Erecting a ladder stand with one person

[yoderjac]

As I'm getting older, I'm reducing my use of climbers and hang-on stands in favor of box blinds and ladder stands. Most taller ladder stands instructions want to see at least 2 and often 3 folks to erect the stand for safety. Just based on schedules and stuff, that is often problematic for me and I have a bad back. Fortunately I hunt on property on a farm we own with others, so I have access to equipment. I wondered if there was a way I could erect a ladder stand safely by myself and put my mind to it. Here is what I came up with:

First, I built a special purpose bracket. It is made from 2x4s and lag bolts. It is a T with each side about 2' long. The side that comes from the middle is sandwiched between two 2' sections. I also put filler between the two sections from that middle 90 degree section and the ends. Next, I used long lag bolts to tie them all together. On both sides of either end, I left the bolts stick out several inches. Near the end of the middle 90 degree section I bolted in a pulley on a swivel. I'll try to post a picture later to fit this description.

My plan is to use my ATV, tractor, or whatever works to transport the stand to the stand location. Once there, I'll place the seat end at the bottom of the tree. Next I'll take an 30' extension ladder to the location. I'll use that to install my bracket in the tree using ratchet straps hooked around the extended lag bolts on the top and bottom. This should put the pulley about two feet from the tree.

Next, I'll attach a rope to the ladder stand, run it through the pulley, and back to the ground. I'll place a prussic knot on the rope and attach it to my ATV winch cable. I'll then slide the knot up the rope as far as the winch cable will go. Using the ATV winch, I should be able to lift the stand until it is in rough position. Once vertical in the tree, I should be able to manually move it around the tree a little to get it in the exact position I want. I'll then use the extension ladder to tie in the treestand with the standard ratchet straps and remove my bracket.

The result should be an erected ladder stand with out me lifting it or climbing into it until it is fully secure.

Anyone see potential issues with this approach? Have folks used any other approaches to safely erect ladder stands by themselves?

Thanks,

Jack

 

[buckdeer1]

Alot of work,If the issue of getting it leaned against the tree then I guess that would help if it's the fastening to tree then what most instructions say is to lean against tree then with the piece of rope that is tied to each side of seat cross the rope on backside of tree and tie back to ladder and this will keep ladder secure while you fasten strap.Always use linemans harness and safety belts even when putting up a ladder

 

[yoderjac]

The biggest issue is getting the stand erect against the tree with a single person. Yes, the stands I'm using have support straps that go behind the tree. I've used them to hold the stand in position while climbing it to attach the ratchet stands. They help but are still not enough to feel safe without someone stabilizing it while you attach the ratchet straps.

You are certainly right that it is a lot of work, but anything you do a multi-person job with a single person, it is extra work.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Bill]

I need to video how my brother and I do this. Brother isn't climbing a tree stand unsecured. He is great for standing on the ground giving instructions :).

24 foot ladder. Put a lag eye bolt in the tree above the height of the ladder stand. Run a rope from the stand built on the ground to a 4 wheeler through the eye lag. Use the 4 wheeler to pick up the stand. Back off the tension to adjust the stand.

Use the two cross tied ropes around the back of the tree and retighten the 4 wheeler rope. Climb up and put the ratchet strap on.

I can get one up alone in about 45 minutes.

Again I need to video it.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I do something similar Jack. I've been buying and using 21' River's Edge Uppercut stands. They're awesome, but they are heavy. I transport the stand to my tree in my ATV trailer, assemble the ladder and seat assembly with quick pins, and then place the lower section of the ladder next to the tree. I then use a ladder to go up the tree with snatch block. I strap it to the tree and then route the cable from my ATV winch up through the snatch block and then back down to the seat part of the stand. Then I just sit on the ATV and use the winch to raise the stand. I've got to man handle it a bit when I get close to the tree. But it's fairly easy. Using my ladder I then check for level and place a few straps on the stand before I climb up and finish the job.

 

[yoderjac]

I need to video how my brother and I do this. Brother isn't climbing a tree stand unsecured. He is great for standing on the ground giving instructions :).

24 foot ladder. Put a lag eye bolt in the tree above the height of the ladder stand. Run a rope from the stand built on the ground to a 4 wheeler through the eye lag. Use the 4 wheeler to pick up the stand. Back off the tension to adjust the stand.

Use the two cross tied ropes around the back of the tree and retighten the 4 wheeler rope. Climb up and put the ratchet strap on.

I can get one up alone in about 45 minutes.

Again I need to video it.

Sounds like your approach is very similar to mine. I just didn't want to have to put the eyebolt directly in the tree. I also like having the pulley a foot or two out from the tree. I'm hopping the strap-on bracket I made will have a similar effect to your system but can be moved from tree to tree as I move or add stands.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Bill]

Sounds like your approach is very similar to mine. I just didn't want to have to put the eyebolt directly in the tree. I also like having the pulley a foot or two out from the tree. I'm hopping the strap-on bracket I made will have a similar effect to your system but can be moved from tree to tree as I move or add stands.

