Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Homemade permanent deer blinds or purchase?

Needing to put up some permanent deer blinds on our property. I'd like them to be insulated or able to heat easily. Also at least one that's easily accessable by someone with restricted mobility. Curious if anyone has any homemade plans for building some or these days is it a wash over the purchased ones? If one does decide to purchase, what are some good commercial ones you recommend?

Building Deer Blinds = Size--Elevated-- Insulated, Ramp will work if it's not to tall, Big Door Wheel Chair Accessible, ladders and stairs don't work well for the disabled, Elevators are a option on a Big High Blind, How much do you want to spend??





Took these pictures while we were painting this Blind.12'X12' Elevator, Big enough for 2 Wheel Chairs and helpers, with room to move around. Rio7

Are your deer wearing orange jumpsuits?

😂😂😂


Impressive setup - hosts a lot of wounded vets IIRC.

I built my latest & last blind on a mower trailer with ramp tailgate. That would be a good application for a wheelchair bound person. It is permanently mounted, 5x7 on a 5x8 trailer. I can tow it all over the lease with my Honda.

One consideration with the plastic, panel-style blinds; I have not had an experience so close to being a tiny human inside a marching band drum as sitting in one of those during a rain/sleet storm. I don't use them, but the guys I hunt with who do have taken to throwing berber carpet scraps on top to cut down on the noise.

Limited mobility access seems like it would be more dictated by the local terrain - KS beanfields or WV hollows - and how high you need to be for effective sightlines.

I have hunted out of tent blinds, home made plywood box blinds, and commercial plastic and fiberglass from cheap to expensive. They all hide you, keep you out of the weather and if made right are comfortable.
They all work better than sitting against a tree. or behind a bush because they contain your scent. I preferred the box blind I built to anything else. I had 2 comfortable chairs in it with the window sills the correct height to shoot off of out of those chairs. I carpetted everything you could bump to keep noise down. If you don't they are like a bass drum. Tents are quiet mobile, camo and contain scent. Just not as comfortable. All can be heated.

I have hunted in many. Heres my take.
Cloth blinds - inexpensive , hide you well, easy to put up and move , great for moderate weather, not that durable.
Homemade box- can be good but all about the plan. Less expensive than store bought blind, can be durable.
Store bought plastic - noisy, I ready dislike these. Usually unlined.
Store bought premium blinds, expensive, quite usually well designed , have a good liner, usually comfortable in moderate to cold conditions.

Build the stand out of plywood, keep paint on it and it will last 25 years. Insulate with foam board, build windows with glass panes. A small heater will keep you warm.

I've been in this one a couple of times. Only bad part was sharing it with about a hundred yellow jackets.

We've done home built out of wood, as well as pre-fab fiberglass units and metal panel units. All work well and the pre-fab ones are nice, especially for closing the windows during the off-season. Costs being what they are, we now just buy from a guy down the road that has a side business of building wood tower stands of varying sizes and heights. He's stacking up his inventory right now. I can't buy the materials and put in the hours to make sense of doing my own anymore, unless I'm repairing or rebuilding an existing one. Like Hanco says, keeping paint on a plywood one will get you 20+ years with minimal issues.

This is one that the wife and kids helped me with in our pasture. Will fit a family of four. (5x10)



This is a 4x4 that my uncle build about 20 years ago and we've killed a lot of stuff from it. I prefer to go with 1/2" sheathing instead of chip board, as it holds up better. I also prefer wider window openings.




This is typical of what the we buy these days from the local guy. Usually buy 4x6 with bigger windows.

A ground blind, whether fabric or wood, etc, the deer will get your scent if an opening at all. Have had them snort over 100 yards if wind drifting to there direction. Now if a tower stand you can get away with, have one 40+ feet, and they can walk under you and not get your scent. I have hunted in ground blind and unzip a window and if wind drifting toward them...game over.

Built this not long ago. Metal frame, 5’6x4’, that length because it will fit in my tractor bucket. I’ll cut the ladder to fit when I put it up, landing and handrail comes off. I’ve built platforms as high as 20 feet. I have a couple of platforms that are 40 years old. I’m a metal guy, wouldn’t have a wood platform. This platform is made out of scrap.





