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Building a Deer Blind Tower

113K views 76 replies 25 participants last post by  330-Trapper 
#1 ·
I am looking for Deer Box Blind Pictures and Ideas of What to build and what Not to add to an enclosed stand...

If anybody has built deer blinds before and Has things they'd add to theirs please post....

I have a steel frame which is 7' tall and 4x8, I can Weld a larger platform if needed to make it Wider than 4':confused:
 
#53 ·
I've shown these before on the site. 8x8 platform-10 ft high. The blind itself is 5X5 inside and 7 ft at the center. Windows and awnings are all hinged for adjustment up and down and tied off inside. Pretty much unlimited visibility all around.






And a more conventional blind on the same type platform base, and 5x5 inside with hinged awnings and sliding windows.


Those are very nice blinds, I like how you make them. What kind of money in materials do you have in these blinds? Also your platform looks very well done. With treated lumber for a 12-14ft platform what kind of money do you think I would be looking at? Reason be is I can get those Tuff blinds with a platform and lifetime warranty for under $1200 for everything.
 
#54 ·
The conventional blind with paint and plexiglas/carpet including the platform very similar to the one you see the octagon sitting on came in at under $275.00. The Octagon blind with glass/carpet/paint and platform with the steps was closer to $500.00 when all was said and done. Of course that doesn't include my time which admittently isn't worth much. Both built in 05 so materials no doubt have increased some since then.

I had never built anything other than a small doghouse before these, so I also had to invest in a table saw and compound mitre saw, another $225.00. Cost effective ? Probably not. It was more a labor of love and sense of personal accomplishment for me. ;)
 
#56 ·
Has anybody ever used other materials for the Exterior Walls like Horse Barn Corigated Galvanized steel? or other Non Wood material for the Walls and roof of their Blind/shooting House?

Is a Metal Roof Noisy to the deer in Rain ? seems like Metal sheething would be pretty durable and you could still Insulate with Pink foam sheets?:idea:
 
#57 ·
Has anybody ever used other materials for the Exterior Walls like Horse Barn Corigated Galvanized steel? or other Non Wood material for the Walls and roof of their Blind/shooting House?

Is a Metal Roof Noisy to the deer in Rain ? seems like Metal sheething would be pretty durable and you could still Insulate with Pink foam sheets?:idea:

I have seem a few made with pole barn panneling. I dont know why it wouldnt work. It may be a bit noiser when rain hits it, but deer will get used to it.
 
#58 · (Edited)
Ours is 8'x8' total set on 16 footers. The blind section is 6'x8' with a 2 ft open deck off the ladder side. Inside each one is a bed, a camp stove, small cabinet, ventless heater, and windows on three sides. The main 2'x2' window opposite the door/ladder is covered with clear vinyl for shooting the bow through and a small sliding window beside it for gun. Inside is drywalled and painted dark green so we can just wear dark green or camo during archery(we don't worry about orange during rifle since we got more range). The floor is carpeted and padded to reduce noise.
 
#60 ·
Do you guys buy prebuilt windows or make your own out of plexi-glass?
I didn't see where anyone answered this question directly. I'm not much of a builder and have limited experience with building box blinds, but I think using plexiglass is the way to go. The sheets of plexi that I bought were 3'X4' and from each sheet I made 6 windows that were 12"X24". The actual window opening was 10"x22". This allowed for plently of overlapping to reduce draft and scent escaping.
I have sat in a couple of blinds that had real small windows......I think that would get old in a hurry. My blind is only 5'X5' so I have 44" of window on each of the 4 sides....I'm the guy with no door, but instead an entry space below one window. Last week I arrived at my blind about 10 minutes before hunting hours and there was about 1/2" of ice and 12" of snow on my platform. I am not sure how I could have chipped off enough ice to open a door, with my removable hatch I quickly pulled it off, brushed the snow aside and crawled into the blind. Maybe some guys with doors can address this problem.....maybe a big rug that can be pulled up would work???

L & O
 
#62 · (Edited)
The animal that is chewing on your blinds is more likely to be a porcupine. Being that most all plywood is made from southern pine they seem to like it a lot. I have had them chew through many walls etc on my blinds. Not sure about the treated lumber but might be more to do what the type of wood. If you lived west of the Mississippi River you could get plywood or other sheathing that is made out of larch or fir and the porcupines don't like that wood. But love the southern pine that we get here in Michigan being the cost to get it here is less than something from out west. I am looking at Metal AG roofing and siding for my next blind. As for doors you just have to preassemble the blind at home where you can make the door somewhat air tight. I did that on my last blind screwing it all together and then disassembled it, loaded it on my utility trailer and took it to the property. Doors are just one thing that needs to be tight so animals and bugs can't get in they can make a mess quickly like wasp nests... Especially when you fire up a heater they seem to come out from just about anywhere and it makes for a tough hunt watching out for them and the mice that eat anything to make a nest as well...

