug 12, 2013)

Sitting atop the rotten deathtrap tonight...









I left a hole in the middle to crawl up through.


An old "glider" bracket made from nailed spikes:









This was from a "safety" rail I removed when I stopped rifle hunting. Note the nail that was bent over the rail to keep the rail in the glider nails.


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## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

I've made plenty of wood stands over the years for use on private land. If you build them right they are good for a lot of years, but you do need to be careful. _Never use nails to support the load_, build so the wood frame is supported by tree branches and only use nails to keep it from shifting. This of course needs the right kind of tree. The ladder to get into the stand can be problematic due to deterioration if made from wood. _Do not nail horizontal pieces on a tree for steps_, you're just asking for trouble that way. Building a safe ladder is probably more difficult than building a safe platform.

As far as working out in the field, if you can drive a truck or tractor close to your tree you can make a ladder type stand at home and drag it out there. Then all you need is ratchet straps like a metal ladder stand. Otherwise, I build a lot of stands with hand tools.

I'd actually prefer a well constructed wooden ladder stand over a cheap and squeaky metal one. A _good_ metal ladder stand is about all I use these days (Leverage).


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## zonic (Aug 12, 2013)

Easykeeper said:


> The ladder to get into the stand can be problematic due to deterioration if made from wood. _Do not nail horizontal pieces on a tree for steps_, you're just asking for trouble that way. Building a safe ladder is probably more difficult than building a safe platform.


My steps are the only safe part of my stand. I have the screwed in steel steps. They've been there for 15+ years and the old oak tree has grown around them. Not very tree-friendly, but they ain't goin nowhere.


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## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

Green treated lumber is also a good thing.


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## zonic (Aug 12, 2013)

And always wear a good safety harness. This was the first year that I did not reinforce my old rotting stand before the season. Many years ago when I built it, I used old scrap pieces of lumber to begin with. I am more vigilant than ever to wear my harness every time I hunt from this thing now.


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## Stub (Aug 13, 2013)

Again thanks for the advice.

Was actually just looking at some of the Muddy harnesses earlier. But yeah, wont even attempt building this without a harness. Only way I'm going to be able to do this is with a telescopic lean ladder. I personally hate using them, once you get so high, becomes very wobbly. I'd feel better if I had someone at the base supporting the ladder and making sure I'm not putting too much weight off to one side. So hooking myself in a harness will be the first thing I do. 

Here's a picture of a basic design I found online. What do you guys thing, look sturdy? Design looks easy to do, especially finding that tree formation on the spots I like. I was thinking some heavy duty lag screws (6-8" or so?) for the support on the tree and a few more support beams (tree to platform). Also thinking about building the ladder completely separate from the platform. Would be easy to adjust over time with some ratchet straps.









One thing i have concerns about with this design is the diagonal support beams from the tree to platform. Over time when the tree grows will those beams be compromised?


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## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

You wouldn't get me in that stand...lol. You might get away with it the first year but after that...?

The supports should butt up against the tree, not just be nailed to the side. Lab bolts are better, still not very good. The long overhang will give plenty of leverage to test the structural integrity in the future as the wood deteriorates. The ladder is an accident waiting to happen. Believe me, I've build stands with all of these mistakes, luckily I lived to know better.

Wood stands can work but they need to be better thought out than that one and then checked yearly. Unfortunately the best trees for wood stands are rarely in the best spots for hunting. They are more practical for rifle hunting when you have a little more effective range to work with.

It's just my opinion, and I've already admitted to building wood stands in the past, but I would bite the bullet and cough up the money for a _good_ portable or ladder stand. Much safer in the long run, even though it is a higher initial investment. They also last a lot longer and can be moved.

Forgive me for my negativity, the older I get the less brave I am. The only wooden stand I would build these days would be a shooting house type stand on four 6x6 treated columns set on pads and sunk in concrete, think elaborate rifle shooting lazy guy tree house...:wink:


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## Captainkirk (Sep 18, 2014)

One thing that doesn't get mentioned much; with severe cold snaps like the one we had here in the Midwest last year...I have read reports of retaining hardware left in trees (nails, lag bolts and screw in steps) that snapped with weight on them the following summer. One poster worked in a metallurgy lab and had his hardware analyzed. The lab determined the metal had begun to crystalize and became molecularly unstable. I have personally had a screw-in step break off under weight...it's a scary feeling. For the amount of work involved and the uncertainty, I vote with buying a top-end ladder or platform stand that you can take down and store at season's end. Your safety is worth more than a few lumber scraps.


