Tweaked Ladder Stand - Manufacturers' Nightmare (but what a view)

I am sure there will be some comments about safety, do I have good life insuarnce, am I nuts, etc....and to be honest I agree and yes....I dont think I will ever do this again - getting too old for this kinda stuff (I am going to be sore beyond belief tomorrow). However, the view I have is pretty incredible. It is gonna serve as a bow and rifle stand. I always wanted a tower ladder stand (one of those hunters that just really likes being as high as I can get - so now I have one.) Good thing about a ladder stand this high - is the height will deter just about everyone so no need to worry about someone being in the stand and if you fall you probably wont limp away from it (as Ron White would say)

Believe it or not I hung this thing myself today. Took 5 1/2 hours and dont think I will ever do it again - I used a harness all the way up and a cheater pulley (with rope that turned out to be 3 feet short to latch on to stand. That took about an hour to get resolved.) The pic of the stand half way up the tree is 3 hours into the game. yes it really sucked. by the way that is a 17 ft ladder leaning against the tree. You will notice the pully is about 8 -10 ft higher than top of ladder and well below where the platform ends up???? Thank goodness for strong oak limbs and a good harness and God This is a modified stand from Sportsmanguide that only has one "tree biter" as I call it (metal thing at platform that "bites" into tree). Word of advice - NEVER buy a ladder stand with just one "biter". Especially a top heavy one. Will want to twist away from the tree all the way up and with the slightest movement. Takes double the straps and two ladder supports to get most of the play out. I was too far gone to take it back to the drawing board. I am still not finished getting it absolutely rock solid as far as the side to side play but think I have it figured out. I made a custom truss system to take the bow out of the multiple ladder pieces. It is 21ft to the platform and will be 24 ft to the shooting rail. (the stand was 15 ft when I bought it - extra ladder pieces came from another stand). I still have to put up the lightweight walls and roof. I had to stop because I ran out of water and truck battery had went dead. When I discovered that I was past the point of dehydrated - by the time I got back to camphouse heat exhaustion kicked in and was pretty scary. Next weekend I will be better prepared and figiring out how to get the rest of the pieces up there.

Sorry the pics are sideways - photobucket kept resizing them that way????

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Wow, I got nosebleed just looking at the pictures. You would have to have some monster bucks for me to even think about "borrowing" that spot to hunt.

I know you haven't finished but with putting on walls and ceiling still to go that seems like a lot of weight. You might want to think about putting a couple of diagonal 2x4's under that platform back to each side of the tree to help carry that weight. That might help with the side to side play as well.

Good Luck, looking good so far.

Thanks Gary - yeah, the land owner called me yesterday and asked me if I was feeling alright due to the altitude and then suggested i may need to rethink my idea of preferred height of stands. I look and feel like I was in a brawl yesterday.

It really is a great spot and will not have to worry a bit about getting winded by any deer.

I can assure you I will not start putting any of the walls up until I have this thing rock solid. I actually have two pieces of metal tubing that will be diagonal braces from platform that I will lag into the tree above platform.

however you just gave me another idea for additional support from under the platform.

Believe it or not, the walls and roof really arent that heavy - I too was initially concerned about weight which is why the walls are framed with really dry and light 2xs and skinned with underlayment. I wont last forever but will serve its purpose. I also may put some tposts at the base. Once I get the walls up I will then put spme diagnal two by fours on outside of walls and lag to tree as well. Just want to be able to hunt with peace of mind as opposed to worrying. I hunt for 6-7 hours at a time so I want to have all the protection I can get from the elements which is why I am putting a box on it. I just wasnt happy with the metal tube rail and skinning it with camo material.

It has definitely been a good learning experience.

I keep thinking of Charles Bronson in "Death Wish". I hope you are not shooting a "bad bucker" - about one trip around that tree is all I could handle.

You might win the Darwin Award this year!