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Foam board insulation



Windows swing up



I use this to keep them from seeing me. Cloth and thump tacks. It helps if you have open-No windows in a stand too. Damn afternoon sun also. Helps keep scent in too. I can open a window with deer 50 yards away. They pay no attention.

Built this a few years ago, 15’ high. The day we were putting it up.


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Built this not long ago for son in law
15’ I think

I hunted out of this blind in Kansas, it wasn't finished but I really liked the mobility and comfort.

The weak point on most home-built blinds are the windows. I buy the sliding windows from TheDeerblindWindow.com

I just priced up building a 4 x 6 blind and all the material (windows, lumber, paint, shingles) will cost you $925. Then the cost of a stand to put it on. I have my blind on a 3' tall stand with skids. If I ever need to move it, I can drag it to a new location or winch it onto a trailer.

BTW: If you mix equal parts of Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer and Rustoleum Hunter Green, it makes a perfect olive drab.

Those are nice! It is expensive now to build anything

We have a couple of Maverick 6-shooter blinds.




They're pretty reasonable in price and lightweight so one person can assemble/maneuver. There's a wealth of room inside and small heater would get it cooking in a hurry. Unfortunately they're not insulated but a friend that works for the company said some guys have been spray-foaming the interiors.

There is 4-5" lip at the bottom of the entrance door so that could make accessibility a challenge.

we have 2 stump 4 blinds. a 4x6 and 6x6 i believe. their foam insulated and have window curtains. A candle can keep them warm. We also have a Shadow hunter 4x6 . All 3 are great blinds.

I have about $50 in lumber per stand for legs and steps.

Here's a few that we have. I would much prefer to buy over build. The Sportsman Condo is the best bang for the buck. When I have built, I find out that it costs me more than originally expected and doesn't last as long. The only caveat to buying is the Muddy blind. While it is well-insulated, it leaks and the heat has warped the insulated walls. I would never buy another Muddy. By the time you put it up (2 days), your left with a situation of a lot of work for a warranty claim.

Cool blinds and some great ideas. Thanks to all for sharing.

The above are nice blinds but none are accessable To a disabled hunter, no matter the size of the blind if your hunting partner can't get in it, it's of no use to you or them, read the O.P.

Rio7

Fogger's are your friend. Quite portable, handy and will do the trick in a couple of hours. Go out the day before and throw it in. It's a lot better for them to be under your feet than over your head.

A Yellow Jacket can scramble faster than an F-16.

Bought this back in 2005. It survived hurricane Ike & Harvey. It is beat up a bit from Ike. Had it home during the storm. I looked out the window and it was rolling around the yard like a pinball. None the worse for wear. It is still my handgun blind and I really enjoy it. It is currently tied to a big Oak at thew lease. Weighs 83 lbs.

https://www.blynd.com/deer-hunting-blinds/ground-blinds

So can the Red MFer’s

We have 3 homemade plywood blinds with metal roofs on our 125 acres. For windows we used Pella sliding basement windows and they are built on platforms from 6-12’ off the ground using treated 6x6 posts. Insulation is 1” foam board and heated with Buddy propane heaters. Smallest is 5’x5’ and biggest is 6’x8’. Here during Central NYS late November-December deer season they are like five star accommodations.

I like to build stuff. So, I'd build them. The pre-built, plastic ones don't turn my crack for what they cost. However, those I think you can move around a lot easier than than a site built blind.

One thing that I've seen in WI and MN lately is a platform with a pop-up blind on them. That's something you could consider as well.

We use Mr. Buddy heaters in almost all our pop-up blinds in WI and they work pretty well.

Come on Dude...I'm fat but I can get in a stand.

What do you need foam board insulation for? Those cold mornings when it gets down to 35*F?

My hunting buddy's wife liked to go with him at times and was big pregnant one fall. She couldn't make the big strides between the rungs of our homemade ladder (floor was 5' off the ground). He showed back up with a set of fiberglass swimming pool steps.

