[mommicked]

A string of colder than usual winters coupled with my 10 year old wanting to hunt has me thinking of building (or maybe buying) a nice stand. One man ladders won't cut it for two hunters.

My first thought was to buy a 'two man ladder stand' like we've all seen these days. They're ok. But pricey.

Last season, I hunted several times as a guest in what I could only call a tree house. It had a roof, 4 walls, carpet on the floor, touch lamps for light, shooting windows that closed with camo burlap curtains, folding chairs, and, of course, a Mr. Buddy Heater. Heck, there was even a Christmas wreath on the door and a tiny Christmas tree with LED lights in the corner!!

The owner of the above 'tree house' said the wood/lumber/shingles cost less than $250. They prefabbed it in the back yard, and we took the floor, walls, roof, and legs in the woods and 'built' it, kit fashion, in about 3 hours, from the time we got out of the truck till the time we were sitting inside the finished 'cabin in the sky' resting. That included trimming bushes out of the way, digging post holes, squaring everything up and all. We did 'roof it' with shingles at a later date, and the sections had already been painted.

Part of me wants to build one of these little 'cabins' or 'camps' for my son and I to hunt in. They are cozy, and fun to sit in all afternoon. Part of me says I'll spoil the boy, and he'll never learn to really hunt, slipping through ditches and briar patches and braving the heat and cold, if he starts off hunting in a tree house.

Do you have plans for a deer stand you'd like to share? Any suggestions for building such a 'rig'?

 

[preacher]

Gosh, you brought back some memories for me! In Se Texas, we used climbing treestands ( for bowhunting usually) some permanent "tree platforms", rifle/bow and a few home made box blinds, both up high and a couple ground blinds ( half submerged inthe ground and with a roof on it) We usually used the box blinds for long shots on pipelines, cutovers,etc, OR if it was drizzling rain. We built everything from scraps or plywood, heck, we even made our own climbing stands from aircraft aluminum angle metal and plywood.
I do not think you will spoil your boy, in fact, I am of the opinion that keeping him warm/dry, along with being w/Dad is a great way to keep him hunting. Wet/cold, bored boys usually end up choosing warm/dry malls with warm blooded "dears" more appealing! Go for it! Put a heater in that thing to for when it is really cold. Encourage him to leave his electric games,etc at home, instead, teach him to enjoy the sights/smells/sounds of the woods. Later on, his desire will get him out "still-hunting", having his own adventures.