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## zonic (Aug 12, 2013)

Redundant supports! I'm confident on my old salvaged wood slapped up any old way - so long as there are redundant supports... having a main beam or two, maybe built out of scaffold lumber, one end in the crotch of a tree, etc. No nails, but spikes, like the big 6" heat galvanized, and redundant supports - like Jenga!

I have seen two well thought out digrams for a perfectionist carpenter - both in books from my library. One was for a kids treehouse design in some backyard dad projects book. The other was for a wooden ladder stand using 14' cedar for the ladder and lag bolts and chain for the seat platform, coating exposed wood for longevity, etc. that I always intended to build. That one came from a book I take out and renew to the max, and then take it out again. Just returned it a couple days ago. It's called Hunting and Shooting with the Modern Bow by Roger Maynard and it has been my bible to DIY bow hunting. There's a lot of great stuff in that book.


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## reddogge (Jul 21, 2009)

The stand I described is cantilevered off of two trees which means you need two trees about 4-5' apart. Much simpler and less material needed that that one. They last for years though.


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## GEREP (May 6, 2003)

Stub said:


> Again thanks for the advice.
> 
> Was actually just looking at some of the Muddy harnesses earlier. But yeah, wont even attempt building this without a harness. Only way I'm going to be able to do this is with a telescopic lean ladder. I personally hate using them, once you get so high, becomes very wobbly. I'd feel better if I had someone at the base supporting the ladder and making sure I'm not putting too much weight off to one side. So hooking myself in a harness will be the first thing I do.
> 
> ...



Stub:

In all honesty, I wouldn't touch that with a 4988 foot pole. It is a quadriplegic (or worse) waiting to happen. With the way trees grow, sway, move, etc., anything that has multiple connections directly into the tree is eventually going to fail. It's not a matter of "if," it's a matter of "when." 

DON'T DO IT. 


I have built a number of ladder stands based on these plans (not mine, I found them online years ago). They are made with treated lumber, attach to the tree with a chain and turnbuckle. and should be loosened at the end of each season to allow for tree expansion. I have used them for years with no issues and they are still as solid as a rock.









Now, having said that, you can get a very adequate basic ladder stand like the one below for 50 - 80 bucks (sometimes even cheaper at the end of the season). You can hardly build your own for that price. These are safer, a heck of a lot lighter and therefore more portable, and they come with a basic safety harness.









For less than a hundred bucks, it's just not worth the risk.

KPC


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## ghostgoblin22 (May 3, 2013)

ladder stands are cheap i bought one this year on ebay for 70 bucks, it works perfect and very safe, pretty happy i did so, i love hunting up in a tree alot more than the ground


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## Stub (Aug 13, 2013)

Thanks for the feedback guys. Well thought I'd throw it out there and see what you guys thought before I committed to anything yet. Really wasn't a cost issue for me. Lot of the stand on eBay also offer a free harness. I was just flirting with the idea of making my own since I got asked a few times. More I thought about it, more ideas I was getting. 

Appreciate the info so far, thanks.


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## secretagentmann (Jul 6, 2012)

zonic said:


> Hey Stub,
> 
> My father-in-law gave me some good advice when I started making my own.
> 
> ...


Gliding advice is awesome.


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## Easykeeper (Jan 2, 2003)

The wood ladder stand that GEREP posted is a good one, I've made some similar. Use bolts through drilled holes on the 45 degree braces, mitered in with gusset plates is even better. I liked to build mine so the ladder was slightly angled toward the tree, it makes for a little easier climbing and is also a little less likely to shift.

If it's made right, and doesn't have to be moved much, I would take a wood ladder stand like that one built with green treated lumber over a cheap metal ladder stand any day. The platform on the wood one will be much more comfortable for your feet than the mesh and rail that most inexpensive ladder stands use. That's not an issue if you sit a lot but I like to stand as much as possible.


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## jab73 (Jan 22, 2013)

As a kid 25 years ago we made wooden stands to hunt out of.. Permanent and also wooden ladder stands we carried in and out each year... There is a reason the modern stands that are sold sell so well.
They are safer. Quieter. Lighter. Better..


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## Cotton-Eye (Oct 28, 2012)

Built this in my yard a couple years back. Survived a few hurricanes & could launch a rocket out of it. I screwed rubber plumbing end caps into the rails because they grip a beer bottle perfectly & won't let the beer fall over when I shoot.


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## Cotton-Eye (Oct 28, 2012)




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## Cotton-Eye (Oct 28, 2012)

You can see the metal ring in the first photo. Works great to hang a gambrel from.


