Building a stationary blind

[Percidae_Papermouth]

Any pointers? Anything you've done particularly crafty or things you've done you wish you hadn't? The blind I hunt now is an old one that the floor had fallen though and I just sunk new posts and framed the floor from the outside of the walls, it's worked great for three years however a good friend just bought 58 acres and I'm looking to build a blind from scratch in his beaver pond.. I know the obvious look for the birds flight pattern and make sure you have the sun to your back, just trying to run though this thing before I do something I will regret or waste a few hundred bucks

[Pintail711]

I would build a floating blind, so you can always have the wind to your back, the birds will finish into your face. I would float it with drum barrels too.

[GrnTmbrHntr]

Build it like you want it. Tall enough on the inside, windows the way you want them. Deep enough so you can get out of the weather, etc. I've been building permenant blinds for 40 years. Ducks aren't scared of the blind, they are scared of the face poking out the window! What ever you build, brush good.

What type of construction materials do you have? Permenant blinds should last much longer than 3 years. Spend what you can on good material.

[GrnTmbrHntr]

That picture is this years addition. It is a small blind for 3 people. We cut a 6 man blind in half and are using this one to try out some small places. You can see the metal framing where I had to close in an open end. I'll get that finished out in a week or 2. Here's another picture of it sitting where we put it.
200200

[GrnTmbrHntr]

Here's our floating blind that we hunt in 8 foot of water. Built this one on a 28 foot pontoon.

203

[GrnTmbrHntr]

Here's another that we have in a 13 acre opening in our woods.

204

205

That first one is where we were moving it from one location and the second picture is where we put it and hunt it now.

Hope some of this gives you some ideas. Feel free to ask questions of me if you like.

[Pintail711]

I agree with you GrnTmbrHntr... Build it how it suits the way you like to hunt. Everyone has their own ways that's worked for them for years. 58 acres is a good size beaver pond, that's a lot of huntable water.

[Percidae_Papermouth]

Some good ideas! I like the idea of a steel frame, however the walk in is about a 1/4 mile, I got a jump on it this weekend, 4x8 just big enough for 2. The 58 is the total amount of the property , he only owns a piece of the swamp, must have been 75-100 woodies on the swamp Friday afternoon while scouting a spot. The tree to the left looks like it is in the way, but is really 1.5' back from the left front post, now I just gotta get the walls and a 1/2 roof built and get it brushed.

[GrnTmbrHntr]

From the looks of it, you will not have any rise in water level. Looks like you are a foot or less off the water's surface. Sounds like you have a plan to finish out.

If you ever want to swap to metal framing, don't think you have to sink the posts. You can see from the pictures of our 3 man blind, we put the legs on and crossouts to support. None of our blinds have posts that are buried in the ground. With crossouts, they don't sink and we have never had one flip.

For flooring, we use rough cut 2 x 6 oak that we get from a local facility. The sides are metal and the roof is 3/4" plywood with corrugated metal over it. For cover, we use heavy camo netting (tank type netting) that we picked up from a surplus store. We do put willows and oak on the windows. We have varying water levels and we have to keep most of our blinds up to 7 feet off the ground.

I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product you have!!