New Deer Shooting House put up!

[FTG-05]

I started my Back 20 Shooting House early Sept. 2019; just over 4 years ago. Live intervened, but it got used as a expedient Porta-Potty when I had my roof replaced and other work done on the house. It started out as a 4'x6' section of a pool deck I bought off a Redstone Fed cop summer 2019.

Here is how it started Sept. 2019:

Framing it up; note the Elevator brackets down at the bottom.

3/4"+ Poplar rough cut sawn lumber; the trees came from my property. The mistake I made was to install them pretty wet and they then shrunk over the next few years. Oh well.

Getting ready for the metal roof:

Took this pic May 2020 when moving the house so the roofers could use it. It was pretty much in this state for 3 more years until I got back into it this month.

So the last 2 week or so, I finished up the interior (mostly), painted it and then camo'd it. No real progress pics:

More to come; thanks for looking!

 

[DoubleRidge]

Nice! Looking good! Will be real nice on those cold, wet and windy days!

 

[Carlos Viagra]

Looks great.
I love the gun rack on your Kubota too.

 

[FTG-05]

My cousin came to visit me, so we teamed up to move and emplace the house this last Thursday (Sept. 28). After getting all the tools and supplies at the site, I put my forks on my tractor and loaded up the house:

Heading up the hill to my pole barn field on the way to Back 20 acres of my farm:

Coming up the trail:

I just bushhogged this one acre a couple weeks ago:

Site ready, with landscaping fabric down (I wish I had done this with my previous two houses ) and the deck blocks. In the background, you can just barely see the pile of 2x4's (braces), 4x4s (legs) and the stairs we had built the day before.

No in-progress pics; but it's up and braced!

The back side:

The front; you can see some of the hunting blind fabric I put up; it appears to do a good job hiding whoever is inside. The legs and bracing lumber are brand new treated and they are very wet; I'll wait a month or so before painting them.

The view from inside:

Thanks for looking!

 

[wsm]

I like your setup.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Looks good. Should work out well.

 

[SSlater]

Very nice!

I gotta get mine done one f these days. I have to get the trail cut up the mountain first.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Looks great.
I love the gun rack on your Kubota too.

Heck yeah! I didnt notice that! And the chainsaw holder too! Nice!

 

[DoubleRidge]

Shooting house looks great! Nice work!

 

[kaizen leader]

You have a super nice thing going on with all the land, barn, and toys. Great job with the blind. How did you do such a nice paint job on the blind? Good luck and let us know about your first kill and maybe some pictures.

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

It looks awesome! Good job, just make sure you anchor it well or it will get blown over!

 

[FTG-05]

Looks great.
I love the gun rack on your Kubota too.

 

[FTG-05]

Anyone have any idea how long it takes deer to get used to it and start ignoring it?

Thanks for all the comments!

 

[BSK]

Anyone have any idea how long it takes deer to get used to it and start ignoring it?

Thanks for all the comments!

48 hours.

I put up a bunch of condo stands two years ago. Happened to have cameras on the plots these condos were set up on. First deer that came into the food plots (that afternoon) after condo installation absolutely freaked out. Turned inside out getting away. 48 hours later, the exact same deer were feeding in the plot and completely ignoring the condos. Deer quickly get used to anything that does them no harm.

 

[Split Brow]

That's awesome!!

 

[DaveTN]

Very Cool!

But after all the wasp threads I have to ask.... How long before the wasps settle in and you have to fight them for it every time you hunt?

 

[FTG-05]

It looks awesome! Good job, just make sure you anchor it well or it will get blown over!

Recommendations?

 

[FTG-05]

48 hours.

I put up a bunch of condo stands two years ago. Happened to have cameras on the plots these condos were set up on. First deer that came into the food plots (that afternoon) after condo installation absolutely freaked out. Turned inside out getting away. 48 hours later, the exact same deer were feeding in the plot and completely ignoring the condos. Deer quickly get used to anything that does them no harm.

Good! My standard procedure is to set out some cracked corn to entice them a bit. They haven't hit the first batch I put out yesterday afternoon.

 

[kaizen leader]

Seal up the cracks with foam insulation like Great Stuff. That will help. Nice job.

 

[double browtine]

Recommendations?

Get one of those mobile home anchors that you twist into the ground. You can put it right under the stand. Use something strong like a big piece of pipe to twist it around and into the ground. It's best to get two people and a piece of strong rebar to twist it in. Then use some metal cable or chain and a turnbuckle to attach it to the stand. Drill a couple holes through the floor joists to run the cable through or a big lag screw or bolt to attach the chain.

And that is a great looking blind too!!

 

[gatodoc]

Get one of those mobile home anchors that you twist into the ground. You can put it right under the stand. Use something strong like a big piece of pipe to twist it around and into the ground. It's best to get two people and a piece of strong rebar to twist it in. Then use some metal cable or chain and a turnbuckle to attach it to the stand. Drill a couple holes through the floor joists to run the cable through or a big lag screw or bolt to attach the chain.

And that is a great looking blind too!!

I use the center cable tie down on elevated stands but I believe anchoring the legs well (t posts) is more important for stability…

 

[FTG-05]

Get one of those mobile home anchors that you twist into the ground. You can put it right under the stand. Use something strong like a big piece of pipe to twist it around and into the ground. It's best to get two people and a piece of strong rebar to twist it in. Then use some metal cable or chain and a turnbuckle to attach it to the stand. Drill a couple holes through the floor joists to run the cable through or a big lag screw or bolt to attach the chain.

And that is a great looking blind too!!

Thanks!


I saw my first deer out of it today! I was putting some final touches on it and decided to take a rest. After about 15 minutes or so I saw movement about 100 yards away or so. Only saw the deer for a couple seconds in the thicket; apparently clueless to me or the blind.

Corn hasn't been touched, near as I can tell.

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

Recommendations?

You can drive t posts deep and use them is a good cheap way to do it

 

[TNTreeman]

You can drive t posts deep and use them is a good cheap way to do it

I cut some in half and drove them into the ground near my posts. Drilled holes in the T posts and ran lag screws into the wood posts. Used the center anchor as well .

 

[Snake]

That's a great set up ! Should pay dividends.

 

[1 good shot]

One thing that's worth mentioning, is that if you don't have something to cover the openings with when it's not being used, the buzzards or owls will use it to nest in. Once they do, all the thought, planning, and hard work you have done will be wasted.
It looks great and I can appreciate the effort that doing something like that takes. I had to learn the hard way. Here's hoping you benefit from my mistakes

 

[UTGrad]

Great looking box. I bet you will enjoy many hours hunting and a few naps in that thing.

 

[gatodoc]

U can drill holes in 4X4 down low at an angle and drive rebar thru then into the ground to anchor legs well….

 

[megalomaniac]

Install windows and make it scentproof or you will burn that spot in 3 or 4 hunts.

 

[FTG-05]

Install windows and make it scentproof or you will burn that spot in 3 or 4 hunts.

Um, who said I was hunting out of it?