Horacio

Deer hunters are an odd lot in a few ways because, among other things, in many cases, we want to build a deer blind out of anything. At least those of us who hunt that way.

Through most hunters runs that streak of redneck ingenuity that lends itself to such endeavors. Preperation and set up is a big part of successful deer hunting and a big part of the fun.

So...I took a few extra minutes at lunch just now to make a run around the yard (I'm an owner in a large highway construction company) for inspiration and I had a few possibilities stand out at me.

This past season, I broke down and bought a ready made blind, a 'Sportsman's Condo' made of black PVC and pretty stout. Its nice, I guess, but its not really 'mine'. I will certainly reuse it for years to come but considering my options, I am going to set up at least one other hunting spot and probably a bow only stand.

I want to set up in that sendero I found and have a slightly elevated position so see over a little hump and break the game's sightlines a little. 5-8 foot should be sufficient. So, I located a rack/frame for an overhead oil/fuel tank. It's heavy, its super solid, and its about 6' tall. I can move it, get it on to a bumper trailer and unloaded/tip it upright. I just have to build a blind to put on top of it and tie it down. It will handle a 4X8 blind. So...I'm going to play with it in January.

I also found my old tree stand which was....eh, something one of our welders built for something else...its got an 8' ladder and a 3X3 platform, made of really stout tubing. I had set it up before by lashing it to a big oak and sitting on the platform with my legs hanging down and resting on the steps. Its not a true ladder as such but more like steps. I already know where I'm going to stick it....near the cattle pens where the game come in and drink. there's a strong trail and a place where the fence wire is bent by animals passing through.

So: I'm curious. How unique, interesting, creative are other people's set ups?

bowfly

somewhere, jeff foxworthy is writing material pertaining to this

one of my favorite macgyver creations, is my use of an old rusted grain elevator, i positioned the top of it in the crotch of a y-ed off oak, 15 feet later, makes a great ladder right? i shot a 5 point buck sitting on the end of the elevator one year late in the PA rifle season...it was a sad day when i went back and the years of corrosion caused cracking and making it unsafe for climbing

a good friend of mine hunts out of an elevated truck cap, kinda like a pavilion...i also have buried 55 gallon burning barrels, and sat in them

cool post, cannot wait to see what others have worked up

BowHntrRick

My Dad has a large lot (6 acres) that borders about 10 acres of scrub brush where numerous deer feed and bed. He planted a row of pine trees along the border to the adjoining property and now the trees are 30 feet high. Last summer I created a "stand" of sorts between two of the trees: I trimmed a few branches, constructed a platform of 2X4s and plywood about 15 inches high, and purchased an inexpensive strap-on seat. From this stand I have already killed two deer with my crossbow (this suburban location is off-limits for guns and the branches interfere with my compound bow); in fact, I am going back there in about an hour.

I created a second location within the tree row, but I have not tried it yet. There is excellent hunting here in the Pittsburgh area (including unlimited antlerless tags available over the counter throughout the hunting season and an antlerless season virtually unbroken from mid-September to mid-January), but the key is to find a good spot where it is legal and permitted to hunt. Thankfully, I have one at the moment.

Horacio

http://www.wilsoncountynews.com/09-d...est/index.html

Game over, I'm building me a SpongeBob deer blind.....

bowfly

maybe the super absorbency is good for holding the doe urine?

Horacio

Hrmmm......

http://www.tarscaffolding.com/Item.a...temCode=DL6SET

So, if its stout enough to handle a couple dudes and their tools up there putting up drywall or painting or whatever those dudes do, it ought to be plenty good to handle me sitting up their looking for deer. Tie it down and what not with cable, of course.

I was in Laredo yesterday and I pulled into a Shell to get gas. They were doing some exterior work on the building and had one of there type things set up with casters on it. There was one guy up top and another wheeling it around...obviously, not safe but it looked to be plenty stout for my purposes.

It appears to be pretty cheap too. I think this would make an excellent base for a very light weight tower stand.

RenaissanceBiker

OK, I'm a licensed professional engineer and I have seen some pretty f___ed up stuff. That scaffolding will only be safe on hard level ground. If you are going to make a deer stand out of it (or anything else) please pay extra attention to the ground you are going to put it on. I have seen guys put a lot of effort into making a very sturdy stand, then just pile some field stones under two or more corners. We had some high winds last week that wrecked a few of these "creatively engineered" stands. It wouldn't be that much harder to take some solid cinder blocks or a few bags of quickcrete out there and make a sturdy base for your homemade stand. I'm sure your family will appreciate it.

Horacio

I was considering cable tie downs or some quickcrete in old tires...or both. the ground out there is rock solid, rock being the operative word. I'm...not real good with heights and I'm a big SOB so I will be very careful about that sort of thing, believe me.

That said, I think this would work with adequate safety measures....quite nicely.