Shooting house tips

I think one of my summer projects will be building a 2-man shooting house up at the farm. I'll probably design it as I go rather than follow a blueprint (that's half the fun for me). That said, what general tips can y'all share...things to avoid (OSB?)...things you would different if you had to do it again....things that worked great for you? We're most likely going to put it on the edge of our most productive field and only elevated bout 4 feet. This is going to be on a budget, so no built in heaters or satellite dish like 257's. Feel free to post up some pictures if you have them.

Built some with OSB about 15 years ago and they are still fine. I would recommend sealing it with great stuff or some sort of filler to try and keep the wasps out as much as possible. Also plexiglass windows on hinges are nice to have. Finally, I would really look at elevating the stand a little more than four feet. Good luck doing it on a budget. They get expensive quick.

Yes, have built several without "window glass" of some sort. This is a must from here on out. I, too, will be building a couple this spring and summer.

Make sure that your sides overlap the edges of the floor. Leave a good over hang all the way around the roof (12") and paint with two coats of exterior paint. Windows that allow you to close them will add years of life to the shooting house floor.

Not how to build but where to build. South side of field if at all possible facing north. Facing west is the absolute worst with a setting sun in your eyes. Off field enough to get in AND out without spooking the deer. That is a must.

Thanks. I might have access to some free lumber and also picked up a couple boards last night from the cull stack at Home Depot (70% off).

Put carpet in them during season and take it out during off season so it doesn't hold moisture and rot floor.

I build the base out of mine with treated 2x6's and treated 3/4" plywood so they are plenty sturdy and hopefully will hold up longer with the treated lumber. There is nothing more of a pain in the arse than replacing a shooting house floor because you wanted to save $20 when building. I believe with the treated lumber for base/floor I have about $80 in the base however with that 3/4" plywood and 2x6 floor joist every 16-17" you can put several grown men in it and there is no floor sag or noise. Here is the link I kind of based my build off of.

http://howtospecialist.com/hunting/4x6-shooting-house-plans/

Joe; remember older we get the key word is comfort, build for it.

Place the house back off of the field at least 50-75yds and let the brush grow up between the house and field as a screen to conceal your comings and goings.

Start now looking in the paint mis-mixed sections for stain/Paint. I got some Kiliz stain for 4.99 a gallon last year it was normally 29.99

Yep. That's one reason the shooting house might become a reality...getting out of those ladder stands. The weekends rains this season have also provided motivation.

Those are great pieces of advice already!! I'm with what cvp3 said about making them as insect-proof as possible. The last one we built, wasn't heavy or over-built, but we did it RIGHT with no gaps around the door/windows/roof, etc. I absolutely HATE going to a shooting house in the dark, even when it's cold, and there being wasps huddled together on the wall. More than anything else, insect-proofing it was my priority last time. Maybe I'm just girly!

This is expensive to buy, but my father in law owned a flooring business and lots of old boxes of carpet tile. 2' x 2' squares of commercial carpet with rubber backing....we used flooring adhesive and put it on the floor and interior walls up to the window. It sound dampened movement very good, and I suppose also gave it a little bit of insulation (although I guess that don't matter really).

I do NOT leave my chairs in there year round. Again, makes my skin crawl thinking about spiders being in them.

Some friends of mine had buzzards roost in one of theirs over the summer, basically ruined the house to the point of being unusable. They sprayed it with Clorox and everything, still can't kill the ammonia smell.

Oh, only other thing is plan the window height very carefully, so when you shoulder your gun it's comfortable and steady. I'm only 5-11, but most shooting house window ledges are far too short for me, I'm always leaned down and hunched over, don't feel steady.

Yep, and I'm going to have a youth with me much of the time so have to consider that as well...

I've had to clean a few out that owls had been roosting/nesting in. The dust from all of that poop and pellets makes you feel like you're definitely going to die from bird flu.

I think the building advice has been covered. We have noticed a huge difference by placing them away from the field where you can get in and out without disturbing deer in the field. You don't have to be able to shoot every inch of the field, its much better to be hidden.

