Texas Hunting Forum

Best way to anchor deer stand?

Posted By: ChadTRG42

Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/20/14 09:19 PM

I have built my deer stand, and I need to anchor it on all 4 corners. I have heavy duty cable running from each corner, and I need a solid way to anchor each corner down to keep it from blowing over. I tried the cork screw dog anchors, and they broke off. I went ahead and anchored 2 T-posts on 2 different corners to make due for now. What are some other options to anchor down a deer stand and keep it from blowing over?
Posted By: CRAnderson52

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/20/14 09:25 PM

We've always put a T-Post on each leg with some bailing wire with one piece of good cable in the middle attatched to a mobile home anchor. Done many of them this way and never had one blow over.
Posted By: stxranchman

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/20/14 09:33 PM

I took and built a square wooden form about 3'x3' out of 2x12's in the center under the blind in really rocky ground. I would take and drive in a pipe as far as I could into the ground in the center of the form. After that I would tie a chain around the bottom of the pipe at ground level. Then fill the form with a few rocks and/or just pour sackrete over the whole thing(about 8 sacks). I would then take cable from each bottom corner of the blind to down to a large turnbuckle I put on the end of the chain. Tighten it down as tight as I could get it, wait till a good rain then tighten it if it needed it.
Posted By: StretchR

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/20/14 11:09 PM

This is what I use, but it is in east Texas dirt, not rocky soil like the hill country.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/harvest-48-in-l-earth-anchor-with-6-in-dia-auger
Posted By: twinbubba

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/20/14 11:34 PM

Here was my solution on a lease that was so rocky you couldn't dig or drive anything into the ground. I made the basket out of one 16' cattle panel and tied the sections together with small clevis rings.

Posted By: Wilhunt

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/21/14 12:09 AM

How about running guy wire to trees or stumps from each corner?
Posted By: BayouGuy

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/21/14 12:51 AM

I use two foot lengths of angle iron from old bed frames. Drill a 1/4" hole about an inch from one end. Hammer it in the ground with the side of the angle with the hole tight against the leg of the stand, leaving about six inches above ground. Drill through the hole and completely through the stand leg and bolt the leg to the angle iron with 1/4" galvanized bolts. Do that to all four legs. My stands have withstood two hurricanes.
Posted By: scalebuster

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/21/14 01:19 AM

If you not in solid rock. I screw an eyebolt in each corner at the top and guy wire to 4 foot sucker rods 20ft out hammered into the ground at angles as tight as I can get the wires ( tilt the stand on one side when hammering in rods and have your biggest man stand on the rod when sledge hammering the other side at an angle with the wire wrapped around the top.) Last year we had 70mph winds that blew our camp apart in Fisher County. All of our stands were still upright. Be sure to crush several beer cans on the wires or tie flags on the wires for visability.
Posted By: SniperRAB

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/21/14 01:32 AM

Run Guy wires off each corner and hammer drill in Sucker Rod w Tensioners or heavy duty Modular building anchors..



Posted By: ChadTRG42

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/21/14 01:33 PM

These are all some good ideas! I looked for the mobile home anchors and could not find any, so I went with the dog chain anchors. No bueno.

I have 2 corners tied off to the bases of a mesquite tree. The other 2 are on T-posts anchored at an angle, and the cable tied and cinched around the bottom. I want to make it a little more solid. We are in Throckmorton County, and it is always blowing there.
Posted By: Ramball36

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/21/14 01:47 PM

Originally Posted By: ChadTRG42
These are all some good ideas! I looked for the mobile home anchors and could not find any, so I went with the dog chain anchors. No bueno.

I have 2 corners tied off to the bases of a mesquite tree. The other 2 are on T-posts anchored at an angle, and the cable tied and cinched around the bottom. I want to make it a little more solid. We are in Throckmorton County, and it is always blowing there.


Tractor supply should have different length earth anchors over by their chains, try like a 30" one and twist it down as far as you can. Bring a pipe that'll fit in the eye of the anchor long enough for you and a buddy. It'll be like a merry-go-round except its more labor than pleasure
Posted By: ChadTRG42

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/21/14 01:50 PM

That's what I was going to try!
Posted By: stxranchman

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/21/14 02:30 PM

Originally Posted By: Ramball36
Originally Posted By: ChadTRG42
These are all some good ideas! I looked for the mobile home anchors and could not find any, so I went with the dog chain anchors. No bueno.

I have 2 corners tied off to the bases of a mesquite tree. The other 2 are on T-posts anchored at an angle, and the cable tied and cinched around the bottom. I want to make it a little more solid. We are in Throckmorton County, and it is always blowing there.