That would be fantastic - you are talking about the Chuck Darwin Award for Excellence in Hunting and Ingenuity????

lol can i get some life insurance on you fast lol j/k

Well got the ladder solid as the tree so I was good to go to start putting up the box. Ran out of gas (exhausted) before I could hoist final piece - the front wall. Wind has been blowing constantly all year and not a breath of air blowing this morning. Thought maybe way up there I would get some of the jet stream etc but no dice. Had a deer or coyote walk out about 275 yds away while I was hoisting up chair - never even looked my way.

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Need to see some views from that thing!!!

Finished it up today - meant to take pictures before putting up temporary screen but best I could do. It turned out really nice. Roof is collapsible but not very functional or airtight
(this creating a bee box) so I just opted to put up screen and will revisit plexiwindows/roof/window situation next season (or this one if time allows). Rather fight wasp, than coons and buzzards at 24 ft. Still have 3 more stands and feeders to get up (this was the tallest and most extensive). Everything else will be a piece of cake for me from here on out. Here are final pics (feeder is 26 yds for bow season):

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WOW........... Not sure what to say about this one.

I'm getting the "monkey humping a football" vibe from this set up...great view though!

I'm scared of heights, so there is NO WAY I could get up there!!!

x2

looks good

this looks great!!!

Very nice view. I know I wasn't asked for my 2 cents, but felt compelled to add it. You mentioned possibly putting t-posts at the base. I have heard of people falling on them and getting killed, and this was just from filling up a corn feeder height. Just make sure you don't leave the t-posts sticking out from the ladder where you could fall on them. For what its worth.

very inovative!!! best of luck to ya this season

You mentioned possibly putting t-posts at the base. I have heard of people falling on them and getting killed, and this was just from filling up a corn feeder height.

A few years back a Garlnd Cop was killed. He was spraing wasp in a stand and fell on a T post. He was able to pull his self off before calling his young sonfor help. A guy I know was on the lease with him and heard the call over the two way.
The T post were used to tie the stand down. Folks need to look at the way they are building thing closer. This was not his stand but I was told he was a great guy

Thanks guys - contrary to popular belief I don't have a death wish:) getting impaled on tposts makes me cringe. (Not to mention I am a former officer so to close to home).I actually had thought about it but the way I started over and restrapped everything made it solid as the tree. Only way this stand is coming doen is if the tree comes down. If I would have gone with tposts they would have been put in at same angle as legs and right next to each leg - mostlikely in back.had some cows start rubbing on the ladder first week it was up before restrapping and securing which was another reason why I was considering the option. Thay have stopped for now (man I hate cows).

I bet on a windy day you'd be in for a heck of a ride. I can imagine what going down that ladder would be like in a storm. Eek!

I will have a backup stand out in this same area if the weather is too bad - HOWEVER, if me climbing up there would bring us a storm, I will be happy to climb up and down that thing all season long. You are correct - a really windy day will add a little "extra" to the experience

You do understand about thermals don't you and your scent? From what I can tell the base is sitting on top of a 2x4 and when the wind blows it is going to drop off of that base the way it looks to me. You are very top heavy now and the box is going to catch a lot of wind as well as that tree. First good norther will be very interesting. Will definetly increase the pucker factor. What was the weight limit on the ladder stand before the add ons?

Great stand bonner.. just wondering when your free so you can take me out there I'd like to go skydiving from it! Lol! And yes I do really skydive

Ranchman,

Actaully the base consist of apiece of 36" x 44" 3/4" plywood that is bolted to the base/platform of the ladder. The modular walls are framed with very dry 2 x 4s and skinned with light weight floor underlayment. The walls are boted to each other and to the plywood. Between the cable truss system I made to keep all the bow out of the ladder, all of the ratchet straps going up the tree that hook to lag bolts in the tree, the two ladder support brackets, the two steel diagonal braces going from top of platform and lagged into tree at about height of stand - a tornado is the only thing that is bringing this thing down. You could actullay take out the ladder from under this thing and it would hang there. It is secured that well.