And nothing will get more exciting than climbing the ladder to elevated shooting house and opening door to find a big a$$ baby buzzard at eye level. Those things ruin a shooting house. They still come to my best spot from time to time, i finally ripped the carpet out and flip the chair over every time so the damage is minimal. Everytime i show up with a shotgun they are gone, im going there this afternoon for first time this year so it should be exciting climbing the ladder.

The guy I hunt with in Namibia builds blinds out of boulders on the side of a mountain about 100 yards above a waterhole. When I hunted there in 2017 a leopard had killed an African porcupine and drug it into the blind to eat it. The quills of African porcupines are extremely long (10-12”) and considered good luck. I brought about 15-20 home with me in my carryon bag.

I feel like being in an enclosed space where something got eaten by a leopard would be somewhat unsettling for me

I’d build it modular at home and then reassemble on site.

That's the plan.

Put a shelf in front of your main window deep enough to lay your rifle on (especially if its facing a narrow crossing) so rifle is already in window if you need to make a quick shot. It takes away a little space but you still have all the room under it and i always put my junk on the shelf that i may need (gloves, grunt, water, crackers, etc)

I've always thought that would be a good idea, but have never encountered one like that. How deep of a shelf have you had luck with and how far beneath the window ledge? Ideally you would like it to work out just like a bench where you could put a small rest on the window for the fore end and one under the rear of the stock.

I've also thought of putting something like that on hinges for club members that didn't want to use it, or for on fields where it might get in the way for certain angles.

We had one with a 2x6 shooting rail that had a hinge with about 2' of 2x6 with a hinge on the end of it with a piece of 2x4 that hinged down to a chock on the front wall so you could put a sand bag on the front and back for long shots.

Remember, you don't need 2' windows in there. 8 to 10" tall are plenty. If your going to build it at home and then carry it to the woods, then you need to carry a chair and sit down where the shooting house will be and measure window height. Shooting uphill versus downhill or flat makes a big difference in the height of the windows. I've never been able to make a SH wasp proof, if you do it will probably mold and mildew from lack of air movement.

How do you guys get the hinges to stay on the plexiglass?

I build mine with treated floors. Outside walls are tin, inside is OSB. Carpet always gets nasty so I cut a stall mat down to size and put it in there. I also cut a strip of the mat to attach to the bottom edge of the window to make a gun rest. The mat is quiet will not mold or rot. It is also warm on my feet.

I make windows out of a strip of PVC board that I route out and attach to the outside of the house. I use real glass, it is a little more expensive but does not scratch or turn yellow.

Build a shelf inside for your stuff

Put a coat hook (or 2) inside to keep stuff off the floor.

If elevated build the stairs at an angle and use only treated wood and exterior wood screws. You cannot over build a set of stairs.

After season ends I also take the glass windows off (they just slide in the PVC track) and put them inside the stand. I have precut pieces of OSB that I screw to cover the inside of the windows, you do not want an owl or a buzzard to make a nest in your stand. I spray foam all the edges or corners. That keeps bugs and wasps out. The best way to spray foam the stand is to attach the OSB wood covers over the windows, close the door and look for any light. If light will come in so will a bug.

I like an old office chair because it is comfortable and adjustable.

When I am "opening" the stand before season starts I will unscrew with wooden window covers and then screw them to the inside of the stand above the window, this keeps them out of the way but easy to replace later. I windex the glass, then use gulf wax to lubricate the edges so they slide easy and quiet. I wd40 the door hinges and chair if is has a squeak.

Bigger is better and have a lot of overhang on your roof on all sides

Screw messing with plexiglass windows. Buy some cheap vinyl slider windows from Lowe's. You can get them for about 40 or 50 a piece. It will get the steepest investment in the house, but it's worth it. Having windows you can't open or that make noise or don't keep out weather will ruin a well built shooting house. Don't skimp on the windows. And if I had to do it again, I'd use a treated wood floor instead of regular plywood.

I painted the outside with Lowe's barn paint. Hunter green, barn red, and black are fine colors for the deer woods. It's not cheap paint, but I'm building for a couple decades of use. Seal up the inside with great stuff and some good caulk. I put a stall mat in mine instead of carpet, it works great, but I'll take it out after the season because it's already holding moisture under it, hence why I would have gone with a treated floor.

