Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Building a shooting house

Wife wants me to build her a shooting house for deer hunting. Found some metal brackets that use 4x4’s for the legs. How tall can I go on the 4x4’s? The brackets do make the legs go out at a slight angle and I plan on cross bracing the legs and using some type of anchor to hold it to the ground. Stand will likely be 5x5 or 6x6. These are the leg brackets:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002MFF5...5LYDY&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

If anyone has any internet leads for plans please post a link

Some of the guys on my east Texas lease(sandy ground) dig holes either 4x4 or 4x6, concrete the 4x4 posts in the ground, build platform, prefab sides, pull sides up, assemble in place, add the roof, done deal!! They X brace the legs depending on height. They build some as high as 15 feet. Most are 6 to 10’, takes a couple hours if they do a good prefab job. They survived the hurricane that blew through about the time Katrina hit. If built out of treated wood, they will last a long time. I make the ladders for them out of square tubing.

If you can’t dig holes to bury 4x4’s, you might see how much it would cost to have a metal platform built, then compare to material cost for wood. I’m a metal guy. I like platforms like these. Way faster and lighter than wood to build. Do you have any welder friends?

I’ve got two “ houses” that I use every year built using the 4x4 brackets you show. One is 8’ and one is five. The 8’er has been in place for ten years and is as solid as the day it was built. The shorter one is only two yrs old, but like the other should last many years. Both are built completely with treated wood. One (8’) is 5x8, the other is 3.5 x 5.5 and is a little snug if used by two hunters. Sorry about no pictures, but the PhotoBucket fiasco got me.

I built a house with those exact same braces using 8' 4x4s. You can go longer but heed a couple things:

1) Pay attention to the directions they come with. Make sure you use 2x6, not 2x4s for the sides of your floor. You'll need them to put lag bolts into the sides.
2) DEFINITELY use cross braces on your legs. Run them from the very top of one leg to the very bottom of the other leg. This is where the support of your legs come into play.
3) The taller the house, the more careful you'll need to be when pulling it up to keep it from falling on over. Take your time and go SLOW. There's plenty of videos on youtube of folks pulling them on over on accident. The best way to built is modular. Build your floor first with legs and then pull it up. After it's up, add your walls and ceiling.
4) Use some type of anchor system. I drilled holes in my legs large enough to run rebar through them at opposite angles of the legs. I then bent the rebar at the top to act as an anchor.

4x4 stands are hard to move around with a gun and equipment, on my land we build 4x6 stands much easier to move your gun in,also have 1- 6x8 bow stand that's also heated, to gun or bowhunt in this big stand is really nice to use we even put a stair case for it.

Hanco, some nice shooting houses there.

DId you ever try using Guy wires?

I use cable and turnbuckles

All you need is two guywires

I much prefer these brackets. More expensive but well designed and over built.

http://www.e-ztower.com/

My son built this blind for his Eagle Scout project at an environmental learning center. It was used as a hunting blind and a wildlife observation blind. The stairs were made to accommodate a broad range of visitors.

Keep the comments coming. What about the size? I am planning for a 5x5. 95% of the time only one hunter will be in it with a rifle or crossbow

i like a 4x4 with a boat seat on a pedestal, and a swivel right in the center. Same distance to every wall, which is just right for me. I can look out of every side, even though some of my stands only have a view in 3 directions. I can open the window and get air moving or close it and block the wind. If you have a 2x4 in the center of the wall, and you should, turn it flat so your knees will clear better. miles

I find 4x4 to be common and too small. I also find 6x6 a bit too big to see if the deer are close. So I'd go with 5x5 with the understanding you'll have some waste.

I would go 4x6 as a minimum. This can fit two hunters and some of my hog hunting friends even have a cot in theirs for all nighters. Definitely anchor the blind from the get go to avoid an accident. In sandy soil we use T-posts or the big screw type mobile home storm anchors. In rock we drill into the biggest ledge around and sink moly bolts with a ring eye on them. Many of the locations don't have large trees around to use for guy wires.

