Pontoon Duck Blind

Here is the start of our pontoon duck blind. It's going to be stationary for the most part. We will probably use poles on the corners to stabilize it.

The platform in the middle will have five adjustable seats. Each will have its own opening that you can stand up and shoot out of. Each opening will have a hatch that you can look out of and then open fully to stand and shoot. That way you can hunt either side without flipping the blind.

We plan on having a small propane stove to cook and make coffee.

The porch area on the end will be where we enter and also have a toilet seat. There will also be two dog doors on each side and one on the end. We plan on covering with R panel and brush it in.

Started with an old POS pontoon boat cdoz35 bought for scrap.

Stripped it down and cut off all the old bolts and wires.

Welded some supports where it was rusted pretty bad.

Used pressure treated 3/4 plywood for the floor.





I'll post more of it when finished

Very kewl my man. Can't wait to see the rest as it comes along!

Looking good!

This is going to be a sweet setup. Make sure you add a shelf to place your blind bags and other junk on.

One thing we didn't think about was our hulls. Shooting out the top like that there is not a good way to pick up our hulls. A net on a long pole maybe? Has anyone used the bag type hull catchers?

The magnet poles are pretty good.

Help me with the layout. How is the bench to be used?

It should make more sense once it's completed but I'll attempt to explain. Four of us came up with the design and I'm the dumbest of the bunch so I at least try and provide manual labor. I think it's going to be a really sweet set up!

The bench AKA shooting platform will have mounted rotating and height adjustable seats. Above each seat there will be a hatch. While seated you should be able to look out and then stand up to shoot and rotate for different angles without hitting your elbows. It will be very similar to hunting out of layouts.

The hatches will also be designed to where you can hunt both sides of the blind depending on wind direction.

You can close the hatches to keep warmth in and the weather out. It's just tall enough that I can stand up inside without hitting my head and I'm 6'2.

You will enter from the lower front porch deck area that will not be covered and also have a toilet on one side. There will be two dog exiting doors on each side as well.

Pretty dang cool! Definitely can't wait to see the final product.

I believe I am picking it up. When will you be done?

Trying to have it done for teal. Our little lake is so over grown it'll be hard to hunt with layouts.

It's like 50 yards to open water.

Start of the hatches.

We have one on our lease. Works really well. Make sure you build a dog ramp if you have not already.

Just wondering if those pontoons will hold all that weight? All that fabricated wood isn't light, and with 4 people and gear...that's a substantial load. Then there's waves to think about when the wind kicks in.

Gman

According to the engineer of the group it should take 4k pounds to submerge the pontoons. We've got about 1,000 lbs in materials. We also plan on stabilizing with poles on the corners so that should help the rocking. We could also always shove a couple barrels under it if need be.

Not going to lie. I've been watching this build with a bit of skepticism. But, if it's stationary and anchored on the corners, I don't really see the issue.

I was imagining trying to drive that thing across a lake.

Might need the barrels on the 'shooting platform' side.

Keep the pics coming.

This is going to be a stationary blind. No motor. We will wade it out were we want it and anchor it. If we need to move it we can but ideally we won't need to move it often.

wheres the toilet?

You couldn't flip that thing over if you tried.

Still need to acquire and mount adjustable chairs, cover, brush in, build the toilet, dog doors, dog ramp and ladder.

I'm not sure we are going to make the opening for teal.

How are you going to launch and move it into position? Waders and a strong back?

Three options we've talked about

#1 roll the trailer in by hand, float it off then pull the trailer out with a long rope or chain.

#2 use a tractor to pull it off and push it in.

#3 back it in with a tractor

We will figure something out. Once it's in we will just wade it out where we want.

