Elevated box stands

[Deadeye]

My Brother prefers Shooting Houses and Builds his own. Usually 12-15 ft high with legs of 4x4 and wire braced with stakes or trees. He has used Metal Panels (green) and usually has windows on 3 sides and a screen style door with plexiglass on the other.

He insulates with Foam Board and puts a wall Mount Gas Heater in them with a line run down to a 25 lb tank on the ground. He loves them but for me they take away to much of the sight window.

Example, one year I hunted with him out of his first and he put it where I had an old stand in a tree for many years and shot many Bucks before leaving for Florida. There were locations I could see where I KNEW Deer came from that he was blind to. One day I was standing up to stretch and looked down into the draw and there were 3 Deer standing there. It was on the side he was watching. I told him there were deer there and he said no there isn't because he couldn't see them sitting down. I got him to stand and when he saw them he said "that he has never seen deer use that area before". It was one of my Main Travel Lines that I saw a Bunch of Deer using over the years.

Sitting where you can see a large field or the like I like them. Get in the Woods and I want to be in a Ladder Stand or something of the like so I can see all around me and experience the woods smells, sounds, etc.

 

[BoneCrusher20]

My Brother prefers Shooting Houses and Builds his own. Usually 12-15 ft high with legs of 4x4 and wire braced with stakes or trees. He has used Metal Panels (green) and usually has windows on 3 sides and a screen style door with plexiglass on the other.

He insulates with Foam Board and puts a wall Mount Gas Heater in them with a line run down to a 25 lb tank on the ground. He loves them but for me they take away to much of the sight window.

Example, one year I hunted with him out of his first and he put it where I had an old stand in a tree for many years and shot many Bucks before leaving for Florida. There were locations I could see where I KNEW Deer came from that he was blind to. One day I was standing up to stretch and looked down into the draw and there were 3 Deer standing there. It was on the side he was watching. I told him there were deer there and he said no there isn't because he couldn't see them sitting down. I got him to stand and when he saw them he said "that he has never seen deer use that area before". It was one of my Main Travel Lines that I saw a Bunch of Deer using over the years.

Sitting where you can see a large field or the like I like them. Get in the Woods and I want to be in a Ladder Stand or something of the like so I can see all around me and experience the woods smells, sounds, etc.

I've struggled with similar in woods you sacrifice some viewing and sound no doubt. Bow hunting i'm in a tree if i'm the woods i have to be, for gun season or in WI when weather gets frigid i'll sacrifice a little viewing for the heated shack. They have their time and place where makes sense to use them. Fields are no brainer especially for scent control. Although w/ the 360 hunting blinds i would say the viewing downfall is about nill, sound aspect still tough. I've built numerous stands and find myself switching my time to just doing the paperwork for 360 blinds. How much time/money guy spends on building their own spending that extra $ to have quality blind that way better manufactured than i can do seems like better option.

 

[Deadeye]

I've struggled with similar in woods you sacrifice some viewing and sound no doubt. Bow hunting i'm in a tree if i'm the woods i have to be, for gun season or in WI when weather gets frigid i'll sacrifice a little viewing for the heated shack. They have their time and place where makes sense to use them. Fields are no brainer especially for scent control. Although w/ the 360 hunting blinds i would say the viewing downfall is about nill, sound aspect still tough. I've built numerous stands and find myself switching my time to just doing the paperwork for 360 blinds. How much time/money guy spends on building their own spending that extra $ to have quality blind that way better manufactured than i can do seems like better option.

The stand options available today are so well made that many simply do not have Blind Spots or Angles you can’t shoot.


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[HuronMtn]

Yes, a pop-up works well on top of a platform and may be a good option. Let me explain the "may" part further.

I did this once before I could afford to make a hard walled rifle blind. I quickly learned that the pop-up on top of that platform needed to be taken down promptly before the threat of a wind or snow storm. Once I didn't get it down in time and that was the end of it. The combination of wind-driven wet snow destroyed the pop-up and I never did replace it. If you don't get this kind of weather maybe that isn't a factor you need to concern yourself with and it will work well for you.

 

[H20fwler]

Interesting thread.
This is the first year I've had one, havent hunted out of it yet but it is there for the crazy cold or spitting rain days and will keep me hunting longer.
Mine was pre made cost me $1050 insulated, I put it on an 8' platform with skids on a logging trail in our woods. Was kind of my summer covid project.

 

[Chuck from WI]

This is the 8 X 8 stand I built this summer. I have three grandsons, ages 8,5,3 and I made it their fort also. There are three shooting windows on the right side that give me a good view of a food plot of brassicas. I insulated it and have a couch inside so I can stay at the farm if I want (or need to, depending on wife's mood). Haven't shot anything out of it yet, but I've got a couple more months to go.

