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Building a new tree stand

jaywaptijaywapti Posts: 5,116 Senior Member
in Hunting #1
Since I'm getting older and am not as strong as i used to be, I thought I'd build a light weight stand. I have a 32' aluminum extension ladder rated for 250lbs, it weights 33lbs , so i took one side of it and am building a platform on the top, i have a lot of scrap aluminum, sheets, angles, channel, and square tubing, all aircraft grade, its all either 6061-t6, 2024-t3 or 7075-t6. The platform will be 30" x 30". Since one side weights 16lbs, and i figured the weight of the platform at 8lbs the total weight with lock, chain, & tiedown straps to be right at 27lbs. It will be a little un-wieldy, but since i can set it up before deer season i shouldn't have any trouble carrying it in about 1 mile with a few breaks, or knowing Jen she want help me take it in.

This is not the first stand i have built, I made self climbers and ladder stands for my hunting buddies in Wisc. some steel, some aluminum, and even some titanium.

Jen and I have been scouting one of the WMA, were seeing lots of deer and hog sign, so hopefully this year I'll have some luck.

JAY
THE DEFINITION OF GUN CONTROL IS HITTING THE TARGET WITH YOUR FIRST SHOT
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Replies

  • Farm Boy DeuceFarm Boy Deuce Posts: 6,083 Senior Member
    #2
    16' is a tall ladder stand. We had one taller but it was a heavy dog that we used a tractor to stand up and it stayed in place for about 15 years until someone hit the ladder with a swather.
    I am afraid we forget sometime that the basic and simple things brings us the most pleasure.
    Dad 5-31-13
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  • Six-GunSix-Gun Posts: 8,155 Senior Member
    #3
    I get about 30' up in one of my stands and it works well. Not for the faint of heart, especially since it takes tree pegs to get up the gnarly oak I have it on, but it works. That said, 20' is about the sweet spot. If you can rig the stand to a little shorter, it'll be an easier climb.
    Accuracy: because white space between bullet holes drives me insane.
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  • jaywaptijaywapti Posts: 5,116 Senior Member
    #4
    Six-Gun wrote: »
    If you can rig the stand to a little shorter, it'll be an easier climb.

    I'm gonna keep it the full 16' that way i can just remove 4 bolts and the platform comes off, and still use it as an extension ladder, sometimes i have to get 30' up in my trees to trim them.

    JAY
    THE DEFINITION OF GUN CONTROL IS HITTING THE TARGET WITH YOUR FIRST SHOT
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  • JasonMPDJasonMPD Posts: 6,583 Senior Member
    #5
    jaywapti wrote: »
    Since I'm getting older and am not as strong as i used to be, I thought I'd build a light weight stand. I have a 32' aluminum extension ladder rated for 250lbs, it weights 33lbs , so i took one side of it and am building a platform on the top, i have a lot of scrap aluminum, sheets, angles, channel, and square tubing, all aircraft grade, its all either 6061-t6, 2024-t3 or 7075-t6. The platform will be 30" x 30". Since one side weights 16lbs, and i figured the weight of the platform at 8lbs the total weight with lock, chain, & tiedown straps to be right at 27lbs. It will be a little un-wieldy, but since i can set it up before deer season i shouldn't have any trouble carrying it in about 1 mile with a few breaks, or knowing Jen she want help me take it in.

    This is not the first stand i have built, I made self climbers and ladder stands for my hunting buddies in Wisc. some steel, some aluminum, and even some titanium.

    Jen and I have been scouting one of the WMA, were seeing lots of deer and hog sign, so hopefully this year I'll have some luck.

    JAY


    Given the area, I'm fairly certain I know the WMA you speak of. I stopped going when they closed off all the access points but one.

    It is littered with pigs though.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    “There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.” – Will Rogers
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  • jaywaptijaywapti Posts: 5,116 Senior Member
    #6
    JasonMPD wrote: »
    Given the area, I'm fairly certain I know the WMA you speak of. I stopped going when they closed off all the access points but one.

    It is littered with pigs though.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    Jason, ya got 4 choices,
    1) Bull Creek
    2) Buck Lake
    3) Tosohatchee
    4) Salt Lake

    All 4 have lots of deer and hogs.

    JAY
    THE DEFINITION OF GUN CONTROL IS HITTING THE TARGET WITH YOUR FIRST SHOT
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  • JasonMPDJasonMPD Posts: 6,583 Senior Member
    #7
    jaywapti wrote: »
    Jason, ya got 4 choices,
    1) Bull Creek
    2) Buck Lake
    3) Tosohatchee
    4) Salt Lake

    All 4 have lots of deer and hogs.

    JAY


    Haha. My guess was Buck Lake and a second being Salt Lake.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    “There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.” – Will Rogers
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  • jaywaptijaywapti Posts: 5,116 Senior Member
    #8
    JasonMPD wrote: »
    Haha. My guess was Buck Lake and a second being Salt Lake.

    Ya got it backwards, its salt Lake, they just put a new access, its less than 4 miles from my house.

    JAY
    THE DEFINITION OF GUN CONTROL IS HITTING THE TARGET WITH YOUR FIRST SHOT
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  • snake284snake284 Posts: 22,429 Senior Member
    #9
    Back in the late 80s I hunted north of Uvalde. There were about 5 tall tower blinds on the place. The floor decks were 25 feet above ground. You could see for 10 miles up there, but I was Nervous as a Whore in Church every time I climbed up there. And Uvalde is out where the wind sometimes gets pretty stiff. Now that was an experience all its own.

    One morning where I had celebrated no particular occasion a little bit too hard the night before, I climbed up there and after my head was spinning pretty good I decided to take a nap to see if it would take the edge off things. I lied down and promptly fell asleep. Damn I thought Jesus done come to get me!!! The whole tower was shaking and the noise was loud like I was strapped to the tail of a 747 when I woke up. I looked out the window and there was a BIG OL' B-52 about 100 feet above the ground flying about as slow as he could maintain lift. His wing was maybe 50 yards in front of me. Everything was shaking!!! I found out that the lease was right in the path where they would fly between Austin(Berkstrom AFB) and Del Rio and back all the time and sometimes the crew would take it down low to look for deer and other game. It sure as hell got my mind off the Hang Over I was suffering.
    Daddy, what's an enabler?
    Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
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  • JasonMPDJasonMPD Posts: 6,583 Senior Member
    #10
    jaywapti wrote: »
    Ya got it backwards, its salt Lake, they just put a new access, its less than 4 miles from my house.

    JAY


    Hmm. I may need to explore.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    “There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.” – Will Rogers
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  • jaywaptijaywapti Posts: 5,116 Senior Member
    #11
    JasonMPD wrote: »
    Hmm. I may need to explore.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    Come on up, I've only gone about 1 mile in on the 2 new trails.

    JAY
    THE DEFINITION OF GUN CONTROL IS HITTING THE TARGET WITH YOUR FIRST SHOT
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  • JasonMPDJasonMPD Posts: 6,583 Senior Member
    #12
    jaywapti wrote: »
    Come on up, I've only gone about 1 mile in on the 2 new trails.

    JAY


    It's unfortunate small game season there is already closed. There's a lot of nice hardwood hammocks on that WMA.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    “There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.” – Will Rogers
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