Friend and I are toying with the idea of building some pit blinds on our hunting property. Looking for some ideas and pics of what you've come up with. Thanks.

Used them extensively around water holes hunting antelope. We just dug our pit, and covered it with a bowed up piece of hog netting wire, then wove lots of local grasses and shrubs into the wire with an opening toward the water hole. Similar could be down anywhere else I would think. Just be careful in snake country, and make sure you have clearance for your bow.

Consider the use of any drainage ditches. These naturally occurring ‘ptis’ are already part of the landscape and often influence the location of trails the deer use. So find a spot close to where the trail crosses the ditch, or location where the trail closely parallels the ditch. Clear some shooting lanes and you’ve got a good setup. An additional benefit is sitting in a ‘pit’ can lessen some of the problems of wind. The ditch does not have to be very deep. 2-3 feet can be enough depending on nearby cover.

At one time pit blinds were regularly used by bowhunters in Wisconsin, especially in northern WI - in particular in the Vilas County area. Their use peaked in the late 1940s after WWII when returning service men took up bowhunting. Well known bowhunters Roy Case and his crew, plus Art LaHa and his hunters all used them from time to time. They were used mostly for "standers" when the larger groups made drives. There was even one particular push that was named "The Foxhole Drive." In 1985 (or about then) Art and I were driving around in his beloved Vilas Co. woods and he pointed out the location of that famous drive. He said the foxholes were now mere depressions in the ground but if you knew where to look they were still somewhat visible.

Cool history. We're located in mid Mi. Sandy soil, so I guess that means shoring up the inside. Your right HH. Going to have to figure out some sort of drainage. Hoping to go down 4-5'. Any others with some experience? Pics go a long way.

Don't like them because of snakes. I guess you could always throw a Mongoose down in pit first on a rope so you pull him back out again.LOL

Dig a hole just knee deep and sit on top edge and with feet in hole

Raghorn, thats exactly what I plan to do next year hunting in Wisconsin. It lowers your profile and takes less brush to finish the blind. Looking smaller may confuse the deer. I need to give it a try.

Most predators for deer are relatively low to the ground so it's not like they won't notice something out of place. Just make sure you have a good background...as with any stand to hide movement as much as possible. I agree with raghorn on sitting on the edge with your legs in the hole.

Ryman Cat, did your parents scare you with snakes when you were growing-up? ;)

So you're still probably going to move around and your still going to scent up the place. I can see in the side of a bank maybe along creek or river crossing or water hole but not out in the open. I was in one had a snake in it was dug the day before.

I didn't want to go down in it after they got the snake out for me but got talked into it and they trust me you will be fine.

Yeah Custer's last words. LOL

It was on a water hole and it was good but was spooked and fidgety. Plus it was muddy I got mud on my clothes.LOL

Better take a bucket with you also to ball out water.

Shot this guy @ 4 yards from one was 1 row in from a group of pines dug down 18” through some grass seed down on the dirt mound

Sure enough it went sideways

Very comfortable might be a good idea to cover the hole with plywood when not in use i even put a log behind me for a back rest

have saw people use a stadium seat, or boat seat with the shallow hole blinds on you tube, looks good dr

check out "inground blinds" nice concept and keeps critters out.

I thought about making my own version with a rubberneck trash can.

https://youtu.be/3sfNLkmUyyw

I've shot out of a couple on 3D course . They were about 18" deep and big enough to put your limb in you just sat on the edge I shot with a heavy cant

Pit blinds are deadly.

The ones we hunted out of in Africa were great.

Wow, great response. Blind squirrel, good idea. Gonna happen this spring. Before the skeeters.

killed my very first deer while sitting on a 5 gallon bucket in a hole I was 11 & buckshot @ 10 feet did the job. one thing not mentioned is the dirt from the hole. we were in sw va & they had these holes in a few places. I'm sure it took some work cause the holes were at the base of trees & the dirt was piled up to head level when sitting on the bucket & leaning against the tree that was long ago but I'd guess the hole was 2' deep × 3' around with another 1' mounded up to make a 3'×3' pit

My uncle was the pro at the South Hampton Country Club on Long Island and he had deep pit blinds to shoot problem deer out of when I was a kid. I went with him early one morning. They were deep as I remember because my head barely poked over the top when I stood up. He flattened a lot of deer out of them.

Not much to worry about snakes in Michigan. I’ve lived here my whole life and spent a lot of it outdoors. Have only seen ONE rattlesnake ever, and that was on swampy ground close to a river.

MP

More to think about.

Used them on a hedgerow years ago, worked for me.Worth the extra effort that has to be put into making them.

I was in CO hunting pronghorn hunting and walking down a dried gulch. I came to an oxbow and in the turn was tracks and a hole that was wet in the bottom. On the inside I could see marks where a buck's horn where pushed into the bank. I started to look for a place to put up my popup and just opposite side of the gulch I found a pit blind covered by sage.

The thing that was unique, was that it was dug out on two levels. One was pretty deep (maybe a tad more than 3 feet) and the other was only 18 inches. One level was for your feet and one was for you butt. Both levels were perfectly square. Somebody spent a lot of time.

I didn't kill a pronghorn from that blind, but a guy from our party did.

Bowmania

I have a friend, (not a trad shooter), who has land in Crawford Co Wisconsin..... in the last 3 years, he has killed 3 bucks in the 170's, which is quite an accomplishment,,,,,,,

He builds and hunts out of pit blinds. They look like Jap machine gun nests from WWII. they are dug deep enough and he has a chair inside, with legs cut for the length he needs. He has a plywood cover, which is angled for rain etc, and all brushed in.

He run supports in the corners for the roof...... His big boy last year, 176, was shot at 8 steps.........

Now he will be the first to tell you, its not how you hunt, but where you hunt, and his land butts up to a 2000 acre parcel, that is owned by a trust, and only get hunted, for 5 days for a corporate gun hunt

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