badshotbob

I have a 40 acre cedar swamp with 5 stands total inside and out. Problem is, we have only hunted about a tenth of this property due to it being so thick. Year after year after year while hunting an outside stand, I've heard deer crashing through a certain area in the center of the swamp only to come out way west of the stand. I am going to cut some access trails and shooting lanes to this spot over the winter - it's a great funnel spot. I want to build a 4'x8' platform that I can put a couple of chairs on, roof, backdrop, coffee maker, tv, weather station, you know, your typical tree stand. My question is this: the ground is almost always without standing water but nonetheless always saturated with water. I'm sure 4x4's would sink after time if I put them in a hole and setting them on the ground isn't an option either - any suggestions? Thanks.

sabotslinger

bob, dig your post holes 36" deep . set your posts and then cut 2x4s tonail a frame that rests right on the ground. this will keep the posts from sinking by tying them together. you can also drive large galvanized nails in the posts below ground level and pour quickcrete around them . Tony

halcon

Sabotslinger you would be better off casting post anchors in the concrete and not setting the wood post into concrete. The chemicals in the concrete will destroy the wood in a short period of time unless it is pressure treated or creasoted .

Big Guy01

Cut some big cedar trees about 20 ' long and 10" at the base . You will need 4 . Cut some smaller cedar to use as braces you need lots. You will need a couple of people to hold the 4 main posts in place. until you get them all braced together. Make the 4 main posts in a 6' square do not put them up perfectly verticle but lean them slightly inward sort of like a pyramid this makes it more stable and its easier climbing a ladder that has a slight angle than one that is perfectly vertical. Angle brace and cross brace them. No need to bury them , once they are all nailed together they won't go any where. build a ladder up one side put a floor,railing, walls, roof and anything else you want.

sabotslinger

Halcon , your right, I should have specified treated. Ihave a few of these stands built on our lease and I think that they are great, especially if you have kids and they like to tag along. Tony

badshotbob

Thanks guys. The bracing is a good idea to use in conjunction with the holes, just not sure if I can dig back there because the water table is basically ground level.

Big Guy, I never thought about using the timber already back there. Might get tricky handling trees that big, but a great idea.

SwampTHING

We do the same thing Big Guy suggested, we build the tower and bracing while laying on its side, we then attach the hide to the top of it. We then hook it up to a 4 wheeler and pull it upright. We use flat rocks to shim it level. Youll find that cedar is a surprisingly light wood to maneouvre, and it lasts a long long time!

Youd be surprised how fast thay are accepted, we erected 1 and hunted it hard 1 week later in a cedar swamp cutover,, very productive stand..

GBhunter

maybe you could build the stand around two trees and just use these as two of the support beams and build the other two yourself. you could then prop up the other side with pieces of wood, rock, etc. as you need to. just a thought let us know how it turns out.

SwampTHING

heres a good example



http://members.tripod.com/Grumpiest/ggstand1.jpg