JeremyDine

The caliber is .243 and the gun is bolt action. I have been fortunate to be able to borrow from a buddy who has a couple dozen guns. Soon I will probably buy my own though.

I don't have the equipment to make a steel elevated platform. I am planning on putting it on flat concrete blocks because I will be putting it in the side of a hill. I estimated all materials being about $220. I just want to be able to build something that will last at least 10+ years. I am sure anything I build new will make hunting much more enjoyable. I was just looking for suggestions is all.

Hi, I am new to this site and I hope to gain as much knowledge as possible, and maybe even give a little if I can. I am still somewhat of a novice hunter as this will be my fourth year hunting at the age of 28. After befriending a guy while playing cards nearly four years ago, he invited me to hunt on his property with a group of guys that have been hunting there for nearly 25 years. I was skeptical at first as I had never shot a gun before, let alone hunted. I sort of reluctantly showed up, with a pair of warm gloves and an orange hat. The other guys kind of laughed, but brought me in and started to teach me immediately. I was able to borrow another guys gun, a semi auto mini 30, with no scope. There was an old abandoned blind that I was to inherit and start my hunting adventures. This blind was worse than an old outhouse. The floor was completely rotted out to the ground, the walls were scraped up by what I was told were raccoons, there were huge cracks between the boards to allow very cold breezes, cobwebs all around, and the roof was starting to gather water in the corner. However, this was to be mine and mine only. I was very happy to see my first deer ever while in that blind. I took a shot, then watched as the deer booked it out of there with a bright white tail bouncing up and down. I would end up seeing a few more deer that year, taking two more shots, resulting in seeing more white tails run away from me. I pretty much thought I had just wasted $30 on licenses and hours of freezing in the cold. The next year, in 2011, I had a little success.I borrowed a Remington 700 from a good friend. The addition of a scope made this hunting thing a lot easier. I shot my first deer, a button buck, I thought was a doe, and a 4 point that should have been a 6 point but apparently he lost a fight. Last year I borrowed the Remington again. I decided to start baiting for the first time by throwing out some apples. I also realized that I needed to make this blind a little more comfortable. I put up some cardboard to cover the walls and prevent air from blowing at me thru the cracks. I also built a new floor. I was able to get three does but no bucks. I was feeling a little better about this hunting and the venison was delicious. This all brings me to this year. I have moved about three hours away from where I am hunting and haven't had much time to visit my hunting blind. Just a couple weeks ago I put out some apples and salt blocks and took a look at my blind. The roof is about four more rainfalls from collapsing and the raccoons have gotten to the walls that I didn't put cardboard on. I decided if I was going to continue hunting, I would need a new blind. Still being somewhat of an ignorant hunter, I figured I would buy a blind for a couple hundred bucks. I was quite surprised what a little 4'x4' box blind with no paint or shingles actually costs. Prices ranged from $350-$500 and beyond for bigger blinds. I wasn't too pleased to see these prices, so I decided I would build my own blind. I have a little carpentry experience from one summer about 10 years ago when I helped build a garage, a pole barn and help refinish a basement. I am no where near a builder, but I do know how to use tools and am always up for a challenge. With a little help from my graphic designer girlfriend, I was able to create some blind blue prints thru adobe illustrator. I have spent about four hours or so trying to create a simple and affordable box blind that will last a good 10 years or longer with normal maintenance. I have the plans in a pdf file but they are too big to attach here. Please comment your e-mail and I will send them. Please feel free to add any and all comments, critiques, suggestions, improvements, ideas or anything else that will help in the building process. I hope I didn't leave anything out. Please ask any questions if something doesn't make sense or if I appeared to overlook something. Thanks for reading this and I look forward to all of your replies!! Jeremy