I've been planning on building a 4x8' shed for a deer blind. This would be out of 2x4's and 2x6's (floor) with plywood sides, floor and roof. Gun slits and a door. I think I've got all the screws I need along with some old composite shingles (actually new ones that have been laying around here for thirty years). I think all I need is the lumber. It looks like it'll cost me about $240. Of course, better figure $300 as you always have some more stuff to get. I've got two questions. First, is it practical to figure I can put two big eyelets in the roof and then chain this thing to my tractor loader, lift it, and move it where I want after building it? Will it all fall apart or will the eyelets lift it okay?

Second question is should I embark on this project or can I just buy a similar blind for not much more money. I looked at one at Academy, but it is significantly higher (if I don't figure my labor-which I won't). The Academy one would be about $1100.

Why not just get a portable pop up job. It goes where you do. Not the other way around

I don't know for certain, but I would think that if you put the eyelets into the frame, you might be ok. I might recommend putting 4...1 in each corner, so that it doesn't tip or sway too much while moving this.

Could alway get an old pop-up trailer frame and wheel it in to where you want it to be. Have the floor or frame of the trailer be the base for your floor?

I have a neighbor who builds 4x4 blinds and then uses his tractor to lift them up where he chains them into trees... he is a 20 something guy... still thinks he is immortal... though come to think of it I haven't heard from him in a week or so...

You thinking ground blind or elevated stand?

Had a cousin build a frame out of 2" pipe with the box-blind on top. He put pins in the frame to where he could attach it to the 3-point on his tractor. Made moving easy for sure.

not sure size of your tractor or it's lifting capacity but we move my neighbors 4x4 stand that is 12 ft tall with a orchard tractor we slide forks under to lift and we have 55 gallon drum on back for counterweight

Ground stand.

Oh I have a big enough tractor. I'm just concerned the thing might come apart when I lift it.

Just off the top of my head, maybe build it using a pallet for a base. Then just a set of forks on the tractor to left the build and move it.

Run your 2x6"s long ways, one on each edge and one in the middle, and you can use the bucket on a tractor or better yet, forks if you have them to pick it up to where you want it. Ours held together fine.

My blind is like my second home...

If you build it with the intent to lift it with eyelets in the roof you should be fine. Run the siding down the outside studs and overlap the rim joist so that the whole thing is one complete unit. If the roof is going to be flat, just use some mechanical conections other than just nails to attach the roof framing to the top plate of the walls. You can run large eye bolts through the roof and down through the wall plates and use washers and a nut to connect. I would think that 3/4" threaded eye bolts would be plenty. Lifting from the top will limit how high you can place it and using forks on the bottom like others are suggesting may be a lot easier. Good luck.

Around here Lowes sells an OSB panel with a waterproof coating in mossyoak camo on the outside guys use to make blinds out of, roof and all. A few pieces of that and some 2x2 furring strips and you got a blind. I think it would be much cheaper than $300.

This sounds very, very good. I will have to check it out. It appears that a Lowe's up in Kansas City has it.

I would build it on 8 ft 4x4's and than you could pull it with the tractor, just cut the ends w/45 deg angles, drill holes in the end to put a pin thru and pull it.

I built one and bought a little cheap trailer axle from a salvage yard for 30 bucks and u-bolted it to the floor. Then ran a pipe welded to the axle to the front with a simple pin hitch. I drag it out and use a high lift jack to put cheap walmart jack stands under each corner for stability. During the off season I pull it under the carport to keep it out of the weather. Just slingin ideas at you.

6x6 welded wire mesh.
T stakes.
Some 1/2" OSB.
Tie wire.
Blind burlap.

Get a roll or two of wire mesh, cut it to size, make a circle in a suitable spot, stake it down with t-stakes. Throw some OSB on top, cut to size with jigsaw.
Wire everything together with tie wire. Cut your openings where you want, then wrap with burlap, use more tie wire to hold burlap to wire mesh. Cut your openings in the burlap, and you're in business..

Repeat as necessary..

Super cheep, super easy to make, and take down and reuse..

My brother and I are building ours (or his, I should say, it's going on his lease). Yes, we're real late, due to me moving and him having an achilles injury. We're hauling it in the back of a pickup, and will tilt it up with a rope, which is how I've raised them before. We'll see how it goes this weekend

It's all built of plywood with the corners reinforced, and screwed & glued construction, so it should last a long time. We probably have close to $500 in it. I questioned not buying one of the $1000 jobs, and the buzz he'd heard is they only last a couple of years before they fall apart due to wind & weather.

Cole, listen to my fellow Missourian... and farm boy, I suspect.

If this thing is never going to be anything but a ground blind and you won't be pulling it over basketball sized rocks seriously consider the 4x4 runner routine.

Folks have been building cabins, bases for feeders, and all kinds of crap that may need moving on a fairly regular basis that way.

Building an upper frame that would stand lifting and movement from an eyelet or two would require much more engineering and materials than a simple runner approach.

Hey Bart... just noticed your new signature line... Mine just seems way too polite for our current crop of them...

I'm thinking something like maybe, "Hey Rick... we really do need a troll zapper feature... willing to chip in for lawyer/insurance fees".