Agreed - the wind blowing will make this stand a bit mobile. This year is an experimental year. It will be moved to another tree next year most likely. I assure you A LOT of thougt went into this thing.

I do not think scent is going to play a role thi season. The jet stream should take care of it

I had not thought of this as an offseason basejumping platform I will keep it in mind.

Alright!!!

A climbing stand would have been my choice for that tree.

Get any nosebleeds?

Not sure..... I pass pass out, pee on myself and cant recall much when I am up there

Putting on a new upper (roof, with hinged windows with plexi inserts) this weekend, which should be interesting to say the least.

Installed the new upper today that includes hinged windows as well as removeable/adjustable plexi inserts. Turned out really nice. I have to install some one inch trim to close gaps between winows and frem of lower (didnt want tolerance too tight on upper since I built it at home after the fact - having to lower this thing to trim or rework and then reraise wasnt going to occur) and a piece of carpet and its is done. Hoisting that upper up by hand was not fun and then having to flip it once up there - needless to say I was gased by the time it was done. All went without a hitch due to proper planning and safety. Should be a great stand - asyou can see I already have some visitors (lucked out - only deer on cams throughout whole place over last two weeks - looks like i picked the right location to start off. Couldnt imagine spendimg all this time and effort for no movement in this area:)

and now some unwelcome visitors

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i think i'd be scared in that thing the first time but i'm not gonna lie i really am jealous of it

Thank you - yeah its not the smartest thing I have ever done but I am so excited about hunting in this stand this year. Just wish the drought was going on and the hogs were gone.

I don't know how big you are, but you might want to lose some weight just to play it safe!!

I just got off the toilet and feel a little lighter - thanks for the advice.

Thats awesome but the hardest part for me would be climbing down after I [censored] my pants up there... lol

Holy smokes that is way up there. Cool stand.

tired of hunting by the time I got up there!!

[b]

Originally Posted By: Bonner

Ranchman,

Actaully the base consist of apiece of 36" x 44" 3/4" plywood that is bolted to the base/platform of the ladder. The modular walls are framed with very dry 2 x 4s and skinned with light weight floor underlayment. The walls are boted to each other and to the plywood. Between the cable truss system I made to keep all the bow out of the ladder, all of the ratchet straps going up the tree that hook to lag bolts in the tree, the two ladder support brackets, the two steel diagonal braces going from top of platform and lagged into tree at about height of stand - a tornado is the only thing that is bringing this thing down. You could actullay take out the ladder from under this thing and it would hang there. It is secured that well.

Agreed - the wind blowing will make this stand a bit mobile. This year is an experimental year. It will be moved to another tree next year most likely. I assure you A LOT of thougt went into this thing.

[b]I do not think scent is going to play a role thi season. The jet stream should take care of it

Originally Posted By: stxranchman

You do understand about thermals don't you and your scent? From what I can tell the base is sitting on top of a 2x4 and when the wind blows it is going to drop off of that base the way it looks to me. You are very top heavy now and the box is going to catch a lot of wind as well as that tree. First good norther will be very interesting. Will definetly increase the pucker factor. What was the weight limit on the ladder stand before the add ons?

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Or a Jet Liner!!

Cool Stand! I applaud your ingenuity!

Well - first hunt out of this stand this morning and got a doe. I use a xbow and let me tell you - its not built for close range shots - angle too steep for window height. Will be a great rifle stand. Man it was awesome though - those deer never even looked at me as I was hanging out the window to get my shot. Will lower it by one ladder section next year.

I am at a loss for words....To high for me!!

The transition from the ladder into the blind appears to also be a dangererous move... man be carefull

That is awesome. And you can keep an eye out for forest fires.

OH ! HECK NO !!!! Good luck !!!

I would hunt it.. Great view..

What's the deal with the wire windows.. How ya shoot outta that thing

Product of the build - unfortunately this may encourage increased lack of good judgement (seriosly I will be lowering and revisiting this stand this spring)

Beautiful buck

Good job!

Thank you. Can't wait to get him back from taxi