Pit Blind -How to make and use ?

[bmorris]

Having a hard time finding a way to get close to a huge buck. Enters the field through a tree farm of evergreens. Any suggestions ? No trees available. Lasr year had over a dozen deer filter out each night.Thinking of putting it under an evergreen tree.

[Woods Walker]

The obvious answer, and the easiest is a ghillie suit.

But if you don't want to do that, and you don't mind the work, then try this....

Pick a location for the pit, preferably in a shadow, and where the deer's probable travel route would put it not in the deer's line of sight. Examples of this would be the inside of a bend in which the deer would travel, or a terrain feature such as a hump or a dip.

Now dig a hole that is about 18" deep, and at least 2 1/2' X 2 1/2' in area. This will be for your feet and legs. Put a foam pad, or whatever else you like to sit on, on the ground, so that it'll be like you are sitting in a chair, with the ground as the seat. You can then make a backdrop of whatever the natural cover is so that it will be at least as tall as you are from the ground you're sitting on to the top of your head.

Practice shooting from a sitting position, and you're good to go.

You can also use the dirt you dig from the hole as a back and arm rest, but then you have to make the backdrop larger.

Back when I was an avid waterfowl hunter I shot a lot of ducks this way on river gravel/sandbars and on prairie ponds where there was little cover.

The biggest drawback to this, other than the work, is the lack of mobility, and why the ghillie would be my #1 choice. The pit's use will be dictated by the wind direction, FAR more than a treestand.

[bmorris]

What do you think about it being deeper so that when sitting its at head level.
Thought about cutting back the tree a little for some extra room. Trees butt up to the field so the deer will come out within 10-20 yards,
I watched him last year and this one will be special.
My largest is 169 3/8 and he makes mine look small, a perfect 10. Still there. 3200 acres in Buffalo county. Pretty secluded
Wind is not a problem ,my scent reduction program defeated a bloodhound last fall and haven't had a problem being winded for a few years.
Thanks for the help.

[msbadger]

Some times you can find natural pit blinds I have a few...this is the one I took my turkey out of this spring...hard to see...due to all the over growth from this summers plants...but it's a good way to be un seen...the turkey I shot was 3 ft off the end of my gun headed behind me.....I circled the stump in red...it's my back rest and the top of my head is level with the stump

[Woods Walker]

What do you think about it being deeper so that when sitting its at head level.

Well you COULD do that of course, but then you'd better have a backhoe and a six wheeler to dig and haul the spoils with! It would have to be 6' from front to back, and at least 4' wide and 4 1/2' deep, and even with that you couldn't draw and shoot from the side, as 4' isn't big enough. In fact, if it were that deep, you'd also have to dig it deeper and put floor boards in it, because it will ALWAYS have water in it. I've dug, built, and hunted out of enough goose pits to know that. Keep a 5 lb empty coffee can in there to bail with also. A pit of that depth will also require that you build a plywood box, so that the sides don't cave in on you after that first good rain.

A pit of this size would require you do excavate 4 cubic yards of earth, which will translate into 6 cubic yards that you'd have to haul away due to the "fluff" factor of excavated dirt.

It would be as snug as a down comforter though, and your scent issues will be minimal.

If you still want to do it, let me know and I'll give you some construction tips for the box. Like I said, I've built a few goose pits over the years.

[bmorris]

I will have to do some more thinking after that. This guy is too big not to try and take a crack at him. My 169 3/8 looked small compared to him last year. Farmer has told me he is just as big. You gave me some new ideas. Thanks

[scottflesher]

you wouldn't need to dig it that deep if you used the dirt and piled it up around you as a hump. (think of an old war movie) the dirt from digging the pit could be piled up around the pit to make the pit appear deeper than it is. You could use this as a rest for your gun/crossbow.

[bmorris]

Thanks I just need to take all this advice and use it in the right place. I am getting excited at taking a crack at the biggest buck of my life. Spent the last few days at our Game Fair and did some more talking about it. I hope to get a peak at him this week.

[shaman]

Rather than a pit, I would think about piling bales of straw up.  It would take a heck of a lot less work. 

Alternatively, Google "hay bale blind."  there are some instructions out there for building a hunting blind shaped like a hay bale. 

Either way, after a week or so, the deer will treat it as if it weren't there.

[bmorris]

I hadn't thought about that. It isn't my land so I will check if that would be ok . Its really set up with a 5 shooting house that are 1st class. has been mostly gun hunted by I took the only 2 deer last year.
3200 acres is quite a lot of land and he pretty much stays to a secluded area. I want to bow hunt this year and saw him over the weekend with a spotting scope and he is even bigger that I thought.
I have another motive in that I want to take him with my new scent reduction system.
I will be with Myles Keller and that should be interesting in that he is going to target another deer.
Do you ever put a blind out and jusy leave it for a few weeks or does it take longer.
I have walked in these pines and the trails are like cattle trails.
Thanks for your sugestion