building the perfect blind duck & deer

[Michelle K linnane]

Hi Guys
I am getting into duck hunting on my property this year and was thinking of building a ground blind that is mainly for duck hunting but could be moved with the folks of tractor for turkey or deer in the back. I found some plans and like them. Please do not tell me to go to walmart and buy a tent it will not do for this purpose. For duck hunting we will need to have at least 4 hunters in the blind for duck and goose. It will be a lot cheaper to move it with tractor then build on a wagon, as I will not take off my property.
So when you give me your comments remember
It can not fully enclosed
Do not suggest a tent
Do not tell me to build on a wagon
I am going to help hide mass around ponds with hay bales so I do not
want high it must sit on ground.
Here are the plans I found but would like some suggests about how
to build better and how by changing something out I can use for deer or
turkey build. IT would be nice to get out of wind here in during deer season.

Found this on web site
SPECS
Materials: 1/2" CCA plywood; 2x4 CCA boards; 3" galvanized screws. Start by building a 6' x 8' braced frame and attach plywood for floor. Build the 2x4 upright fame on 2 foot centers. Cut and fasten plywood walls and roof. Cut and frame door and fasten hinges on outside with latch hook on inside. Mount plywood for shelf as shown. For hinged flapper to cover the shooting slot, use a piece of light wire cattle panel 18" high and long as the blind. Fasten bottom of panel to front of blind with eye bolts for hinges.

FINISHING TOUCHES
To make this fine blind even better, brush or spray the wood with a tinted stain. Herrman Lumber Company in Clinton has "Everhart Duck Blind Stain" in their computer, a unique marsh grass color.
I cover the outside of my blinds with military camo-leaf netting using a staple gun and zip-ties to attach it to the wire flapper. Add field fence (rusty is best, no shine) with a hammer and steeples to the sides and roof, just loose enough to allow room for weaving in oak limbs and marsh grass.
Visible areas inside the blind can be camouflaged with OD green and flat black spray paint applied in vertical lines. The angle of the flapper can be adjusted by a couple of 2x4 blocks.
SPECIAL FEATURES
The low profile (54" total height) is less obvious to the ducks.
When you stand up in the slot you can see and shoot in all directions. No more surprises from the rear. The seat, at 17", is lower than normal, but still comfortable and leaves plenty of head room. It can also be boxed in and top hinged to make extra storage. The shelf is a great place for shells, food, etc. and is sheltered from the weather. The slanted front, when equipped with propane heaters (I use "Mr. Heater") directs the heat to the hunter's face. A 20lb propane tank can be set outside the blind and a hose run to the heaters.
With the shooting slot near the center, floating blinds are more stable when the hunters are standing. The six foot depth of the blind allows plenty of room for shelter from bad weather. I have both 8 ft and 12 ft blinds. A 16 ft would also work in this design. These blinds are very comfortable and can be built for about $200 and will last for many years. I realize that not all of you waterfowl hunters lease or own property, but I'll bet that if you are a dedicated hunter ... you will someday, and will be in need of a good blind.
And that's all I have to say about that. Remember ... never take more than you need, bring a friend, have fun, pack a camera and improve your blinds a little each year.

Found interesting thing on youtube thought you guys might enjoy.
Duck Blind-How to Assemble - YouTube

 

[crazyal]

When hunting duck in Arkansas one of the farmers had a home made blind that I liked. It had a flat roof that used garage door track so the roof could quickly and easily slid back. One log side had a bench to sit on while the other had a shelf to put things like shells and calls. There was a 6" gap all along the sides to see out of. The blind was made out of thin wall metal tubing with chicken wire to attach the camo. It had a place to pick it up with forks so it was real easy to move with a tractor.

When looking for birds you have the top open. When you see one coming you would sit down on the bench and close the roof. By looking through the 6" gap you could tell where the birds are. Once it came time to shoot you simply slid it open and popped up. Of all the blinds I've been in that one struck me as how I would make one.