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## JParanee (Oct 13, 2009)

Stub I'll tell ya a little story 

Growing up I never used a safety harness 

Growing up I'd sit in anything that got me up a tree 

Used an old Baker stand for more years than I can count 

Mind you never a belt or anything 

Than I meet my old ladies uncle Larry 

Larry was a 2 time recipient of the Purple Heart in Vietnam and just a tough sob 

Larry was a great Bowhunter and the year after he shot this bruiser (an eight point ) that goes over 150 is a bruiser he was climbing up a homemade stand and that fateful last step pulled out and he fell 

Yes ihe could of fallen out of a modern climber with no belt on and had the same result 

The result was he was paralyzed from the waist down 

He drug himself around like a man and still tried to hunt etc but for him it was something he could never get used to 

One day he came and saw me. said he was just tired ....ha see his shoulders were giving out and total immobility was on its way 

The next day Larry shot himself 

I don't mean to tell you this sucky story to be a dick but I've seen that little girl of yours and I like you so I am trying to stress how important it is to be careful 

Sure homemade stands are a viable option but inevitable trees and wood changes and things happen 

We all say oh it will get thru another year and or we make half ass fixes 

With today's ladder stands being a cheap and safe option for you and your little girl I think it is a safer way to go 

My whole outlook on tree stand hunting changed when I meet Larry cause he sure was tougher and a better man than me 

Be safe plus sitting the same tree over and over again is for old men and kids get a climber and get after them big bucks


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## JParanee (Oct 13, 2009)

Cotton eye beautiful stand 

That of course does not reflect the kind of stand in my story


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## zonic (Aug 12, 2013)

jab73 said:


> There is a reason the modern stands that are sold sell so well.
> They are safer. Quieter. Lighter. Better..


...and also less conspicuous.

I just read Joe's story and it reminds me of a fellow hunter around here who is paralyzed from waist down. He told me it happened falling from a 15' ladder (at work). I think of him every time I am climbing in or out of my store bought metal ladder stand and my rotten wooden stand. In addition to ALWAYS wearing safety harness in the stand, one should ALWAYS maintain 3 points of contact while climbing or installing stand. Never try climbing with gear in hand, etc. Add a tow rope. I know this is basic stuff - but it couldn't hurt for us all to stress the point from time to time.


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## Cotton-Eye (Oct 28, 2012)

JParanee said:


> Cotton eye beautiful stand
> 
> That of course does not reflect the kind of stand in my story


Thanks, it helps being a custom home builder


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## GEREP (May 6, 2003)

Easykeeper said:


> The wood ladder stand that GEREP posted is a good one, I've made some similar. Use bolts through drilled holes on the 45 degree braces, mitered in with gusset plates is even better. *I liked to build mine so the ladder was slightly angled toward the tree*, it makes for a little easier climbing and is also a little less likely to shift.


I built mine he same way. Much easier to climb and much more stable.



Easykeeper said:


> If it's made right, and doesn't have to be moved much, I would take a wood ladder stand like that one built with green treated lumber over a cheap metal ladder stand any day. The platform on the wood one will be much more comfortable for your feet than the mesh and rail that most inexpensive ladder stands use. That's not an issue if you sit a lot but I like to stand as much as possible.


Agree. Mine have been in the same places for years. One other benefit is that the treated lumber stands seldom get stolen. :wink: 

Portability, ease of setup, and long term safety have to go with the commercially made metal stands though. 

KPC


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## Stub (Aug 13, 2013)

Cotton eye: Thanks for sharing those pictures. That looks awesome, looks very professionally built. I need you to come out to KS and build me one  Mind if I ask you what use used for your main support as far as screws/bolts go?

JP: Sorry to hear man, that's rough. I really do appreciate your concern. No "dick" attitude taken from your comment. 

-I like the idea of having a fixed stand I can leave in the woods. Something with enough leg room for a couple people to comfortable stay in. Also want it to be safe. On the flip side, I also like the idea of a climber and moving around the woods all day. Now if I can do both, that would be great! I tried looking into a metal fixed platform. Ones that I found were either very expensive or not very high, about 10'. 

Thanks for all the info guys, great stuff!


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## Matt_Potter (Apr 13, 2010)

Having taken a 20' plus dive from a homemade stand I'll say please check your welds well and wear your damn harness.


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## GEREP (May 6, 2003)

Stub said:


> -I like the idea of having a fixed stand I can leave in the woods. Something with enough leg room for a couple people to comfortable stay in. Also want it to be safe. On the flip side, I also like the idea of a climber and moving around the woods all day. Now if I can do both, that would be great! I tried looking into a metal fixed platform. Ones that I found were either very expensive or not very high, about 10'.