Thanks,

Jack

We always remove the lag eye bolt. I have a pulley but somehow it's just as easy to carry the drill and lag.
One things for sure, it is nice having the stand anchored to a 4 wheeler or so de by side that first trip up with the strap.

 

[MRBB]

well I switched to mainly ladderstands about 15 yrs ago, I tend to hunt by myself and hang stands alone,
what I wound works best for me(and I can legally ride atv on land every where, private lands )
I simply found taking a 24 ft ladder(or smaller pending what I am hanging, use this to hand loc on's too) around with me, a snatch block and use either a long rope or atv;'s winch
I can carry everything on my atv I need, from pole saws, to chainsaws to??
having the ladder with me also saves me a LOT of re placing stands, as I can get up high to where the stand will be on the ladder and know what the view will be before I go thru the trouble of installed the stand to find out I didn;t like where it was or, tree';s or?? in the way of shots!

I simply use a ratchet strap to tree about 4-5 ft above where the height of the tree stand(most of mine are 15-18 ft), I then attach snatch block to strap on tree, run line down to ladder stand
I lay ladder stand down near base of tree stand section and ladder facing away from tree, park ATV off to the side of things and either back up to lift stand up to ALMOST full height, or winch up, depends on how much room is there to drive atv or not
once stand is almost set, I simply lift stand manually the last part to get straight, I leave line attached, so its a failsafe like deal as some stands can be rather top heavy(2 man stands the more so)
the more stands you install the more you figure this method out
Ideally, if you could make a lift arm to attach to the tree,(I think they even sell one now) to get the angle out from truck, it would be even better, but I been too lazy to make one LOl
I have set up about 45+ stands like this, or taken down and re positioned them
its also again to me nice to be able to carry all things in on my atv too, saving me a lot of walking/carrying things
I can also carry in stands fully assembled(well NOT double wide one's) them I tow in on a trailer if possible or can carry in all tools to set up on site(cordless tools save a lot of time here)

 

[Someday isle]

I used my climber to attach a lifeline before I put up the ladder once. I climbed back down and put the ladder up and then hooked up to the lifeline to finish securing the ladder stand. It was a lot of extra work but it was safer than not having a connection to the tree. I had help that day but they were inexperienced helpers and I wanted to be safe.

 

[MRBB]

another tip on ladderstand
is when you get ladder ALMOST where you want it, before you climb ladder to add strap to the top,, add a strap as high up as you can to the ladder and tree, this will help prevent ladder from walking backwards as you climb tree or are up top doing??

 

[yoderjac]

Great feedback folks! MRBB, your technique is very close to what I plan to do.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Redonthehead]

I have several homemade steel ladder stands. dang heavy. The easiest method I have used is throwing a long rope up over a limb on the other side of the tree, tying it back to the stand, and pulling it up with my Ranger. Once the stand is correctly positioned, tighten up on rope with the Ranger to help hold it against the tree until its properly strapped down.

 

[Red Picqua]

As I'm getting older, I'm reducing my use of climbers and hang-on stands in favor of box blinds and ladder stands. Most taller ladder stands instructions want to see at least 2 and often 3 folks to erect the stand for safety. Just based on schedules and stuff, that is often problematic for me and I have a bad back. Fortunately I hunt on property on a farm we own with others, so I have access to equipment. I wondered if there was a way I could erect a ladder stand safely by myself and put my mind to it. Here is what I came up with:

First, I built a special purpose bracket. It is made from 2x4s and lag bolts. It is a T with each side about 2' long. The side that comes from the middle is sandwiched between two 2' sections. I also put filler between the two sections from that middle 90 degree section and the ends. Next, I used long lag bolts to tie them all together. On both sides of either end, I left the bolts stick out several inches. Near the end of the middle 90 degree section I bolted in a pulley on a swivel. I'll try to post a picture later to fit this description.

My plan is to use my ATV, tractor, or whatever works to transport the stand to the stand location. Once there, I'll place the seat end at the bottom of the tree. Next I'll take an 30' extension ladder to the location. I'll use that to install my bracket in the tree using ratchet straps hooked around the extended lag bolts on the top and bottom. This should put the pulley about two feet from the tree.

Next, I'll attach a rope to the ladder stand, run it through the pulley, and back to the ground. I'll place a prussic knot on the rope and attach it to my ATV winch cable. I'll then slide the knot up the rope as far as the winch cable will go. Using the ATV winch, I should be able to lift the stand until it is in rough position. Once vertical in the tree, I should be able to manually move it around the tree a little to get it in the exact position I want. I'll then use the extension ladder to tie in the treestand with the standard ratchet straps and remove my bracket.

The result should be an erected ladder stand with out me lifting it or climbing into it until it is fully secure.

