The "refurbished" duck blind thread

[jmiller676]

Well....it starts...

Summer is a time to refurbish duck blinds.
Back story-
This is an old timers blind that hasn't been used in years. The weather has finally gotten to it. I have decided to refurbish this and make it a budget build. I am using extra wood I have around the house and anything that can be recycled will. The less I have to carry in the better. This will host 3 hunters this fall. Easy access in/out of the blind and on private property boarding the creek.


The plan:
-Tear apart old blind.
-Square already anchored posts back up. (as much as I can)
-Reuse any wood that may be used for sides.
-New floor.
-New roof.
-Shooting flaps
-Square fencing to brush the blind in throughout the season.
-Storage shelf.
-Hooks for blind bag, etc.
-Gun holders.

Pictures from this spring when I tore it apart.

-before-

-after tear down-

The wood duck box will be removed. The anchor posts are still fairly solid. Should last 5 more years easy with some minor upkeep.
Tonight starts phase 2.

 

[slowmo]

Looks like a pretty cool spot. I wish I had a little hole like this to hunt. Make sure you update your progress with more pics. Duck hunting is expensive enough, anything you can do on the cheap is great.

 

[nkhrfh]

I agree with slowmo, awesome spot and looking forward to pics

 

[jmiller676]

Today I didn't get very far. Mainly demolitioned a little more, carried wood in and got the main floor joists level. Next Tuesday I should be able to update with a finished floor (or close too). Bugs were ferocious today. However, 3 pairs of woodies flew over and a mallard drake swam down the creek while I was making quite a bit of noise. I'm pumped for this October.

 

[jmiller676]

Got a lot done tonight. Hot and bugs everywhere. Still need some L brackets and 2 more floor cross beams for support, but this thing is already very sturdy the way it is.

Work from last week.

How I ended for the night.

The view of the hole from the center of the blind.

A slow steady current is in the middle of the creek. I will have the dozen Dakotas along the near side towards the blind, wood ducks to the far left near a blow down in the water, 4 resters across on the bank where the weeds are down, some skimmers down from them to the right with feeder butts, and my two geese decoys far right for confidence. This should push the birds right infront of us for a ~20 yd shot.

 

[jmiller676]

So everyone has an idea. Here is the location in early spring. You can picture the layout of the area a little better. Obviously, the blind is the blue rectangle.

 

[nkhrfh]

Nice. Keep posting pics as you go

 

[phylodog]

One of these days I'm gonna knock some ducks out of the air.

 

[jmiller676]

Tonights work. It's coming along nicely.
I added 2 2X6 cross supports and 4 l-brackets. To help sturdy the floor, the floor is solid.

I need a name for this blind, ideas?

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

Ray Charles

 

[jmiller676]

Ray Charles

 

[nkhrfh]

ducks

One of these days I'm gonna knock some ducks out of the air.

I will take you with me for a field hunt Corey. Close drive to some land we lease.

 

[jmiller676]

I need to finish the sides and top up. What is a cheap way to cover that instead of plywood? Plywood is heavy, fairly pricey for what it is and if you don't get the treated stuff falls apart fairly quickly? I have no clue what to use. I looked at corrugated steel but that's expensive also.

 

[phylodog]

I will take you with me for a field hunt Corey. Close drive to some land we lease.

I'm in!

 

[eric001]

I need to finish the sides and top up. What is a cheap way to cover that instead of plywood? Plywood is heavy, fairly pricey for what it is and if you don't get the treated stuff falls apart fairly quickly? I have no clue what to use. I looked at corrugated steel but that's expensive also.

If you put 2x4s across as top rails, could you just use tarps or canvas-like material? Or would that not work? Never having built one of these thingies, I'm just kind of thinking out loud here.

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

maybe coroplast? if you run a couple more cross members, you could kinda shingle it up the sides by wiring the corners. it's still not super cheap (can find it online for about $1 per 18" x 24" sheet) unless you know someone who lost an election, but it's extremely lightweight and won't break down. you can always put grass mats or other material over it to help brush it in.

blind is coming along great, and that spot looks like it could be phenomenal. can't wait to see it finished.

p.s. pencil me in the last weekend of october. i'll bring the coffee and my spectacular calling ability.

 

[jmiller676]

I think what I am going to do is use some more 2X4s from the old build as cross members (length wise) and break some pallets down and use that wood. I'll need quite a few pallets but, they're usually free. And I'm all for that.

 

[jmiller676]

As far as camo goes. I have extra square fencing I am going to staple to the outside of the blind. This will allow me to "weave" weeds and other brush in the fencing so it holds up to the wind better. There is a lot of brush around the area I am going to pull in and make it look like a brush pile right next to that half alive blow down to the right of the blind.

 

[jmiller676]

If you put 2x4s across as top rails, could you just use tarps or canvas-like material? Or would that not work? Never having built one of these thingies, I'm just kind of thinking out loud here.

I've seen it done with canvas but, I want some more rigid. Plus when the winds in November/December come I don't want the tarp ripping and making a lot of noise. If I made a portable blind, I would use that though.

 

[Zoub]

I have wondered about using Tyvek as a light weight cover. Paint it up and toss camo over it to give it a 3D effect. Not sure it would work 100%. This would be on a blind similar to yours except I have to tear it down after season is over so while my base may be made of steel, the rest has to be fairly light weight and easy to disassemble, probably steel uprights and aluminum for top supports. The good news is the spot for this blind is not a long drag from a trail that I can fit my truck on, but I want a cover.