These pictures and plans were sent in by a fellow hunter, Cary Perkins. I haven’t built one yet, so I’ll be copying and pasting his exact email so I don’t get anything wrong or leave anything out.

Here is a picture of what the final stand looks like:

“DISLAIMER: Let me say that I make no warranty to the safety of this stand or this design or that of any other associated homemade deer hunting aide that I have designed. Make and use at your own risk. I personally believe in them and use them, however, If they are improperly made or knotty wood is used or any number of other things I can think of should occur, it is possible one of these things could fail causing severe injury or death. These stands, these plans, and anything else I have designed out of wood have NOT been certified as safe by any one. Build and use at your own risk.”

“Built out of treated wood and modeled after my lawn chair. Weighs 50 pounds and I hoist it up with a boat winch attached to a board fastened to a tree with a ratchet strap. I’ve built 10 or so and hunted out of them for several years. Really work well and are comfortable. You are boxed in so no need for a harness. And it folds semi flat to transport with the removal of 4 bolts.”

“A lot of times you can go in the barging bin at Home Depot and find all the boards you need for several. I suspect it could probably be modified to put on a roof (maybe a folding one) if any one was interested. One good part about it is that no one seems to want to steal them. And at 50 pounds, it would be difficult anyway.

I also have made climbing sticks which I have included a picture of. I take a 16 foot treated 2×6 and rip it lengthwise into two 16 foot 2x3s. I then drill pilot holes with an auger bit on my 19.4 volt cordless drill across the wide side every 14 inches. I then drive galvanized 12 inch landscape spikes through the holes. I add 2×4 spacers at intervals along the back to keep it from the tree. I also add a wide board crossways at the bottom to keep it from rolling.

It can be attached with ratchet straps or with lag screws or both. The ratchet straps are available for $2.99 at harbor freight. I usually spray them with cheap black paint (99 cents a can at Wal-mart) to mottle them. They are bright yellow unless you do. To attach them I put the hook base (closed metal part) around a nail and then cross behind the stick to wrap around the tree. I cross the other side as well to mate them and tighten. Nobody wants to steal these either.

Also, 16 feet is quite short, so I usually add an 8 foot extension. I can be done either with an 18 inch overlap secured by carriage bolts or by adding a brace board behind to mate them both together with the brace board by using carriage bolts. I find that 24 feet is the most I can set up by myself. I place the bottom against the tree to brace and hold it and then walk it up. I secure the bottom section from the ground and then climb up securing the rest as I go. My cordless drill seems to work good to put in galvanized lag screws as well if someone wants to go that way. Drill a pilot hole with an auger bit and then use a deep well socket on the drill and spin it in.”

And here are some more pictures of the stand as well as the ladder.

We all need to give a big thanks to Cary Perkins for sharing this with us. He’s mentioned that he might write up some more detailed instructions and a materials list, so keep your fingers crossed and stay tuned for updates. Also, if you happen to be in Kentucky and need some forestry work done, check him out at www.bluegrassforestry.com.

Cheers.

Thanks go to Michael for sending in this detailed picture of the tree stand pulley with a supplies list and detailed instructions.

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.