Tower Stand Base

WTNUT

5 year old buck +
I thought I knew how to best anchor a number of tower stands we are building right now. Originally, I was going to put post in holes and concrete them in place to avoid other anchor systems to keep it from blowing over. Now I am even questioning that even if I put gravel in the bottom of the hole to keep some moisture from drawing up into the wood.

The one advantage of holes is you don’t need brackets and can build the rest of the platform after you have the post up. And, there is no doubt I will be building some of these by myself.

I have some tower blinds now that are more or less build on sleds. They have angled post going out from the blind with brackets then the bottom of the posts are attached to each other with 4x4s. It is the way the Banks blinds use to recommend building. They are okay and I have been lucky none have blown over but they are not the most stable.

I could pour circular footers and then use anchors to attach post, but then I am not sure about how stable that is in the wind.

So if you have ways you have preferred and that work for you, let me hear your thoughts please.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I have several that are anchored with screw in earth anchors, similar to what they tie mobile homes down with. I use two per blind and ratchet straps. I put eye bolts in each of the four legs and use a ratchet strap down to the closest anchor. Others say it's a bad idea, but I've had them up 5+ years. I do change the straps out every couple years. Some guys use a single anchor in the center and are fine. Sounds like many use a cable with turnbuckle. I just prefer the ratchet straps cause I can give them a click every so often as they settle and don't need tools.
 
We have used hurricane anchors with cable sitting on landscaping blocks and they always seem to get some slack in the lines. After doing 10 of them we have changed to pounding in sign stakes at and angle and lag bolting them in. The brackets are down to 49 bucks a blind so we use them and stakes have yet to have one blow over.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Definitely don't need concrete or any fancy anchors for a treestand. Drill a hole, fill several inches of the hole with stone, set your posts to grade, and backfill with crushed stone. I've done a bunch of these type of stands and never had an issue in the past 20 years.

treestand2.jpg
 
Mobile home anchors.....
 
If you have any wind they will blow over.If you can angle legs with brackets like the elevators from sportsmans guide.The Redneck blinds anchor straight down ing the bottom from the center to a trailer house anchore with a cable loop and a turn buckle. I have also set the blind on 12x12 pavers so it doesn't sink in and the set a wood post on the south and north side of blind. These will be tight to the sides and go up about 2-3 feet.These don't fasten to the blind they just keep it from tipping
 
Definitely don't need concrete or any fancy anchors for a treestand. Drill a hole, fill several inches of the hole with stone, set your posts to grade, and backfill with crushed stone. I've done a bunch of these type of stands and never had an issue in the past 20 years.

View attachment 36304

I like the photo! Nice house.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I have spent way too much time on this at this point. I have read a ton, simply because I was too tired to work Saturday. I think for a box blind there are lots of things that will work. It seems to me the best way if you want to bury posts is to put gravel in the hole, then concrete to above ground level and mound the concrete so the water rolls away from the post.

Most seem to say wrapping the post is a bad idea. It traps moisture inside.

Some will burn a post and add diesel and used motor oil to treat it.

Some like Twig bury and put gravel below and around the post. I seem to like that idea the best because I don’t like to fool with too much concrete. But, I am going to ask Twig a question in a bit.

Some pour the concrete in the bottom of the hole then back fill with dirt. This seems to be not the best idea. The concrete provides a good base, but also is place for water to rest on top. However I tend to agree that you need oxygen to have rot so the bigger problem, if any is at ground level.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Definitely don't need concrete or any fancy anchors for a treestand. Drill a hole, fill several inches of the hole with stone, set your posts to grade, and backfill with crushed stone. I've done a bunch of these type of stands and never had an issue in the past 20 years.

View attachment 36304

Twig,

Does the crush stone allow water to drain in the hole and pool up? I guess the hole could be full of water and you would be okay as long as there wasn’t enough oxygen there to allow it to rot.

Why do you use crushed stone and not just backfill with dirt? I suspect the crushed stone helps prevent rotting at the surface level.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
If you have the PT post buried, there is a product I started using called Post Saver sleeves. Plastic film with a creosote coating. You slide onto the post, heat it up (heat gun or propane torch) and melt the creosote on the wood. Line it up for a couple inches above ground down for it to protect through the ground contact depth where water, oxygen, and microbes cause rot. I found these while trying to figure out how to fix my PT privacy fence. Costs $5-10 a sleeve depending on where you buy.
 
If you have the PT post buried, there is a product I started using called Post Saver sleeves. Plastic film with a creosote coating. You slide onto the post, heat it up (heat gun or propane torch) and melt the creosote on the wood. Line it up for a couple inches above ground down for it to protect through the ground contact depth where water, oxygen, and microbes cause rot. I found these while trying to figure out how to fix my PT privacy fence. Costs $5-10 a sleeve depending on where you buy.

How is this different than just applying tar of some type?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I build my towers where I can move them with my tractor and forks, use mobile home tie downs and ratchet straps. If you are going to drill holes and bury them, you don't even stone. Done 2 that way, been up 10 years.
 
Twig,

Does the crush stone allow water to drain in the hole and pool up? I guess the hole could be full of water and you would be okay as long as there wasn’t enough oxygen there to allow it to rot.

Why do you use crushed stone and not just backfill with dirt? I suspect the crushed stone helps prevent rotting at the surface level.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

When using any sort of wood post, you want to avoid soil to wood contact at all costs. This is why fence posts are tarred and telephone poles are treated with creosote. Crushed stone allows for easy leveling of all 4 holes and creates a void for rainwater to drain to. Using stone to back fill just further insures that soil and water will not impact the integrity of the post over time. It's just cheaper and easier than messing with any other product.

One of the drawbacks I've found with using creosote or coating products in the past is the associated odor. A stand I built on phone poles a decade ago still has an odor that I can smell 50 yards away. Deer eventually have no issue with the stands but the juice just isn't worth the squeeze in my experience.
 
Top