How to BUILD an AFFORDABLE DEER STAND in 10 EASY Steps

[@outdoorztime2923]

One has to admit, if you're really into something, it's all enjoyable - even the work. Good hunting!

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

@@outdoorztime2923 well said! Happy hunting!

[@brandonyoung7760]

Says affordable immediately followed by "get some treated plywood, treated 2x6's and post bracks. 😂😂😂

[@Steven-gv1ke]

Yeah, a 2x4 of southern yellow pine, flipped up on edge, can support exactly 300 lbs without bowing, at exactly 7 ft & 3 inches. This doesn't take into account let's for example, 1/2" treated plywood above it that it's now affixed to. So if you have 5 pieces (24" on center) under some 1/2" treated plywood, I guarantee you at MINIMUM that the floor could support 1,500 lbs without bowing. It's almost impossible to figure out the additional strength of affixing the 2x4s to the plywood. This also doesn't take into account the 2x4s around the edge that ultimately will box in the floor framing. Now obviously you have to figure in the floor is also supporting the walls and roof, but I would bet that is not more than 250 lbs max. You still EASILY have a MINIMUM of 1,250 lbs of available support, and I would bet with the 1/2" plywood you are looking at closer to 1,500 lbs. There is absolutely no reason to use more than 2x4s for this and 1/2" treated floor. By the way, many sheds use 1/2" treated floors with 24" on center.

[@jimwarren6283]

​@Steven-gv1ke your not putting the steps on so yes you would have something other than a 2×4 to attach the stringer to , really it is not rocket science its common sense

[@homeostasis4me485]

You apparently have never priced a store bought one...

[@ferjeouichaker]

Well worth the money, grwat product

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

We agree!!

[@ZSAdventures]

Short simple sweet. Enjoyed the video got all the info needed! Great job! 👍🏻

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

Thank you! Good luck with your build and your season!

[@DanGuza-y7e]

do you have a material list for this project?

[@belindadavis6597]

Thanks you too show me, how to build one

[@swiftlawncarellc4576]

Did they have the wood on the trailer also over the bed of the truck? 😮

[@thehonestguyreviews4516]

i just pause the video there and notice that, I'm sure they figure it out on the first turn lol

[@AlabamaOffGrid]

I want to see footage of that first turn! 😂😂

[@jonathangonzalez8828]

Looks like there going straight to the woods 😂

[@andejo4436]

If you build another stand look at installing a trap door for entry. It is safer and cheaper. Easy to build. Nice video.

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

Thanks for the tip!

[@HTown99]

How is a trap door safer & cheaper? Thanks

[@andejo4436]

@@HTown99 My stands are about 8.5' off the ground . I have one 8X8 and two 8X6 stands. I used 3/4 flooring over my 2x6 floor joist. I frame out a 2x2 opening about 8" off the wall I would be looking at when I am climbing up and 20" off the other. With 2x4's pushed up inside the 2x6 frame to the 3/4" floor to support the trap door. I cut three sides of the trap door floor then install hinges to swing up and into the closest wall. I then make my last cut directly across from the hinges. This helps with a perfect swing. I use two 10' 4x4 treated posts under the stand attached to the outer rim of the stand below the door. One on each side and then simply make a ladder with 2x4 treated up to the door. I install a 2x4 grab handle on the wall above the door abut 3' and as simple as that you are up and in your stand. Its cheaper because you don't have to buy or build a door, build a stair case and hand rail up to a landing. Some people don't have a landing or hand rail so its a steep angle to grab the door knob. Hard to get out too. You can also have a window instead of a door if you want. The stand will no mater what shift. Now your door is in a bind. My trap doors has never bound up. It blends in better because you don't have a stair case. I have three stands like this and all my buddies that did stairs and a standard door wouild rather have a trap door. Give it a try, It won't cost you much to decide. My wife has no problem in the dark getting in or out. Good luck!

[@jeromegriffin8775]

Please do a video on making the trap door

[@ktjones123]

IDK what the price was last year, but when I looked up composite metal panels, they were right around $185/ea. on the low end. At that rate, it would be less expensive to buy one of those pre-made blinds.