I built one about 3 yrs ago and sided it with tar board. So far its holding up.

Make if 4X8 so you will have enough room to have foldout bed or hang a hammock. Those all day cold wet weather sits go a lot easier with nap every now and then.

This comes in 8 ft pieces to make plexi or glass sliders with.
https://tweetys.com/beckson-marine-...z8Z2H4AIViYWzCh0KQgmFEAQYASABEgJDlfD_BwE
or the home depot version that i cant get the link to work right on.



But the best thing ive found even compared to the cheapest windows i can get from lowes or whoever is from deer view.. A 24"x10" hinged windows for $25. They have all sizes and others that will slide etc. They open silent and seal well. http://deerviewwindows.com/hinge-window-3/

I built one a few years ago. I had it set up in my back yard for a month or two before I took it apart and moved it to the hunting club. When it was in my yard, I would go sit it in and think of improvements I could make. I did not have any real plans, but just kind of designed it as I went, but I knew how I wanted to build it.

Here are some things I really like about the one I built:

It is modular. The base, sides, and roof all fit together and can easily be disassembled. Actually, me and my son assembled it by ourselves in the woods and it is on 10 ft 4x4's legs. There are no holes/gaps for wasps to come in. My base is 4x8 and the house is 4x6, so I have a small porch. I used outdoor plywood and treated lumber.

I used elevator brackets and anchored each corner. There was a big storm that blew down several LARGE trees are around the shooting house, one hitting a guy wire, and the shooting house is still rock solid. I put turn-bolts on the guy wires so I could tighten them as necessary. I used 4 screw anchors. ALWAYS screw them in where they are pointing TOWARDS the corner where they are attached (just like the power company puts in their guy wires).

I used structural screws.

I used real glass windows (Deer View). I can close everything up in bitter cold weather and stay very warm with just a My Buddy heater. The inside of my shooting house is ALWAYS dry.

I put in several fold up shelves. I place gear/equipment on shelves and that way it frees up floor space. I put in a little shelf with a lip along the front that is just perfect to prop a cell phone on.

My 2x4 built ladder has cutouts for the rungs, so they are inset, if that makes sense, and they have truck bed liner coating on top of them to keep them from being slick when wet.

All the windows have overhangs to keep rain out even when they are open. The bottom of the windows have a closed foam padding.

The angled roof overhangs each side by about a foot.

I put in a 4x6 removable indoor/outdoor carpet on the floor that I can easily take out to clean.

All the walls are carpeted up to the bottom of the windows.

I have screw in cup holders.

I mounted 2 battery operated lights on the ceiling.

The inside is painted black. I did not put a window on the back side, due to where it was going to be placed, but made it so I could easily install a window later, if I ever moved it or if something changes where it is. The door is on the end and that side has a smaller window.

I put in 2 millennium shooting house chairs.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

Heck, that's better living conditions than my house.






Thanks for the input.

I'm sitting in a 4x6 shooting house right now with my wife. I wish I had built it 5x6. Also, when I priced plexi to make windows out of I found out it was high. I found old large pictures at thrift stores that had plastic instead of glass. The cheesy kind that hang in offices. I cut it with a table saw to make windows. I got 3 windows out of one picture that cost me $6.

I built wood frames with a slot cut down the middle for the plexiglas. Then I built the frames around the glass.

No way to wasp proof them. Just set off a bug bomb about two weeks before the season and it will run them off.

If you put windows on hinges, the best ones will either swing out or fold all the way up. A hard lesson learned this past Sunday when I sat in one of our houses on the ground looking at a long narrow field surrounded by some thick stuff. I was going to get out at noon so at 11:30 I hit my grunt call a few times. In just a minute one came through the thick stuff on a mission. I got excited and grabbed my gun and knocked the window that was holding another window open. Both came down and by the time I looked around them to find him all I saw was a white tail and a rack. All I know is he had good mass. No idea on tines. I was going to be pissed at the builder, but since I am him, he gets a pass.

