Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Seeking Design Plans for a Deer Blind

Hi guys. Longtime deer hunter here. I/we hunt on family property and we have quite a few deer stands (ladders) as well as a couple of high-end elevated box blinds. I'd like to add another blind but want something less expensive, a DIY deal. I'm not much of a carpenter but have friends/relatives with skills. What I'm wanting to build is likely a 4' x 8' model (plywood sized, for convenience) with the base about 6' above ground. I'd like it to have windows on front and both sides, not the back, and door on one side. Do any of you have any design plans for something like that (or maybe, a better alternative) that you would mind passing along to me?

Thanks for your time.

Make it 6x8 and thank me later.

How are you going to weatherproof it?

I built one out of 5mm luan, 2x2 framing and glassed it with 6oz fiberglass cloth and it's on it's 3rd season.

Window design is important, sliding windows allow you to crack them for ventilation to reduce fogging, flush shelf at window level wide enough for a gun rest and to protect seals, shelf above windows and no shelves below windows, wide enough for bag or back pack, floor needs to be sandwiched 3/4" plywood glued together(PL Premium) and sealed, pay attention to door design, my next one will have a framed RV door, windows only where needed, carpet for sound deadening on window shelf down to and including the floor

I don't know if you're considering plywood or T111 for the siding/floor but if you have porcupines in your hunting area they will devour that in no time.

Thanks for the responses. Darryle, you've got some good ideas there. Got any actual plans on paper? I actually would like a 5' x 7' size but the 4' x 8' would seem easier given plywood dimensions.

We have no porcupines in our area. Was planning on plywood for sides and floor.

Nope, it's not easier 4x8, seam it and go. It's a rectangle, not that complicated. Windows at about 40-42 inches from the floor, lay the wood on the long edge, seams under the window and over, fill out the sides, tape the seams with 4" glass and then cover the entire sides with glass to seal out moisture. 2x2 under and over the windows and in the corners, around the base to tie everything together, every joint between 2x2 and luan is glued with PL Premium and screwed together with coated deck screws. I made the roof like a house, dowel rod screwed, glued and glassed in the apex. Light and super strong and has weathered the south west Texas summers and winters. I used regular automotive style fiberglass resin, normally I would use epoxy resin, but I buy the glass from the boat building supply houses, whoever is cheaper.

Get you a piece of paper and sketch it out, figure out what windows, door and chairs you want and order them, once they arrive, measure the windows for the cutouts, sit in the chair and with your rifle figure out the most comfortable height, make that the bottom edge of the window, factor in the shelf, and add that to your sketch, buy lumber and get to throwing chit together, save your drops of luan for shelves, use a 1x2 on edge to brace under the back edge of the shelf. When you get everything glued, screwed and glassed, paint it and install the windows and door using the same PL Premium glue, the camouflage the thing using those faux marble/granite foam paint rollers at HD or Lowe's, get the kids and family out and autograph it with hand prints and hunt out of it for years to come.

If you have any more questions, pm me and I will give you my cell number, I can pretty much walk you through any problem.

The only pictures I actually have of the blind in question, this was the first one, trust me when I say bigger is better. I learned quite a bit about building deer blinds from this first one:

Check out the windows from Shadow Hunter Blinds.
External covers keep the internal clear sliding windows clean and clear. Clear windows slide vertically in plastic tracks silently. keep wind out and scent in until ready to shoot.

Also agree with going 6’x8’.

+1 on 6X8.

I decided to build THE blind about 10 years ago, and spent a bit of time with carboard,string and measuring tape mapping out ideas and then trying to figure what was the ideal dimensions for me with a kid along hunting back-to-back. 6X8 was comfortable. 4X8 was claustraphobic.

Use metal roof panels on the top and sides. It’ll last forever or until a tornado rolls thru.
Note**** Use plywood on the roof and then roof panels. If not you’ll get dripped all over on frosty mornings***

4x8 or 6x8 is the perfect size for a couple office chairs.

My latest favorite is 4x6 with a full length wooden bench with cushions instead of chairs. Build it right and it’s very comfortable and no chairs squeaking, banging or rolling around making noise. It’s more like sitting on your couch, add arm rests made from 2x4’s.

Tons of DIY window ideas on youtube

Figure out a way to seal it up GOOD when you're not using it, or the coons and owls will fill it with crap, given the chance. Squirrels will probably chew on it, a LOT, too. Danged coons can get into anything.

A google search will yield plans for several different designs. These are nice to make the best use of materials and to know what supplies to get. I like double walls with foam insulation between them. Quieter and warmer. Can be metal exterior and plywood interior.

