This info comes from the Wisconsin DNR magazine.

A pure corn diet is high in starch and can cause high acidity in a deer’s stomach. This acid kills the bacteria that deer need to digest food. Straight hay diets in the winter aren’t much better. As food supplies dwindle, deer are less able to digest alfalfa fiber. One of the better bets is formulated pellets with a mix of alfalfa, oats, corn, soybeans, molasses, vitamins, and other minerals. These mixes are available at some feed mills, but they can be much more expensive than corn.

If you can’t find a good formulated food pellet, try a mix of corn and soybeans. Corn is a good source of carbs, but it doesn’t have much protein. Soybeans are bursting with protein.

Another option is to supplement your corn feeders with deer blocks. These are like the salt blocks that cows lick, but they are scented to attract dear and provide nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

Do this for a couple years and you’ll be rewarded with more deer, healthier deer, and bigger mounts.

The new site will not only have all the free deer stand plans that you can find here, it will also have deer stand reviews, tree stand reviews, ground blinds, as well as a store to shop for tree stands, deer stands, and accessories.

Check it out at http://www.deer-stands.net

Click here to download the .pdf file.

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.

(To download the images, right click on them and click “Save Image As…”)

Overview:

The plans were designed to maximize wood lengths- as they come from the lumber yard. There is almost no waste. Our plan was to assemble the stand (minus the deck) at the cabin (where we have power and tools) then disassemble it into two separate sides (Let’s call one assembled side of the deer stand a stantion). We could then get those stantions out into the woods with the remaining wood pieces cut, holes drilled, and ready to go, and bolt the stantions back together.

Assembly:

We built the whole stand laying down on its side.

First we built two opposite sides of the stand- the sides with the deck cross beams- headers. We built the two stantions, side by side, laying flat on the ground. As shown on plan, we positioned the 2”x6”x8’-0” bottom cross beam 1’-4” up the piers. Then we positioned the 2”x4”x4’-11” top rail at the top of the piers.

Before drilling holes for the bolts through the piers, top rail, and bottom cross members, we temporarily fastened each stantion using one nail at each of the 4 locations were these pieces meet. This allowed us to ‘rack’ the structure. Using a tape measure, we measured diagonally from one side at the bottom cross member up to the opposite side top rail, and then repeated this across the opposite side. We then racked the structure until these measurements were the same. What this does is ‘square up’ the stantion, which makes the structure symmetrical. Once the stantions were symmetrical we located the 2”x8” deck cross-member-header 12’-5 3/4” (13’-1” less 5 ½’ + 3/4”) up each pier. Then we positioned the diagonal braces and nailed them in place. Once the diagonals were nailed in the place, the structure will no longer rack and will remain symmetrical. Then we drilled holes for the bolts and bolted the structure together.

Next we stood the two completed stantions on there sides and temporarily braced them (plumb). Following the same processs as above, we attached the remaining cross members, top rails, deck joists, and diagonal braces. (Again, on each side, we used the tape measure and racked the structure for symmetry).

As an afterthought (not shown on the plan), we fastened a 2”x4” diagonally across the bottom of the completed structure. We nailed it into the bottom cross member next to one pier, then across and into the bottom cross member of the opposing pier. This stiffened the structure so that the whole stand itself would not rack. * add a 2”x4”x12’-0” to your shopping list.

We then cut the deck boards and joists to length .

At this point the structure was completed enough (and heavy enough) to be moved out into the woods.

Once out in the woods, we assembled the deck out in the field. We had to cut notches in the decking to fit around the 4×4 posts- 8 notches altogether which we accomplished with a chainsaw. We also fastened the 1”x6” railing top out in the field.

The Move:

We bolted two hand truck tires to the two pier bottoms and rested the top of the stand on the ATV trailer. We were able to cart the stand out into the woods and stand it up with only 4 guys. Next time we plan to use a salvaged 17’ sailboat trailer to get stand #2 out into the woods. Getting the stand through 1.5 miles of ATV trail through the woods was very tough on our backs, the ATV, and pretty much mangled the ATV trailer.

It only took three guys two stand the deer stand up. We started at the top and just walked the structure up- just like they used to do raising barns. We added a ladder, a lawn chair, and a rope to hoist up hunting gear & rifle and the stand was complete. We plan to paint the stand with some deck stain once the pressure treated wood dries out. I was able to pick-up a can of mis-colored stain for very cheap. Oh, yeah, one final consideration- We found four pieces of flat stone in the woods and located one stone under each of the piers. The stones keep the wood raised off the ground preventing the piers from sucking moisture up out of the ground like a straw- rotting the wood.

Note: These plans are only a guideline to help you build your own stand. By using these plans, you agree to not hold me liable for any injuries that may occur while building the stand, or related to the stand after it has been built.

(Click on image for full size)

Send an e-mail to eric@deerstandplans.net if you can help out with this. Thanks.

These plans are very detailed and it looks like a well-built design and can hold 200lbs of feed.

Enjoy!
(Note: If you can’t see the .pdf below, click here to download the plans)