Treestand / tower... how high is too high?

[MGnoob]

I understand it depends on where you are in the country, the terrain and the range you are shooting.
For shotgun deer hunting, we have been about 16 feet up.. on a hill or hump from the surrounding land. It seems about right..i prefer the height and angle to the ground for safety, and while im not great with a shotgun, im deadly further than most.

Ive been looking at all kinds of towers, mostly portable stuff.
I just bought 64 acres, so now i can be semi permanent.

Im thinking about splicing 16' 4×4 or 6x6s together to make a 24' tower...32' to the roof which the roof will also be accessible for coyote hunting with large groups.itll probibly be 8x8 platform with appropriate ground ties but not proper footings.

Does that seem unreasonably heigh?we have all the proper fall safe gear.
It doesnt cost much more for any height i want.. but the prefab towers in the 10-15' range would allow more stands and locations..

Im just looking for insight, i also considered harvesting trees tarring the base and basiclly having free telephone pole Treestand(tree houses).

Height and good sturdy stands really ellimante your scent and the noise you make.aswell as preventing you from freezing.

 

[smokey-seven]

I'd consider a steel platform. It would need some stakes instead of rollers and maybe some additional outriggers, but with a coat of cammo paint, would way outlast a wooden one and be more portable.

I did some fast googling and they should run around 500$.

 

[VTHunter]

You mentioned that it can be permanent. Here is an option if you don't mind building your own. These will help stabilize your 4X4 tower. I'd say 16' is fine.
Elevators 4 in. x 4 in. Double Angle Brackets (4-Set)-E188 - The Home Depot

 

[Admin]

IMO a permanent stand's location is more important than how high it is. In the right spot on a good trail a 8' high stand will work. In another spot you may need a 16' depending on the terrain.

With that much land you should consider clearing an area somewhere near the middle and planting a food crop, sunrise and sunset you will see movement in and out of that food source. You wouldn't need a super high stand shooting over an open field either.

 

[MGnoob]

All good advice.. i considered some of the 10' steel towers. One in perticular with 4x4' platform for $190 Shipped was hard to beat, but at a rated capacity of 500lbs. Im skeptical of the quality.

Those elevator brackets will probably be used. Either the double angle or the strait ones depending on height.

The feed plot is probably the best advice and something i hadn't really considered for my perticular layout.I have 2 steel steel feeders, but a feed plot is the way to go ,little investment with a good reward.

 

[northny]

+1 on elevator brackets. We have six permanent stands, three elevated on 225 acres. Also six portable ladder stands.

Elevated ones use 10 ft 4x4 into elevator brackets. Another uses 14 ft 4x4. High enough to get view and help on scent. I have had deer, bobcats,coyotes turkey walk under stands while in it.

10 ft 4x4, plus 6" floor joist plus height of shooter on chair puts head height around 14 ft.

Weight of tower on 4x4 will sink into ground. Hi lift jack will level. I use section of PT 2x12 under each leg.

You can move them. But a pain. We usually put in spot that has proven itself. Still have moved a few.

If you go build your own route PM me. I have some plans I can e mail you if I can find them.

 

[northny]

So here is view from one spot . Don't let long view fool you best chance of a good buck is other direction 100 yard max view into tangled thickets this view coyotes and smaller bucks excepting rut this is moving base of stand. Wasn't in a bad spot I've killed two eights from it, but moving it 125 yards made it easier to sneak into and out of. New location I can leave without being seen. But where longest shot was 125 yards now just over 200. But knowing deer movement pattern most deer will enter field under 125 LOT of work to dismantle and move.

 

[Uzi2]

Sixteen feet is more than enough.

 

[whalerman69]

.

 

[MGnoob]

Ill most likely build and brace the whole thing then use a winch to stand it up.

I was considering using sprayfoam to insulated the ones that will be enclosed.
The price of it was a turnnoff, when i have plenty of free traditional insulation

NorthNY, sounds like a nice setup.

I want one nice enclose one for myself during deer season, although ill probably use the two ladderstands some of the time depending on weather..

This one from sportsmen guide seem hard to pass up.. i saw them somewhere else cheaper i believe with free shipping....thats less expensive then we paid for our 16' two person tree stands. $200?


Guide Gear 10' Elevated Hunting Platform - 203505, Tower & Tripod Stands at Sportsman's Guide

 

[Arto]

Here's a tree stand safety video from the NSSF
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oc-6o9GaHtY

 

[northny]

Amen to the insulation. This was a nasty day snowing and low teens. Spent five hours in spot for top two photos after spending six hours in spot below. Nastiest weather day I hunted and most productive. Have a Big buddy heater in both.

 

[northny]

I'd consider a steel platform. It would need some stakes instead of rollers and maybe some additional outriggers, but with a coat of cammo paint, would way outlast a wooden one and be more portable.

The wood base being moved by tractor in above pic is all pressure treated and 13 years old. Still Very solid. Saw no deterioration. It is heavy but I like that when wind is blowing. Only problem we've had with wood is porcupines chewing on plywood uppers. We kill 10-20 porcupines a year.

 

[MGnoob]

NorthNY, 13 years thats great!
it sure seems to me PT lumber isnt what it used to be.

I assume thats upstate NY, which is beautiful.. to bad its in NY
Same thing with my place except for MA.

