New deer blind

[Mobuck]

I couldn't resist a good price plus the 11% rebate at Menards. I bought one last September and set it up on a good spot but didn't get to hunt it much due to various reasons. We saw some interesting buck activity in a spot where our current mobile blinds wouldn't work and I've been brainstorming an alternative so when another 'good buy' came along, I bought another of the roomy pentagon shaped hard side blinds. Son had an old popup camper frame that isn't in use so my plan is to set this new blind on the trailer frame making it more mobile and somewhat lower profile than our taller hardside blinds. It will also be lighter and can be moved in the field with a UTV.
Gotta finish the corral and then I can begin reconfiguring the trailer frame.

 

[contender]

Ya do what ya have'ta do!

 

[Mobuck]

I got the trailer frame stripped and have a shopping list for the next trip to Menards. Not a cheap option but far less than the prices of Amish made box blinds AND this one is on wheels.

 

[Ranger]

Sounds like a good option. Nephew built a blind on a small trailer. Very portable and effective.

 

[Mobuck]

We have three 6'x8'x6'tall box blinds I built on 4 wheel farm wagon frames about 12-15 years back. They work well enough but are sort of heavy and require a pickup or tractor to move. This one is going to weigh around 500-600# so will be towable with a UTV and easier to maneuver/position plus it will blend in better.
I spent an hour this morning measuring and studying how it will be laid out and it appears I can even re-use the folding step retained from the pop-up camper.

 

[Ranger]

We have a small camper that some hunters parked on my property and left many years ago. Very dilapidated with parts falling in and full of mice / raccoons. Been frustrated thinking it will cost to get rid of. Now you have me thinking maybe we should scrap the top and reuse the frame.

 

[Mobuck]

Those frames are fairly light and easy to work with. Most have jack stands on the corners making them very stable. The one I'm using was a 'pop-up' using a solid lower portion and top with fabric side curtains. It's so light that I picked up one side of the stripped frame with one hand to remove a flat tire. Two men could easily lift the entire trailer frame. Just need to use care during demolition so the frame doesn't get bent/twisted.
I'm building a flat 'deck' using treated 2x4's and plywood for the blind to sit on. I did this on one last year and it's been rodent free for a full year. I'll try to get a pic of the project after I make a bit more progress.

 

[contender]

Once you get the blind built, add scrap carpet to the floor. Reduces noises as you sit inside

 

[Mobuck]

Absolutely. I kept all the old carpet when Daughter renovated. Really quiets those little 'OOPS' drops and scuffles (cartridges, thermos cups, the sound of the old office chairs rolling back and forth from window to window).
I have my lumber list and heading out in the morning to gather it up. Need more 'sackrete' for the corral posts we placed today. We're getting that project close to completion--FINALLY. Maybe one more hard day and it's done but I'll be working alone so better call it two days.

 

[nekvermont]

Good luck with your project Mobuck.

I found a stall mat at a yard sale for a couple bucks and put it in one of my blinds, it dampens the noise, easy to keep clean and the chair rolls around on it well.

 

[contender]

When I helped a friend build a permanent box blind on his place decades ago,, he was using plain plywood for the sub flooring. I told him; "Get some old used motor oil. Brush on a layer of oil on the wood. Let it soak in. Add the next layer of floor on top of that."
He did.
That blind is still in excellent shape & he still uses it. That was well over 25 years ago. His upright 4x6 posts,, he decided to coat in motor oil as well. No carpenter bees bother it either. He does add the motor oil to the posts every few years.

 

[Mobuck]

The project is finished. I even incorporated the hose for the propane heater into the base so the tank can sit on the trailer tongue just like it did with the camper. Downside: I couldn't make the folding step work due to the way the door opens. I decided it was better to have a 'back porch' as that might allow wheel chair access at some point.
Working on pictures.

 

[Wvfarrier]

I bought a couple of the Tidewe see through blinds to try out this year

 

[Mobuck]

The blind is ECLIPSE 5 SIDE made by KL Outdoors. Weighs around 150#. Takes a couple of handy people 1.5-2 hours to assemble. I assembled the one last year alone and took closer to 3 hours. That one shows no ill effects from a year out in the weather.