 

[THE LLC]

You are a cool grandpa I can tell.

 

[K2Prime]

Please tell me you take the slide instead of the stairs on occasion...


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[Drycreek]

I’d be afraid to get stuck in that slide !

 

[Mennoniteman]

This is the 8 X 8 stand I built this summer. I have three grandsons, ages 8,5,3 and I made it their fort also. There are three shooting windows on the right side that give me a good view of a food plot of brassicas. I insulated it and have a couch inside so I can stay at the farm if I want (or need to, depending on wife's mood). Haven't shot anything out of it yet, but I've got a couple more months to go.

View attachment 20628

I predict once @Native Hunter sees this he will be building an addition onto the palace with a slide.

 

[Native Hunter]

I predict once @Native Hunter sees this he will be building an addition onto the palace with a slide.

OMG - I've got to have one!

 

[Chuck from WI]

Please tell me you take the slide instead of the stairs on occasion...


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Not yet. However, I've been tempted. I've taken it off for the the winter and moved it into the shed. For the price I paid, I have to make sure that the slide is still in good condition well beyond my years.

 

[BoneCrusher20]

Please tell me you take the slide instead of the stairs on occasion...


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I can just see myself shooting big ole buck taking the slide down to celebrate...just when i thought i've seen it all

 

[H20fwler]

Spent two and a half days in the new hut last week and completely see what all the fuss is about with shooting blinds!

Monday was a very cold windy hard rain switching to snow, Tuesday was hard north wind with snow...I sat comfy as a bug in rug even switched the heater on a couple times. Did two all day sits in the hut something I never do in a tree stand, about four hours is all I can take up a in a tree. It warmed up Wednesday afternoon and I was back up in the trees the rest of the week, I can see further 21' up...but the shooting house is worth its weight in gold!

 

[Chuck from WI]

Glad you enjoy it. They provide some noise, movement, and probably odor control. I know a lot of people who don't want anything to do with them. I appreciate the solitude. They aren't cheap and of course, you don't want to put them up on someone else's land where you don't have control, or public land.

 

[Drycreek]

Spent two and a half days in the new hut last week and completely see what all the fuss is about with shooting blinds!

Monday was a very cold windy hard rain switching to snow, Tuesday was hard north wind with snow...I sat comfy as a bug in rug even switched the heater on a couple times. Did two all day sits in the hut something I never do in a tree stand, about four hours is all I can take up a in a tree. It warmed up Wednesday afternoon and I was back up in the trees the rest of the week, I can see further 21' up...but the shooting house is worth its weight in gold!

I spent many an hour sitting on the ground or in a homemade ladder stand 8/10 feet off the ground. That was when I was young, but at the age I am now, an enclosed blind is what I’m gonna hunt out of.......

 

[Chuck from WI]

I spent many an hour sitting on the ground or in a homemade ladder stand 8/10 feet off the ground. That was when I was young, but at the age I am now, an enclosed blind is what I’m gonna hunt out of.......

I'm so old (and getting older, if I'm lucky) that I didn't even put a ladder to get into my blinds, but put in stairs, with handrails, and the whole business. . .

 

[Mennoniteman]

I'm so old (and getting older, if I'm lucky) that I didn't even put a ladder to get into my blinds, but put in stairs, with handrails, and the whole business. . .

That sounds like a nice blind. Some people drive a horse and buggy, and some people drive a Cadillac.

 

[Chuck from WI]

That sounds like a nice blind. Some people drive a horse and buggy, and some people drive a Cadillac.

I'm more of a 1973 VW Beetle kinda guy.

 

[Elkaddict]

I’ve become a huge fan of blinds for foul weather sits. It makes the whole experience so much more comfortable. I have an office chair or two in each and have been known to lean back and actually catnap. We also occasionally fire up a buddy heater if temps are single digits or less. The rednecks we use are largely scent proof which has made a real difference bow hunting. The one thing I’ve noticed is after a few seasons they start to smell musty....which the deer do notice. I clean them every year (air out the carpet, spray everything down with scent killer, and keep the windows open for a few days a week or two before the season opens (can’t do it earlier or the wasps take over)). I’ll add that we make it a point to hunt with windows closed until it’s time to shoot. The rednecks are not perfect (we’ve had defects on a couple of the older ones) but I’ve been happy with them. I’ve also been pleased with the customer service. Ours are the 5x6 predators and one 6x6 magnum. My only regret is the magnum isn’t ideal for bowhunting and it’s location cries out for archery. If I was confident I could readily change it out without removing the stand, I would.