Mobile deer blind construction.

[UFi911]

This fall I built a mobile blind for Jake and I to use on the mentored hunts. Our favorite field has a hump in it, so we always had to choose a blind on one side or the other. Now that we can sit almost 11 feet high, we can see both sides of the field :)

We started with old running gear I got from a friend:



The original metal mounting brackets were in rough shape:


Jake pulled the gear up to the garage so we could get to work:


We removed the old brackets and installed new ones I made at work out of 11 ga. steel. I made the new brackets longer so they would hold the wood structure together as I built it.



We were able to bolt through the 4" x 6" lumber we used for the base (4" x 4" probably would have been enough, but I had the 4" x 6" lumber already).

 

[UFi911]

We used a steel channel on the top to tie everything together:



Here's the main structure before mounting the deck:


A trap door was built into the deck:


And here is the final piece of the menards 5 sided blind going on:

 

[UFi911]

Its all buttoned up, ready for the field:


Jake pulled it out with his 'wheeler:


I was scared it might be top heavy, so I followed him with the skidsteer and forks, ready to catch it if I needed to:


And here it is in it's place for the season:

 

[dipper]

John u really might want to put a couple braces on each side. Nothing staked, just a 10' 2x6, on an angle just in case

 

[bueller]

Looks good but I would also be concerned with that thing tipping on transport, or worse yet with people in there.

 

[Tree Spud]

I would agree, a couple of ground anchors & eye bolts ay the plat form connected by wire or even rope.

How do you like the Menards blinds?

 

[buckdeer1]

I know that would blow over in Kansas winds for sure I would park close enough to a tree to tie off to

 

[wiscwhip]

4 eyebolts(one on each platform corner), 4 removable, screw-in ground anchors, 4 long ratchet straps, and 20 extra minutes is a small price to pay to have peace of mind in a heavy wind. Reusable as well.

 

[rocksnstumps]

Yep, that looks like a rig just waiting to catch some wind and tip over. So you could go as suggested above and mobile anchors or think of other ways to get your center of gravity real low. Remember this thing is a running gear, pile about 4-5 ton of tree trunks, rail road ties, rocks whatever real low on the frame. Pretty sure you don't have a shortage of rocks and granite is about 125 lbs/ft3. I'd still think of an anchor sytem but maybe you could get away with a couple instead of all four corners and make it quicker to move around that way. Just another thought

 

[UFi911]

I'm with everyone with the 'tipping' concerns.... That was my main concern when I built it. Another concern I had was in transport, how tippy it would be.

Much to my surprise, it wiggles a little, but isn't nearly as tippy as I expected it to be. The running gear is old and heavy, and it makes for a good ballast. As rocksnstumps says, I have an endless supply of rocks. If I need to, I'll add a rock box and some weight. Unfortunately with my rocky ground, ground anchors would be nearly impossible.

It has already lived through 45 mph winds, with no serious rocking (based on the chairs I left in it, they are right where I left them).

It helps that the blind is so light. The box from Menards said gross box weight was something like 125 lbs (from memory, but I'm close).

So far I'm really happy with the blind from Menards. It's no shadow hunter, but works well for what I'm using it for.

We'll see how it does out in the weather over the winter. I might just take the blind off it in future seasons. 2 guys could take it down in a half hour if you went slowly.

-John

 

[dipper]

We've had two of our stands blow over, through out the years. It sucks. Skinny tamaracks are also great braces. We've got many still holding up fine and they are over 20 years.
No need to get fancy. All u need is something to stop the "shaking" and prevent gravity from doing what it does.
What kind of cuttings resist rot? Don't see willow or poplar sticks resisting rot much, but wonder if there is any cutting that would?

 

[John-W-WI]

We've had two of our stands blow over, through out the years. It sucks. Skinny tamaracks are also great braces. We've got many still holding up fine and they are over 20 years.
No need to get fancy. All u need is something to stop the "shaking" and prevent gravity from doing what it does.
What kind of cuttings resist rot? Don't see willow or poplar sticks resisting rot much, but wonder if there is any cutting that would?

In our neck of the woods, cedar and tamarak are the only rot resistant trees I'm aware of. And they don't grow from cuttings :(

The mobile blind is only staying on the field through gun season, then it will be moved to a low spot with no wind, tied to a tree. If we get a LOT of snow in late season I might bring it back out to catch the deer on their way to standing beans and corn. But that would require a LOT of snow like we had a few years ago. Otherwise, they just come and go wherever they like, nowhere to pinch them.

-John

 

[NT179]

I think I would still put 4 outriggers on it.It wouldnt be that hard to do and each one could be adjustable for ground level.On a longer shot, you need as solid rest as possible especially in the windy conditions

 

[Mahindra3016]

You could always take the tires off and have them filled with washer fluid, i know how much it helped my tractor, it would have to help keep the blind on its feet.

 

[kabic]

If it survived last Thursday night's winds it will be okay

 

[UP Powers]

I wouldn't worry about that at all. I am not seeing the concerns everyone is seeing. I would think that frame is probably 700-900 pounds? I don't see how the wind or anything with that great of force could topple it.

You could test it pretty easy. Take a deer scale, winch out to the top of it with your ATV, put the scale in the middle and pull to the side of it, once the side wheels come up slightly look at the poundage. That will give you a calculation of #'s required to move it XX inches. make sure to winch out and not down on a angle.

I looked at the construction and find it to be great quality. I wouldn't worry about it. Someone told me in Wisconsin you can't hunt in a mobile blind with wheels. I had no idea that you couldn't hunt like that.

 

[wiscwhip]

That was changed so now you can hunt from a blind with wheels as long as it cannot move on it's own, i.e. you can't have a motor on the mobile blind or if you do, it must have one wheel removed to be legal. Ones like this that are pulled into place with another vehicle are fine to use now.

 

[Tree Spud]

This fall I built a mobile blind for Jake and I to use on the mentored hunts. Our favorite field has a hump in it, so we always had to choose a blind on one side or the other. Now that we can sit almost 11 feet high, we can see both sides of the field :)

We started with old running gear I got from a friend:

The original metal mounting brackets were in rough shape:

Jake pulled the gear up to the garage so we could get to work:

We removed the old brackets and installed new ones I made at work out of 11 ga. steel. I made the new brackets longer so they would hold the wood structure together as I built it.

We were able to bolt through the 4" x 6" lumber we used for the base (4" x 4" probably would have been enough, but I had the 4" x 6" lumber already).

View attachment 8010

John ... how did the blind hold up in the wind?

Did you buy both the 4x4 and Octagon?

Where did you get the metal brackets?

.

 

[John-W-WI]

John ... how did the blind hold up in the wind?

Did you buy both the 4x4 and Octagon?

Where did you get the metal brackets?

.

The blind has done great in the winds we have had. I think I'm good there. As others have said, the base is so heavy it stays put.

I only bought the pentagon (5 sides). I put a flat side toward the field which gave us 3 sides to shoot out of on the field.

Now if the deer would just enter before dark!

Sent from my 8g phone.

 

[kl9]

The blind has done great in the winds we have had. I think I'm good there. As others have said, the base is so heavy it stays put.

I only bought the pentagon (5 sides). I put a flat side toward the field which gave us 3 sides to shoot out of on the field.

Now if the deer would just enter before dark!

Sent from my 8g phone.

John what county in WI are you in?


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