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

If you have a shop nearby, see if you can get some at a discount from a job with leftover materials. Oftentimes, they order too much for a job and they can’t reuse it elsewhere so you can get it for cheap! But at the prices you’re talking about, pre-made might be the way to go!

[@SUBPAROUTDOORS]

I did similar on the one I am building now but I built it on an old fuel stand

[@joshmiller1712]

How did that work with the stairs on the trailer and in the truck bed?

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

@@joshmiller1712 somehow, we made it work without any issues but I don’t necessarily recommend it😂

[@poorhotrodder]

Where do you get this composite material for the sides

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

A sheet metal/fabrication shop near you should be able to supply you with the material! Sometimes these places order too much material for a certain job and they are left with extra material that you can get at a discounted price. If you make a few phone calls, you should be able to get a good deal on some material!

[@hillbilly2141tn]

I am super confused about how/why you put the ladder stringers in the bed of the truck and on the trailer. Would that no tear up the fiberglass cap when turning?

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

We ended up having enough room when turning that there was no damage. Definitely something to think about though!! Gotta get creative sometimes!

[@mingovaldez1435]

I was thinking the same thing lol

[@coreyillg2417]

What’s the product used for the exterior walls ? Composite metal ?

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

Yup, we used composite metal for the exterior!

[@lazybiker234]

Where did you get the brackets for the legs?

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

Fleet Farm usually has them otherwise most hardware stores should carry them!

[@brettelliott3308]

I bought mine from Sportsman Guide

[@thursdayswiththor8421]

Can I purchase the composite material at Menard’s or Home Depot?

[@731Tactical]

How long was the 4x4 posts? Great build!

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

Thanks! I believe ours were 10 or 12 footers but you could make them any height to fit your needs based on where you would be putting the stand!

[@731Tactical]

@@BuckFeverOutdoors awesome! Thank you!

[@xpert1111]

how durable are the walls/sides using 2x2's? Did you use screws or nails to attach the bottom of the walls to the base?

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

The walls hold up nicely with the sheeting on the exterior tying everything together! Screws would be recommended to attach the walls to the base but enough nails would probably do the trick as well!

[@dahicks66]

How tall are the stringers ?

[@nathantbrown28]

Did you use 2 x 2 raft is also

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

Yup, the whole thing is built using 2x2s! Still standing as sturdy as ever to this day!

[@danthedewman1]

where do you get this post brackets from?

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

Most places like Menards, Fleet Farm, Lowe’s, etc. should carry post brackets like the ones we used!

[@marksteadman5313]

Do you have plans or a cut sheet you can share? This exactly what I want to build

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

Unfortunately, we don’t have any of that… we’d be happy to answer any questions you have as best we can though!

[@Steven-gv1ke]

It's built around a 4x8 sheet of plywood... Why do you need a cut sheet? It's pretty damn simple.

[@Nick-sz6xb]

What I got out of this , I need 3 more friends .

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

Definitely helps in times like these!!🤣

[@johnstone9396]

and a lot more money!

[@randomreviews3023]

How much did it cost to build?

[@ericwatson3490]

Can you include a list of materials?

[@garyt7830]

I would add Cable Stays on each of the Sides to add stabiltiy in case of wind storms

[@joedoak3478]

How much did it cost

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

Around $500 give or take. Pricing does vary quite a bit these days!

[@TweepoDepot]

How tall is this stand? Thanks!

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

@@TweepoDepot the inside is just over 6 feet tall. Once we stood it up, it was over 15 feet tall.

[@TweepoDepot]

@@BuckFeverOutdoors So the stand without the blind would be about 9 feet tall?

[@silviaculell]

Great Blind (read below if you have an issue like i did)

[@bobbybell36]

No Joist Hangers? Only a few dollars for better stability.

[@Grante4]

Ya how much did this cost?

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

This was right around $500

[@hughphillips67Mustang]

I added a couple links to my blind. I'm throwing you a friendly youtube challenge. Build one cheaper. Build one nicer. Do you accept?

