I found this information on how to build a deer stand another deer hunting forum, I hope they don’t mind me reposting it here.

Sorry I don’t have a picture but I’ll try to explain how I build my ladder stands. I only use pressure treated lumber and plywood and ring shank 16penny nails or 3inch sheetrock screws (galvanized is best) for the body of the stand and I attatch to the tree with 40 penny spikes. Staring with the seat I use a 2ft by 2ft piece of 3/4inch pt plywood that I paint with some kind of waterseal product until it will no longer suck up anymore. Cut a 6 inch v notch in one side (this will go up against the tree) mount the seat on 2 parallel 4ft long 2X4′s leaving 4 inches of the 2×4 exposed on the front (v on the back) with the narrow side of the 2×4′s against the plywood. Now get 2 16ft long 2×4′s and place them inside the 2×4′s holding the seat (agian narrow side up) to get the spacing for the ladder rungs (should be around 18 inches) now square up the 2 16ft 2×4′s and starting from the top measure down 18 inches (this is the most comfortable distance I’ve found) for the top rung. Then just place a step every 18 inches til you get to the bottom use 2 nails or screws in each side of each step (if the pt is old and dry it helps to predrill holes to keep down splitting). Now you have a top piece and a ladder lay the top piece on its side and place the ladder inside the 2 2×4 with the notch in the back and the ladder at about 10 degrees off vertical (makes for easier climbing if not straight up) now use nails or screws to attach the ladder to the seat assembly (I put 3 or 4 from each side and cinch them down by bending the points over) now you have a basic ladder stand. The best way I’ve found to put them on the tree is to use and extension ladder. Get a friend to help you lean the stand up against the tree and move the legs out until the seat is level (the 2 ft legs behind the seat should extend past the tree that you are mounting it on) now climb the ladder and attach a piece of 2×4 to the top of the seat rails with nails or screws so that the board is tight to the tree. then drive a 40 penny spike thru the short board into the tree, this will hold it to the tree . Sorry I forgot you need to make 2 braces. You’ll need 2 4ft long 2×4′s these are to be nailed just forward of the back of the plywood and down to the ladder on either side to give the stand support (make a triangle several steps down with these and attach inside the seat 2×4′s and outside the ladder 2×4′s again use several nails or screws from each side. Now with the stand attached to the tree if you would like you can make a shooting/safety rail by attaching 2 4ft long 2×4′s at the junction of the ladder and the seat down to the braces . I’ve found that by angling them slightly forward with 21 inches above the seat level and the bottom (or excess attached to the braces and then putting another 4ft long 2×4 on the top then take 2 more 4ft 2×4′s and attach them back from the front rail to the tree (it helps to hold the side rails against the tree and cut the front rail at an angle to make the joint tighter) then use nails or screws to attach to front rail and 40 penny spikes to the tree. Now all you need is a back rest- 12inch by 18 inch piech of plywood placed at a comfortable angle and attached to the seat and the tree and you have a tree stand. I hang camo cloth from the shooting rail all the way around for conceilment and use a boat cushion for comfort and a pull up rope for my gun and I’m ready to go. Hope this helps. -rugerman

I made a new site with Buckmaster’s Deer Blind Plans and a few articles on building deer blinds and other hunting blinds. It’s new right now so there isn’t much there. My eventual goal is to have a hunting site that has all kinda of info related to deer hunting, from deer blinds and feeders, to scopes, to ATV’s, to motion activated cameras, and more… But that’s a ways a way, so for now, I’ll just stick with deer blind plans.

I know this site is about deer stands, but I wanted to link to this rifle scope site if anyone is looking for a good rifle scope or spotting scope, check it out at http://hunters-scopes.com.

Everyone needs to give a big thanks to Will for finding these plans online. I couldn’t find anything like this after many hours of searching.

Original plans found here.

Edit: I just realized these deer stand plans are being sold. I have taken them down because I don’t want to break any copyrights or anything. My apologies to the designer of these deer stand plans, Charles Abney.

Click here for the full instructions.

E-How has a step-by-step instruction set for how to build a tree stand. There are no pictures to go along with it, but the design sounds simple enough.

