DIY Deer Blinds

Two DIY Deer Blinds for Fun and Bucks

Setting up a good homemade deer hunting blind is an adventure. It can be as complex or as simple as your skills and materials allow. There are a few things to consider before starting to pound in some nails. Do you need a portable blind or a stationary one? How many people will be using it at any one time? 

One of the great things about DIY deer blinds is the ability to make a great blind on a very small budget. These two homemade blinds are made for boasting about your frugality. 

A Simple Netting Portable Blind

Sometimes you want to be mobile but dry. A great way to do both is to set up a lightweight but weatherproof blind. You will need rope, two lengths of eight feet long ½ inch PVC pipe and a heavy dark or camouflage tarp. You will also need camouflage netting and a few bungee cords that can stretch at least 36 inches. Duct tape and tent pegs are optional. 

You are going to be building a tent shaped blind. This size is suitable for one or two people. This blind works best in bushes or between trees. Drive one end of the first pipe carefully into soft ground. Slowly bend the pipe till it forms a hoop and push that end into the ground. When the ground is frozen you can sharpen the pipe with a knife. Slip a bungee around the bottom of the pipe to help secure it. You can wrap the S hook with tape. Do the same thing with the other pipe at a distance easily covered by your tarp. Secure the tarp with rope. You can use tent pegs or weights. If you want windows in the sides, just cut them out of the tarp. Tape is used to stiffen openings and stop unraveling.

Artfully drape the netting over the tarp to better camouflage the openings and any movement. This is a fairly simple build and easy to improvise one. By varying the shape and number of the poles you can erect a small shelter or a larger one. If the weather is not a concern you can skip the tarp entirely. Your imagination is the limit! 

The Crafty Man's Ground Blind

This ground blind is made with wooden pallets, odd endss and a bit of know how. This is a stationary blind that can be built long before hunting season. Make a rough sketch of your desired size and shape after scoping out a great spot. Generally these blinds are rectangular. They use two pallets per long side and are one pallet deep. Decide on your roof. Will you be using a tarp or Plexiglas roofing? Do you want windows or simple openings? 

The basic principle is to nail or screw the pallets into a rectangle. Be sure to leave one short end open for access! You can choose to pull off the inner horizontal planks and layer them over the outside to wind proof your new blind. Or you can use a layer of old carpet (for a roofed blind) to insulate the inside. A camouflage or dark tarp can also be stapled inside. The carpet will help hold in any heat. The tarp will just block the wind. 

A flat roof is more likely to suffer from rot or heavy snow. Always give your roof a slight angle to help snow and rain run off quickly. Be sure that you can easily fire from your windows if you decide to use panes. Sliding or hinged windows are helpful. Painting the wood with natural greens and browns is encouraged. It protects the wood and hides shiny nails.

There is an old hunter's trick to finish off your new blind. Screw a hook into the center of the blind's roof. The center of open windows works too. Hang a bucket from the roof with a rope so that it moves around. Little garden baubles can be hung from the windows. By the time you are ready to hunt the local wildlife will be used to seeing things moving in your blind.