Box Blind Height

[nrowles]

Building a Box Blind over my couple acre food plot so my daughter and I can spend some quality time together. Observation and gun hunting. I do not need to build the blind off the ground to see but I am thinking I should get it up in the air a bit in case any deer come in close so they don't detect us. I want to keep it as low to the ground as possible but feel that I've taken care of the detection part. The plot is about 2 acres and box will sit in the edge of thickish, small, young jack pines. Very little greens down low but lots of branches. My plan is to put the base 8' off the ground. Should that cover it? Obviously the higher the better for detection but again I want to stay as low as I can while still keeping us from being busted easily.

 

[roymunson]

Depending on terrain in and around the blind, you may want to change the height, but both that I have at my place (put in last year) were 8' up. Both had multiple deer killed within bow range last year.

One of the others on a buddy's place was put in at 10-12', but that was because it was on a slope and he wanted to do as much as possible to avoid being at eye level with approaching deer.

If you're just going "up" to get out of line of sight, 8' should be fine.

 

[nrowles]

Exactly what I wanted to know. You have bow kills out of your 8'ers so your experiences tell me what I wanted to know.

 

[j-bird]

I agree with Roy. 8 feet is enough, but like was mentioned the elevation of the area and just how far you want to see impacts that. With a tower blind your hiding in plain sight so the height is more a matter of what works for you vs what bothers the deer. I do still however consider the wind while hunting a tower blind. I have one that is only 4 feet off the ground but sits on the top of a slope with where I am hunting sloping away from me....so I have some natural elevation advantage. I have others that are 10 or so, because like was mentioned I am sitting in a lower spot than the rest of the area so I have to make up that elevation difference. The height of the cover in the area can drive the height as well....I like being able to see over and down into some of the cover if possible. I don't bow hunt mine so I shoot mine well before they get into bow range. The one thing I have run into (with younger kids) is that the acceptable window height (to use the bottom as a shooting rest) for an adult is too high for kids. You thus have to raise up their seat to accommodate. Good luck with your build.

 

[roymunson]

I'm pretty blessed in that the crew I hunt with runs a furniture manufacturing business for a living, so they know woodworking and tight joints. They have access to plexiglass (double paned is worth it) and some really good materials and we've actually been able to make blinds scent proof. I sat on a field edge with the wind blowing into the woods across deer's noses last year, and had 15 deer come in directly downwind. Old does, bucks, etc... (expansion foam is the key on seams)

The issue with being airtight is on a long sit, you'll run yourself out of oxygen and get a headache, but on short sits, it is a game changer. We can set blinds in places where the wind swirls and be ok.

I"m gonna be at the land this weekend. I'll try to take some pics of the fit and finish of things and share them on here next week.

 

[roymunson]

8' is plenty high to get above line of sight, and will also make it easier to get away with low movement in the blind (below the windows) with young kids. Don't ask me how I know.

 

[roymunson]

Here's a couple pics of me with my boys, and my 9 year old nephew before he killed his first deer in blinds.

 

[scott44]

I built one for a soft sided Redneck, the platform is 6'X8' and is 8' high.

View from the blind during bow season last year.

 

[Bill]

Taken from a six foot high box with a bow on the first sit in the box that season. With a box blind I think hunting pressure or lack there of is much more important than height.

 

[Mortenson]

Awesome blinds there Roy. Scott I love how that MG looks at your blinds. Monster buck there Bill, man hes a beaut.

We've been building our boxes on the ground, probably mostly due to laziness. But we use black interior paint and black-out curtains, and kill plenty of good deer.

 

[yoderjac]

If terrain and vegetation are not an issue, I like to have the floor about 10' off the ground. That puts the windows a couple feet above that. I does help to some degree with detection, but if the blind is tight and dark, and you don't have open windows positioned where light can get in, you can be on the ground an go undetected. There may be some scent advantage if you are taking kids or folks that are not "clean". On average, more deer seem to get closer to my elevated blinds than those on the ground. I like this for bowhunting. For both bow and gun hunting I like the downward shooting angle the elevation provides. It adds safety for gun hunting and a lower exit wound for a better blood trail for bowhunting.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Tree Spud]

Taken from a six foot high box with a bow on the first sit in the box that season. With a box blind I think hunting pressure or lack there of is much more important than height.

View attachment 24771

You never know if a stand is too low until you are blown when a buck like this spooks.

As a general rule, 8' is foolish unless you have specific unique cover, understanding of wind, & terrain that allows a buck to approach you shooting path before you are discovered. Sightlines from 25-50 yards our will screw you.

As Bill stated ... with any stand, 1st time sit can be magical. I have stands set-up for old folks and Dads who have to do daycare .... majority are set-up for hunters.

 

[buckdeer1]

I put a redneck on the short stand,think 5 1/2,I have a couple gillie blinds on a hay trailer and deer don't even look at it.I painted the flap that is for the window black as I think this is why deer look at a blind when you let down windows,same as on a bale blind.I have another homemade box that is 6 ft off ground and have deer walk right beside it

 

[Diesel5610]

My favorite house was set up 10 years ago for my daughter and I, it is on 8' legs. There have been a couple very big buck killed from it and a couple truck loads of smaller buck with kids and doe. 8 Foot is fine if the house is situated in the proper spot that allows you to get in and out undetected and you place it where the primary wind for your area is taking your scent away from the deer. An air tight house helps but you still want to have the wind in your favor as much as possible.

 

[roymunson]

Here's a couple pics I took of one of our "homemade" blinds, as i said, it's good to share hunting ground with woodworkers.

trap door in the bottom and plexiglass windows.

These are 8' 4x4s as legs.

We have used carpet in the past, but foam flooring is what we're using now. Must be cheaper or easier to come by.

 

[ssesox]

I'll let you know after this season. After two seasons of getting picked off or at a minimum the deer getting squirrelly and nervous I'm putting my blind on a platform 8' feet up. I have to believe the slight downward angle that I'll now be looking at the deer is going to help. I won't be eye to eye with the deer. Archery hunting.

 

[nrowles]

Here's a couple pics I took of one of our "homemade" blinds, as i said, it's good to share hunting ground with woodworkers.

trap door in the bottom and plexiglass windows.

These are 8' 4x4s as legs.

We have used carpet in the past, but foam flooring is what we're using now. Must be cheaper or easier to come by.

What is the purpose of 6 sides? More sight?

 

[roymunson]

What is the purpose of 6 sides? More sight?

More and better angles to shoot from with a deer coming thru, also makes a wider interior for drawing bows/moving around.

If I were building it, it'd be square, but like I said, they're experienced woodworkers and must like complicating it. It is easier to hunt out of than square

 

[Fall's Legend]

Scott44,

I built an 8X8' and 8' tall platform. Was thinking about getting the same Redneck blind. Does it handle wind Ok. Thanks.

 

[scott44]

Scott44,

I built an 8X8' and 8' tall platform. Was thinking about getting the same Redneck blind. Does it handle wind Ok. Thanks.

It seems to do ok in the wind, mine is kind of sheltered on 3 sides with the north being the only unsheltered side. The blind has a metal frame with holes in the bottom rail so I got some fender washers and used deck screws to fasten the frame to the deck.