Here are the first two steps to give you an idea of how the tree stand is built.

Step 1
Find a good tree in the area in which you will be hunting. Ideally, this tree should have a Y or a fork in its trunk for the foundation of your tree stand. A fork that is 12 feet from the ground would be best, but up to 15 feet could be OK. Use your judgment about how high you are willing to climb. Factor in all the layers of clothing you will wear to keep yourself warm and how these layers will affect your range of movement.
Step 2
Visit a hardware store or building supply store and buy lengths of good, heavy-duty rope. Something nylon might work best. You could even buy rope similar to that which mountain climbers use. You are, after all, going to rely on this rope to climb up the tree to reach your stand, so you want to be able to depend upon it.

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jeffreym/

Check that website out. There is a treasure trove of hunting DIY how-to over there, ranging from deer stands, to deer feeders, to sewing your own camo.

The set of free deer stand plans they have are the most detailed free plans I’ve seen so far on the internet. It’s not the easiest to build, but it does go into a lot of detail with some instructions included with the plans.

Also, if any of you tech-savy guys out there has a suggestion for a better CMS than wordpress to use for the Deer Stand Plans.net website, let me know. I’m trying to find something with more of a community feel with integrated forums and stuff.

Get the .PDF for these plans here.

Hey everyone, I just got an e-mail with some very detailed plans for building an elevated deer stand. There aren’t many free deer stand plans on the internet that can match the quality of these here.

The stand is designed for a steel tower. Along with the plans there is a detailed set of instructions to go along with it.

Thanks go to Will for e-mailing me these plans.

On a side note, I’ve been getting a lot of requests for deer feeder plans if anyone has any of those they’d like to share, please leave a comment on the blog or send me an e-mail at eric@deerstandplans.net

Here are the stands we use at our lease out in Texas. It was designed modularly, so that the main panels could be assembled beforehand and fit in the bed of a pickup.

Total cost for materials is about $140. Total time to assemble the stand is about 2-3 hours. It’s common for similar stands to sell completed for $500+. This stand has the convenience of being able to be built in a confined space like a garage. It can easily be transported in the bed of a pickup, and can be assembled on-site in about 15 minutes with just a power drill, some screws, and a ladder.

The plans are in an easy-to-read .pdf format which is available for immediate download to read on your computer or print them out and take them with you. You’ll get a full materials list, detailed schematics, and step-by-step instructions with pictures to help you along the way.

Here is an example of what the plans look like.

And here is a shot of what the finished deer stand looks like (note: This stand doesn’t have a roof or paint yet. We threw this one up in our garage just to take the pictures. Updated pictures of finished stands will be coming soon.)

Each step along the way is documented with detailed instructions and pictures, as seen below.

Along with the plans, you will get my personal cell phone number if you happen to have any questions along the way.

You’ll also get free updates to the plans. Future updates include folding plexi-glass windows, carpetting, a table along the window for a sandbag to rest your gun on, sloped roof, and more.

And of course, you’ll get a full year – 360 day – money back guarantee. This way you’ll have plenty of time to build the stand and spend an entire season trying it out. If you don’t like it, just send me an e-mail saying you’d like a refund and you’ll get it, no questions asked. You won’t even be out shipping and handling since the plans are entirely downloadable.

I’d like to give these plans away for free, but considerable time and effort went into making these plans as user-friendly as possible. We have already made all the trial and error mistakes for you. You’ll save so much time and money with these plans that they are well worth it the $8.97 price tag.

Order through the secure link below using PayPal (Accepts almost all major credit cards) by clicking the button below. You will instantly be able to download the plans so you can start right away. (note: You don’t need a Paypal account to purchase. If you don’t have an account, simply click where it says “Don’t have a PayPal account?
Use your credit card or bank account (where available). Continue”)

After completing your order, you will instantly be sent an e-mail containing a link to download the plans.

If you have any questions, please e-mail me at eric@deerstandplans.net. I’m at my computer often and will usually respond within just a few hours.

I just wanted to mention another site that just popped up relating to how to build a deer stand.

There isn’t many deer stand plans on it yet, but they should be showing up sometime soon.