How to Build a Natural Deer Hunting Blind

Before You Start

First of all, let’s begin by defining what a deer hunting blind is.

It’s a camouflaged shelter that gives you a good vantage point, and a sniping position.

A hunting blind allows you to stay in a sheltered position and let the prey come to you.

There are a lot of different types of deer hunting blinds – starting from simple elevated wooden or aluminum constructs to large wooden hunting lodges.

A natural hunting blind is one that you create with materials already in the environment you want to hunt in. They are inexpensive, blend in better, and give you that warm feeling of building something yourself.​

How you build your hunting blind is all up to you – how much time and effort are you willing to invest, and what you plan on hunting.

So what will you need before you go out hunting?​

Choose Your Location

Before you even start, consider building your hunting blind on the spot where you will have a clear overview of the area, on the terrain that is preferably even.

Obviously, you want to be in an area that your prey frequents. Setting up a blind in a Walmart parking lot won’t do you much good when you’re hunting deer.

Find a game trail or a popular watering hole and then start scouting a good spot for your blind.

Consider the position of the sun. You want it to be behind you, not in your eyes. This is important for spotting as well as aiming.

Check the wind and make sure that you stay upwind of it so the deer don’t smell you and get spooked.

Once you’ve found a location, you can start building.

Choose Your Tools

Of course, you could build a simple lean-to with few, if any, tools.

Just follow these directions and make sure to cover your structure with plenty of foliage to camouflage it.

For a more advanced blind, you will need some basic tools for wood chopping and detailed work on the logs you have cut.

A woodcutter’s axe would do well for the job, but you might also need a machete or a sharp tool to get rid of the leaves and excess branches.

It’s up to you to decide on the quality of your deer hunting blind. You can make a practical one, or you can go an extra mile and add some details.

This decision affects the tools you are going to need besides the woodcutter’s ax and the machete.

You can either nail the wood or tie it down, but a combination of both gets the best result.

There are a lot of tools you may want to carry with you if you want to build a nest (an elevated blind), but for a basic hunting blind, these are the basic components:

• A tool for wood chopping – the woodcutter’s axe woodwould be ideal
• A sharp tool so you can get rid of the leaves – preferably a machete but a good bushcraft knife will do too
• A hammer and some nails or a lot of rope

Building a Deer Blind

Knowing that you want to build a natural hunting blind, you’ll want to focus on the practicality and efficiency of your cover.

The main functions that it should serve are to camouflage you, to have a comfortable, sheltered place to wait (often for long periods), and to be elevated for better views (optional, you could build a hunting blind on the ground as well).

Ground Deer Hunting Blind

If you have decided to build a grounded version of the hunting blind, things will go a lot easier.

You won’t need a ladder and you will require less effort to hide and camouflage it.

Simply affixing the logs you’ve cut together in the rectangular shape would do.

However, make sure that you have chosen thick, sturdy logs that are not too fat (or too thin), and bind them with a rope or with a hammer and nails.

This type of the blind is easier to build and requires less time, but it offers simple benefits, such as camouflage and shelter.

Though the ground blind takes less time to build, you will need to set it up at least a week before you plan on hunting so the deer have time to get used to this new addition to their habitat.

There are a lot of ways to build your blind. The simplest method is where you just need to arrange the logs/branches so that their tips (or just slightly lower parts) touch in a teepee shape.

You should then camouflage it even further by adding leaves to the sides and entry point.

Those ground deer hunting blinds that are not so simple can be built by reinforcing the supports, the roof, or even by attaching windows.

You can add whatever “luxuries” and additions that you like, but keep in mind what the weather conditions are at the time you are hunting.

For example, it would not be smart to have windows if you are hunting in summer (unless mosquitoes and other pests are an issue). And you won’t have the need to reinforce the blind if you are going to use it once or twice at most.

Elevated Deer Hunting Blind

This is a rather delicate process – you need to pay a lot of attention to the sturdiness and durability of the construction of your hunting blind if you decide to build an elevated one.

If it falls, so will you, and not only will you scare away your prey, you might get hurt as well.

While an elevated blind offers more advantages, it will also require more effort and time.

First of all, you should build a base for your hunting blind – this is the part that requires the most care since its durability is mandatory.

• Step 1: Build the supports and connect them

You will need to place the supports first – large, sturdy wooden beams/logs should be carefully chosen and connected with nails or by using a rope, as they will be holding up the entire blind.

• Step 2: Make a ladder while you’re at it

This is an optional step if you are a seasoned veteran, as some hunters can scale the construction without ladders.

However, ladders are very useful, especially if your hunting blind is very high or you have a lot of gear to haul up.

They are built to be as high as the supports, only with a difference in the steps, which should be nailed or tied together every few feet. You know, ladder-style.

• Step 3: Begin building the main, and most important, part of your blind – the watchtower

Before proceeding, visualize a classic, wooden watchtower – this is how your hunting blind is supposed to look once you’re finished.

That’s basically all a hunting blind is – a camouflaged watchtower.

You will need sturdier wooden planks for this construction as you want it to be durable, but not too heavy.

Nail or tie the wooden planks into the shape of a cube, wide enough for you to fit and be comfortable while crouched, and large enough for you to stand.

It’s a good idea to either drill holes or leave gaps all around so you can have a 360-degree view of your hunting ground.

• Step 4: Finally, double check the stability of the entire construction and add any final touches.

You won’t be certain that your hunting blind is safe by simply standing in it. Move around a bit, adjust the ropes, add more nails.

Lastly, you can either paint your hunting blind in the colors that resemble the surrounding area, add leaves and branches, camo netting, or simply leave it as it is (since it is entirely natural).

Wrapping It Up

Keep in mind that hunting blinds are like real estate – it’s all about location.

Finding the perfect spot may take some time but it’ll pay off in the end.

Building a natural blind takes a lot of time and effort but the benefits are great.

You get shelter, camouflage, a comfortable place to wait, and, if you build an elevated one, a much better view.

Simply sit back and wait for your prey once you’ve finished.

Harry Garrett is the man behind HuntingGeek.com. Growing up in a family with a proud tradition of hunting, Harry has built up his passion for bow hunting and survival stuff. Hunting Geek’s mission is to bring simplified and actionable bow hunting and survival advice.

Harry Garrett