I like double walls with at least sheet foam insulation this helps with heat or cold and muffles any noise. If it will be a long term set up use good materials and paint everything before assembly especially the edges of plywood. We also caulk all joints with liquid nails. This cuts noise and eliminates crevices for creepy crawly things and hornets. I put a screened roof 4-way vent on one stand and it works well to funnel heat and odors upwards if a heater is used. Also reduces fumes or carbon monoxide build up.

I like windows that raise upwards and forms an awning to help shade the inside of the blind. The nicer ones also have sliding plexi-glass windows for bad weather. Add corner shelves and pad any place a rifle might be rested. I use foam pipe insulation on the window sills and old carpet everywhere else.

what have y'all found to be a good window height to make good use of a bulls bag type rest?? I just joined a new deer camp that has mostly 4x6 shooting houses and that was a pre-requisite since I like to take my 14 yr old and my 7 yr old sons with me in the stand. until the 14 yr old says he wants to go to his own stand I'm good with both of them being with me and the eldest being my "shooter" and me being the "spotter" for him.
thanks,
Big Ed

Sit in a chair, measure your eye height. Center window on that measurement. That how I do it.

The main guy wire in the shooting houses I use are running from the middle of the deck with an eyebolt to a hole dug directly under it filled with a bag of sakrete.. 2 other guy wires are used if there are trees around

I ordered these leg brackets today:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Elevators-4-in-x-4-in-Double-Angle-Brackets-4-Set-E188/202560097

Found them on Amazon but with a little research got them $20 cheaper at Home Depot.

Exact same for me. Love mine.

It is the www.blynd.com 4x4 model with full length door. It has survived hurricanes Ike & Harvey. But, it definitely has some battle scars. It weighs under 100 lbs so I can move it around with ease. During Ike it circled the back yard numerous times. I had brought it home for safety. Even at 100 lbs & 50 mph sustained winds at least it stayed in the yard.

I have 4 4x6 blinds at the lease all on 10 or 12 foot 4x4 posts using the Elevator brackets.
I've put stands up on 16 foot legs in the past as well.
Prefab the walls with 2x2s covered with 3/4 plywood.
Get the legs on base w lag bolts and brace them with 2x4s temporarily.
Stand the base up, remove the temporary braces spread legs and brace them horizontally around the bottom about three feet from ground level.
Them brace them diagonally from top down to just above horizontal base.
Running the diagonal bases opposite from the one across from it will sturdy the legs up so base doesn't wobble.
Pull the walls up and assemble and drop roof on.

I'm about to build one more stand for one person and it'll be 5x5.

These are great suggestions and I’d add a coup,e of more.

Run a horizontal braces around the base of the stand along with diagonals. The 4X4s will twist over time and the braces at the bottom will help keep things in place.

Use cables for your bracing but use some wood braces as well.

Pad the inside of your shooting house with carpet samples because it will sound like a drum when you move around.

Add material for a shooting rest at the inside of the openings because a 2x4 wall doesn’t give you a lot of support. We use some sand bags for rests in the towers we have along a power line for long shots.

Lastly,

Don’t ask your framing carpenters to build 3 modular towers on a construction site. Because you will get everyone’s best ideas on what makes a great tower stand.... show up with a trailer and you get a 16 high 6x6x6 tower with treated wood and 3/4 in treat plywood with OSHA approved stairs etc... they are damn heavy and took about 8 people, one flat bed truck and loader to assemble. They will never move again....

If you are in areas where it gets cold, think about ventilation because it sucks big time to be sitting under a metal roof when the sun comes up and it rains all morning inside the tower from the frozen condensation that melts for two hours....

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If you are in areas where it gets cold, think about ventilation because it sucks big time to be sitting under a metal roof when the sun comes up and it rains all morning inside the tower from the frozen condensation that melts for two hours....[/quote]

I think he meant insulation although ventilation is important too. I go insulated double walls when I can. I use whatever is available, foam, batting and even carpet pads. Insulate the roof too. This is good for hot or cold but especially noise with the insulated double walls being the best. If you have young kids in the blind this is even more appreciated.

