What Is A Comfortable Size.

[thphm]

Home made wooden blind in a 3 fork tree, Do not need to go too high where the tree is.Was thinking 4' x 4' floor or should it be bigger, Needs windows or openings on all 4 sides and a roof. Has to have a swivel seat also.

Grow had a bunch of pictures of her many home made ones but I cannot find them.

[fasteddie]

If you are going to enclose it and put in windows , 4X4 is too small for Bow hunting . I am only 5'8" and I would have to have the arrow sticking out of the window and still hit my elbow on the back wall in something that small . Just my opinion ...........

[PREDATE]

Are you looking to be totally enclosed from the elements or do you just want to be able to move around a bit?

[sits in trees]

You need something pretty big to be able to shoot a bow from, probably close to 6 feet at the base. It's going to require a lot of wood and will end up costing you more than a good quality ladder stand.

Wood stands become dangerous over time.

[Zag]

Im in the process of building a tree stand. Its 6x6 with a 7ft ceiling. For me being 6'5 250 its plenty of  room for me and my son. Also has plenty space to draw my bow. I built it on post vs trees.

[NFA-ADK]

Someone remind me not to piss off Zag, if I ever do lol. That sounds like a good size Zag, possibly shorter for us small people.

[Doc]

One thing I learned about building a stand in a three-trunked tree is about the power of the wind, and the way it constantly works those trunks together and apart over the course of a year. That constant working of those trunks stressing every connecting nail has the capability to snap nails simply through fatigue. It became an annual project of adding new nails to bring back support lost to snapped nails. The only thing that I ever had hold up indefinitely was pressure treated 2 x 8s fastened to the trunks by 5/8" heavily galvanized lag screws. Once that basic frame is attached, you can add on whatever makes you comfortable and feel pretty secure that you have a good foundation for the stand.

[landtracdeerhunter]

If you supported the structure from the ground with some type of post system, then I would build it in a forked tree. Otherwise, it will need constant attention.

[G-Man]

i've built elevated blinds on 4x4 and in trees... if your putting sides and roof on it. min 5.5ft for bow hunting 7ft for hight...bigger (wider) if you plan to hunt with other person.. make your windows fold in up down or sideways.. a slide can and will fill with frost making it unuseable.

[jjb4900]

what are the typical dimensions on most pop up blinds?.....plenty of people shoot bows out of them, so something about that size should be good, you would just need to make it high enough for you to shoot a bow from a standing position.

[thphm]

6' sq. min. it will be and at least 80" high.Yes enclosed with a real roof.

Doc I built many a platform in trees over the years and never nailed or screwed into the trunks. I sandwitch the trunk with 6" planks and use threaded rod on each side of the trunk.

Thanks for the suggestions, going out and starting on it.

[beachpeaz]

I would encourage you not to put a permenant stand in a tree.  I think it was mentioned, but the movement of a tree will just tear it apart.  Not to mention you can kill the tree depending how many nails and screws you put in.

 

If you are going to build a box blind, due so with 4 pillars cemented into the ground.

[burmjohn]

This is mine, work in progress... Next up is a hut on top. Did this over the last two years because of lack of time.  If I didnt have two kids it would be a condo by now.

 

[beachpeaz]

This is mine, work in progress... Next up is a hut on top. Did this over the last two years because of lack of time.  If I didnt have two kids it would be a condo by now.

 

Thats a bit over the top...lol.

 

I hope you are going to have satelite TV when you are done!

[Doc]

 

Doc I built many a platform in trees over the years and never nailed or screwed into the trunks. I sandwitch the trunk with 6" planks and use threaded rod on each side of the trunk.

Thanks for the suggestions, going out and starting on it.

That sounds like a much better way of handling multi-trunked tree platforms. Like I said I have picked up a lot of respect for the power of wind and the fatigue factor of repetitive back and forth action on nails and such. If you watch one of these multi-trunked trees in a wind you will note that they don't all move in unison. The reason that I am aware of that is because there was a time when one corner of my platform let loose because of sheared nails. I was just fortunate that the other attachments kept the platform in place enough so I could get the hell out of that stand safely.

[Zag]

That sounds like a much better way of handling multi-trunked tree platforms. Like I said I have picked up a lot of respect for the power of wind and the fatigue factor of repetitive back and forth action on nails and such. If you watch one of these multi-trunked trees in a wind you will note that they don't all move in unison. The reason that I am aware of that is because there was a time when one corner of my platform let loose because of sheared nails. I was just fortunate that the other attachments kept the platform in place enough so I could get the hell out of that stand safely.

Doc, I im glad u mentioned that, there is so much stress on stands when they are attached to different trees. We had a big red oak that split into 4 big trunks. We attached a permanent stand to it only using one of the trucks, had we used 3 or 4 that stand would have been an accident waiting to happen. Lurk maybe look at using the tree that splits into three but try using making it off one. Just a thought.