It gets down to 34 sometimes. I built that, sold to son in law. He put the foam in there, don’t know why either. I recently bought it back. He painted it that ugly chocolate color.

Always build our own since we hunt mostly open ground and canyons to accommodate a few grandkids now and then..keeps the wind off so they can hang out longer with grand paw..

I was driving through Eastern, NC ( Hyde and Pitt counties ) I was looking to photograph old wood tobacco drying houses. In a few fields I noticed camo painted porti-potties like you see on construction sites. They were along the timber edges of bean or corn fields. Stopped in a diner and asked about them and got a good laugh and the ‘ you’re not from around here ‘ talk. Anyway they were deer and bear blinds. Farmers bought old ones steam cleaned them out and cut shooting slits in the sides. I thought it was a clever and probably cheap. I was told some were spra foam insulated mostly for noise. Food for thought
Rick

Lordy,Lordy, I grew up working in & around those old flue curing tobacco barns. That hard work made the rest of my life a breeze !!

Old Woody I for the life of me cant imagine working inside one of those tobacco sheds in the NC heat. You know the Japanese had similar contraptions in WWII for prisoners and I read where a lot guys died in them especially Aussies caught in the Philippines. I lived in Tarboro, NC for a year and had a house in Belhaven, NC and the Summer heat was ferocious. Did you actually work the field priming tobacco with those ugly tobacco worms. You must be tougher than a hard boiled owl

Rick

I "was" pretty tough !! I'm old & tired now & "I'm not as tough as I once was". Later when in the Air Force, in the New Mexico sun working inside B-52's on the Flight Line in boiling heat other guys said "I'm dying", I'd say nope, nor yet, this won't kill you. The Tobacco fields might, but they are hotter !!! Oh, the Tobacco worms won't hurt you, & they make outstanding Bass & Catfish bait !!

Paid $150 for mine at the local poop truck yard. Built a new skid that wasn’t soaked in that overpowering deodorant. It hunts great.

Ah ha so you’re the guy

My granddaughter grew up, miss those days!

The foam probably does make it a bit quieter.

I'm thinking of myself in a few years, it's getting noticably worse.

Man how times have changed. When I started I remember the old Baker climber. One foot piece. Hug the tree and climb. Dangerous as hell. Most of us slid down a few times after the foot piece fell off your boots. That ain't fun.

Check out the blinds from Dillon Manufacturing. We have a number of them and some are over 15 years old without a issue

Dillons are good stuff. 15yrs no problems here too.

It makes sense to make it comfortable. You can stay all day if it’s crummy weather. It was raining last year, stayed in stand. I usually get out around 10 go back at 2:00, I had brought lunch, damn Aoudad showed up at 12:00 noon. I would have missed him if it was a sunny day.

Here is another thread on blinds with some details on the one I built, if you're interested.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/14237043/7

Here is the one we put up a couple of years ago. Hoping to get another up in next few weeks

That's ok, I don't mind being that guy.

Man. You can sleep in that!!

Yes, it is 5x7 on a 5x8 trailer. The interior is framed with aluminum B-22 Unistrut. Each wall is an individual panel. 8 clamps hold it together. The roof is 4 separate panels with leakproof joints.

The blind has seen many hunting areas. Last year I got tired of the tear-down reconstruct process. Spent last summer mounting it permanently to the trailer. Were I to do it again, the blind would be of wood frame construction in one piece on a dedicated trailer. Tired of all the muscle work.

The aluminum framed panels served me well over the decades. Broken down they stack roughly 10” tall. Not doing that anymore unless I’m forced to.

Kinda off the subject, but there was a fellow years ago that built a stand in the bottom that was 8x16. You got to understand that the fellow was kinda eccentric. I wont go into a bunch of details, but the stand was built on 6 cut off telephone poles. It was about 8-10 feet off the ground and had windows on all 4 sides. Furnished with a couch, table, and chairs, the fellow would stay however long it took to kill a deer. If it was a couple days, that was ok, he'd just spend the night and be ready the next morning. This was about 40 years ago and we called it the 'hotel'.

That made me laugh. Been there done that with the same.

