Small pit

[salthunter]

40x96x 48 deep goose pit

Using scrap material I have made pits, narrower, shorter and not as deep
Mainly three major components:

1. The box.
2. Top flanges or skirting
3. The slider lid pocket

1.The box: is simple

Two full-sheets 4x8'of ¾ “ cdx plywood:, front and back of the blind box.
wet soils you may want to use treated foundation plywood One year I used 1" OSB flooring.

I drilled 4 holes for two rope handles, makes pulling the box after the season easier for an old guy.

Four 2"x2"x47” (can be shorter) vertical nailers. Screw nailer to the very 48” perimeter edges/ends of each of the two sheets.

Two pieces of 5/8” plywood cut to 40” for each end of the pit .
two 2"x3” (12-20 inches in length ) seat ledgers, set about 18” up. Run screws from the outside into the seat ledger.

Make sure when placing the box in the hole that it is level and square. Use a level,

The 2x6 is the seat. The vertical nailers show well on the ends of the full sheets
The seat ledgers are on the short end pieces. I like the seat to float. . the seat 2x6 can be slit to the back wall and flipped on edge for more room to shoot,

This is an old picture and the blind was smaller, I was obviously still digging by hand, sold the ATV the trailer disappeared and my good dog passed nearly 4 years ago! I was more accurate with a shovel,, a backhole and my digging the flanges need to be much bigger due to my lack of skill with a back hoe

shows the vertical nailer, and the rope handles used for removing the pit. If you you have a couple young guys to help remove the blind,,, the roped handles aren't needed.

W

 

[salthunter]

3. The slider lid pocket.

Two pieces of 5/8” plywood 27”x96”
1"x1" Steel tubing, for spacers (if I was making a bigger blind I would go 1 1/4 “ ) I went with steel, I wanted more solid spacer wood could be used.
1, at 96”.
4, at 26”

slider lid pocket is pictured upside down. yep now I know where I got cut yesterday

The underside of the lid pocket; I have the first shooting hole off-set to provide me a few more inches when " hiding"and to adjust for the 4 1/2 inches taken up by the vertical nailers and and short 40x 48 " ends of the blind.
The white paint shows somewhat where the 1 inch tubing runs as the spacer the two end shooting holes are 30". the middlle shooting hole opening is 25" ( hasnt been used by for two years. )

The dirt stop is to prevent dirt fill from working its way into the pit Ive cut one side at a 45 degree to reduce shadows.The stop helps prevent migration of field dirt and duff into your gun

The slider lids are 27 inches deep and different widths for each pocket
one side is painted white for snow and just flipped for snow conditions.

 

[salthunter]

2. Flanges/skirting: I have made it a bit more complicated to make it easier for me to set the blind and to cover with a layer of dirt fill. I started out with scrap material. I now build a specific skirting/flange to mount more solid to the box and to act as a stop for the lids one side and dirt cover on the other.
each piece is 96 inches
the top piece is a dirt stop on the angled side and a slider lid stop on the other

flange acts as a seat , which has 1 " view. on the left, and random width on the right
2x2 nailer . I screw thru the back box wall into the flange nailer, I have run some screws thru from the slider seat

Use scrap, thin ply to run the flange to sit on solid soil.

the left 90 degree right angle sits on the back wall of the blind.

The flange material I just run wild off each end.

 

[salthunter]

One afternoon hunt three of us spent 45 minutes searching for the pit after 4" snowfall,.. So now I keep it marked.

other lids covered behind the goose tails and decoy stand

Getting pulled out in the spring.

 

[Grif]

 

[2WIDGN]

Awesome. I use "dirt stops" also. They really help. Never thought about cutting the edge on a 45 to reduce shadows. Excellent idea. Thanks for sharing.

 

[salthunter]

Awesome. I use "dirt stops" also. They really help. Never thought about cutting the edge on a 45 to reduce shadows. Excellent idea. Thanks for sharing.

I would probably round them over on my next ones. or chamfer the 45.
this year I lightly covered everything with a little potato vine

 

[Grif]

I would probably round them over on my next ones. or chamfer the 45.
this year I lightly covered everything with a little potato vine

Man, that thing looks like a shallow grave to me.

 

[salthunter]

Man, that thing looks like a shallow grave to me.

Yep,,, , Kind of a running joke around here with some of the neighbor guys.

 

[h2ofwlr]

I suggest only 2 things for those thinking of building one. Do NOT use OSB at all. Use only ground contact rated treated plywood and wood framing as it'll hold up long term, also use triple coated screws or hot dipped galv bolts/buts. As regular treated starts laminating after a couple yrs, untreated cdx laminates year 1. That's my expereince in the last few yrs with the plywood and wood framing out there.