J-birds place

[j-bird]

So our "Deer Youth Hunt" was this weekend. We didn't go because....well someone (the "youth" portion of this puzzle) has had a broken bone in her foot for a few weeks now and FINALLY went to the DR Friday....and yep.....it's broke! She is down for 6 to 8 weeks....stubborn kids....acting like her mother!

Well, $75 in paint (2 gallons of OD green and 2 quarts of flat black) and related supplies and a lot of lifting (My muscles and hands feel like I have been in a fight...and lost) and the blind is painted on on the wagon! Modular design came in handy.

So I started painting Friday after work....FYI, don't paint by the light from a security light. It looks like Stevie Wonder did it! Saturday I took the blind apart and repainted some of the previous nights work and finished up all the painting (except for below window level on the interior). Sunday was re-assembly day.



I'll work on the door this week and get the windows on order as well. We will look into a long term roof covering solution (it's painted currently) and will attack it with the caulk gun this week as well. Once we have windows in I will look into some sort of window awning to help create interior shadows as well. We will figure out interior and the like later....it will be a work in progress for a while for the interior finishing work....but we are progressing.

 

[j-bird]

Sorry no major progress with the battle wagon project, just a basic update... My replacement trees from Chestnut Hill arrived friday (they replaced my persimmons (the graft died) and sent me 4 chestnuts as a gesture to replace the larger one I had die earlier). It has been very dry here but I tried to get them into the ground all the same. Saturday I put in 2 of them and the ground was so hard and dry it was like concrete. I actually dug a small hole and put a gallon of water into it to try to soften the soil and the water just sat there. I finally got them in the ground and watered them plenty. That was in my north plot. I was able to put 3 others in my south bottom plot sunday as well. And sunday...we actually got some rain! Not much, but it was nice to know it's possible. I also spread about 50 lbs of winter wheat in my 3 soybean plots as well. The beans are turning brown, and the turnips are growing (no bulbs yet) so I figured it was a good time to get some cereal grains down. The corn has been harvested at my place as well and harvest in the area continues and the temperature has finally become more like fall weather vs the 90's we was getting last week.

 

[j-bird]

So this weekend - I attacked the battle wagon with caulk, got the door built & fitted (not installed) and got some sheet metal on the roof (3 sheets of 36" x 96" galvanized and screws ~ $110)....still need hinges and latches for the door and an additional panel for the roof and windows are expected to arrive around Halloween.

I'll fill the ends with expanding foam....doing this with a constant wind wasn't any fun either. But I managed.

I also went out and did some needed repairs on the other blinds (landings seem to take a beating between the coon crap and weather that I replace them every couple of years). Also cleaned out any wasps nests (much easy to do in the cooler weather) as well as the carpets and the associated mouse refuse..... They are now airing out for the moment.

Checked on plots as well. Things here are still drier than they should be, but we did get some rain last week. I spread some extra wheat in areas I typically don't.....just to see what happens. Here are my beans all dried down with the green being turnips....they are behind because of a lack of rain. I broadcast some wheat into these as well a week ago or so.


Still behind....I still got a pile of stands to put up....

 

[j-bird]

So I got a chance to put some finishing touches on project Battle Wagon...but the big milestone is still the windows (getting anxious).

I was able to finish the metal on the roof (used expanding foam to seal the ends as well), I got the door installed (hinges, latches and furring strips). Also replaced the hardware that attached the hopper to the wagon frame.....it looked to be 3/8".....we upgraded to 1/2".

 

[Mortenson]

That thing is lookin awesome!

 

[j-bird]

That thing is lookin awesome!

I picked up the windows yesterday so hopefully I can get them installed and the finishing touches buttoned up this weekend and get it out in the field. It will either fail or succeed in a spectacular way!

 

[j-bird]

Well this weekend was "odd". I worked late Friday and I'm in bed and the wife says something to the affect that it's supposed to rain all weekend. Awe #$@% I had planned on installing the windows. So being the person I am.....I'm out installing windows at 10PM at night via the security light and a trouble light! Not really my smartest move....but I got them in. Then I get up Saturday to it pouring rain and I go out to see how the project is holding up.....and I got leaks! Now I'm really pissed off. Turns out...in my haste to put the windows in I forgot to seal them! So now...against better judgement I'm trying to seal windows with caulk....with it raining....and leaking. You can guess how well that works! I also got a roof leak.....right smack dab in the middle of the roof.....just a little drip....but enough to argivate me. So again trying to stop a leak...from the inside...in the rain....was not a good idea. Thankfully Sunday rolled around and it was nice....no rain, clear and I was able to fix the things I cut corners on the proper way. I re-sealed and properly finished out the windows, and sealed the gaps in the roof metal. Hopefully everything will cure properly and we will be fine.

The door - I made. I decided to install a spring to help keep it closed and tight. It's easy enough to un-hook if so desired. I did caulk the furring strips later. Simple latch from the hardware store.


What I lack in carpentry skills - expanding foam and caulk make up for! Good thing it's cheap!!!



Some of my 1/2" hardware.....