Tractor supply should have different length earth anchors over by their chains, try like a 30" one and twist it down as far as you can. Bring a pipe that'll fit in the eye of the anchor long enough for you and a buddy. It'll be like a merry-go-round except its more labor than pleasure

Also take a piece of 3/4" rebar or pipe and a sledge to start you a hole first. If the ground is not wet then pour some water in the hole to soften the ground. Then start the anchor like post above. The pilot hole make the anchor catch faster and go in a bit easier.
Posted By: redchevy

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/21/14 03:59 PM

We have always just used t-post hammered in at an angle.
Posted By: CRAnderson52

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/21/14 04:10 PM

Check tractor supply... They have some big red anchors that work perfect!
Posted By: wacorusty

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/21/14 08:32 PM

I'd highly recommend more than t's! I'll be doing all of the above next time. bang
Posted By: Pope&Young

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/22/14 10:55 AM

I cut a mesquite tree down but leave about a foot to the ground.
I than take a cordless drill with 3/8 bit and drill a pilot hole in the center.
Then I screw a long eyebolt into the pilot hole.
Attach a turnbuckle to the eyebolt.
Place your stand over the center of the mesquite trunk.
Attach your cables crisscross threw the eyebolt to the 4 corners of the tower.
Use the turn buckle to cinch the tower down.
Posted By: Dave Davidson

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/22/14 11:53 AM

All of these seem to work for me. On one tower stand I have T posts driven in at an angle and barbed wire to corners of the blind. Then twist the wire with a stick to tighten. It's been there for 25+ years with no problem. And, it's on top of a pretty windy hill. I did have to move around to find non rocky spots for the posts.
Posted By: wacorusty

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/22/14 06:16 PM

Originally Posted By: Pope&Young
I cut a mesquite tree down but leave about a foot to the ground.
I than take a cordless drill with 3/8 bit and drill a pilot hole in the center.
Then I screw a long eyebolt into the pilot hole.
Attach a turnbuckle to the eyebolt.
Place your stand over the center of the mesquite trunk.
Attach your cables crisscross threw the eyebolt to the 4 corners of the tower.
Use the turn buckle to cinch the tower down.

That should do it!
Posted By: gaharris

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/24/14 05:04 PM

Originally Posted By: twinbubba
Here was my solution on a lease that was so rocky you couldn't dig or drive anything into the ground. I made the basket out of one 16' cattle panel and tied the sections together with small clevis rings.



We did something very similar with all our 10' tower stands but instead of a big wire basket we used 55 gallon drum barrels and put a long rebarb rod with legs welded on it at the bottom and them inserted it into the barrel and filled the barrell with rocks then added quickcrete and water.
Then we attached a cable from the rebarb with a hook welded on the top end of it directly to the bottom of the stand. So far they have worked great. Only problem is that if and when you ever decide to move the stand the barrel is staying put cause they are way to heavy to move.
We also add cables going out to t-post driven is as deeply as possible to add that little extra.
Posted By: Threelranch

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/24/14 05:15 PM

Best way is one right in the middle less work and works very well in high winds to keep the stand right side up.
Posted By: redchevy

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/24/14 07:51 PM

Originally Posted By: wacorusty
I'd highly recommend more than t's! I'll be doing all of the above next time. bang


Waited till we had a little rain and tried to pull some old t-posts from previous hunters blinds on our place with a 50 hp tractor and front end loader... those posts are still there!
Posted By: okiehuntr

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/28/14 10:07 PM

Chad, send me some AMMO and I'll GIVE you four mobile home anchors
CR
AKA okiehuntr
Posted By: Slow Drifter

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/28/14 10:38 PM

Originally Posted By: Pope&Young
I cut a mesquite tree down but leave about a foot to the ground.
I than take a cordless drill with 3/8 bit and drill a pilot hole in the center.
Then I screw a long eyebolt into the pilot hole.
Attach a turnbuckle to the eyebolt.
Place your stand over the center of the mesquite trunk.
Attach your cables crisscross threw the eyebolt to the 4 corners of the tower.
Use the turn buckle to cinch the tower down.


I was gonna' suggest this, except I join my floors (joinery is not carpentry) and attach an eye-bolt to the center bottom and suck it down to a deadman with a turnbuckle. Paver under each leg, shingles to level, cinch it down.
Posted By: DuckBlaster10

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/31/14 02:21 PM

Thanks for the ideas. I put a stand up this fall and this part has been bothering me since I placed it. I have already used t-posts, but came back and secured with a turnbuckle and anchor in the center. Nothing like a stand laying on it's side to ruin a hunt. Good luck to everyone this weekend.
Posted By: spg

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 10/31/14 06:01 PM

If you can dig where your stand is, using a post hole digger(PHD) dig a hole on two corners as close to the legs as possible and put a post in the hole then pack it in with cement and bolt the post to the leg of the stand.
Posted By: leswad

Re: Best way to anchor deer stand? - 11/02/14 12:39 AM

If you have sandstone you can take a concrete drillbit then sink an anchor bolt into it. Then take an I-bolt and conjoin the two with an extra large nut. This configuration kept my blind up in 65 mph winds.
© 2024 Texas Hunting Forum