Buy or Build a treestand

I'm having a house built on 15 acres that will be my families primary residence. Sounds great for hunting however, the property is flanked by two roads and neighbors (It's a perfect location to the school and town). All that said, there are deer that pass through. I can see myself hunting it from time to time with the kids. I'm starting to think about the different options I will have on the property. Ex. should I invest in a couple ladder stands, build a few elevated blinds, go with a ground blind, etc.

For those who hunt in their backyard or have similar property, what have you done?

With neighbors around my property, I likely have limited gun hunting. So, I was thinking about waiting till the leaves fall and finding the best vantage point with the safest shooting angles and putting a permeant elevated blind up. Something to keep the weather off me and big enough for one or both kids (4.5 and 8 year olds). Does that sound reasonable or logical? Also thinking about longer term maintenance.

For archery, not sure what route to go. I would like to have the option of the kids hunting with me when they want. Ground blinds, elevated blinds or ladder stands.

 

well it's really up to you... all would work.. however if it were me, I'd find a good spot for a small food plot to attract/hold some deer, then put 2 stands up on ether side so I could still hunt it if the wind was wrong...

 

I guess I am looking for opinions of folks who have build some permanent stands on their property and how they have faired. Wish they did things differently, do not like that they are not mobile. Only use them in the gun season, etc.

Anyone using built stands for archery?

 

Buy a stand. It more cost effective, it will take less of your time, it will be safer to install and maintain. It also will allow you to move it if you feel the need to.

 

We have one permanent platform stand that my dad uses and it works great. Covered from the elements and very sturdy being built with treated 4x4's. It takes time and work but who said hunting was easy?

 

Ok.... Speaking from serious experience here:

Our land is 5 hours away. We have built 5 TOWER blinds and they have been an absolute TON of work. You have to cauk/paint and maintain these or you can plan on completey rebuilding in 5-10 years. We decided to build these because we're young (15-25 years old when we built) and really like the "feel" of a homemade tower stand AND it was fun.

After 7 years, im totally exhausted from the maintenance. Between planting/maintaining our 6 1/3 acre food plots and the maintenance on these stands, I have had little time to actually enjoy myself at the cabin to atv/fish and do other fun things.

BUY ONE. the steel scaffolding and rubber box blinds will last forever and are pretty darn scent proof. That's what we're going to do from now on.

 

I have an enclosed platform I built for Rifle hunting, I built it on the ground at home and took it out in pieces. I have the exterior weatherized and the bottom of the legs are all pressure treated, It will last as long as I need it. Only thing I have to do is hook up the gas grill before season.

Here is an image while under construction, enclosed is 4x6 with a two foot "deck", It also has a set of steps not shown.


It works for Rifle because anything I can see, I can reach with a shot. With Bow and needed to be closer, being portable is so nice.

 

We have 3 shacks that are permanent, 2 of which are elevated. Biggest thing I can see being a downfall to one of them is it was placed on the edge of a field in a corner. The tree branches have grown out so much that it would take a major tree trimming to clear the side of the field just so you could actually shoot down the lane. The other elevated one we situated back in some cover and now it seems too far into that cover now that we want to bowhunt out of it. Both were situated with gun hunting in mind but as we slowly transition into bowhunting there they aren't as practical. The third blind is situated about 50 yards from the property line and looks back into our property. Problem is, when we put it there the neighboring property was just woods. Now we have a home that was built that overlooks towards the blind. We plan to move this one for sure but it will definitely be a project. All were built to be able to bowhunt out of to a certain extent. For the most part they are just used by my dad so he can stay comfortable and out of the weather.

 

I have built a few stands on my property that me and my wife sit in together. It is basically a box blind with no top so that we can use the bows in it. every year I just put a new piece of burlap camo around it, check for wasps and all is good. I have two swivel boat seats mounted in it permanently for comfort. I would get pics but I am over an hour a way preparing for storm WAHKEEM or whatever its called....

 

I do both based on time and funds. Building your own adds to the enjoyment.

 

My BIL has about 15 hunt able acres. About a 100 yards from the house up the hill he put in a Fort/Blind about 15' up. 2 bunk beds so the kids can camp in it. Sleep if they get tired while hunting also has a kerosene heater and a pipe going up another 10' to get their stank a lil higher. He put in a small plot right in front so the kids have plenty to see while hunting. Its pretty close so they don't mind going by themselves and Momma doesn't worry about them.
He also buys about 30$ worth of steel, enough for 2 ladder stands, and builds his own. They're 18' at the seat. If one of the kids wants to go with him he just takes a hang on, climbs up the ladder hangs the stand just above it, gets in, and then his kid climbs into the ladder stand. He can keep a good eye on em', plus they feel like they're hunting on their own. Its a pretty good set up.

 

In our "backyard," I use a pop up blind on a treated platform I built. Works well and easier to move than if a shooting house was on top. I would consider adding skids to it to move if needed vs wheels. Regarding guns and neighbors, if you are too close to or would be in a situation where you would be shooting toward their houses, I would talk to the neighbors first. Even if you are legal, it goes a long way to talk it out with your neighbors first. Our next door neighbor slug hunted his land for many years. Now that we moved in, he'd be shooting toward our house about 500 feet away. He tried it one year and shot a nice buck right as my wife was driving the kids to school. The were about 200 feet away when it happened. My wife almost drove into a tree. I was a little beside myself and now it's bow only in our woods.

 

sound like a good plan and I'm looking to do the same thing on my property. I will build my own box stand probably a 6x6 for me and the boys to hunt out of over looking a small plot.

 

I am fortunately that I still own my parents farm and have a bunch of land. I have several elevated box blinds. some are rifle only blinds with shots to 450 yards but some are in small fields that are dual purpose. 4X4 pressure treated bases with plywood walls (T-111) and an asphalt shingled roof. (tin is to loud when it rains) The dual purpose blinds walls are only 32" tall and their roofs are 6-1/2' giving me plenty of room to shoot out of. The only down side is that I live in Vermont and we only have small deer around here.

 

I like ladder stands for bow hunting and I have built a couple of elevated blinds from treated dimensional lumber and 4x4 poles. I enclosed one with marine grade plywood and proper aluminum windows and a metal roof, the other I have not enclosed yet and just put a popup blind on the platform but it will get enclosed next summer. They both have 8'x8' platforms so they are pretty big and the bottoms I now design where they can be enclosed for a garage for the atv. Easy to build. The blinds work better as rifle stands just because of the locations I have placed them at.

Someone here built some out of old grain carts so they are mobile.