


February 09, 2009
BuckTracker: (Box) Blind Ambition
By Scott Bestul
The only place I’ve ever hunted from a “shooting house” was in Alabama this year, and I should probably refer to the structures we used as “box blinds.” The elevated plywood stands were small, about four feet wide by five feet long, and in most the windows were permanent, covered only by a roll-up curtain of camouflage material.
One of the best stories I heard during this trip was about a hunter who opened the door to his box blind one morning and noticed a pair of flying squirrels huddled together above one curtain rod. The hunter shared space with the rodents the entire morning, unwilling to roust them out into the elements.
Those box blinds had a unique charm, one I hope to revisit next winter. But they are a far cry from the structure in these pics. Now this is a shooting house; replete with more comfort than a redneck like me will ever need. According to the email I found them in the stand is owned by former Houston Astros second basemen Craig Biggio.
What I want to know is which kind you’d prefer to hunt from: the plywood or the palace?
Comments (35)
I reckon that every once in a while, not very often, it would be fun to sit in one of those houses with a bunch of buddies shooting the breeze and deer. Otherwise it'll be tough to enjoy a hunt from your living room.
For me, hunting is about blending in with nature and watching things happen around you without you affecting them (hopefully). I don't think you can accomplish that with a television, air conditioning, and nicer chairs that in my office. But this would also be a great way to share a hunt with a handfull of buddies at the same time. I don't think I would feel right shooting a deer from this thing, but would have a a blast drinking beer with my friends and just watching the deer.
That is more of a party blind to me. It would be fun with some buddies if you were all out there to manage the herd. But it would be hard for me to be proud of a deer i took from there. I think it is better to be out in an open stand in the middle of the woods with your bow. Anyone should be able to hunt all day and even spend the night in a blind like that.
a great place to get away and hang out but if you are going to hunt from this thing you might as well hunt from your house. what a joke! this is what happens when people have too much money. come to think of it, i've never hunted from a blind.
There are clearly too many distractions in there to take your mind/eyes off of what is going on outside. For example the TV!
I'll stick to my (old) plywood and tarp covered winter blind,don't need the fancy chairs n all but it would be nice to party in.
don
That isn't something I would want to hunt in on a regular basis. But that would be cool to hunt with your hunting buddies once or twice a year out of one of those. If you have enough room, you can sleep in there at night and wake up before shooting hours start.
I'd rather bowhunt in my portable stand deep in the woods and catch a buck offguard. There is nothing more rewarding I think. These blinds may be comfortable but I think a big part of hunting is being one on one with Mother Nature, I wouldn't want it any other way. If I was rich I would just buy that many more portable stands! To each their own though.
I saw this on a hunting show on the outdoor channel some time ago. It would be nice, but it is not very sportsmanlike. You could spend the night there and not have to wake up long before shooting hours to drive to your spot and walk in! You could wake up right at first light and shoot deer in your PJ's! But like I said, not very sporting. Part of hunting is suffering the cold/heat and being a part of nature. Hunting entails sharing the environment of your quarry. This is not a deer's environment.
but is there free wifi included???
that things better'n my dorm room for god sakes!
looks like a cabin. i would rather a "plywood" one to hunt in. but, if i had money i would like a cabin that was made like Biggio's palace
Makes me want to cut shooting ports in my outhouse.
if i had the money i would have one.
Would I have fun sitting in my easy chair, watching tv, and keeping an eye out for deer? Heck yeah, I would! Would I feel good about myself afterwords? Probably not...
Does it rotate?
would running the heat or air conditioning maybe tip the deer off that something was amiss? or maybe the raging drunkfest inside?
I hunt from ply wood boxes and that looks like fortress for war not for deer hunting. and what type of deer are they hunting because any deer I have seen would look at it then run away
I would not enjoy hunting from this because without it you are still getting to enjoy the great outdoors even without a kill. how can you truly enjoy or appreciate a hunt if its from your living room. Hanging a trophy taken from this "blind" would be like hanging a trophy from a hunting video game. I don't like it but everyone is entitled to their opinion
What a joke! I hope he's not proud of anything taken from that thing. Like everyone else said, part of hunting is getting out into mother nature. Feeling the same bitter cold (or heat here in VA sometimes) that you quarry feels, breathing the same air, being one on one with them in their element.
Hunting isn't a party.
I bet he is on the list of steroids users ,thats not hunting, wants to do it the easy way. probally was a user?
Neither plywood nor palace for me. Hunting is meant to be done outdoors, without a roof over your head.
That 'stand' is an example of what is wrong with hunting (hunters actually) these days. It's kinda redicules. Might be fun to coyote hunt from, but if i shot a deer from it i'd be ashamed.
Another example of overpaid athletes. That thing cost as much as my house probably. And that is not a negative comment about my house!
ridiculous
Pretty laughable!
Not for me.
while we are on the subject of blinds and stands could you pt together either in an upcoming issue or have a blog post about hunting whitetails without the use of blind, tree stand, or deer drive. Next year I will be deer hunting for the 1st time on my granddads land and wanted any tips or advice. Thank you
That's not a blind, just add a couch and its a house. I wonder if it has a working bathroom.
the couch is probably on the other side that wasn't shown. right next to the wet bar.