I would definitely have a way to close the windows after the season. We've lost more than a few to owls nesting. I've also run buzzards out of one when I was closing up after the season. Owls are bad, but I couldn't imagine three inches of buzzard poop.

I use the j portion of siding nailed to the outside for sliding window runners. Ripped 2x4's for the frame are plenty stout for my needs because I use sheet pvc for the walls. I like a shelf in front of me to almost cover the full 6 ft span. It makes a good prop for shooting or using binoculars. I like it to be just far enough below the window to hide a 20 ounce bottle. Most all of my shelves have a screw in hook (resembles a turkey foot) for a gun rack.

This ^^^ make double track sliders that bypass each other.

OP , if you put windows in the rear, put curtains on them so you won't be silhouetted.

build it for three, and you'll have plenty of room for two. if you're bringing a child, build in a lower window for him/her, and provide a child-size seat ...

We've done it two ways and both involve judicious use of Gorilla Glue.

First is cut a frame from plywood and glue the plexiglass to it. The second is to make frames from slats (I don't know what they are properly called). The long thin strips of wood. Cut them and then glue them to the plexiglass.

The hinges go in the wood frames.

My best build is an 8x8 with 8' ceiling, steel exterior door with frame, sliding glass windows, osb siding,tin top. Stairs to access it.

I forgot to add it but wax the windows to cut down on fog and blurry windows.

A large overhang all the way around is very important to the longevity. I built my last one 6x6 on a 6x8 platform. A lot of work but extremely comfortable when the grand kids are with me. I have been putting my windows 40" up from the inside floor. It's like most things you always find something you should have done differently.

I recently discovered the cull pile at Home Depot. This was once five 2x4x12’s, but I guess they cut them wrong for a customer. 70% off and $8 total for this.

Mine doesn’t have wasps, at least not yet. It doesn’t have gaps. If I did have a gap, I would use expanding foam or something to close them up.

Best way is with pop rivets. You can buy a cheap pop rivet tool at HD or Lowes and a pack of pop rivets. A small drill bit and you're good to go !

I would not use metal siding on one, again. You bump that siding, it makes a racket.
I’m gonna build a portable house on my utility trailer after season. It will have a wide door on the back so I can still carry my mower or ATV on it. Mine will have a sliding window and it will double as a one man camper if I want to tear out to a WMA or something.

Medicated cattle ear tags.

Go to the salvage or thrift store and get some windows out of a garage door. You can get 3 or 4 out of it. You'll need to build a frame (this is where you put the hinges) for those vinyl inserts but if you have the time and inclination to fool with that much effort its a really cheap fix.

We went 5x8x8...can fit my family of 4 pretty comfortable. You can 100% wasp proof them with a couple of things. Trap door being one of the main components to this. It seals up completely and doesn't warp like a side door will. Foam seal all cracks and then in the off season we have plywood we screw to the outside of the window to completely seal it up. Come back in September/October and it looks just like you left it in February. As mentioned before, 8" window height is all you need. We set the bottom of the window at 40". Most of the condos only have one front window running almost the entire 8'. No side or back windows. Completely black out the inside, carpet on the floor. The black walls, carpet on the floor, and small window allows you to get away with just about any movement. Also built a shelf that is mounted 8-10" below window. I made them out of 1x4's topped with thin plywood. I framed it up to have a swing top storage space. We keep, lens wipes, sand bag, etc in this. Also being that it is built on a 1x4 frame, this allowed me to cut in a couple cup holders, as well as have an open storage area on each side of the shelf. This shelf runs just about the entire length of the stand and is about 8-10" from front to back. It is my favorite part of the stand. Allows you to have everything you need right in front of you and not on the floor. Also is a major help in shooting, as it provides a place to rest your leading elbow, giving you an extra point of contact to steady the shot. The shelf also gives you something to grab on as you climb up or down through the trap door. I want to add a funnel that is plumbed down through the stand with a p-trap and then down into pea gravel, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Anyway, just some stuff we do.