Anyone see potential issues with this approach? Have folks used any other approaches to safely erect ladder stands by themselves?

Thanks,

Jack

carrying a 30 ft extension ladder in the woods with a bad back is not recommended. I don't understand the T section and why it is needed?? sounds like it will work for you. I would do as mentioned before and toss a rope over a branch and hook that onto the winch cable and pull it up. skip the extension ladder. I have done those and I just attach the bottom support pole and climb up. I attach a cam strap for a quick cinch on the top than go to the ratchet strap. if it is level and middle pole is supported there is absolutely zero risk for error, no different than climbing your extension ladder.

 

[yoderjac]

carrying a 30 ft extension ladder in the woods with a bad back is not recommended. I don't understand the T section and why it is needed?? sounds like it will work for you. I would do as mentioned before and toss a rope over a branch and hook that onto the winch cable and pull it up. skip the extension ladder. I have done those and I just attach the bottom support pole and climb up. I attach a cam strap for a quick cinch on the top than go to the ratchet strap. if it is level and middle pole is supported there is absolutely zero risk for error, no different than climbing your extension ladder.

There are enough logging roads and atv trails that the distance I would carry the ladder is relatively short. I'm not sure the T section is absolutely needed. There is not always a branch where I need it to throw a rope over to lift a sand. In the past I've simply strapped a pulley to the tree directly. I find that when I pull up the stand, it contacts the tree and sometimes sticks a bit. My hope with the T is that since the pulley is a foot or two from the tree, the stand will lift more cleanly.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[MRBB]

I agree most of the tree's I place stands in don't have any branches, or on the right side for lifting, plus the effort of trowing a rope a few dozen times to get over a branch, can be frustrating!
the ladder also affords you the chance to see the view from above before you place the stand, and can save you a lot of effort in finding the best tree for the set up.
with my set up on the atv I have been able to drive to the base of 99% of every stand site, like driving a big rig thru the woods, HAHA!
but its been do able for me!
as for having a T to get things out from the tree that should work perfectly, the farther out from the tree it sticks where the pulley/snatch block will be the better,
but a lot depends on how and where you hook onto the stand, as too far forward and it will be holding out off the tree, but you can easily raise higher than needed then and lower into the right spot for you.

I have also used the ladder to add the top straps that hold stand to tree, then you don't have to worry about crossing ropes and such to hold stand to tree while you try to do so , while standing on the stand itself where they like to want to tilt back away from tree(thus why the cross ropes are used)
working alone in the woods the safer you can be the better.

I have also found I can place a ATV front tire at the base of a ladder and or a ratchet strap about 6 ft up back to tree to assure ladder doesn't move on me working alone, this prevents the ladder from kicking out!, like being a second person at the bottom of a ladder, without the second person LOL

 

[yoderjac]

Hope to try it out tomorrow. Will report back how well it works.

 

[Tree Spud]

I lay my ladder stand out in front of the tree. Dig two small divets in the soil for the legs to drop in and bite. Take a ladder to the back side of the tree and either pull the ladders chair up, or attach to my ATV winch.

Or ... I do this with box blind stands ..,. 12' high legs, added 2x6 rails to my forks to make a ramp to make up the height difference.

 

[yoderjac]

I'd call that an elevated box blind. I build mine in place. When I say ladder stand, I'm referring to commercial ladderstands.

 

[Tree Spud]

I'd call that an elevated box blind. I build mine in place. When I say ladder stand, I'm referring to commercial ladderstands.

I responded to your "commercial" ladder stand question also.

I used to waste time building them in place, I get better construction building in the shop then transporting and constructing on site. I can also move these stands if I want to.

I built 4 stand bases over the winter last year and then went out and through up 4 stand in 2 weekends ...

 

[yoderjac]

Well, I tried it today and it worked reasonably well.

Bracket installed.

Assembled stand in place for the lift.

Stand lifted into place.

This Muddy stand was light enough that I didn't bother with a winch. I was able to simply lift it by hand and wrap it around a nearby sapling and tie it off. I thought the bottom of the stand would simply slide into place, but I found that didn't happen. Each time I tied it off to the sapling, I simply walked over and slid the bottom closer to the tree.

A few things I'd do differently:

• I found 2' was a bit too far from the tree for the pulley. There was zero contact between the stand and the tree. It may be possible for the stand to flip upside down if it is only held by the rope. I plan to remove the pulley, cut of 6" to 12" from the bracket and replace the pulley so it sits 12"-18" from the tree. That should allow slight contact between the stand and the tree on the way up to help stabilize it.
• I think I over did it a bit with the bracket. It is probably more solid than it needs to be and heavier which makes installation of it a bit harder. If I was starting from scratch, I'd probably build something that was lighter and less strong out of material with a better weight to strength ratio.

I took me about 2 hours to transport everything to the sight (more than one trip with ladder and stand), erect the stand, and return and clean up.

Thanks,

Jack