[@jeromegriffin8775]

All those saying go with a premade stand let me know where to get an elevated stand for $500

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

Definitely pros and cons to each option. If you’re handy and have the tools to get the job done, building your own is probably cheaper and more rewarding than buying a premade stand!

[@gradyogrady]

What are the dimensions of the stand?

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

We made this stand 4x8 but it could really be any dimension you'd like!

[@TrehanCreekOutdoors]

I liked the blind build but off some thoughts for consideration by your viewers. One your definition of "affordable" clearly doesn't mesh with mine! As one of your viewers posted, the metal sheets cost $185 each in his location. Depending on the size of a blind, about 6 sheets may be needed. That's about $1,130 with screws and tax included if bought retail. YEAH, I know, the concept is to scout around and "MAYBE" see if you can find surplus metal that you can buy at a discount. You might get one stand done that way but the entire country isn't going to be building multiple tree stands using scrap metal sheets. Add in the cost of all that treated lumber and the screws, nails, windows, post brackets, etc. with tax on all those too. and before you know it your "affordable" tree stand costs about $2,000...all the volunteer labor excluded. A trailer, 4 wheeler, a lot of tools, and multiple friends willing to help out FOR FREE is also needed. So with all that, is it really better to build this blind than just buy one at retail ready to set up? I'll leave that to the readership. But affordable and a useful way to spend about 20-30 hours of your time, NO it doesn't meet my criteria for either of those things. Also, at age 72 I have built so many tree stands I could not begin to count them. I've never bought a prebuilt one but that is about to change I think. I live in a semi-tropical climate (Jackson, MS) where we often get 70 inches of rain annually, OR MORE! Even treated wood does not last all that long under such conditions. Wood of any kind, no matter how it is treated or protected with paint or other coatings, will NOT last in our climate more than a few years time. Due to our climate which has snow rarely and only short dips below freezing for a few hours, wood infesting insects like termites never get killed by the cold and remain very active year round. We even have Formosan termites that fly to higher elevations and can infest a wood structure from the top down. The other termites simply build tunnels up the wood supports. While termites don't prefer treated wood, they will infest it under certain conditions. Any other non-treated wood in the structure is fair game for these pests. What's my point? That wood structures for hunting blinds are EXTREMELY POOR choices in some parts of the country, especially the Deep South. Here, the really good blinds designed to last a lifetime are built entirely out of metal such as aluminum, hauled to the site, and tilted up. They are expensive but they can last forever with essentially no maintenance at all.

[@garypic4083]

Whatever happen to Real Hunting?

[@johnheckathorne3910]

In Pennsylvania, everyone started posting property with no trespassing signs, so unless you have a lease or a lot of property, stalking is pretty much out of the question. I started hunting on the ground with my dad a few decades ago. We’d walk and sit. We always found deer. Now, there’s little chance to do that in my area.

[@CR-nv7vj]

Compared to a resdy-made stand, this isn't "affordable." Js

[@carrollsanders9376]

Tell me you didn't use 2×4s as Braces, they are not strong enough.

[@brody20glancy2]

Ya man I’m not rich and I can’t build this in my rich neighborhood hood driveway like you did. I have leftover 2X8’s and some leftover 4x4’s going to do what I can with them. Thanks for making me feel poor though.

[@timmykellz2931]

So this is less cost then $500.00 muddy pls put down a price list of cost

[@johnstone9396]

define “affordable”, pretty sure our definition is not the same

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

@@johnstone9396 this is one of those videos you could say “didn’t age well.” There was a time when this was affordable, but not so much anymore! Thanks for watching anyway!

[@CDESONE]

@@BuckFeverOutdoors I think it's an excellent option! Even if you had the 2K plus to buy a premade stand. Too many Monday morning quarterbacks on this thread. I'm going to take your suggestions modify a bit for my use and abilities and have fun building a stand with and for my grandson who is 13 y/o and just starting to hunt! Building memories and a safe place to hunt!

[@BuckFeverOutdoors]

@ that sounds awesome! A lot of people are acting like we have some incentive to sell this option😂we won’t make a dime whether you build one or buy one. We just decided to build one and wanted to share the idea with others to give them another option. Good luck to you and your grandson and have fun!