Deerview windows work very well and their door kit is nice. Old rv doors work as well. I built one 5.5x7.5 and another 6.5x6.5 and will build a 6x6 next time (cut 12’ lumber in half). 4x8 is Very tight and the longer blinds are difficult to see everything with one person. I can take two kids with me or two adults fit easily in my 6.5x6.5. Agree with using metal roofing and t111. Make sure you put the door and stairs so the water from the roof drains somewhere else. If insulting, space your studs accordingly.

Good luck.

I can only add if you are building it, build it once and be done, don't skimp on the money or time b/c it isn't that much more for either to do it right the first time. Go a little bigger than you think you will need, get the window ledge at the right height for the chair you will be using, drop a piece of pvc tubing down one corner and into the ground below with a funnel head so you can leave a leak when u need to. Build a good set of stairs up to the door. And always check beforehand during the early season for bees nest.

Even worse are owls and buzzards nesting in your stand. Nasty!!!

Build it 6x8 out of plywood and put a drip edge, tar paper and metal on the roof. Another thing is use double pane slide up windows they won't fog up. I bought 3 tab roof shingles in different colors and mixed and matched them for the outside walls, came out excellent.

I have six, all 4'x4', big enough for one adult and one child / small hunter. Mine are on 12' 4x4s. I preassemble the walls on the base using screws so I can take it apart for transport and assembly. I use treated plywood and I let it cure for about a month before painting. I use 3/4" plywood for the base over treated 2x6" frame. I use the other half of the 3/4" for the door assembly as the thicker wood holds screws for the hinges better. I build one 4x6" but didn't need the room for one person and it's much more expensive as you have to go up in size for everything and you have more waste. I make a 6x6 frame for the roof and cover it with Ondura 4-ft x 6.58-ft Corrugated Asphalt Roof Panel from Lowes. Much easier to work with than tin and quieter when an acorn falls on it!!! For assembly, I install the legs on the base and get it upright. From there, I use an extension ladder and slide the wall sections up one at a time, same for the roof. Good luck!

During the off season, I run string around the window openings to keep owls from landing inside, they have made a real mess in the past.

Instead of Plywood or T1, I use fence boards. Cheap and easy to replace. We wrap the whole stand with weed barrier like you would put down in your flower beds. Keeps the wind out and heat in. Going on 6 years and the stands have been under water twice and still holding strong. We haven't had to replace anything. Oh yeah, metal roof for sure.

Buy four 8' sections of stockade fence 2 for sides leave uncut 2 ends cut 2' off of lengthy (6x6). Nail 2 2x4 together and screw that to the inside of each corner the 2 corners that are to be the non window back side wall cut 4" shorter than the other 2 . Put 2x4s between each corner post with an additional 2x4 where your own for the roof edge hits near middle. You can shingle with paper or buy 12' metal and cut in half for roof
Windows..cut out where you want with saw cut out a door add hinges and line inside everywhere with plastic cover that with old carpet. 3 hrs start to finish and will last nearly forever if you put sealer on fencing or camp paint it once every 5 year or so.

Know a guy that makes stands out of used 4x4 IBC totes you can buy them everywhere for under $50. Buys 4 of them for a blind stacks one atop the other 2 high cuts one wall out of each Stacy and uses middle clamps to fasten together now he has a 4x8 blind with heavy plastic on 4 sides . Cut a door and windows in couple chairs and some spray paint you are done.

I've found the simpler the better. You're deer hunting not staying at the Hilton. The purpose of a deer blind is to hide your body and limit your scent. A decent blind also blocks wind. Heck the last one I built I didn't even put any hard covers on the windows. I used strips of burlap hanging over it. You can see through the burlap but it blocks the deer's view and also somewhat slows down the breeze and limits your scent somewhat. I built that last one for under $200. I used treated plywood. Whatever you do though, if your blind is above ground don't put the entrance on the bottom. I had one like that and it was pretty fancy. It had windows and doors and was pretty well sealed. Wasps and other creepy crawly things didn't get into it, but a Cotton mouth got in and nearly bit me in the head. That's not a good place to enter a blind. Put a door on the rear, non window side. When you open that door take time to look around inside before entering.

We’ve built five of these and are happy we did. They are so tight when you close them up that spiders don’t get in, let alone wasps. Many will say they are too small at 48” x 40”. We think they are just fine. One person can see in any direction without much movement. We keep one office chair and one folding chair in each. The folding chair is for when one of my grandchildren is hunting, and that works really well. We put carpet on the floor and two feet up the walls to keep things quiet.


http://www.grandstandplans.com/