Small homemade deer blinds

[brainwake]

This year, I am going to try and make 3 or 4 small deer blinds.

I don't really want to shell out for more tents...and I have 8 or 9 different spots to hunt from. I will set up a few tents...and I have a few ladder stands...but I have a few spots that I tend to frequent that could just use a little cover and a bucket to sit on.

Most of these spots are on the side of a holler..rocky, big oaks, leaves everywhere and fairly steep...

I have this idea to build some small frames out of 1"x2" and cover with netting or burlap...attach to a tree and brush in.

I am looking for more ideas, I am going to build them in the spring/summer so they are settled come deer season.

Any ideas? pictures?

 

[courtgreene]

I just use whatever the wind blew over nearby. Not what you're looking for but if you were going to brush it in anyway, why not just use brush for the whole thing?

 

[rondog]

A friend and I tossed around an idea once of getting some old wood pallets and screwing them together to build a crude little "shack", and then putting some branches & brush on it. Then put something inside to sit on and wait. Never did it, but maybe it's a idea you could work with.

 

[brainwake]

yeah..valid point...

I was thinking that If I had something a little more permanent that it might cover a little better.

There isn't a whole lot of brush around those areas..at least not on the ridges where I plan on building them....which is kind of why I need to build them in the first place. I was also thinking it might be nice to have something to rest my gun on....not that it matters that much.

I was also thinking about just taking the chainsaw up there and cutting some stumps up to place around me for cover. If I could take little of the wind off of me, it might be a little more comfortable on those really cold days.

 

[d2wing]

I think it is a very good idea. A small ground blind that deer are used to will hide you as long as you are quiet and don't move around. I have used brush, tree branches or even old machinery. Another idea is a folding 3 sided frame covered with burlap and leaves. Just remember you are at eye level so avoid movement.

 

[Patocazador]

If you're going to take the time and effort to build them, use PT lumber and galvanized nails .. or PVC pipe.

 

[wgp]

i build these on our farm. they look kind of like an outhouse, made from 3 sheets of treated plywood, some 4x4 posts and a couple of sheets of tin for a roof. I put a hay bale inside for a seat. they are there year-round so the deer are used to them. perfect if it's a rainy/snowy day. also work great for friends who are introducing their kids to hunting since the kids can squirm around a bit without spooking game. i have a couple now and plan to build one or two a year for different spots.

 

[toiville2feathers]

It, the old saying,"one mans trash is another mans treasure"

I have built 2 4x8 deer stand with plywood 2x2 and 2x4's, plastic take out windows, metal roof, and I don't have $20 dollars in the 2 stands combined.
Check with your solid waste facility. I made several trips to county facility and they let us have access to the demolition dump, and you can't believe what nice building materials that get thrown away. Even the paint came from the dump. they collect all the unwanted paint, and you can get it for the asking. It will surprise you how good the camo colors come out when you start mixing them.
As far as ground blinds go we steel posts,5 footers, and chicken wire. Then we tie grass, sticks, brush on the out side. Went to a canvas business that makes boat covers and semi-trailer covers and got pieces of old canvas that goes on the inside for wind break.

 

[toiville2feathers]

It, the old saying,"one mans trash is another mans treasure"

Sorry dp

 

[Armored farmer]

I make my own variation of a blind. I own the property, and cut firewood there too. If I find a good spot, I will cut a 'sittin stump'. A chair height section of firewood on end, rolled up against a tree for a backrest. I have a cotton tarp roof over a couple of these in case of rain. You can get pretty creative with a cheap tarp, a cartload of firring strips, a utility knife, a cordless drill and saw, and a box of screws.
My youngest son killed his first turkey from one of our 'sittin stumps' just a few wks ago.

 

[rondog]

As far as ground blinds go we steel posts,5 footers, and chicken wire. Then we tie grass, sticks, brush on the out side. Went to a canvas business that makes boat covers and semi-trailer covers and got pieces of old canvas that goes on the inside for wind break.

Ooooo, that's a good idea!

 

[hartcreek]

I have two portable blinds that I made up. I used lengths of cammo cloth and two old aluminum tent poles for each.

 

[jrdolall]

Basically you are looking to make some permanent ground blinds. Those can be as simple or elaborate as you want them to be. Since every spot is different I just carry a couple of 8 ft 2x4s with me and build a small "frame" at the base of a tree at the proper height for me to use the rail as a rest while seated in whatever chair I plan to use, normally one of the $9 fold up chairs. I then use old limbs and brush to cover 80% of the frame and leave a spot to enter. With a cordless saw and screwdriver, 2-3 2x4s, and a handful of screws you can build a frame in about 20 minutes.

You can buy the cheap burlap stuff at stores but it sways in the wind and rots easily. The most permanent thing I have found is the "tank camo" stuff that we drape over the frame or staple to the frame. It is much heavier and lasts many years though it is pretty expensive. I still like to use some brush to make it look more natural.

 

[geo57]

I currently hunt from a ground blind made from limbs & brush and it's been very successful in the harvesting of deer. This past year both deer and bobcats came to inside of 5 yards from it while I was in it . Pictured is a bobcat that came to visit me one morning during late season antlerless in January . At one point he was at the base of the blind.

In the past my wife and I took about 15 head of deer from a blind made from 2 pallets wired together in a " V " formation. When the wind is right they have come to within 5 yards of it. I still use it on occasion.

Of all the deer I have ever shot the heaviest was while I was inside an appliance card board box . Folded right they can easily be carried under one arm. If conditions are dry these can make dandy blinds and are about unsurpassed as far as portability and set up time .

 

[Arkansas Paul]

If you're ever hunting in a field, round hay bales make a great blind. Roll 4 of them together with the flat ends pointing towards each other and you have a nice sized blind.
No need for camo either. You just need to blend in with the hay bales so the ol' Carhart jacket was all the camo needed.

 

[Geno]

Each year, I swear I am going to construct some sort of ground blind. Then, come deer season, I wander right back to the old, farm wagon, that sits near the edge of the field. About 5 years back, I stacked a few discarded, concrete blocks for a seat…there I sit, bundled-up. Hmm. I like that idea of a couple 2X2s, and some duck blind material…just something to slow the wind a bit.

Time to do some thinking…thanks for starting this thread!

Geno

 

[Vern Humphrey]

To make a blind, get a secator -- a sort of scissors for cutting bushes.

Once you pick the site for your stand, drag some fallen trees and branches to make a "fence' around it. Position a small stool or other comfortable but upright (not reclining) seat and check it out. Make sure you can see and use your gun or bow while seated.

Then use the secators to cut branches and so on and put them around the blind. As you do, keep checking to be sure you can see and wield your rifle or bow without interference, and that you have a good, dense screen in front and behind.

It takes a couple of hours to build a good blind like that, but you can have several, and just renew the branches each season.