Probably has a Bidet in it. Not sure if that's how u spell bidet.
If I had that thing it would take about five minutes with a few friends before a poker game and case of beer emerged... jamesti called it. Raging drunkfest indeed.
that aint huntin! thats for whimps, get a reel treestand!
Douglas, I know a guy I used to work with that actually sat down at our lunch table and boasted he bought a 'johnny on the spot' and he was going to make portals to shoot from. We just looked at each other.
I'm trying to get this on the ESPN2 show SportsNation.
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would running the heat or air conditioning maybe tip the deer off that something was amiss? or maybe the raging drunkfest inside?
I saw this on a hunting show on the outdoor channel some time ago. It would be nice, but it is not very sportsmanlike. You could spend the night there and not have to wake up long before shooting hours to drive to your spot and walk in! You could wake up right at first light and shoot deer in your PJ's! But like I said, not very sporting. Part of hunting is suffering the cold/heat and being a part of nature. Hunting entails sharing the environment of your quarry. This is not a deer's environment.
What a joke! I hope he's not proud of anything taken from that thing. Like everyone else said, part of hunting is getting out into mother nature. Feeling the same bitter cold (or heat here in VA sometimes) that you quarry feels, breathing the same air, being one on one with them in their element.
Hunting isn't a party.
Neither plywood nor palace for me. Hunting is meant to be done outdoors, without a roof over your head.
I reckon that every once in a while, not very often, it would be fun to sit in one of those houses with a bunch of buddies shooting the breeze and deer. Otherwise it'll be tough to enjoy a hunt from your living room.
That is more of a party blind to me. It would be fun with some buddies if you were all out there to manage the herd. But it would be hard for me to be proud of a deer i took from there. I think it is better to be out in an open stand in the middle of the woods with your bow. Anyone should be able to hunt all day and even spend the night in a blind like that.
a great place to get away and hang out but if you are going to hunt from this thing you might as well hunt from your house. what a joke! this is what happens when people have too much money. come to think of it, i've never hunted from a blind.
That isn't something I would want to hunt in on a regular basis. But that would be cool to hunt with your hunting buddies once or twice a year out of one of those. If you have enough room, you can sleep in there at night and wake up before shooting hours start.
I'd rather bowhunt in my portable stand deep in the woods and catch a buck offguard. There is nothing more rewarding I think. These blinds may be comfortable but I think a big part of hunting is being one on one with Mother Nature, I wouldn't want it any other way. If I was rich I would just buy that many more portable stands! To each their own though.
but is there free wifi included???
Would I have fun sitting in my easy chair, watching tv, and keeping an eye out for deer? Heck yeah, I would! Would I feel good about myself afterwords? Probably not...
I hunt from ply wood boxes and that looks like fortress for war not for deer hunting. and what type of deer are they hunting because any deer I have seen would look at it then run away
I would not enjoy hunting from this because without it you are still getting to enjoy the great outdoors even without a kill. how can you truly enjoy or appreciate a hunt if its from your living room. Hanging a trophy taken from this "blind" would be like hanging a trophy from a hunting video game. I don't like it but everyone is entitled to their opinion
I bet he is on the list of steroids users ,thats not hunting, wants to do it the easy way. probally was a user?
That 'stand' is an example of what is wrong with hunting (hunters actually) these days. It's kinda redicules. Might be fun to coyote hunt from, but if i shot a deer from it i'd be ashamed.
Another example of overpaid athletes. That thing cost as much as my house probably. And that is not a negative comment about my house!
that aint huntin! thats for whimps, get a reel treestand!
For me, hunting is about blending in with nature and watching things happen around you without you affecting them (hopefully). I don't think you can accomplish that with a television, air conditioning, and nicer chairs that in my office. But this would also be a great way to share a hunt with a handfull of buddies at the same time. I don't think I would feel right shooting a deer from this thing, but would have a a blast drinking beer with my friends and just watching the deer.
There are clearly too many distractions in there to take your mind/eyes off of what is going on outside. For example the TV!
I'll stick to my (old) plywood and tarp covered winter blind,don't need the fancy chairs n all but it would be nice to party in.
don
that things better'n my dorm room for god sakes!
looks like a cabin. i would rather a "plywood" one to hunt in. but, if i had money i would like a cabin that was made like Biggio's palace
Makes me want to cut shooting ports in my outhouse.
if i had the money i would have one.
Does it rotate?
ridiculous
Pretty laughable!
Not for me.
while we are on the subject of blinds and stands could you pt together either in an upcoming issue or have a blog post about hunting whitetails without the use of blind, tree stand, or deer drive. Next year I will be deer hunting for the 1st time on my granddads land and wanted any tips or advice. Thank you
That's not a blind, just add a couch and its a house. I wonder if it has a working bathroom.
the couch is probably on the other side that wasn't shown. right next to the wet bar.
Probably has a Bidet in it. Not sure if that's how u spell bidet.
If I had that thing it would take about five minutes with a few friends before a poker game and case of beer emerged... jamesti called it. Raging drunkfest indeed.
Douglas, I know a guy I used to work with that actually sat down at our lunch table and boasted he bought a 'johnny on the spot' and he was going to make portals to shoot from. We just looked at each other.
I'm trying to get this on the ESPN2 show SportsNation.
Post a Comment