# Pit Blind Construction



## bioactive (Oct 30, 2005)

The first picture is looking down a south facing hill that overlooks an extensive brushy river bottom/wetland area that is the main bedding area in the region. The hill is steeper than it looks in the photo. It is heavily used by bucks as evidenced by scrapes and rubs, but it is too open to be used extensively during daytime. At the bottom of the hill is thick brush that is a major corridor for traffic of both does going to ag fields and food plots to the west (right) and bucks during breeding season. It is a perfect location to scent check a large area when there is a south or southwest wind. There are no trees substantial enough for tree stands on the hillside, so I decided to build a pit blind where the tractor is sitting, about 15 yards from and above the brush line.









I dug a pit about 60 inches deep with my backhoe. Placed sand in the bottom, placed cement blocks on the sand and leveled, and then placed the 4X4 foot platform of treated 2X4s and 3/4 inch plywood. A 6 inch drain pipe was placed and run down the hill in a trench. 









The back (foreground) and sides were built in advance from treated 2X4s and 3/4 inch plywood. The front was built in place. The height is 60 inches at the back and 52 inches at the front.









Built and buried, I got so busy I forgot to take pictures of the construct before burying and painting.









View from inside stand. Deer traffic is perpendicular to the stand (arrows). I will be placing more impediments to prevent uphill movement towards the stand. Also will be enhancing the path through those saplings, which will continue on west and east to other stand location with scrape lines. The brush line is about 15 yards from the stand, and the second brush line behind it is about 25 yards out.









View from second brush line looking up through the shooting lane to the stand. I will be doing some things to make it less noticeable from this direction.









This is what deer would see if they look up at the stand at any spot except the shooting land. Of course, it will be more open in the fall but still, I have great comer and yet will be able to track them until they get into the shooting lane.









Here it is with the door closed. Note that the shooting opening is also the door. I will be hanging some camo material when the door is open. I will be mainly behind the camo curtain with my crossbow laying on a shelf in front of the camo material. 









Construction took two full days of work last Saturday and Sunday.


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## big show (Sep 10, 2007)

Nice work! I especially like the smiley face in the last pic.


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## bioactive (Oct 30, 2005)

Oh, the other thing I did was hinge cut local trees over it and added brush piles, so here is a view from the east side. It looks pretty much like this from any direction except the front. I will be moving red cedars and autumn olives from nearby to creat permanent cover.


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## gunfun13 (Jun 13, 2003)

Very cool blind Bio!


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## B540glenn (Mar 9, 2007)

Good job. I do have a question though.

How will you keep the door open when that stick isn't there?


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## Mightymouse (Sep 19, 2007)

Well done!

One of the properties we hunt has an old pit blind on it. Built into the side of a hill over looking some thick swampy areas down below. It wasn't built near as nice as yours and over the years it caved in and is no longer used.


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## DoubleDropTineTrouble (Nov 11, 2007)

sweet looking blind. They can be very discreet and the action doesnt' get any better than right there on the ground with them. Good call with the drain tube.


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## BWHUNTR (Oct 3, 2008)

*Nice work on the blind, looks great! Should be very comfortable in the late season. What yardage of shots will you have come firearm season? Nice Tractor too! *


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## Direwolfe (Sep 11, 2007)

"I will be placing more impediments to prevent uphill movement towards the stand."

With your construction techniques should we understand those will include claymore mines and concertina wire? 

Also looks like a great place to hide from the wife.


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## Riva (Aug 10, 2006)

That is really cool. I have been wanting to do something like that at my place for a long time, just never had the time, skill, money, ambition and/or tractor.

Actually, there was (is?) a company in Indiana that makes a heavy duty molded plastic pit blind for deer hunting. Would house 2 adults comfortably and looks just like a huge like a football with a flat bottom. Dig the hole, drop it in, back fill the hole, camo it up and start hunting. Cost about a grand if I recall. 

Nice job on that project though. Do you have plans to share?


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## bioactive (Oct 30, 2005)

B540glenn said:


> Good job. I do have a question though.
> 
> How will you keep the door open when that stick isn't there?


