Duck Hunting Forum banner

pit blind costs

22K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  bnc04 
#1 ·
How much does it cost to build a simple pit blind in a field big enough for 4 guys. This would be a dry field of course too. I think I'll look into it because its getting too be too difficult putting in layouts when 90 percent of fields around are tilled up really good with no stubble. Thanks!
 
#2 ·
Depends how crazy you want to go and what you want to end up with.

My situation-
I built 4 x 8 panels with holes cut 30' x 30" for the lids. Then framed the hole and the entire panel with 2x4. These I will take out and stack at home each year. The panels go across the pit and allow for a pit that is 4-6 1'2 feet wide and gives plenty of overlap.
4 guys= 4 or 5 lids.

I like to frame out the front of the pit wall with plywood. I start with a 2x4 about 6 inches down from the plywood and then run 2x4 x4 feet down from there. This allows for legs to extend below the plywood and allows the plywood to be make level in the pit by digging holes where the 2x4 legs contact the bottom of the pit. down from there. Al also run a cross piece of 2x4 between each vertical 2x4 to create another shelf. Measure your thermos etc for the height you want.

I line the sides and back with plastic top to bottom and the front about 2 feet down before placing plywood. This helps keep the dust down and also dirt from falling all over your stuff while hunting.

Then I place straw in the bottom of the pit to keep the mud and snow from becoming too much of a mess.

Total for me with a 6 man pit.

6 lids framed = 6 4x8 x 3/4 ply plus 2x4's
Wall 3 sheets of 4x9 ply 3/8" thick, I can't remember the amount of 2x4 but figure at least 20.
3 inch screws used.
Plastic sheeting
Straw.
all walls and lids can be re-used year to year,
Straw and plastic will be consumables.

will try and throw some pics up later

There was about 30 MPH wind while doing this so the plastic is billowing into the pit

This is the only pic that shows what I was trying to say about the "legs". We had to cut them on the short end of the pit.

ready for backfill


Looks narrower than it is, It is 4 feet in width, though 5 foot would be ideal. Still some tuning to do on the walls etc

From outside. I use different lids when hunting and stack these in the truck

ready to hunt

- 15 heaters are nice !


Brett
 
#3 ·
Did you build that on your own land or on a lease? And do farmers mind having them in their field that much? And what do you do so they can see where it is so they don't run it over with the tractor?
 
#5 ·
It is a leased field and very common out here in Colorado. The pit is dug after harvest and backfilled by a backhoe as soon as possible after the season is over. I place 2 silo's out on the corners to find in the snow.

For reference, that pit is 24 l by 4 wide by 4 1/2 deep. If your taller than 5-9 or so, another 6 inches would help. I take alot of kids and I'm not so tall so it works well for me.

If I were running the backhoe, I would go 5 foot wide for the extra moving around room but this is not really that bad at all. We take a ton of crap with us and have a 100 qt cooler for storage in there that doubles as a seat.
Brett
 
#9 ·
Yea if I were to do one it would need to be permanent, too much work and money to put down each season if it ain't permanent. I tend to hunt the same spots in the field as it is so I'm thinking the lack of mobility won't phase me too much. I'll still keep my layout for when I need it but I do tend to call one area of the field I hunt home because I built a makeshift pallet blind but the only way to hide it is to stay close to the trees which geese are leary of.
 
#10 ·
Drakenstien said:
Maybe you should use a different floor with those heaters.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It's a concern thats planned for . We only use it when there are a few people in the pit and no dogs. Also used only when it's really cold and until the birds start to fly then shut it off. With windchill it was -30 something that day. It's also solidly mounted to the wall and can't fall off.

Brett
 
#12 ·
WoodyWhiffingMG said:
Do birds in your area use the same fields day in and day out, year after year?

Around here they move fields almost daily.
Yes, they move. As someone stated, Most field pits are hunting traffic. This is my first time in this field and thus far, the area is holding alot of birds, both goose and ducks. I think I'm in a decent traffic spot and have water nearby for roosting and loafing. There is also warm water nearby when stuff freezes. We've been getting limits in the 3 weekends it's been hunted but that can all change in a heartbeat.

Brett
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top