Building a Box Blind - Last Winters Project

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

We had a couple 10/11 year olds this season in the mentor hunt, and not a lot of options for 2 people to sit in one stand.
We decided to fill in a void in our coverage of the woods and add a second box blind for cold/rainy days.
Here are some pics of the process.

We started this project in the pole shed with a couple of old downrigger boards and some 4x4 x 8 foot runners for the bottom and also to get us some height for the 4 corners.


I don't have a technical term for these corner brace contraptions....but they certainly made it sturdy.




Floor 2x4s


Bottom view of the floor.

 

[wklman]

Good idea with the support braces on the bottom blue collar. I've got a box stand to build this spring and will be interested to see the rest of this thread.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

Do to height issue in the garage and the need to get this badboy about 10 miles to the woods this is where we stopped for the winter.
We dragged it into place with a 4 wheeler in summer and started to build from the floor up.


4 corners and a couple of runners for the roof.


More corner bracing.


Runners for the roof.


The roof is on. This was a little trickier than we thought to get it up there.

 

[scott44]

Looks good!

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

We must have really got into it at this point but basic wood working now with a railing all the way around the sides to shoot off of and also to keep the whole thing from flexing. We also added a door on the tall side just wide enough to squeeze through with 100 layer of clothes on in November.
I would suggest putting your chair in the blind at this point, because the chair height will determine what is comfortable to see and shoot now.
I bought a trailer load....about 3 blinds worth of cedar slab wood for 20 bucks from a local guy. We also got about 2 seasons worth of kingling wood out of the deal. It was a steal and a half.
Here are some shots after we put the sides up.
Backside opposite of the door/entry.


From a distance the cedar slab tends to blend in nicely.


Back side opposite corner.


Front/Door side with a tree we had to cut down to open up a shoot lane slammed up againt the blind. Also you can see we threw on some tarpaper and popped a few nails in it.
I have a free piece of rubber to put on it in spring. That roof will last forever.


Back corner view from a distance with the debris up against it.


From that same angle at about 75 yards is this 2nd year Ladino plot. Also we added 2 crabs and a Wolf River in spring and they are doing well.
The trees are in full sun and should strive, but the plot is up against a pair of sheds and usually has a lot of human activity there in summer.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

While some guys would say that deer don't care about structures after a few years I put random nails around the perimeter to hang evergreens branches off of.
We added whatever 2x4s we had left on angles on the lower structure like giant X's to strengthen the stand and stop it from wiggling.
I had so much leftover slab that I eventually tacked the smallest pieces around any corners post of store bought wood. Really went with the all natural look!
I would say between the little rise it is on plus 8 foot legs on 4x4s and the height of the carpet and chair...eyelevel is about 12 feet tall. Plenty high for this spot.



Unfortunately, it looks like this is where I stopped documenting with the camera. A few things we added.
*Famed out a door on hinges on the side with the highest roof pitch.
*We added throwaway carpet inside to keep heat in, block the wind and generally deaden noises inside the blind.
*I took more evergreen and threw them up on the root and corners to break up the silhouette of the blind.
*One sweet swivel chair to quickly spin around for 360 shooting
*A small V shaped corner shelf to put your phone, binocs, sandwich etc on
*I used 2 cheap cans of spraypaint to dull out any bright spots from un natural/new wood.
*After the last picture we added 2 more cedar slabs to the top to narrow the gap to shoot out of. No reason to see up in the stars here. Really difficult to see a guy in there from 50 yards away.

I planted a strip planted of 50/50 oats and peas and this is how it looked after 2 weeks with no fertilizer on a 4 wheeler path. Unfortunately the deer and lack of sunlight in summer did it in. Experiment failed on that one.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

Here is a view from the shed past the fruit trees. The blind would be in the darkness about 75 yards or so.


Totally drawing a blank on what tree this is right now. I put in a Whitney , Dolgo and Wolf River.
Looks like the Wolf River to me. I have to tag those in spring before I forget for good.