Go with the Tractor. I have learned from experience that the less redneck way to do things is usually better. It is not near as entertaining but a lot less work in the long run. I live on the San Bernard river. The river came up and covered the 4 wheeler crossing. I thought "How kewl would it be to launch the mud motor duck boat and go exploring?". I should have stopped right there. Three hours of back breaking work and I finally got back to ground zero. Here is how it went. I used the 4 wheeler to back the boat in. As soon as the boat caught enough water to float, the current pushed the boat and trailer at 90 degrees to the 4 wheeler and started dragging the 4 wheeler. I was able to tie off the 4 wheeler with a rope real fast, which got tighter than a johnson hatband. I though well I will release the boat and drive it upstream and tie it off. Well that was a great plan until I realize, NO FREAKiNG PLUGS WERE IN THE BOAT. It went on like this for 3 hours until I got all equipment back on land. 3 years late I tried it again with the tractor. It was a different set of foul ups but you get the idea. My new rule is I don't take a boat into that river.

Sweet tiny infant baby Jesus on a pogo stick, that thing looks TALL. You have any cover on that place thats not pictured?

Would have to hang some trees on that to get a hide.

We got us a nay sayer. You can't two it or it will blow apart. You can't hide it. You can't, you can't well because you just can't.

Well I towed this one at 75 miles per hour behind my Excursion behind the flatbed with a Ranger on it.

It hunts very well.

Ducks die right in front of the blind.

I have heard a massive ration of crap about hiding this one. I have heard even more about how it can't possibly go down the road without blowing apart. I have heard it can't possibly stay afloat. I have heard all this from people who apparently perplexed by the age old manure from Shinola question.
So tell us how this one will not float, it will flip over, it is impossible to hide ect. Please make up a new one for Pete's sake.

Because you can't Wal.....You just can't.

Ol bull is looking old, wish he could talk bet he's got some stories.

I shot several limits last year sitting in an old pontoon boat on the edge of a tank. It was just an old white pontoon boat with no cover or anything. I had ducks land 10 feet in front of me dressed in camo with a brown dog sitting in a white pontoon boat.

It's going to be about 6.5 feet from the water to the top of the blind. We will brush it in but I don't think it will even matter. It'll be stationary and the ducks will just get used to it being there.

Pull back on the reigns there cowboy Dan.

I was just trying to offer some friendly advise from my YEARS of EXPERIENCE.

I would suggest brushing the entire thing up to look like a Christmas tree. Get one of them 14 foot tower tripods (on sale for deer hunting at Academy) and have the swivel seat sticking out of the top.

This would serve a two fold purpose:

1. Shooting down on a flock of birds magnifies the kill ratio per pellet expended.

2. It could serve as your own personal weather station. Fer wind changes and such.

You got no call to give me the mean mouf.

I think I am gonna build one based off the OP's
Pics. I'm a surround it with mirrors, angled slightly upward. From my expert observations, it should serve as a proper blinder. Goose whackin mochine.

Heck, I'd hang them Avery plastic corns off of it like ornaments. Just sayin, with all due respect.

This whole project started because the soil conservation lake we hunt fluctuates a lot in depth. It's also very difficult to access and hunt the south side. The lake also has 50+ yards of vegetation before you get to open water were the ducks like to land. We just happen to come into possession of this old pontoon boat. Why did we make it so big and tall? Why not? I think it's going to work very well and it'll be really nice to be able to stay warm and comfortable.

Well, I do agree that it's an awesome Idea. Therein lies the problem. As was pointed out, I dont know a Turd from Shinola

Edited to add: prolly cause my post count is lower than mean mouf's

I think everyone will agree that concealment is the most important factor besides being on the X. I don't think it takes years of experience to figure that out. However, when you are dealing with a permanent fixture you can get away with a lot more.

Here is a tank I hunted some last season. I spent a lot if time trying to hide the first couple times I hunted it. I scouted one morning and all the ducks were piled up next to that pontoon boat on the west side in the pic.

Next day I just sat in that pontoon boat and cleaned house. If ducks are used to it being there they could care less.

If the toon isn't going to move much and always going to be on the lake, you could paint the dang thing pink and neon green and it wouldn't matter. Some over head cover to conceal movement and that's it.

Pull back on the reigns there cowboy Dan. I am good at this speed and I don't know Dan

I was just trying to offer some friendly advise from my YEARS of EXPERIENCE. How many years

I would suggest brushing the entire thing up to look like a Christmas tree. Get one of them 14 foot tower tripods (on sale for deer hunting at Academy) and have the swivel seat sticking out of the top. Have you been hunting out of the marijuana duck blind today?