Man, that thing needs A/C and heating, running water, etc.

DF

Back in my military flying days, a few miles from our home base in an area we frequently flew over this hunting club had at least ten blinds built with old VW car bodies - the old Beetles with the flexible moon roofs - mounted on a pair of power poles at least 25-30' high. I guess they had the choice of rolling down the window or standing up in the moon roof to shoot. The club was about 10,000 acres and we figured at least one of the members was in the junk car business and another had to be in the utility business.

Who makes the black round can ?....that looks simple

These guys make it and it doesn't leak as it's molded as one piece. I can't say that about the other blinds.

https://sportsmanscondo.com/

Thank you Sir !

I'm building one right now, or more accurately reworking/refurbishing an old one. The original owner made it from 2" 11ga. square tube of about 4' x 6' dimensions on a 10' tall stand made from 3" x 1/4" wall square tube. Heavy as heck!

He made the original front 3-facets, so the blind was actually a hexagon, and he sheathed it all with 1/2" plywood. It's lasted 8 years and was in rough shape. Plywood doesn't weather very well, and he had lots of exposed ends that allowed the water to penetrate the ply's. In addition, the half assed attempt at windows, left them prone to leaks, blowing open, PITA to open etc.

I've cut all the steel apart and made the blind a true 4' x 6' rectangle. I then framed for the door and windows using 1 1/2" 14ga. square tube and sloped the roof. It will get fitted with (2) 30" x 11.5" slider windows on the front, a 30" x 11.5" slider on each side and a 16" x 11.5" on the back, with a 24" x 60" door also on the back. All the doors and windows are from Deerview Windows and cost $552 total. These windows/doors mount from the outside and seal and cover any end grain of the window/door openings. I've used the same windows on some other blinds and they're top notch. I put a carpeted rest under each window, so your gun isn't resting on the metal window frame.

The blind will get sided this time with 7/16" LP siding panels. These panels have a surface coating/primer that holds paint and weather very well. The steel frame, interior and exterior will all get painted with Rustoleum oil based paint. BTW: equal parts of Rustoleum Rusty Red Metal Primer and Hunter Green Gloss paint make a perfect Satin Olive Drab color that goes on easily, lasts a long time and is easy to recoat/touchup. The outside blind corners will get painted galvanized 2" corner flashing to cover the corner end grains (the galvanized trim will get rubbed with vinegar to etch to hold paint). The roof will be shingled with appropriate drip edge.

The key to making homemade blinds last is using siding, not plywood, protecting all end grain and using good windows/doors.

This blind will get mounted on a 3' tall stand with skids (runners) and can be dragged on/off a trailer. It will get anchored when in place to prevent blow over. It will have steps/handrail to get in/out.

Estimated material costs:
$200 steel (1 1/2" square tube for framing the windows doors and a 20' stick of 2 3/8" pipe for the skid base)
$552 windows doors
$50 for self tapping/sealing screws and other self tap flush screws, tube of brown silicone caulk
$285 for LP siding panels
$100 for floor roof plywood
$40 shingles
$60 corner/roof flashing
$66 paint

$1350 total (Some of the steel from the original stand I was able to re-purpose, or I had as scrap/drop for the stairs etc.) Right now, I have 16- 20 manhours in 100+ degree heat building this thing by myself, but a good chunk of that was reworking/squaring the original steel. I have all of the framework steel completed and painted. I figure an additional 16- 20 manhours to complete. In reality, using square tube adds a bunch more labor to the welding, versus angle iron. But your fasteners aren't all poking through on the inside like angle iron.

When I priced material as above for a similar blind as stick built, material cost was $1100. But the labor using a chop saw/framing nailer etc. was probably 1/3 to 1/2.

Pricing new blinds (without a tower) would be $2300, figure with tax and building a base, you're looking at $2750 plus some of your time to fab the base)

In reality, I'd buy a good quality fiberglass blind from Dillon or Xtreme Blinds. and build my own base. Unless you enjoy/have time to build one right.

Half the reason I'm into this project is to keep the costs off the radar of my BIL's wife. He can hide $200- $300 expenses at a time.