# Pit blinds



## king eider (Aug 20, 2009)

Ok so it appears I'm to the point of putting in some pits for goose hunting. Would like to put in 2 blinds. Just curious what you all have used. Water table is pretty high. One will be in the middle of a field, the other next to a pond. Need some ideas. Would like to keep the cost as low as possible. Pits will be sunk all the way to ground level then a lid installed.

Thoughts?


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## kev (Feb 7, 2008)

I've built a couple. Anything wood will eventually collapse, because of the water pressure. 
The best one was an all metal structure, that we build in modules. A lot of your success is based on braving and how its anchored. We had a foundation coating guy spray the outside before we installed it. 
Also my experience that the metal one was easier to maintain and keep the lids working.


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## Gee LeDouche (Sep 21, 2007)

All the ones I've ever hunted out of have been concrete like what the duck clubs in north salt lake use. I don't know if those are considered the style of "pit blind" your looking for, but for 2 people I think those are perfect. little to no maintenance, I would guess cheaper than metal, and much stronger than wood.. Hell, you could probably build your own pretty easy! then throw a small bench in them and your good to go.


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## hamernhonkers (Sep 28, 2007)

The only pits I have every hunted out of are the ones down here on the WMA. They are basically a rectangle box buried in the ground with the lip about 2" above ground. They then have metal lids for keeping water out when it rains. 

They seem to really hold up well. The fields down here are farmed and watered 365 days a year. My friend who works there and has hunted there since he was a kid say's they really hold up well, most of the pits are 20 years old and still look great.

I may run out this afternoon to photo the geese and if I do I will take some pics of the pits to give you and idea.


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## Greenhead_Slayer (Oct 16, 2007)

We've always had great success finding a rectangular septic tank without the lid. Build you a customized lid for the top that matches the surroundings. You can build a wood bench to your preference for how low you want to sit. Make sure you don't just backfill around the box though, go rent a whacker or some sort of plate compactor and backfill a foot at a time. If you do a sloppy job backfilling it will settle all wonky.

We've actually had good luck building them out of marine wood. With enough cross braces they won't collapse and will last you 15+ years. With either system make sure you have a good design to keep it anchored down. We usually leave a 6-7' long 2x4 anchor bolted from each of the corners and then use a backhoe bucket to push them down deep. That creates a good suction that'll prevent it from popping up. The box will pop up from pressure before it will collapse in my experience. Attached is a wood one we put in a couple years ago.


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## king eider (Aug 20, 2009)

Awesome. Thanks for the replies. Pictures would be great!! With the wooden boxes did you just pump the water out? Water table in these fields is approx 26" down. The pit next to the pond has a rise on the ground so the water table going to be deeper. I think a wooden pit will suffice really well. Any ideas where I could look at some plans?


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## KennyC (Apr 28, 2010)

Just install the concrete boxes that the cemeteries use. That is a sure way to have a solid pit and you can put the concrete lid on in the off season.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

Down home in Ar, We used to make them out of wood but they never held up well. We switched to concrete and metal pits. Those come coated with some type of tar looking weatherproofing coating. We dig them in with a backhoe leveling the top lips around a few inches above ground level then we pull a levee around it to keep from flooding when irrigating our fields, we cut those in the off growing season. We have installed solar powered bible pumps to keep out what rainwater from getting in on most of them, the others we just pump out as required.

As for lids we have two styles, spring loaded ones that flip back and a rollback design, both work, I couldn't recommend one over the other. Sorry I don't have pictures of them.

Only thing I have against metal pits is they seem to increase noise, especially gunshots, a gun with a ported barrel sucks to use in em


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## hamernhonkers (Sep 28, 2007)

Here is a view of a fiber glass type one down here. I was going to go to the metal one that was close by but it was being guarded by lots of geese:shock:


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

hamernhonkers said:


> Here is a view of a fiber glass type one down here. I was going to go to the metal one that was close by but it was being guarded by lots of geese:shock:


I down sized the pics to 9 inch wide by 96 pixels per inch so you don't have to scroll the thread to read the posts.

.


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## Greenhead_Slayer (Oct 16, 2007)

king eider said:


> Awesome. Thanks for the replies. Pictures would be great!! With the wooden boxes did you just pump the water out? Water table in these fields is approx 26" down. The pit next to the pond has a rise on the ground so the water table going to be deeper. I think a wooden pit will suffice really well. Any ideas where I could look at some plans?


I just use a bucket to bail it out, it usually only gets 6-8 inches and bails out pretty quick. I know some people will take a sump pump out with them and set it up to pump while they set up decoys.

Google search goose pits and you can find some plans, I don't have anything drawn up.

About the easiest and cheapest ones we've done are made from buying a 20' section of 48" HDPE pipe cut in 5' sections. Dig a 6.5' hole with a back hoe, fill 1.5' with stone, then stand up one of the 5' sections and sit on a bucket. You can build a top with fancy rollers or just buy some burlap. Not sure how well that'd work with the location right by the water.