Good Thread going here a lot of good ideas and information...

Thanks,
Newaygo1
 
#63 ·
I can't believe all the Excellent Idea's that keep showing up...:D

Putting all this information together is going to be Fun... I'm building the blind on paper first using all You guys are telling me.... I'm going to buy materials at Menards or the lumber yard Next week... and then fire up my Turbo Heater in the Garage....

I'm still looking for Ideas on how to add Heavy Wheel brackets to my Steel Frame... I want to be able to Weld on a removeable hitch and Wheels that can either lift off the ground or can be unbolted without too much trouble... Maybe with hitch pins... just don't know yet?
 
#64 ·
I have a 20' X 3' triangular cell tower section
The plan is...........

I have a dream,:lol:

with some of the prior ideas that others have done, thanks!!!

5' of footings each leg
Construct the blind on the ground and use a JCB to place on top of said section.

Use a salvaged stairs from a plant demolition at a scrap yard.
Using that
wrap along the outside of the tower along having a small "porch" at the top/blind
also have a small "roof" at the ground (under the the stairs) to park the ranger underneath. ;)

One other item I would do;
is paint everything above the window line, flat black.
 
#65 ·
I think painting the windows to match the color that they will "look like" when they are open would allow the deer to get used to the presence of the Blind and the open windows....

Don't know yet,,, I have been looking at the pictures of the blinds, and Love the Camo patterns that make the blinds blend in with the skyline... Big long vertical lines especially make the towers seem more like a part of the woods... BUt the windows shut and open look completely different???

There's the pictures of the wrapped tower that show quite a few deer paying a lot of attention to the blind... those are the deer that are just checking to see if there is something different going on, then the last time they came through.... I think they would notice when the windows are Camo from when they are Black...
 
#66 ·
I am not sure about painting the inside of a blind if it is elevated being the small angle they will won't see the small opening unless you are wearing all black and have you head also covered. But I am not sure just how legal it could be being I have heard CO's writing tickets for not wearing Blaze Orange while in one's blind but it might just be an added ticket to make a point of other violations. I would go with a lighter color maybe a medium green. to blend in with the trees /pines. I would like something like Predator Camo the break up pattern of camo they have like fall gray but that is just too much time to get the detail.

I recently saw at Lowes camo covered plywood in Mossy Oak Break Up. 4x8 sheets. It looked to be filmed dipped on the one side which might make it easier to build just one less thing to have to do paint that is for the walls. It was at the Lowes off Cedar in Lansing. Never seen it before I was buying plywood for a train table for a nephew. It was just about Oct when they had it might be a seasonal thing but you could order it if you are using plywood for the exterior walls.

Just something easy to get it done a little quicker not having to paint the exterior walls and less money on paint and rollers and of course time.

Just another idea if some are interested...

Newaygo1
 
#67 ·
I agree that the inside should match the outside pattern when open.

I just wear the orange bibs
with a black coat :coolgleam

Inside of a "elevated" blind and having to wear orange???

Leaving the blind yes, inside?????

Seen that camo'ed OSB, I thought it was a bit pricey, 30-$40 a sheet.

maybe a bulk "sticky" 3' roll would be cheaper
 
#68 ·
.......
I recently saw at Lowes camo covered plywood in Mossy Oak Break Up. 4x8 sheets. It looked to be filmed dipped on the one side which might make it easier to build just one less thing to have to do paint that is for the walls. It was at the Lowes off Cedar in Lansing. Never seen it before I was buying plywood for a train table for a nephew. It was just about Oct when they had it might be a seasonal thing but you could order it if you are using plywood for the exterior walls.
...........Newaygo1

Here is a picture of camo OSB. This kind is for interior use. Maybe it is made for exterior use, but I haven't seen it.

L & O
 
#72 ·
Guys:
Where do you get the screw in anchors? I have a box blind ready to go (almost) and need a set of those babies! I hope to go up to 12 feet, less the anchored portion of the 4 by 4 posts. The blind is wood, about 4.5 feet by 5.5 feet, with a 2 by 8 wolmanized base. It is HEAVY-how deep should I go with the post holes/concrete?
 
#73 · (Edited)
I've seen the earth anchors at some farm supply stores like TSC and Rural King, and probably all the big box home improvement stores.

Mine sit on top of the ground with a skirt board around the bottom to help stop the legs from sinking in too far, but if I was going to bury the posts and set them in concrete I'm not sure how deep I would go. I think 42" is code for pole contruction, but that may be overkill for a blind. Then again maybe not, I've seen frost heave some things quite a bit.
 
#76 ·
As featured in Outdoor Life, this one ws built by one of my wifes cousins.


Michigan...:rolleyes:.....the only state where hunters' deer blinds are actually bigger than the bucks they shoot. :dizzy: :lol:

"I can see six different farms from up there.....but its kind of hard to see if they have horns or not." :D
 
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