Elevated blind anchoring in rocky soil

Got the new penthouse up on a tower this weekend. (That's not me, that's the poor guy who happened to be at the lease same time I was. ) What are you guys in rocky soil doing to anchor them? I don't think I'd be too successful trying to spin a mobile home hanger down too far.



Lesson learned... NEVER lay your wood on the ground where there's prickly pear. I had freakin' pokies (those little small bastards) all over me that I guess we picked up from working with, rubbing on, etc the wood while finishing up the tower.

Use a hammer drill with concrete bit, size depends on anchor system. Use a piece of all thread 6-8" long, drill rock, clean out hole with brush, squirt epoxy in hole, push in all thread, leave about 3/4" sticking out, screw on eye bolt, attach cables to blind and eye bolt.
I would use 5/8" or 3/4" all thread. If use 5/8" drill 3/4" hole, if use 3/4" drill 7/8" hole.

Trees where available

This was our solution on a very rocky lease in Young Co. The basket was made out of one 16' hog panel.

Rocks in a 55 gal drum also works well. Make a metal plate that fits inside the bottom with an eye on it to tie cable to. Fill with large rocks.

is it solid rock (drilling with hammer drill, use long lag bolts), large rocks under the surface or caliche type ... can you drive a T-post or heavy rebar?

I would put a wire from one corner to those trees. Then I would try and drive a steel post somewhere in those rocks!

Bubba, I'm just down the road from you a few miles from PK lake.

I have access to a VERY large boulder pile from a failed well attempt. I'm thinking the barrel,basket thing might be the ticket.

Do ya'll think the frame one of those 240 gallon water totes is strong enough?

I like that one

Never thought of rocks... good idea

If life gives you lemons (rocks) make lemon aid (piles of rocks).

My property is rocky so the auger anchors that usually come with the anchor kits were useless. I took some 18" square cinder blocks, drilled a hole in the center, bolted in a threaded eye bolt and attached it to the anchor cable turnbuckle. I adjusted the turnbuckle so that the cinder block just rested on the ground. I then gathered large rocks and piled them around the cinder block. This is similar to the basket setup, just no basket. Works fine. My blinds are only on 5' towers so the smaller pile works well. Humping those rocks gives you a nice workout. Beer required after it was done.

Looks good, but is that blind right on the fence line?

good idea

The cage on a water tote is plenty strong enough for that.

I realized to do this, I'd have to take one side of my tower apart to get the basket under it. I got lucky and was able to twist (4) 30 inch grind anchors in, only hitting rock with one before I was ready to stop. Twisted a 40" underneath in the middle with chain, 1/4" cable on each corner. Short of a tornado hit, I should be plenty secure. Just to note, all of these connections are on the blind itself, not on the tower.

If you have cedars or mesquite trees you can cut one to about three foot tall and set blind over the stump and use a turnbuckle or come along to tie down to! this works very well.

We are located in Edwards County. Everything is rock. We have to rock drill tee posts and fence posts so everybody owns or rents equipment for making holes in solid rock. We center punch one 6 to 9 inch diameter hole about 40” deep directly under the center of where the blind will go. We make a large eye hook with 1” or larger sucker rod with a few 3”pins welded near the bottom of where the anchor will lay. We bend a large 6” loop on the other end weld it closed. The top half of this loop will be above ground level. We attach the concreted anchor to the center of the frame with steel cable or chain and turn buckles. 3/8 to 1/2” seems about right. Never had a tower blind blow over in 25 years.