Sounds good to me...

Joe hit the nail squarely on the head - lifting something by its top requires a lot more engineering than lifting something from underneath the bottom (i.e., with the bottom supported), and you would probably weaken the structure each time you picked it up from above unless you did a really good job of engineering it - and that would be difficult to do with wood given the variability in wood.

My order of preference (based on the knowledge gained with a couple degrees in mechanical engineeering) if I was assigned to design it would be to design it to move by

1. lifting from beneath with forks on the tractor
2. dragging it with it sitting on 4x4 runners or another sturdy base like has been mentioned
3. lifting from the top (a very distant third choice)

One thing to note about building it to pull on runners is that you need to make sure the runners are parallel, and if you have to err on either side of parallel to make sure they are pointed so you would be pulling with the sharp side of the V (relatively speaking since you probably would still want to get them as close as possible to parallel) pointed forward rather than the "open" side.

Dad used to keep his hog houses on runners, and just move them around, back when it was $$feasible for a farmer to run a few hogs. I agree with Joe 788 and RR.

Smithwr,,,
"...a little cheap trailer axle..." Got one of these and think its a great idea,,, any chance I/we could get some pic's of yours? tnx

How about some pictures? Some of these blinds sound like motel rooms. Awesome...

Cole, These guys are giving good advice about construction, particularly the use of 4"x4"'s. Landscape timbers are cheap and work as well. Like Bart, my boxes are a home away from home. If I may give one bit of advise, go 5'x5', rather than 4'x8'. It causes a few more cuts but can accomodate a couple of people more comfortably and if you hunt alone, it is not a walk to any window. My advice as to travel is to fabricate it at home and assemble it with dry-wall screws. G'Luck!

I have built several over the years. Just like Pat said, 4 x 8 is too big. My latest build is 4' x 5.5' with pitched roof (high at the back door and low in front). Built on 3/4 plywood floor bolted 4x4's to skid. Depending on the bucket of your tractor, it could be picked up and chained to the bucket for moving.
My other advice is lots of paint before the wood goes together and more coats after. Paint interior black. I buy the "returned" exterior paint at Lowes.
I think you price is about on unless you discover a cheap source of lumber.

stumpy

Cole, I don't have any sort of stationary blind myself but I did help a buddy build one a few years ago. I'll try to swing by it some time today and grab a photo or two.

It is not my design so I won't champion it - it more closely resembles a duck blind with a roof (read long and skinny) rather than the more practical designs others have mentioned here that would provide better shootin' in 360 degrees. This one was built with its home in mind, along with the thought of more than one hunter occupying it and only covering a 180 degree field of fire.

Probably not what you want but I bought a commercial 'mini-tower' stand that is 7' off the ground, trap door entrance, expanded metal floor. The top is a camo pop up style blind. It has lasted 4 years now with the blind out for about 6 months each year. Color is now terribly faded. It may have one more year. I got it for about $300. It's PERFECT for a father son hunt.
I'm thinking about replacing the top with a PVC frame and camo burlap. But I may not be dealing with the same weather conditions that neccesitate hunting out of a rigid box.

I recommend using deck screws instead of drywall screws. They don't rust out nearly as fast.

I appreciate all the advice. I've got all sorts of screws laying around and most of them are stainless or coated of some type. I've probably got a few that aren't impervious to the weather, so I'll keep it in mind when I pick out what I'm gonna use. One thing is certain-sure, I ain't using nails.

Put in a small stove and cut some holes in the floor of this thing and you got yourself what we call a fish house!

I would think carpeting the floor would be a good idea. It would reduce the noise you make moving around and improve the insulation.

I'm in the panhandle in a deer blind as I type this with my blind 4 hours away but I'll try to describe it. I have a piece of pipe welded to the center of the axle at a 90 degree angle for the "trailer tougne" the actual blind is 4x6. With 3 4"x4" "runners" underneath covered with 1" marine plywood floor screwed on top. I have u bolts ran thru the floor and around the axle with one ran thru the floor and around the tougne. On top of the floor the ubolts are connected with angle iron in a pyrimid shape for stability. I just layed carpet over the bolts and angle iron but I suppose you could put in a sub floor over all of it if you wanted to hide it. Then I cut the bottom 2/3 of the pipe out in the front for a hitch and cut a hole to put a pin thru. Then just framed up some walls and cut a door and windows. Its gonna go 90mph down the road but it works for field transport. Now that's about as clear as mud I hope I've helped a little.

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Buy 1" square tubing and some corner braces, screw together with self tapping screws. Use what ever you want for the walls, floor. The frame is very light and extremely durable, will last for years. You can also build a base if you decide to elevate it. It can be made collapsible which is very convenient.

I had a frame that lasted for 15 years. Finally ditched it and built another.................

Farm boy? You bet! We have built hogsheds, cattle feeders, and chicken coops on runners, Always a good idea as they can be moved. Any size is fine, one advantage by making it 4x8 is plywood is already cut to that size and makes it easier to put it all together!
Seen 9 deer today, all to far to away to shoot at, will go out again tomorrow! Good luck hunting everybody!