My son when he was five was perfectly comfy with a sleeping bag on a thirty degree day. He fell asleep and he said when he woke up there was a boom and he shot the deer. He had the order wrong as it was me shooting. I asked if he was dreaming about deer hunting during his nap and he sad yes dad.

Forgot to add one I forget all the time. Don't face the blind into the setting or rising sun during the season. I have set up for summertime sunset/rise only to find out the stand was almost worthless at the most critical times.

I actually ment ventilation and not insulation. Here in the SE we don’t need insulated stands but on the cold mornings 10 to 15 degrees, your body heat condenses on the ceiling. When it starts warming up you have cold wet rain inside your tower. It’s worse if you have a metal roof. Key is to not trap your body heat and many ways to do this.

The 4-way chimney type roof vent worked well for this as the warmer humid air would rise. If I don't do this I add at least one small vent up high as an exhaust vent, good for hot or cold weather use. Both may encourage any scent to go upwards too unless there is a temperature inversion or down drafts.

Insulation also reduces condensation so might help with your use too. Spray foam is ugly but easy.

Every place can vary but we have a hexagon on 4 foot sides. And an 8x8 square in anotehr place. Both have deer come by easily close enough for a bow shot and the hexagon we unfortunately have deer bed up under the stand now and again. They don't stay that long cause the dog can't handle it and will eventually whine or whimper some and they'll get up and walk off.

I think a small blind thats brand new woudl be worse than a huge blind thats been there...

Deer don’t pay any attention to a blind that’s been there a long time.

How do you keep coons, owls and such critters out of your stands off-season? Missouri is covered with coons, squirrels, owls and varmints galore, they'll chew and schitt on anything and everything, and I can't imagine a way to coon-proof one without people-proofing it, too. Yes, you can close the windows/doors but danged it they don't find a way in.

Glass windows or wood windows. Buzzards-owls are the worst!!!

Sheath the blind in tin. I don't like an all metal blind, too cold and noisy but over wood it is fine and makes the blinds last a long time. I use liquid nails or caulk to cut down on wasps an black widows, it helps some.

Here one of the problems is Rattle snakes denning under the blinds. I have run across them and two hunters found 36 under a fairly small blind.

I was standing a blind on a hill back up, 5 rattlers under it. I was in shorts and flip flops. One was a five footer.

how come they allways show up when you are in flipflops &shorts ?

They just know. It was August 31. It was hot that day!

I never hunted while sitting in a shooting house in my life. I get why some folks would employ such things- limited space to hunt, owning a small property and being forbidden to trespass on neighboring land, etc. Thankfully, having lived and hunted almost entirely on huge tracts of public land in the Appalachians I've been able to use the still hunt/sit a spell method, which is good because I would go batshit crazy sitting in one spot staring at the same scenery day after day year after year. Guarding the same trees for more than a couple hours drives me up a wall. Come to think of it, I only ever saw one such edifice in 50 years of prowling the woods of PA, MD, WVA, VA, and NY. I did sit in one in the Black Forest outside of Sankt Margens near Freiburg, Germany, but that was at the strict behest of the forester who controlled that neck of the woods. "When in Rome..."

Lots of good suggestions, I can add painting the inside black and wearing a black Ninja style face mask. Makes you hard to spot as I have had several deer look right into the blind, looking to see if they can detect a hunter. The black interior makes detection harder and the face mask adds to concealment.

Cross braces are needed if you go above 8 ft.
A concrete block in the ground with a cable tie down is a good idea in case of winds.
Stability is a good thing.

House trailer bathroom windows work good.

Lay them down long ways. It’ll open half way to poke gun out.

+1

An old office swivel chair works well.

DF

I couldn’t mention building a “Shooting House” without my wife wanting 2500’ sq feet, 2.5 baths a master bedroom and a kitchen loaded up with Wolfe appliances. Wouldn’t look out of place in field, if I painted it in camo. 😎

I have office chairs in all of mine. Comfortable

I'm sure it's great, I just can't get into 'I'm going outside to go inside to hunt'

I remember when closed, heated stands were rare, and ridiculed.
Heck I remember when people climbing trees to hunt was weird.

Now, it's common.