At least one side should have a net or something like it so a dog can easily get in and out of the blind. Even if you don't plan on using a dog at first you will want to. There's nothing like watching a well trained dog retrieve a duck. A dog sitting out in the open will not scare ducks but you'll need to get the duck from the dog without disturbing your camo.

I don't think it would work well for deer or turkey though. You could modify the design a little and make shooting windows in the side that could be removed. But they are two kind of different types of hunting. With ducks and geese you are shooting in the sky. They fly in, you pop up, and unload. Where with deer and turkey you are not but you're also trying to take aim without moving.

 

[creekbend]

Just trying to help. After reviewing the plans that you posted, I cannot see or visualize FOUR hunters being able to utilize this design to hunt and shoot SAFELY out of. Notice that I capitalized the words FOUR and SAFELY. As I recall, the commentator describing the design and layout of the plans, suggested that all possible buyers or users of these plans bring along a friend. Am I missing a vital point here. It appears that he is talking about two hunters--here.I was duck hunting on the Holston River in Hawkins County Tennessee when I was six years old with my Dad and hunted ducks every seasen for 30 years. Years of deer hunting also, only a little turkey hunting experience. Maybe I worked too hard today and I am tired, but if I missed something, would another member out there help me.In regards to FOUR hunters SAFELY. Thanks. I, along with everyone else, am only trying to help. Happy Tractoring.:tractor::tractor:

 

[DwightD123]

There's nothing like watching a well trained dog retrieve a duck.

Here Here! When you see those dogs make a retrieve you are watching their purpose in life. Its good stuff.

 

[forgeblast]

What about building it on a pallet. You can use your forks to move it. If you build it on a pallet you can always make it modular. Meaning if you leave a side open you can just put another pallet next to it and bolt/screw it together. You can add sides or use hay bales. You could make a light weight roof, use luan, and glue hay to the top that way you can flip the roof off. I am picturing something like a saltbox type roof.
The Roof would be like the plans you posted, but with the base palletized you can take it where you want it, and if you have more hunters join you just bring another pallet out.

 

[studor]

I have hunted ducks out of a very similar blind for about 15 years. I too think the blind would be a bit small for four people. We built ours out of PT and do not have the flapper. Each year we dress the blind with oak branches (the leaves stay on a long time) and the blind is permanent. We also built a blind that we can pull the boat into that is cedar poles sunk into the marsh with pole cross members and dressed with bundles of cat tails and grasses. I have tried to make multiple purpose blinds out of conduit and PVC but find that nothing beats the comfort of a well built permanent blind. For deer I use elevated blinds built like treehouses about 12 to 15 feet off the ground. Turkey I use my porch!
If I really wanted to make the blind tranportable, I would put in a permanent foundation for it to rest on wherever I wanted to use it -- that way it would be fast to relocate and be stable when I did so. Put together with removable pin hinges, the walls and roof could be "knocked down" fo transport or storage. I will be interested to see what others suggest since I too am always looking for ways to improve the blinds -- as an old acqaintance of mine used to say --"any fool can be uncomfortable"

 

[Michelle K linnane]

How long should the blind be for 4 hunters? Have been out of touch lost power with storm so much damage people loosing their homes. Pretty bad in our area.

 

[Michelle K linnane]

Found this one on ebay kind of pricey

Duck Blinds | eBay

$600

 

[Robert_in_NY]

How long should the blind be for 4 hunters? Have been out of touch lost power with storm so much damage people loosing their homes. Pretty bad in our area.

For four people to be able to stand and shoot safely I would think you would want to double the length to 16' so each shooter has a 4' area to swing the gun without bumping into anyone. That or build two of these 8' blinds and stack them next to each other so you can still move them easily but then you have two blinds you can use for deer season.

 

[BlacknTan]

I remember when we used to just cobble together whatever wood driften up onto the beach, and then cover it with marsh grass. Icicles might have formed on the ends of our noses, but we killed birds and had a good time...

We never used plans or had to buy wood, but, I guess it's a new era...