This would serve a two fold purpose:

1. Shooting down on a flock of birds magnifies the kill ratio per pellet expended. I have no idea what you meant to say. Please refer to previous question.

2. It could serve as your own personal weather station. Fer wind changes and such. Again I have no idea what you meant to say. Please refer to previous question.

You got no call to give me the mean mouf. I don't know what a mouf is.

I think I am gonna build one based off the OP's
Pics. I'm a surround it with mirrors, angled slightly upward. From my expert observations, it should serve as a proper blinder. Goose whackin mochine.

Getting there

Now you're getting high in behind her! Looking good.

SIIIIIICK

Sweet looking toon. Thanks for posting the pictures and updates. It's been fun to follow.

Any more progress??

I have always seen that boat on the bank of that tank for years. I hunt a place just west of you. Lots of ducks in that area. Good luck with your blind build.

Toilet installed and the dog doors.

Dog doors are on spring hinges that can be locked open.

Hope to launch Saturday.

bad @ss.. hope she floats! Take pics on the water!

Oh lord don't post pictures of the crapper!!! A dozen junior EPA agents are going to inform you of the legalities so far as taking a dump while duck hunting.

Nice build. I am seeing the end of my project. It has been a wh-ordeal that is for sure. I started this back in February. Usually I can work right through a project and get it done. I reckon I am getting older and slowing down a bit. I try to accomplish at least one thing per day, especially on the days I really don't want to work on it.

Crapper is one if those composting toilets.

How much money do you think you have in her? I think you said the boat was free so I'm assuming it's only the materials for the blind.

The boat and r panel were bought as scrap so not sure what he paid for it but probably not much.

Wood, screws, bolts and hinges are going to run about $500 maybe. We will add it all up at the end and split it 3 ways.

I'm mine I paid $1300 for boat, trailer and half a motor. $600 for a used lower unit and $600 to install the lower. I got maybe $200 in screws and metal. The rest was free scrap from a junk pile. So I got $2700 on it.

Looking good. Glad I want see that thing on public.

Will be interesting to see how it floats, hope it's not top heavy.

Here we go! If it isn't the amateur EPA league talking about illegal crappers it is the Re-Re Lego engineering team telling you it won't float. So what we have here are a bunch that will not commit to a prediction. They put just enough out there so when things go right, they are not committed to a prediction. When things go wrong, they can jump on the "I knew it wouldn't float" bandwagon. By saying "Hope it floats" is just setting the guy up for an "I told you so" afterwards.

Say it will or say it won't float. Give the guy the same opportunity at "I told you so" that you are setting yourself up for. Make a prediction, will it float or not.

No Wayne, I'll stick to the spirit of my post, which is very accurate, in that I really do not know 100% either way, but there looks like there is risk of it being top heavy. Risk is low, I say 10%, how's that, it's the best I can do.

I'll do a poll and see who thinks it will sink? Who thinks it will flip over? Who thinks it will work?

Should I post it here or make a new topic?

Personally I think the biggest issues we face are anchoring it, fluctuating water level and high winds.

Plan is to have one heavy anchor off the back and two smaller off the front corners to stabilize while hunting. When not hunting move all three to the back.

Might also use poles shoved into the mud to stabilize while hunting.

My 'Hope it floats' post was a sincere well-wish and in no way an open door to scrutinize if it doesn't! I really hope it does and I know he mentioned early on he'll attach barrels if extra stability/flotation is needed.

Well the ducktoon is done!! We are going to wait till the 10th to launch so all four guys can be there form her maiden voyage.

Added a few things like a couple small windows so we can look out without opening up the top hatches. We also put the rear dog door on spring hinges and a pulley opening system. Added a short rail on the shooting platform so our stools don't fall off.

One if the guys had some pieces of artificial turf that worked perfectly for gun rests and to cushion the spring loaded (bungee cord) hatch doors.

Looks good. If it gets slow you can hit golf balls off the top.

We ought to go ahead and cover the entire top and make a putting green.

siiiick