Hunting used to be something people simply did. A verb, so to speak.
Now, it has become a noun.
It describes, guns, camo, stands, scents..........
Nobody will go out around here and HUNT anymore.
They are afraid they will drive a deer to someone else.

+1 on the suggestion of a black interior and black or camo facemask. I have had situations where deer have approached from behind and the first thing they did was look inside. I carry a fleece camo facemask and a lightweight mesh one so I'm prepared no matter the temp.

Good comments, keep them coming. I might actually get the blind built in the next two months.

If it's permanent roomy is better. Put a 4x8 plywood on the floor and imagine.

2nd. unless you need, or want height, a 'house' you can stand on the ground or first latter rung and basically unload all your stuff your into is much easier than carrying it up a latter. Trust me there are lots of things that you will 'need' that you never needed deer hunting before!

Staple gun Landscape Weed Blocker Fabric to the walls - it's black & dirt cheap a lot easier than painting - get it in lowes depot garden/landscape area .

I built an 8'x8' - 8' 4x4 legs shooting house , we have our own spot or spots in the lease - do with it what you want . Hurricane Michael destroyed mine but the platform 8x8 it still standing the walls and roof were shabby built but lasted for 6 years .
Got a truck full of materials - waiting on rain to stop then heading out to rebuild it. Going back with all the former stuff -plastic storage shelf,12gal. water capacity,single wide mattress /bed,woodburning stove ,recliner&office chair,hatch through floor to reach down into cooler,coffee pot ,5gal. bucket w/toilet seat peatmoss dry cover = no smell for #2 #1 [urine] will be plumbed to a sealed bucket on ground level .2 rubbermaid tubs that fit under bed hold 2 walmart sleeping bags 1 army wool blanket ,big pillow .
Will only be 5'3'' tall inside so sitting or laying down or knees - keeping it low profile due to high winds.
Killed many hogs out of the blind I go out and camp in it for a week at a time - 11 days once , lease is 2000+acres wrapped around a big swamp -creek runs through it called pidgeon creek I'm the only one in the lease to walk it from road to road -beautiful in there . I run a trapline [snares] through it .
Right up the road is choctawhatchee river water management area 59,000K acres of river and swamp hunting which I hunt out of a small boat camo colored Gheenoe w/a 2.5hp yamaha 4 stroke motor .
Nothing I'd like more than having more room to hunt - but we all hunt what 'we have' and hunting/calling while checking my trapline is good enough for me . Coming 'home' for a steak dinner shrimp cocktail and a cold beer or red wine sitting in the recliner ain't bad at all . All while waiting for the motion solar powered light to alert me a hog has come to the corn thrown from the feeder - or a coon who gets the cz 22lr suppressed treatment . Lots of shooting from the shooting house .

I came across this on public land while hunting elk in Eastern Oregon.
day later I found another one about 1 mile away as teh crow flies. all public land .

That’s something else!

5x6 is the perfect size for 1 or 2 peeps inside.

I wish I'd taken pictures. I was on a lease in Llano County, Tx. Over our back fence, about 50 yards away, was a home-built wooden ground stand/blind. I went over the fence during the summer one year and looked inside. The guy had a recliner and a battery operated TV w/ about a 12" screen. Next to it was the last year's Cowboy's schedule.
I don't remember ever hearing a shot from that direction in 22 years.

Dre
That is the best camo job I have ever seen.
Most camo stands out, not blends like that!

I have to ask, are those braces made of stronger material than they look in that picture

If that’s a 6’ guy, your stand base is 20’ tall?

Is it squirrelly?

I used Elevator brackets on my last build, a 5X7 open platform. I will use them again.



If you go to my weblog, and search for "Hollywood" You'll see the whole process.

Why no roof? I wanted it open for the better days I have to hunt. I put up a 2X2 post this year to hold a camo umbrella. It kept me out of the drizzle/sleet/snow.

Why 5X7? I wanted a place for my granddaughter to hunt with me. During season, I dress the sides with burlap. She can fidget all she wants. If you're sitting down behind the camo burlap, the deer can't see you unless they're 150 yards away.

