Kevin Steffey, Author at Deer Hunting Field

How To Build A Deer Blind-Anyone Can Do it! How to Build a Box Blind

When it comes to hunting deer, a blind is a favorite for many hunters. They can be especially useful if you own or allowed to build on the land you’re using to hunt on, since you’ll be able to build a permanent structure in their place. No matter what your building skill level, if you follow this simple guide, you’ll soon know how to build a deer blind that’ll be unnoticeable and allow you a chance at the big ones.

What You’ll Need

You don’t need a whole lot to build a blind. Basically, the less skilled you are, the more you’re likely to have to spend. For this blind, we’re going to go with a basic wooden construction and some camouflage, so you’ll need the following.

Basic carpentry skills
Basic tools(screw gun or hammer and nails)
Two four by fours for the base

Enough two by fours for the framing
Enough plywood/particle board to skin the blind
Six hinges of equal size

Since this will be a box blind, you’ll want to measure out how big you want things. Make sure you have enough room for you to crouch with your rifle and have a rifle rest if you prefer to use one.

Most of the wood can be found as scrap, but make sure that you buy the framing wood new in order to ensure the structural stability of the blind. It won’t do you much good if the whole thing falls on your head after a season or two.

You may want to consider investing in some metal joints if you’re in an area where the temperature varies a lot as well. These are optional for the most part, but wood changes in size by a noticeable amount with the temperature and the brackets can make the whole process a lot easier.

Keep in mind we’re making a box blind that anyone at all can build, if your construction skills will let you do something more advanced than allow your creativity to run free.

How To Build A Deer Blind

1.) Location, Location, Location

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While you can build your blind anywhere, you’ll want to make sure that you find a spot where you’ll be likely to find the deer. If you’re on managed land this is pretty simple for the most part, face the rifle doors at a food plot that’s under heavy use during your favored time of the season.

If you’re not quite sure where the deer are in the area, you’ll want to make sure that you do some scouting first. This is an essential part of the process for any kind of hunting, but a blind limits your sight much more than a stand so you’ll want to make sure that you’re facing the right direction.

Protip: If you have truck access to an area, you may want to consider building the blind entirely at home and then dropping it off. This will both allow for easier access to tools and make less of a disturbance in the area you plan on hunting in.

2.)The Foundation

For the most part, this is a simple process. Simply take your four by fours and place them to support the stand. By elevating the stand off the ground a little bit you’ll be able to keep bugs out, so there won’t be any distractions while you’re waiting.

Cut the four by fours so that you can lay them out with about six inches sticking out on either side of your floor. Cut the boards for the floor, and lay down the foundation for your frame using some of your plywood..

3.)Framing it Up

If you’re not much of a framer, you might want to ask a friend, but the process is quite simple. You’ll simply be matching off the two by fours in order to provide the proper structure. If you’re not quite sure what you’re doing, buy some steel brackets and make sure they’re drilled before you go out since they’ll be able to guide you quite well.

You’ll want reinforcement along the longer sides if you’ve decided on a rectangular design. As long as the blind is reasonably sized, a single extra two by four running to the top will be enough for the most part.

After the initial frame is stable, you’ll want to build the door frame and the “windows” for your rifles. The door frame will be the trickiest part for the novice, but if you build your door at home you’ll be able to size it quite readily in the field.

4.) Skinning It

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Cut the plywood or particle board to match the sides. Make sure that you leave openings for the door and the rifle ports or you’re really not going to be doing too hot when it comes time to use it. Don’t worry about decoration just yet, you’ll be taking care of that after you get the doors on. Most people use galvanized steel for their roof, and it’s definitely a worthy choice.

The main thing here is to ensure everything is airtight, especially if you’re using scrap wood for this part of the endeavor. If your lumber is of questionable quality, try bringing along some silicone or other sealant in order to keep the stand nice and temperate while you’re spending long hours waiting for your deer.

5.) The Doors and Ports

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The doors can be something of a challenge if you’ve never done anything like this before. While your rifle ports can simply be affixed to the existing skin with hinges and screws the actual entrance to the stand will be a bit trickier.

Try building the door at home and taking it out as one piece. If it matches off while framed, all you’ll need to do is attach the hinges. Allow for about an eighth of an inch of clearance in order to prevent issues with the wood swelling as temperature and moisture levels change throughout the year.

Protip: Keep all of the hinges lubricated in order to prevent any extra noise. The hinges themselves will most likely take some weathering after being out, even if you spring for stainless steel. A good fix is something with as little scent as possible if you find yourself with a squeaky door in the season, but the better way to do it is to check on the blind a few times in the off-season to make sure.

6.) Camouflage

How to Get Deer to Come to You in 6 Easy Steps

It’s been years since you brought in a deer, maybe it’s even been awhile since you’ve sighted a buck worth taking a shot at. It’s not your fault, you just don’t know the tricks of the trade yet. This is especially a problem for stationary hunters, you simply don’t know how to get deer to come to you.

Follow these instructions, and you’ll never have that problem again. Let the deer come to you, fill those tags, and enjoy the thrill of the hunt with an ease you never have before.