Pm sent

 

[MGnoob]

Just to close this out, i climbed a 42' tower half way and then to the top..
Depending on the surrounding land anything of 16' Is kind of retarded...higher just seamed better in my mind, which didnt translate to the real world..
I was kind of laughing at myself after.

 

[HuntMaine]

I hit 20, 25 and have a 35 ft tree climb. High over a marshy area is great with a rifle, I wont go over 20 with a bow

 

[Sparkey]

I would think with traditional insulation you are going to get mice and critters

 

[arlow]

I bow hunt between 20 to 25 feet up most of the time.

 

[northny]

I would think with traditional insulation you are going to get mice and critters

On an 8 x8 house I used 14 tubes of caulk. Plus ruuxoll (stone wool) insulation.
Seems to be good so far

My biggest critter problem is porcupines. I had to add aluminum drywall corner bead at edges to discourage them from chewing on stained plywood. My buddy vinyl sided his and they have not bothered it.

 

[VTHunter]

This past weekend, my brother and I built a stand in using 12' 4X4s and the elevator brackets. We followed the instructions, which showed it being built laying on its side. The problem is, we were unable to get it upright. We tried lifting it, using 2x4 braces between it and the ground. It was too heavy. We tried winching it up, using an ATV - cable over a tree branch. This lifted the ATV off the ground. I have no idea how people to get these things to stand upright, aside from using some sort of heavy equipment. We built ours out in the woods and it is not very accessible. So, I put this out to the NES braintrust. Any CONSTRUCTIVE thoughts?

Once it is up, I can only imaging having to move it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[HorizontalHunter]

This is NES so some Tannerite and a high powered rifle should do it.

Use a pulley system for force multiplication.

Bob

 

[greencobra]

at the least, it should be higher than your safety harness is long, no?

 

[northny]

This past weekend, my brother and I built a stand in using 12' 4X4s and the elevator brackets. We followed the instructions, which showed it being built laying on its side. The problem is, we were unable to get it upright. We tried lifting it, using 2x4 braces between it and the ground. It was too heavy. We tried winching it up, using an ATV - cable over a tree branch. This lifted the ATV off the ground. I have no idea how people to get these things to stand upright, aside from using some sort of heavy equipment. We built ours out in the woods and it is not very accessible. So, I put this out to the NES braintrust. Any CONSTRUCTIVE thoughts?

Once it is up, I can only imaging having to move it.

Assuming what you have build it just the base with the legs attached with or without the cross bracing (like the picture in post seven that the tractor is moving). No walls or roof on it. Starting with the unit laying on its side, (two legs in the air, two on the ground) I usually raise them by the following method

1. Prop the platform base (floor of blind) up a few inches off the ground with two by four or four by four blocking. Or a log or rock.
2. I run a tow strap around the floor, so it is coming off the upper side of the floor in the direction that you want to raise base.
2. Then I use a Hi-lift jack (farm jack) to raise the base part way. Stick the nose of the hi-lift jack under the gap you made in step one and jack the floor up. I use a 6 ft high lift that I have for leveling docks. So I will get the base up about five feet off the ground. You may want to or need to block the foot of the two legs that are on the ground to keep them from sliding based on the surface base is one.
3. I usually have two tow straps attached together, or add a length of chain or HEAVY rope to the two strap around the base.
4. Then depending on what I can access the area with, will pull it up with UTV, winch, or come along. (My come along is 3 ton rated Mor Pow R puller, heavy duty.) Once I have gotten the head start on raising it with the Hi-lift jack first, I have not had a problem pulling it up from there.

5. Once the base is upright, I will adjust its positioning before adding on the walls or roof. First thing I do is get the alignment correct so it is facing the direction I want. I use some scrap plywood or two x 10s and put some under each leg. (use the high lift and length of chian for raising leg to put wood underneath). Once the legs are on the wood I have found it pretty easy to slide the base around.

6. Once the base is facing the direction I want, then I level the base. I usually do this by lowering the legs that need to go down by digging out under them. Once again the hi lift jack is your friend. Lift leg, dig out, lower leg. Repeat as necessary.

Hope this helps, good luck in completing your project.

 

[VTHunter]

Thanks HorizontlalHunt & northny. We used a hybrid process based mostly on your suggestions. We did add pulleys and a maasdam puller. Went up flawlessly.

 

[Dennis in MA]

I would think with traditional insulation you are going to get mice and critters

Rock wool or perhaps spray-in open cell. Heck, cellulose has borates in it to keep the bugs out. Might be ideal.

 

[71montess]

Your land build your own out of traditional lumber. Spread them out . Find groups of trees close enough to put a good landing on.

 

[ThePreBanMan]

So here is view from one spot . Don't let long view fool you best chance of a good buck is other direction 100 yard max view into tangled thickets this view coyotes and smaller bucks excepting rut View attachment 218515this is moving base of stand. Wasn't in a bad spot I've killed two eights from it, but moving it 125 yards made it easier to sneak into and out of. New location I can leave without being seen. But where longest shot was 125 yards now just over 200. But knowing deer movement pattern most deer will enter field under 125 LOT of work to dismantle and move. View attachment 218514

Damn - that's some luxury hunting right there... You got a little poof poof to sit on so your butt don't get soar..... Maybe a heater too. Football on a mobile device... a place to wipe your feet...

Sorry - just busting balls.... I'm a little envious actually.

 

[one-eyed Jack]

Because of my arthritis I would need a stand with a enclosed, heated elevator. Jack.