I little 5$ LED light for inside.... It has 2 power levels and a "strobe" setting......not sure what the deer with think of the strobe setting, but it's a rave inside and everybody likes a good party!

 

[j-bird]

Window install pics.....
Outside on saturday....if you look close you can see my caulk being watered down and running down the building.....


Like I mentioned Sunday once things dried I was able to do it right....
After sealing the outside.....I filled the inside gaps with expanding foam and used a sharp pocket knife to trim it flush.....well, flush-ish.


Then I went around the perimeter with a bead of caulk and then installed the furring strips.... and then calked those as well. Once the caulk firms up some I use a wide chisel or putty knife to trim away the excess. I simply caulk the seam and use my finger to push it in and give it a decent radius.


Full window.... Screens pop-out easy enough (I have a little storage system for them up in the ceiling. Helps keep them damned lady bugs things out! Not sure what it is right now but if it's nice out them things are everywhere! Double slider....may be a bit tall for gun needs at 24" but nice if I ever do bow hunt from it. I may add some sort of short "curtains".....I feel wrong for typing that....to reduce the open area of the window.


I installed a few gun and hanger hook s and a few shelves and she is almost done. I need to paint the door - inside and out and the lower 1/2 of the blind (not sure If I'm going to do that or not). I need to get some carpet or a rubber mat for the floor and get it out into the field.

 

[Bill]

Looks good!

Remember this brand. It’s good stuff! Works in the rain.
Put a tube in there just in case you hunt in the rain and spring a leak. :)

 

[j-bird]

I got roughly $500 wrapped up in just the wagon and windows....probably close to $1,000 total, but I was at my local Rural King over the weekend and they had an off-bran metal "shooting shed".....no stand, just the building on a wood pallet for $1,500. So I think I am doing pretty good. And I'm not hunting in a tin can!

 

[Bill]

Yeah you’re way ahead of the game and it’s portable.
My neighbor has one of those wagons that’s been sitting in the bushes for years. I may have to ask him about hauling it away for free.

 

[j-bird]

Yeah you’re way ahead of the game and it’s portable.
My neighbor has one of those wagons that’s been sitting in the bushes for years. I may have to ask him about hauling it away for free.

I figure this is going to be epic one way or another.....it will either be a grand success.....OR, it's going to tip over and be an epic failure! All the deer hunters I show it too really seem to like the idea....all the non-hunters look at me like I'm crazy and have lost my mind!

 

[Bill]

all the non-hunters look at me like I'm crazy and have lost my mind!

That goes with the territory. :). Because we have!

 

[j-bird]

Project battle wagon is far enough along to cal it COMPLETE. Saturday I took if out into the field, found it a good location and I button up a few things and it's ready to hunt!

Any way....I guess the wife was having a panic attack while I was on the move with it. The hill was a bit of a pucker moment, but I survived. I'm not sure how bad it was....all I could see was in the rear view mirror....might have been a good thing.


I got it up on blocks and leveled out.... This was actually easier than I thought it would be. The tires are off the ground to where they will spin freely.


I then got an idea to get even more stability and essentially set up an "outrigger" sot of thing where I ran a long 4 x 6 under the wagon and then jammed a 2x8 up under the lip of the cart and then kicked the other end of the board until tight and screwed a block to hold it. Did this on both sides and it is VERY stable now.


Polished off the interior with more sealing and some carpet....


and decided that the windows need some sort of covering so I put up some burlap "curtains" if you will. This really helps from being skylined between the windows. 2 layers of burlap was just what I needed.

 

[j-bird]

So now we hunt....general firearms opens on the 16th!
The path shown here is one I use all the time so the deer are used to people traffic in this area.


Inside looking out the south window. The corn field near edge is 75 yards.


The west view.... This is a point on a elevation change of 50 feet or so.


Then the north view.... where I have a clover plot and some apples trees (50 yards out) and beyond that my soybean plot that the near edge of it is 100 yards out.


Then my boy chipped in with his own addition to the project....this is the drivers seat out of an international semi truck. You talk about comfortable...gonna be tough to stay awake.... He is gonna get a hole saw and put a cup holder in the plywood! We need to put larger casters on it, but it leans back, arm rests are fully adjustable, lumbar support....

 

[Bill]

That’s going to be sweet spot to sit..

 

[j-bird]

That’s going to be sweet spot to sit..

Check out the video I posted in the "building stuff" section!

 

[Bill]

I love the flag.

Maybe I’ll get a Trump and a Bernie flag so as to not anger deer on either side of the isle... :)

 

[j-bird]

I love the flag.

Maybe I’ll get a Trump and a Bernie flag so as to not anger deer on either side of the isle... :)

If my american flag offends the deer...well, I guess I'll shoot them!

 

[j-bird]

I want to officially call BS on Indiana weather! It's November 12th and last night we had not only snow, but a fair amount....broke a 108 year old record for snowfall on the day.....now it's cold...not supposed to get above freezing today. This is TOTAL BS!!!!


Now to demonstrate just how crazy this is....it was 60 not 2 weeks ago, and it's forecast to reach back up into the 50's early next week.....typical IN weather....multiple season all in the same month!