You can actually do both Stub. While these aren't totally portable, they are easy to take down and setup in a new spot. I have one that I hunt in with my adult (18) daughter. They are comfortable, stable, roomy, and very reasonably priced and they come with two safety harnesses. The can be had for about 150.00 -200.00 (less, often much less, if you wait and fine one at the end of the season)















I'm a big guy (200+) and my daughter is average (130) and we have more than enough room to be comfortable.









KPC


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## Sanford (Jan 26, 2009)

GEREP said:


> The can be had for about 150.00 -200.00 (less, often much less, if you wait and fine one at the end of the season)
> 
> View attachment 2063493


Yeah, and they are the safest method for skinning my palm trees! Don't know bout the UFO following, though.


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## Stub (Aug 13, 2013)

Thanks Gerep: I like the first stand you posted (with he bronze emblem). Can't make out the writing. Mind telling me what brand that ladder stand is? I really like the big step platform it has.


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## GEREP (May 6, 2003)

Those are made by *Big Game Treestands. *

*sportsmansguide.com* has that model right now for 150.00. 

KPC


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## Stub (Aug 13, 2013)

GEREP said:


> Those are made by *Big Game Treestands. *
> 
> *sportsmansguide.com* has that model right now for 150.00.
> 
> KPC


Appreciate it, Thank you.


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## bwhntr7973 (Mar 8, 2011)

Cotton-Eye said:


> Built this in my yard a couple years back. Survived a few hurricanes & could launch a rocket out of it. I screwed rubber plumbing end caps into the rails because they grip a beer bottle perfectly & won't let the beer fall over when I shoot.
> 
> Please tell me you're joking about the beer in the stand with you. If not, remind me never to hunt with you or by you.


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## cuttingedge (Feb 19, 2005)

I made a house on stilts. Sunk 4X4 treated posts in quickcrete, maybe 16 footers? Prefabbed the walls and the floor. Hauled it on a trailer out into the woods. Had 4 batteries for my power took kit. 11' to the floor with stairs and a trap door, 7' walls, 8' long by 68" wide (how much wood I had...). Has a tin roof and 6 windows. I have a cot, sleeping bag, heater, single burner propane cooker, essential supplies. I've camped in it a few times. Pretty awesome. Used heavy deck screws for assembly. Cross-braced the sides. It has withstood some pretty sever Arkansas weather. Took a few weekends to build. Wish I had pics of it. I'm in Texas now and it's back home in Arkansas.


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## Bustoff (Sep 3, 2014)

*I fell*

I fell from 9 feet once. You'd be surprised how many things go through your mind even on that short a fall. After that I bought a good climber and never looked back.


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## Captainkirk (Sep 18, 2014)

Bustoff said:


> I fell from 9 feet once. You'd be surprised how many things go through your mind even on that short a fall. After that I bought a good climber and never looked back.


You're telling ME!
Went to take down a ladder stand my son had left up. Ground underneath had thawed (early spring) and when I was standing on the top step after undoing the ratchet strap, it sort of just leaned back and.....
How I did NOT break my ankle is beyond me. I had to crawl back to my car and have the wife drive me to ER for X-rays. Had to use crutches for 3 weeks and limped for months. This was only about a 12-foot fall. I no longer gamble....it could've been disastrous.


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## Stub (Aug 13, 2013)

I once broke my leg falling from a roof when I was a kid. Climbed the house to get a football stuck by the gutter. I remember sliding on the shingles and not being able to stop. I also remember how pissed my uncle was for climbing up there. I still have a part of that cast with my 5th grade classmates signatures somewhere. Its always there in the back of my mind, little fear is good, make me more cautious when I'm doing something up high.


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## zonic (Aug 12, 2013)

zonic said:


> The other was for a wooden ladder stand using 14' cedar for the ladder and lag bolts and chain for the seat platform, coating exposed wood for longevity, etc. that I always intended to build. That one came from a book I take out and renew to the max, and then take it out again. Just returned it a couple days ago. It's called Hunting and Shooting with the Modern Bow by Roger Maynard and it has been my bible to DIY bow hunting. There's a lot of great stuff in that book.
> View attachment 2062945


Been to the library this week. Here you go Stub:


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## Stub (Aug 13, 2013)

zonic said:


> Been to the library this week. Here you go Stub:
> View attachment 2153993


Thanks Zonic. Surprised you were able to find that in a library. I like the simple design. I actually got a 2 man Ameristep. Haven't put it up yet. Since this property is still new to me, I been monitoring trail cams to find a good spot to put it. I plan to be a little more prepared next season.


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