No need to elevate here. Too many thickets of oaks, so you just hunt the clearings or fields.

Built this 5x6 this year, but mostly for hogs. Windows close to keep the yellow jackets out. You can watch through the curtains, as they are see thru, and then pull them aside to shoot.

Roaming around was always a bit dicey on my local WMA due to all the other hunters. This year, however, traffic was way down. Still have four days of primitive weapons season. Think it's maybe time to get off my azz.

Ditto on the preference for being out in the open. Prior to 2012, I hunted a 100 acre private parcel that was cut up by ravines. We used treestands a good bit, but the same elevation could often be had on the ground by just climbing above the travel routes, and it was a lot more comfortable and flexible too. The last time I hunted there, it poured for two days straight. I stood under a tree with one of those strap-on umbrellas over me, which kept me dry enough to stick it out. This year, I killed the first deer sitting on a tree seat that belts around the trunk. Lightweight and very comfortable, and you can put it where you want as opposed to having to settle for a place that has a good log or hummock to sit on. Easier on an old back too. Standing for hours ain't as easy as it was ten years ago.

I think that pic was taken 3 seasons ago. from what I remember it was 2x4 and 2x6 construction. it was beast for being built in the woods

I wondered what this was about! I didn't open it up till this morning.

A shooting house is a deer blind in Michigan.

And a drug den in some other places, IIRC!

I never thought about a open house before but it makes good sense. 360 visibility, no worries about having to get the muzzle out of the house when shooting, less expensive, easier to get into position. Wife liked the idea as well as its primarily for her. Cover the sides with burlap or camo netting and an umbrella for the bad days.
Great idea, thanks.

enclosed stands are best and always keep your windows shut reason: no human scent in air then. another thought always paint the inside of stand dark ,take all orange clothes off and wear dark clothes including dark hat. use small windows too and some camo on windows so windows don't shine or glare much. have a landing on stand for ease in getting into enclosed stand. these are some of the more important things I have learned in 40 some years. another safe thing to do always build your stand off the ground at least by 6 feet or higher ,you will have less chance of a stray bullet hitting you. good luck,Pete53

Thanks guys. Everyone told me I was nuts not doing a completely enclosed blind, but I've got three on the property already, and that's fine if it's raining. This was conceived as a fair weather blind.



This is a deer's eye view after applying the camo burlap. I used landscape cloth for backing because the burlap let too much light through.

Here's a view from inside:



I ziptie pipe insulation on the top rail for a gun rest. The camo extends above the rail, so when I deploy the rifle, I'm still mostly hidden.

I'm with ya on this! I guess it's the way to go in some places and I'm not knocking it at all. I just rather "still hunt".

I wish we could get away with still hunting here in eastern NC, but they haven't come out with silencers for machetes, or hovercraft boots. Folks around here say they are still hunting, but they are really stand hunting (sitting still, vs. moving so slowly as to seem to be still.)

This one is in central Pennsylvania.

No further details. I'd like to see inside of it though

-Jake

I have built one. Mine was 3 feet off the ground. Once it has been in place a while deer ignore it. I wouldn't build one tall unless you need the elevation to see what can't be seen from the ground. Make the windows small as you can and still be able to get the barrel out the window. Deer will see in and see you if they are big. Painting the inside black helps conceal you too. Staple carpet to your window sills for a shooting rest. Put a comfortable chair in it that is quiet. Build a couple of shelves to hold what you want handy. Leave enough overhang on your roof and rain won't come in the windows. Enjoy, it is a lot more comfortable than being uncomfortable. Deer walk right by and don't see or smell you. You can wait for the deer you want to shoot without spooking the other ones
The pest here in the off season are wasps. If you leave your chair inside during the summer it is harder to clear out the wasp nests. Small windows keep the buzzards out too.

I also hunt out of a Gheenoe, do you find the 2.5hp pushed it well enough? I load mine up. Run from 2 to 6 miles (by GPS) upstream to set up hunting camp for 5 days. Have to cross two small lakes and want to make sure a small motor will push the loaded boat ok, not looking to race the darn thing.