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Post by thelefthand on Jan 18, 2024 16:56:27 GMT -5
Not sure if this is the most effective place to generate conversation on this or not, but I'm looking for input on tower blinds. I had to take my stand out of my favorite spot this past summer because after well over a decade, the Ash tree that it was on had died. I built a 4x8 tower blind in its place. Not super happy with the way it turned out. The tower part went okay, but the blind part ended up costing me a lot more $$ than I had anticipated and I still need to do more work to it this coming summer. Seems like most blinds, even DIY blinds, end up costing several hundred, or even several thousand dollars and (IMHO) most only have limited visibility. I'm curious to know if anyone has come up with a budget friendly solution that offers good 360 degree visibility along with some protection from the elements. There are a couple other locations that I'd love to build a blind in if I can find a better way to do it.
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mitch
Junior Member
Posts: 90
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Post by mitch on Jan 18, 2024 19:39:22 GMT -5
Heck of a good topic. Following
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Post by mike on Jan 20, 2024 9:55:30 GMT -5
Quality blinds that have the materials construction and design to withstand years of Mother Nature are expensive. And I will opine that your money is better spent on buying a quality blind versus building it yourself. You can't possibly buy all the materials and build an equivalent quality blind for the price you can buy one. It all gets down to economy of scale. Of course, getting a pre-built blind located where you want it complicates the process. Now, if you are building an elevated condominium with lots of features (propane heat, sink, running water, TV, satellite tv dish. porta-potty and etc.) not available on pre-built blinds, that is another story.
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Post by mike on Jan 20, 2024 9:59:36 GMT -5
Forgot to add that I have a buddy in West Virginia that is a distributor for an Amish builder of pre-fab blinds. Most buyers have told him they couldn't build the same design blind for anywhere near the price they paid.
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Post by dennis on Jan 20, 2024 10:51:36 GMT -5
Go on a budget, build a elevated platform and use a ground blind with I/O carpet for floor to deaden sound. A 360 blind will make silhouette more of a problem. Just a suggestion for a budget setup.
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Post by encore50a on Jan 20, 2024 11:36:54 GMT -5
I've built a few, all 6'x6' permanent blinds. 4 sided and windows which go from corner to corner, and with a large enough opening to accommodate the rifle's recoil. What you have to be very careful about is the window height compared to the overall height of the blind. Most blinds made by the Amish have windows that are too tall in the first place, and a tall opening is NOT what you want. Having to stand up and lean over for a close shot will suck. Likewise, if you use an elevated blind on a side hill, then the window on the downhill side should be lower, the high side of the hill, higher. Sides more or less in between the lower and higher heights. Sticking a lot of money into a permanent blind creates a situation where you want it right the first time. A couple years ago I purchased one of the Down and Out blinds. shop.hawkhunting.com/warrior-blind-chaos/Its a combination rifle/bow blind and pretty nicely built. The weight of the snow it can handle is quite large. I use the higher windows for distance and the archery windows with shoot'n sticks for close range. Works. |
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Post by gd357 on Jan 20, 2024 22:38:04 GMT -5
The guys I hunt with up north have slowly built up a bunch of elevated box blinds on the properties we hunt. Floor level 6-8 ft. above the ground. one place has a true tower blind that is 24 ft +/- up in the air. That one was steel tubing and bracing welded up, and set in place with a crane (a bit excessive, but it works). Don't know what the cost was, but all incorporate 3 flip up windows, several have a 4th window next to the door. I know someone who has a bunch of utility poles, and I'm seriously considering putting one up at dads place. It would need to be high enough to see down into the brush in the swamp. If I get it done, it will be a serious undertaking. Will see if I get the time...
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Post by thelefthand on Jan 22, 2024 13:50:31 GMT -5
Quality blinds that have the materials construction and design to withstand years of Mother Nature are expensive. And I will opine that your money is better spent on buying a quality blind versus building it yourself. You can't possibly buy all the materials and build an equivalent quality blind for the price you can buy one. It all gets down to economy of scale. Of course, getting a pre-built blind located where you want it complicates the process. Now, if you are building an elevated condominium with lots of features (propane heat, sink, running water, TV, satellite tv dish. porta-potty and etc.) not available on pre-built blinds, that is another story. My problem with most of the pre-built stuff is that they don't have nearly enough visibility. In most of my spots, I need to be able to see and shoot almost 360 degrees. MOST of the DIY builds I've seen pics of have the ability to see and shoot nearly 360 degrees. I've yet to see a pre-fab unit that had anything close to 360 degrees of shooting. |
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Post by thelefthand on Jan 22, 2024 13:53:53 GMT -5
Go on a budget, build a elevated platform and use a ground blind with I/O carpet for floor to deaden sound. A 360 blind will make silhouette more of a problem. Just a suggestion for a budget setup. This is kind of what I'm thinking. Like I said, I was able to build a 14' tower platform with treated lumber for a pretty reasonable price. If I can find a prefab that would give me 360 deg of viewing/shooting AND that I can lift/winch/hoist up onto it, I'd be game for that. Ideally, it would be big enough to include a 2nd (young) hunter, but really needs to accommodate all types of hunting (bow, xbow, rifle, muzzleloader) and offer a little protection from wind and rain. Having a blind with small windows does me no good. Just because I'm on the edge of a field doesn't mean I'm only interested in the deer that are in the field. I'm just as, if not more interested in the deer that are beside and behind me in the woods. Blinds that fit that description seem to start out north of $1,500 and quickly rise to double that or more. I'll be 50 next year, and for $1,500 I can build a blind that meets my needs and will probably last a lot longer than I will. |
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Post by rickh on Jan 23, 2024 16:55:14 GMT -5
 I have hunted from a number of different types, built a few from scratch and bought a few. Some thoughts: Built six 4'x 4' wooden boxes in NJ and drove them out to Iowa in 2005 & 2006. Lifted them onto embedded posts. We thought we were saving money! Probably spent more on gas! Way too small (had 2 hunters in a few times). But still hunting from a few -they have held up pretty well. Built a 4'x 8' in NJ and towed it up to NYS. Built legs & bracing with the box on its side and tilted into place. Secured w guy wires. That was in 2008 (has not blown over yet) and total cost was around $2,000 (in 2008!). It came out great and very comfortable for 2 hunters. Bug tight. Rug on floor. Custom made Windows at different heights for different hunters and very silent operation. Equipped w padded office chairs (arms removed).Very time consuming to build and erect- would not build one again but glad I did. Bought (w a group of guys) pre-made ones of different sizes and manufacturers. Most are pretty good but not cheap. The round plastic ones are cheapest and can be erected w three strong guys and no equipment. They shed wind well (We had a few of the others blow over in Iowa in the wind- even with multiple 4' soil anchors). Most pre-fabbed units become a home for the "Lord of the Flies" , wasps and hornets and require annual cleaning. A buddy has a few on carts and just tows them into place w a pick-up a few weeks before the season in locations depending on crops and deer movement. These are low level but work well and the deer don't seem alarmed by the "new object". One thing I started doing a few years back that makes a difference is to carry two pieces of black cloth that I put in the windows at my back and side so I don't get silhouetted. In years past I have had deer pick me off from 300 yards w the wind in my favor. Some deer enter a field and immediately stair at the box for a few minutes before going about their business. The black back drop prevents them from seeing you. I lift to cloths periodically to see behind me. All in all the box blinds allow me to stay on stand much longer and in severe weather that I would not sit in a tree stand. Attachments:
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Post by joelmoney on Jan 27, 2024 1:34:49 GMT -5
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