Moved the blind to a different area this weekend. The new area is basically a rock hill. We were able to put out 4 guy wires with T-posts, but were unable to use an earth anchor under neath the center of the blind because of the rock. ANY IDEAS OR SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT TO USE FOR A CENTER ANCHOR SINCE CANNOT GET THROUGH THE ROCK ? Pics would help. I thought about a 55 gallon barrell full of rock/cement.

Had this topic in favorites: Blind Anchors

Our lease is in west TX, lots of rock and no driving anything into the ground, what we do is try to place the stand so it's between the biggest scrub brushs and tie off to them.

Barrel of water should work fine and easy.

Thanks for the ideas and links.

"T"posts drove into the ground or find shrubs/trees nearby tie cable from stand to tree/shrub/post then back to stand making a large loop in the cable beteen anchor and stand. Find large stick, broom handle etc, stick it in the loop and twist until cable is tight. then either let the stick rest on the ground to keep from unwinding or fasten it to post for same reason. Then repeat steps on the other side of stand. wala secured stand. do all four sides or just two corners.

Same situation here with a 12' 5x5 metal blind (Atascosa Corporate blind). We used a 55 gallon drum with a bunch of heavy rocks and about 440lbs of concrete. We put the auger in the rock surrounded by concrete and tied down to it. It's not going anywhere...

Here some advice from myself (that hunts in west texas and just finished setting up towers). There are time when we can't get augers into the ground, so we use the ground to our advantage. Go to your local hardware store or Fastenal store. They have these 8" - 12" long concrete anchors. Some have a handle style top, others are threaded.

I take a small generator or a powerful cordless drill, drill into the rock, and slam a concrete anchor into it. You can use a big washer over your guide wires to keep them pinned down...You'll figure it out.

I have 2 blinds done this way...they haven't moved.

I can tell you what NOT to do. I think I got the tip on the forumn last year. I had put down 4 80-lb cement bags and opened them up and poored water in - instant 80lb rocks right? And underneath the bags I had cable which I tied to eye bolts on each corner of my stand - a 4x6 wood blind on 4' platform - purchased from someone that sells blinds on the forumn here last year.

Well that sucker got knocked over early spring, I have NO idea how but it did...now I have to repair/replace the backside as it warped all to hell while being ontop after the tip over.

I don't know how the hell it tipped over, 4 of us couldn't lift it back up and stand it up on our own - couldn't even budge it. I had to tie the platform/legs and then haul it up with the truck to get it back up.

So that is one way of anchoring that I don't recommend!

And I really need to go fix that damn blind this weekend..grrr...

Earl

We had one that ended up dead center over a big rock. I took a 3/4" concrete bit , drilled a hole in the rock, installed a concrete lag shield and eye bolt. Just attach the guy wire to the bottom of the blind straight above it.

It held. I wouldn't try it in any kind of soft rock or sandstone.

We have a lease in West Texas and faced the same challange as you did. Our solution was to buy a 52"x16' cattle panel (looks like hog wire), cut it into 5 pieces, leaving 8" long wire tines on one end of 4 pieces, used the square with no tines as the floor of the basket, heated the tines with a map gas torch and bent them around the floor piece, stood the 4 side pieces up and connected them with cable clamps then filled this basket up with rocks. Rocks are one thing we have plenty of in West Texas. I then put a U-shaped shackle on each corner of the basket and ran my cables from the shackles to the eye bolts at the top of the tower legs. We must have well over 600 pounds of rocks in the basket.

That was our solution.

TB

Nice idea fellows. You have re-confirmed my position that deer hunters are the best practical engineers on earth ! If we werent creative, we wouldnt be able to accomplish half of what we do.

X2 This has worked for our 19 blinds over the years. We mostly use old sheep fence wire, to make the rock basket.

JTF

Put the tower blind over a tree (may have to cut the tree or brush down a little) Take a come a long and wrap around the tree - attach the other end of the come a long to the bottom of the blind. Ratchet it down tight and it shouldnt go anywhere.