Fitness Education

Select a suitably sized tree that will support your weight. Choose a tree that is located along a known game trail.

Cut the two-by-four planks into 2-feet-long sections. These planks will be used to create the rungs of the ladder that will allow you access to the stand. Mark the two-by-fours every two feet with a pencil and cut along these lines with your saw.

Attach the 2-foot-long two-by-four planks to the tree, parallel to the ground, using four 4-inch wood screws. Space the two-by-four ladder rungs every 2 feet, or less if this is uncomfortable for you.

Attach enough ladder rungs to reach a height of approximately 20 feet, or to where the tree’s foliage begins to thicken. The objective is not to increase your field of view horizontally, but to have a clear line of sight downward.

Cut off the legs of your wooden chair, preferably a model which frames the seat and back together using metal tubing or other rigid bracing. You should be left with the seat and a back to the chair.

Climb the ladder built into the tree to a height of 20 feet. Standing on your second last ladder rung, and using a rope tied around the tree and around your back to hold you against the tree, mount the wooden chair. Screw through the back of the chair into the tree. You must use a fairly strong wooden chair for this application. Screw in at least six screws, with washers placed between the back of the chair and the heads of the screws, to firmly secure the back of the chair into the tree

Sit on the seat of the chair and rest your feet on the last rung of your ladder. Always keep a rope firmly tied around your waist and the trunk of the tree to prevent falling if you lean forward.