Why not just shoot out of lay-outs? In all honesty they are easier hide, mobile, and a lot less money.


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## hamernhonkers (Sep 28, 2007)

Oops my bad goob, my bad (in my 5 year olds voice) Lol. 

Musta forgot to change my size back after the band pic count. Sorry man.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Don't underestimate a quality built plywood box. Properly built with screws and glued seams and coated with a good quality foundation sealer they will last for years. After digging and burying my fare share of these over the years I learned two of the most important things is. How to anchor the box in the ground and either have a valve to flood it or it needs to leak just enough so it wont float out of the ground. There is nothing more disappointing than going out for a hunt and finding your pit popped out of the ground. With a high water table it is amazing the amount of water pressure trying to push a box out of the ground. 

Both of these wood boxes have been in the GSL since the late 90's. And will still hunt. One of these boxes is made out of chip board.


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## king eider (Aug 20, 2009)

JerryH said:


> Don't underestimate a quality built plywood box. Properly built with screws and glued seams and coated with a good quality foundation sealer they will last for years. After digging and burying my fare share of these over the years I learned two of the most important things is. How to anchor the box in the ground and either have a valve to flood it or it needs to leak just enough so it wont float out of the ground. There is nothing more disappointing than going out for a hunt and finding your pit popped out of the ground. With a high water table it is amazing the amount of water pressure trying to push a box out of the ground.
> 
> Both of these wood boxes have been in the GSL since the late 90's. And will still hunt. One of these boxes is made out of chip board.


awesome! thanks very much for the replies guys. Pretty much decided on a pit by our pond. The contour of the ground there is a rise to the east side that will make a wood pit very possible. yet seeing your photos of the pit out on the sheet water gives me a second thought to putting a wood pit on the flooded grass field where i want to put the other one. interested to know how you anchor them. Ive got some ideas, but ill ask you as you've done this! also i have to put on lids because the pits are in fields with cattle.

why not laydown blinds. been doing that for years. its time to move on to something better. plus i will now have a handful of young kids that are hunting with me.


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## shaner (Nov 30, 2007)

King,
Trust what JerryH tells you.
Those boxes are in the absolute worst environment possible, including being ran over by boats, and still hold up.
As for keeping them from corking up, I place a 2x8 as long as the box on each side horizontally at the bottom outside edge as a deadman. The weight of the soil keeps them perfectly held down.
A 4" hole in the corner of the floor allows water in at installation time to give the box neutral buoyancy preventing it from popping out. Let it sit a few weeks prior to the opener, pump it out, and then install a 'Brandt' expandable plug. This type of plug is commonly found on sewer clean outs.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

If your field dries out in the summer the dirt will seal around a (tapered) box. If you are putting it in and around water the soil around the box after back filling the will never harden and will not seal. One way to anchor a box in the ground is 8' 2x4's pounded straight into the ground along the outside of the box. Run screws from inside the box to the 2x4 outside the box. You will have to weld up a heavy duty steel cap that fits on top of the 2x4 where it will take a beating from a sledge hammer from pounding it in the ground. Without the steel cap the 2x4 will crack and splinter. Cut a good tapered point for the bottom of the 2x4. We preferred 6 to 8 2x4 anchors per box. You will be surprised how a water tight box fill float out of the ground. The bigger the box the more floatation you have.

1. Dig hole. Hopefully walls of hole don't cave in? Oh It happens.
2. Insert box in hole and level it. Fill box half way full with water.
3. pound those 2x4's in the ground. Run screws not nails from the inside of the box to the 2x4's outside of the box. Don't drop drill in the water. Oh It happens also. Bring plenty of grabber screws.
4. Cut off tops of 2x4's if you can't pound them in far enough. Wipe the sweat of your brow. Because by this time your exhausted. But yet you will feel some sort of accomplishment. 
5. Back fill hole and level the ground around the box. Hopefully you have the box deep enough. Ground level is perfect.
6. Go home and soak in the tub. Think to yourself if. If there was just a nice constant wind from one direction that layout blind wouldn't be so bad lol 
7. Heavy duty lid for the box. Last thing you want find is a dead cow in it.

Remember if that box is a half mile off the X there is nothing more frustrating. Oh it has happened.

I have 2 boxes for sale. Glued, screwed, sealed ready to go in my storage shed. I don't want to go through steps 1-6


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

I forgot 

8. Go to work the next day tell your coworkers what you went through to hide from a duck. Expect plenty of odd looks


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## Gee LeDouche (Sep 21, 2007)

I'd be willing to give you a hand this summer if needed.


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## king eider (Aug 20, 2009)

Now we are talking!! Thank you for the ideas and conversation. Plans are going to start coming together. good thing is i dont have to do any hand digging or pounding of posts. got all the machinery to do that.

how much for your pit boxes?


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

http://www.momarsh.com/pit-blind/


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

[QUOTE how much for your pit boxes?[/QUOTE]

30" tall x 30"wide x 4' long 
$100 for the pair


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