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FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $100 -Excludes Shadow Hunter Blinds, USA Made Steel Tower System
FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $100 -Excludes Shadow Hunter Blinds, USA Made Steel Tower System
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Although there are many excellent prefabricated hunting blinds on the market, nothing beats the flexibility of DIY solutions. They allow resourceful hunters to make hunting blinds and shooting stands to exacting specifications for their particular situation. If you are interested in building your own hunting blinds, follow these tips and recommendations to get the best possible results.
Before gathering materials, you need a plan. No engineering project can begin without a blueprint; the same goes for a DIY hunting blind. You can find many free ground blind plans on the internet that employ simple structural designs. If you have experienced hunting buddies or friends with construction skills, we recommend enlisting their help as well; they can help you plan and build for your needs.
Think about the number of hunters that need to fit inside the blind. If you’re building a one-person blind, a 4’x4’ or 4’x5’ design is sufficient. For two hunters, 5’x5’, 5’x6’ or even 6’x6’may be preferable, as they’ll provide enough internal space for you, a hunting partner and your equipment.
After deciding the floor area, determine the height of your support structure and, if you are building an elevated blind, consider how high off the ground the floor should be. You also must determine whether to use a ladder or steps for access. Ladders are cheaper, lighter and easier to move, whereas steps are more expensive and better suited for permanent blinds. If you opt for an adjustable ladder, such as the Shadow Hunter Adjustable Ladder Platform, the supports should be within 5’ and 10’ high. The blind’s height is the distance between the floor and the ceiling, and it should be at least 6’ to account for one or two sitting adults.
Windows should be the most comfortable height for aiming a long gun, bow, or crossbow. Typical DIY hunting blind windows are built 32” to 38” above the floor, depending on the hunters’ heights and individual needs. Window sizes may vary, depending on your needs and whether you need simple openings or closable windows, such as those of the Shadow Hunter Gun Window Kit (24.5”x8”) or Crossbow Window Kit (34”x10”).
Once you have all your dimensions planned out, you can start gathering your building materials. Separate your shopping list into four categories: support structure and flooring materials, wall materials, roofing and windows. For your support structure, use the sturdiest, highest-quality lumber possible. Use lumber lengths appropriate for the height you’ve decided. Most designs require 4’x6’ or 6’x6’, but you may have to adapt accordingly for shorter or taller bases.
For your flooring, avoid untreated wood or any type of plywood. The best flooring material is pressure-treated lumber. This lumber is long-lasting and resistant to rotting, fungal decay and termites. Walls constructed out of 2×4 dimensional lumber should be enough for most applications, so long as it is also weatherproof. You can improve your walls’ water-resistance by using extra materials as a veneer, such as affordable metal sheets, aluminum siding, barn sidings or other flat pieces of protective material.
The simplest roofing material is sheet metal, although it gets relatively noisy under rainy conditions. A more efficient solution is to use asphalt roof shingles, which protect your hunting blind from the elements without undesired noise for a minimal cost.
The decision of whether to build your blind at your workshop or directly on-site depends on your local situation. Building hunting blinds at home or your workshop gives you access to all your tools and equipment but requires you to transport the finished elements separately to the hunting site, resulting in multiple trips.
The alternative is to build it directly on the hunting grounds, which requires transporting all your tools and materials to the location, and then to start the building and assembly process where you want to install it.
Don’t forget to deck out your hunting blind’s interior with accessories and items to improve functionality and comfort. You need at least one comfortable hunting chair, such as the Shadow Hunter Deluxe GelCore Mesh Chair. Consider additional accessories for extra comfort and convenience, such as ceiling-mounted hangers for your bows, wall-mounted racks for your crossbows and long guns or shelving systems for your other equipment.
Shop Our Hunting BlindsShadow Hunter Blinds offers high-quality, professional-grade hunting blinds for bowhunting and firearm hunting, DIY materials and accessories. Our products are the best in their class and recommended by professional hunters and enthusiasts. Call us at (888) 446-4868 for questions or information on any of our products.
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