What You’ll Need

Thankfully, most of the items you’ll need for attracting deer are readily available in hunting shops, or even just from artifacts of your past hunts.

Rubber Boots
Forage Grade Seeds
Deer Call

Deer Scents
Simple Gardening Tools
Antlers

Once you have all of these items in your possession you’ll be ready to follow this simple guide and get started on attracting the deer to you in order to get the best results while you’re in the field.

How to Get Deer to Come to You – 6 Easy Steps

1.) Control Your Scent

Deer have a hellacious sense of smell, and they can scent out hunters pretty easily. The best way to start is to make sure that you’re not running around reeking like… well, like a human. You’ll want to be downwind even at the best of times, but there’s quite a bit you can do to help yourself out in this area.

There are special shampoos, detergents, and even dryer sheets which can help you to cover the scent in your clothes. There are also cover scents that you can apply while you’re out hunting to help matters. If you think you’re going overkill on taking care of your scent, then you’re probably getting close to doing enough.

Protip: Try using rubber hunting boots as well, due to their nature they’re virtually scentless and you’ll find that they can help quite a bit in keeping your olfactory profile down to manageable levels.

2.)Use a Kill Plot

A “kill plot” is an ideal solution for those who have access to private areas, but it requires quite a bit of forethought and preparation in the off-season. Essentially what you’ll be doing is setting up a food plot within the range of your hunting weapon of choice in order to maximize your chances of a successful harvest.

If you’re on land that’s well managed, you might want to try and put something a little bit different there to attract deer despite the human scent around it. Set your stand up at a distance you’re sure you can make a clean shot from, and you’re good to go.

Protip: If your state allows it, you might also want to bait the kill plot. Something different from the general food in the area is always better, as animals crave diversity in food just like we do. It’ll definitely increase your chances of getting that prize-winning buck you’ve always dreamed of.

3.) Antler Rattling

Antler rattling is designed to simulate the sound of bucks fighting, which will naturally attract the attention of other deer. You’ll find that it’s most effective during the rut since bucks will be sparring during that time over a doe.

Rattling antlers are most effective in areas where there’s a lot of competition over doe. You won’t have nearly as much luck if the doe-to-buck population ratio is heavily in favor of the females.

It’s a pretty simple process, all you’ll need to do is get a couple of antlers and… well, rattle them together. There’re some specific techniques that will work better, but you should definitely try to simulate fighting. Smack them together, lock them up, grind them a bit.

The best part is, most hunters will have an antler rack lying around from a previous hunt, so you won’t need to spend any money to utilize this technique.

4.)Deer Calls

Deer calls are widely used and for good reason. They’re one of the best ways to get animals coming in closer so you can take the shot. There’s a number of good calls on the market, but to make the most of your tool you’ll want one that will let you make a number of vocalizations without having to switch calls.

It’s more of an art than a science, but if you’re careful your application you can really make a huge difference in your ability to get deer close.

During the rut a good strategy is to switch between doe “bleats” and buck “grunts” as it might convince younger bucks that some action is about to go on. If you’re lucky you might even get an older, aggressive buck intent on stealing the doe for itself and be able to add a serious trophy to your wall.

5.) Scented Attractants

Scents are a common tactic employed by hunters, with sometimes varying effects. The thing is, most people don’t pay enough attention to the wind or use them properly. You’ll need to employ a variety of scents and some clever tactics to get the maximum effect out of your scents.

For instance, non-estrous doe urine can make a great way to cover your tracks on the way into your favored spot. Estrous doe urine scent on a rag dragged behind you can also make an effective way to lure bucks along the lines you want them to follow.

You can also use estrous doe scent as a lure, place the scents a bit off from your stand and you’ll get bucks coming in to investigate.

The best usage of scents definitely comes in during the rut, if you’re hunting at other times it can be useful but it’s not the most effective route.

6.) Set Up Mock Scrapes

Mock scrapes are an often-overlooked tactic which can help to draw in bucks quite easily. The first thing to do is find an ideal location for the set-up. You’ll want to find somewhere you know there will be bucks to complete the illusion of an intruding male in their territory. The edges of fields are a great place to begin.

Rake out the leaves under a branch that’s roughly 4 ½’ off the ground, this will be the “licking branch” and it’s vitally important that you have this in place.

If you have an ideal location without the branch you can try breaking off a branch and holding it at the proper place with a zip tie. Spray it down with buck scent after you’re done and you’ve got your scrape in place.

Protip: Use all of the scent-control protocols from step one of this guide while you’re setting up the scrape and it’s far more likely that you’ll attract a buck who feels challenged. You’ll have much better results if you haven’t stunk up the place.

Conclusion

As you can see, there’s a variety of tactics which can get the deer to come to you. By employing all of them properly you’ll exponentially increase your chances of getting the buck of your dreams or filling your meat freezer for the year.

Once you know how to get deer to come to you, the rest will lie on your quickness and marksmanship to complete the most thrilling part of the hunt.

Did you enjoy this article? Have your own methods of getting your quarry in? Leave us a comment below!