Haven't decided yet. I may just bungee it when I get in the stand. Since it is wood up against wood, I need something to cushion it. I will probably have camo material hanging on the front and will pull up the door and bungee it with the cloth in between. Then there will be cloth hanging in front of me when I am in it, so it looks identical with or without me in it.

The smiley man was just for fun, I prefer to have camo material flopping around there so they get use to something always waving in the wind there.


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## bioactive (Oct 30, 2005)

Riva said:


> That is really cool. I have been wanting to do something like that at my place for a long time, just never had the time, skill, money, ambition and/or tractor.
> 
> Actually, there was (is?) a company in Indiana that makes a heavy duty molded plastic pit blind for deer hunting. Would house 2 adults comfortably and looks just like a huge like a football with a flat bottom. Dig the hole, drop it in, back fill the hole, camo it up and start hunting. Cost about a grand if I recall.
> 
> Nice job on that project though. Do you have plans to share?


I only drew up back of the napkin plans, which is my usual mode. Sorry. It is just standard wood frame construction, except using treated wood and deck screws.


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## bioactive (Oct 30, 2005)

BWHUNTR said:


> *Nice work on the blind, looks great! Should be very comfortable in the late season. What yardage of shots will you have come firearm season? Nice Tractor too! *


I will not gun hunt from this stand. It is too close to sensitive buck bedding areas. Strictly for crossbow hunting. The stuff beyond 25 yards is so thick that I would not shoot through it (doesn't look like it in the photos, but it is heavy stuff). It is also close to my neighbor's property (40 yards). It is designed for a 15-25 yard shot. He doesn't hunt, is a vegan, and I will not kill a living creature on his property:lol:.


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## bioactive (Oct 30, 2005)

Direwolfe said:


> "I will be placing more impediments to prevent uphill movement towards the stand."
> 
> With your construction techniques should we understand those will include claymore mines and concertina wire?
> 
> Also looks like a great place to hide from the wife.


I will take that as a compliment. I think I will hold on the mines and put brush in the way instead.


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## Uncle Boopoo (Sep 15, 2008)

Nice setup :coolgleam It looks fun to play with a backhoe!

I hand dug a pit blind once and it was hard work! There's a couple issues with mine that might be a problem for you too. 

Sunlight has a nack for coming through a large front opening and blowing your cover. I went the cloth route also but it wasnt completely effective. I also dont like having to fully expose myself to get in and out of the blind. A rear door in cover would be ideal. I hunt a large bedding area and I try to do as much as possible from keeping bedded deer from spotting me.


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## mich buckmaster (Nov 20, 2001)

WOW, I am impressed to say the least!!! Nice job and I AM JEALOUS!!


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## bioactive (Oct 30, 2005)

Uncle Boopoo said:


> Nice setup :coolgleam It looks fun to play with a backhoe!
> 
> I hand dug a pit blind once and it was hard work! There's a couple issues with mine that might be a problem for you too.
> 
> I also dont like having to fully expose myself to get in and out of the blind. A rear door in cover would be ideal. I hunt a large bedding area and I try to do as much as possible from keeping bedded deer from spotting me.


This blind is designed strictly for no more than 2 or 3 all day hunts per year, during prime time, with perfect wind and weather. Entry will be done only about 1.5 hours before light. And I will not leave it until after dark.

I will never, ever expose myself on that hillside during daytime in deer season. I would need a 100 foot tunnel to enter that blind in daytime without a hundred eyes seeing me:lol:.


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## joe8918 (Oct 10, 2005)

Very cool. I was curious to know what the drain pipe is for? Excellent set-up.


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## bioactive (Oct 30, 2005)

joe8918 said:


> Very cool. I was curious to know what the drain pipe is for? Excellent set-up.


The pit was dug in a well drained hillside. But still, it is a pit, and there is clay in the soil. The wood will stop the water flowing down hill and it could collect at the base of the stand, leading to mold and eventually rot. The sand and the drain will funnel water away from the stand. The key to longevity is good water control, in my view. 

Typically, guys build these things underground and they last 1/10th the time as an above ground stand.


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

bioactive said:


> I would need a 100 foot tunnel to enter that blind in daytime without a hundred eyes seeing me:lol:.


Sounds like an excellent project for 2010.


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