 

[tooln]

Lookin good.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

So sorry I missed some shots of of the 100 percent finished product but you get the general layout of what we did.
We might build permanent wood stairs this summer otherwise its done.

Best part :) Opening day we had a grandson/grandpa combo in that blind for its first sit ever and that stand has one notch in the 2x4 now. Second day there was a chance for more shooting but a different father son combo didn't quite get setup in time to let one rip.
We did get both youngsters on the board with there first deer ever on opening morning.

 

[scott44]

So sorry I missed some shots of of the 100 percent finished product but you get the general layout of what we did.
We might build permanent wood stairs this summer otherwise its done.

Best part :) Opening day we had a grandson/grandpa combo in that blind for its first sit ever and that stand has one notch in the 2x4 now. Second day there was a chance for more shooting but a different father son combo didn't quite get setup in time to let one rip.
We did get both youngsters on the board with there first deer ever on opening morning.

That's what it's all about, great pic!

 

[Steve Oehlenschlager]

nice blind....but where's the brush on your land? My god is the ground cover bare! I get nervous that my woods are too thin if I can shoot 30 yds with my bow.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

Well that is an ongoing problem with my property. I want cover my habitat but my dad wakes up in a cold sweat at night when a tree hits the ground.
This area especially looks like a park. I finally convinced him this year to tip over some of these old Hemlocks to let some sunlight down to the forest floor and creat some immediate cover.
This corner specifically has very little cover and a couple hundred mature Hemlocks. I would say for now we tipped over about 30 of the 500 just to see how we like it. I would love to do 50 more but we got a little cold here lately....that project is on hold for now. 35 degrees and sunny saturday so we are looking to get back at it. I will get an "after" shot then.

I planted 2 patches of 15 each with Wild Plums last year. Probably 200 Norway spruce and another 100 shrubs from MDC as well.
See the attachments for how open it really is. Looks better in the picture with the snow pulling the branches down too.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

This spot more or less just a gun spot. The deer transition from 80 acres of really crappy CRP into that open 4 acres of woods and then dump into 6 acres of standing water and islands that we never got into. As you get to the back half of the woods there is more and more messed up thick stuff and tipped over cedars like the attached picture :)

Lets just say its about 10 to 1 deer shot in the thick stuff where its too wet to collect firewood vs. the hardwoods up front with ample 4 wheeler trails and dry land.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

I think I might just get a land tour going later tonight. I could certainly use the help/opinions. Our woods is like that first round draft pick from 5 years ago....all the talent but just not putting up the stats yet.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

We thought that a couple of straps or a wire to the trees would be needed but after adding all the lumber it is heavy enough it doesnt wiggle or show any signs of movement.
One thing I did that could be pretty cool some day was to plant a dozen norway spruce around the blind about 5 away. It would be pretty cool to have a giant evergreen growing around the rim of the blind and just trim your way out when they get too tall.
We thought about actually just putting 6 foot high fence around it and planting something that would grow alot faster but be browsed without a fence like a white pine as well. I am a dreamer. They dont all work out but its fun to try!

 

[bwoods11]

I like that blind!

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

We will be in saturday getting some late season firewood out of the 6 acres of marsh next to the blind. Lots of standing drowned out ash for the taking. I will see if I can get a better finished pic and maybe the inside too.

 

[buckdeer1]

We will be in saturday getting some late season firewood out of the 6 acres of marsh next to the blind. Lots of standing drowned out ash for the taking. I will see if I can get a better finished pic and maybe the inside too.

very nice great job with the kids

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

No deer were killed from that blind this year but we did see some does and shoot a commercial for wbay weather from it!

 

[Big Snow Man]

No deer were killed from that blind this year but we did see some does and shoot a commercial for wbay weather from it!

But you have one of the most famous blinds in the woods if your filming tv from it.