How To Attract Deer Fast- 6 Steps That Will Have You Attracting Whitetail Like A Pro

Let’s face it, we all want to attract deer, fast. If you own your own land, or have access to a willing friend’s, then you can definitely make the best of things. The American whitetail is an elusive animal, and many of us have spent all morning and afternoon waiting for our quarry only to be irritated that we didn’t see a single one.

Once you’ve completed this guide you’ll have done everything you can in order to make the area you hunt in friendly for deer, which will greatly increase your chances of bagging the big one next season. Read on, because here a primer on the art of how to attract deer fast.

What You’ll Need

Before we begin, let’s take a quick look over what you’ll be wanting to make sure you have in order to get the deer right where you want them.

Land– You’ll need access to some land that you can manage in the off season, ideally this will be yours but a friend’s can work just as well and you might even get some help.
Seeds- Try to make sure that you purchase deer food plot seeds if you’re unsure of what you’re doing. Otherwise, just make sure that you have a wide variation of different foods available.
Waterproof Containers- You’ll be using these to create watering holes. They’re not essential if the property you’re working on has water features like streams and creeks already however.
Basic Tools– You’ll need a few tools to clear trails and possibly make some holes in fences. Chances are you won’t have to go out of your way to find them if you own the property, since you’ll have them around anyways.
Salt Licks- Use these to create spots where your deer can get minerals.

It really shouldn’t cost you too much, the main investment here is going to be your time. Keep in mind that this is certainly going to be a rather lengthy affair, but it’ll all be worth it once the next hunting season rolls around.

How To Attract Deer Fast – In Six Step

1.) Scout the Property

Whether the land you’re on is big or small, you’ll want to scout it out in order to determine what you need and where you need it. You can find great locations for the steps in the rest of this guide by carefully going over the land around you.

Communicate with your neighbors. Not only do you need to know if they’re okay with you chasing a wounded deer onto their property, but you want to provide things that they don’t have on their property in order to attract the animals.

Protip: Treat your scouting trips like a hunting trip. Use rubber boots and scent eliminators in order to avoid getting human scent all over everything while you’re taking a look. Remember that deer will instinctively avoid humans in many cases.

2.) Set Up a Food Plot

Food plots should be your primary consideration for getting deer onto the property. You can attract quite a few of them, and halfway control their movement by planting a few plants. If it sounds too good to be true, well, you do have to put in some work but you’ll love the payoff.

Protip: Consider investing a little bit of money and getting some “forage grade” seeds like this instead of planting something low-quality and overly cheap. It will mimic your deer’s normal feeding routine, and make things a lot easier on you. Either way, go with mixes, as the diversity of food will keep them coming back.

3.)Create Homes for the Deer

If you have the room on your property, you should definitely consider making actual “sanctuaries” for the deer you’re trying to attract. Remember that deer prefer forests because of the cover, if you can see over three hundred feet through the trees… so can they, and they’ll feel insecure.

Bucks, in particular, are extremely wary. If you have a heavily forested section of the property, consider making it off-limits to everyone in order to allow the deer to remain unmolested until, hopefully, you get the shot when they wander into your food plot.

Obviously, this isn’t much use when you don’t have enough property but you can still create quite a bit of traffic by allowing sections of your land to become thickly forested and leaving them alone year-round.

4.)Mind Your Fences and Create Trails

If your property is entirely surrounded by fences, it will be quite hard for new whitetails to get in. Even shorter barbwire fences that they can easily leap can create something of a pain for them to get around and may discourage them.

The easiest way to handle this is to strategically create holes in your fence-line in order to allow them to easily pass. You can do these either by roads where deer sometimes get funneled to, or along adjacent property if your neighbor is okay with it.

The key is to make access easy, but not to completely open your fences to the world. If you scouted properly you probably already have a few areas in mind by the time you’ve reached this point. You might want to consider running some trails through the more thickly vegetated parts of your property as well to make things even easier on the deer.

5.) Make Watering Holes

Deer need water, just like everything else, and not everyone has a creek sitting around on the property they own. You can make your own watering holes pretty easily, however, which can add to the experience of “home” for the whitetails you’re trying to attract.

There’s no need to rent or borrow heavy equipment either. If you have access to some fifty-five gallon drums you can simply cut them in half and sink them into the ground, and if you don’t you might want to just buy a couple large plastic containers and sink them.

6.) Place Salt Licks

Animals are inherently attracted to mineral sources, and you can work on attracting some more deer to your property by making sure that they’re present. Set the salt licks in strategic places around the property for the deer. If you use scouting cameras, they make a good place to set them up.

Bovine salt licks work pretty well for managing wildlife and they’re available for low prices. There’s no need to overcomplicate things here.

Summary

What you’re really trying to do here is to create a stable environment for the deer to exist in even during the off-season.

Once they get comfortable you’ll soon find your property teeming with whitetails and you’ll have a much easier time filling your tags during the next season.

It’s all in the details if you’re goal is figuring out how to attract deer fast. Good luck, and happy hunting!

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