 

[cee_Kamp]

Mobuck,

I thought you might want to see the mobile hunting shack I built for my Girlfriend last year.
I started with a 4' x 8' Carry-On brand trailer from Tractor Supply. It was more than 20 years old.
It was retired from road duty usage after seizing a wheel bearing.
Some refurbishment got it going for low speed operating in my woods. We tow it with a side-by-side.

The hunting shack was built with used/reclaimed materials. It is completely screwed together, no nails used for construction.
It's well insulated with Styrofoam board, and heated with a Mr. Buddy catalytic propane heater.
Even with using used/reclaimed materials, if I recall, I had about $1k invested by the time of completion.

IMG_20240825_180543895_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20240825_180532989_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20240901_182154545_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20240912_182521439_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20240914_182556099 by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

The protective film is still on the windows, we removed the film after it made the journey into the woods.
We used black garden type geo-textile for darkening the inside of the shack. Being synthetic material, and decided for a fire extinguisher inside.

IMG_20240919_170959075_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20240919_170917613_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20240919_171337378_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

My Girlfriend is allergic to bees/wasps/hornets. (Epi-Pen) So the goal was to seal the hunting shack up tight enough to keep insects out of the shack during the ~ 10 months out of the year that the shack sat unused. I was up at the woods recently doing some trail camera tasks and opened up the hunting shack to see if my goal of no insects inside actually worked. I did use a case of spray foam to seal up every opening.

IMG_20240919_172218138_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

The pass thru port for the propane whip hose goes thru the metal tube during hunting season, with Copper Chore Boy kitchen scrubby things packed around the propane hose for keeping mice and insects out. (copper form of steel wool, won't corrode) The rubber cap is for the 10 months off season.

IMG_20240919_172240999_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20240928_132345735_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

I have knocked down some of the scrub trees/thorn apple for improved visibility in the field out in front of the hunting shack.

IMG_20240928_132420434_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20240928_132526663_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

IMG_20240928_132534454_HDR by cee_Kamp 32ACP, on Flickr

 

[Mobuck]

looks like you did a good job.
The first stick built 'deer wagons' I made are 15 years old now and still getting the job done. Back then Menards sold pallets of 'ends and pieces' of damaged or unusable lumber for $20. Son was rebuilding an old house and bought several of these from which he sorted out what he could use and brought me the rest. With a bit of creativity and time, I was able to frame 3 deer blinds from the remnants.

 

[Mobuck]

My stick built blinds are/were intended to hold 2 kids/1 adult or 2 adults/1 kid or 2 adults and all the junk they can carry ( ). With this in mind, I placed the door in the middle of one long side allowing ingress/egress of one or more w/o squeezing past someone else. Windows that slide up inside the blind are easier to open and seal better than hinged windows. Using a slightly wider board (2x6 for 2x4 walls) tilted toward the outside for the bottom window sill keeps water from coming into the blind when the window is closed.
I have windows/shooting ports on all four sides since most of our locations have 360* shooting area.

 

[Mobuck]

I worked on the second blind assembly and built the base yesterday after the morning's rain stopped all other outside work. This one is 4 sides (4'x 4') and a bit easier to assemble but still plenty of room for a single hunter or even two but that would be really tight fit.. The base is built to allow moving with pallet forks on any of the loaders or can sit on any flat trailer.
This brand of blind seems fairly sturdy but I'm not confident in it's longevity w/o the support of a solid base. Trying to just stake it down on the ground doesn't seem adequate--it's really better when placed on an elevated frame or other support. the other questionable item is the height of the windows. Much too high for use with the typical folding hunting stool.

 

[Gator89]

Blind on some scaffolding, drag it to where you want it.

 

[contender]

Those kinds of blinds look nice. But here in our mountains,, you wouldn't be driving them around or much less dragging them anywhere. Plus,, with our terrain,, most of the stand hunters around here want more elevation to actually see a bit further.