My dad, my son and myself built one this summer as a fun family project. It 8x8x8 and sits 12 feet off the ground. the exterior walls are tin. Everything is built out of treated lumber. the windows are glass and are 3' x 14". It has a 32" exterior door and steps instead of a ladder. The walls are insulated and the interior is old barn lumber. We carpeted the floor. Really way nicer than anything I've every hunted in, but my son wanted to design it, so now we have it. I'm not a shooting house hunter, but its been nice on days like yesterday where I can run in after work and hunt in dress pants and shirt from work.

All the rest of our shooting houses and porta toilets 20-25 feet up telephone poles.

8' tall? What do you have a loft and a ceiling fan in it? That would be cool!

I put mobile home windows in mine you can get them from the mobile home supply places for less than $50 a piece. You can get about any size you want I think I went with about 14" tall and maybe 30" wide on the last house I built. It cost a little money but they are super nice and cheaper than those Deerview windows and others that people try to market for shooting houses.

No but I'm 6'5" and if I ever wanted to bow hunt out of it I could. My crazy son does want to put a toilet in it :-)

HH i am with you. I am 6'5 my next house will be that tall plus have plex glass up high so I can stand and still see out. I cant set forever

I've never understood why people build short shooting houses. Studs don't do.e in 5' lengths, they're 8' long. Its like people build them for midgets. Its does make them any less visible if its 5' tall compared to 8' tall, the deer KNOW what that box is all about.

Some of y'all are indeed building shooting houses that you could live in. I'm not knocking it, but I get by ok with a lot less. I just want a comfortable place to sit out of the rain, and the last thing I want is somebody else sitting in one with me, so I make them 4x4. That's the most efficient size to use the plywood and it's plenty big for me and the gear.

I consider a 12" shelf all the way across to be a must. I keep a sandbag on it and rest the rifle across it; should not have to move it much to make a shot. I build them around a frame of 4 PT 2x4s that are 10' long. The floor is 3' off the ground so I can get in without steps. Mine are only open in the front, and I have a hinged piece of plywood that I raise for the only window. I don't want nasty carpet in it and solve the noise problem by being still. I build them at home and then put them on a trailer to get in place, then cover the roof with regular shingles once in place. I keep a plastic stack chair in it and carry a soft seat with me to the stand.

I tried to wasp proof the last one and failed, but nothing bigger has gotten in yet. The locking flaps for the doors and windows keep out everything except insects, so the have to be swept out once a year.

I realize this style doesn't work for everyone and doesn't even work for me in every situation, but it's sufficient for a lot of places.

I have thought about taking a funnel and pvc pipe and burying it down in the ground, but afraid it would start to stink.

I hunted in one that had a 2" pvc pipe necked down to 3/4" to the ground. The 2" pary had one of these without the clamp. It just slipped on but there was no odor. Guy said he used a post hold digger to dig down 3' in the ground and filled with pea gravel.

He said to go with at least a 2" pipe so if you were in bulky clothes it was easier to hit the hole.

Elaborate

LOL like I said I need a funnel.......

I don't really like tin roofs. I buy these fiberglass/ asphalt roof panels at lowes and use them. Had some up for 7-8 years and not a single leak. Two overlap really good on a 4x6.

Build them with a door small enough that the really fat members cant squeeze their big azz in there. I will never forget that lesson my Dad taught me when I was younger and he had a member that had this big fat girlfriend that he didn't really care for and he always built the doors small enough that she could not fit her butt through there.

But seriously, put you some plexi glass 1/4" thick with hinges so you can open and close from the inside. Also, a platform is really convenient with a ladder made of 4x4s or steps. I have a modular design I use where you build all the panels and then just screw them together on site, including the roof. If you can get access to an old rubbermaid storage building, cut the siding to size and it will never rot. I also prefer the platform to be at least 8' off the ground but I prefer 10'.

Here is one I built a couple of years ago and it has held up fine.

For those that build at home and assemble in the woods, after you lift the platform up and put up the walls, how do you do the roof?

I built mine from the inside and then put the tin on

I need to know what (best) angle to cut those legs where they'll fit flush underneath the house without using those metal brackets.
They are proud of them suckers. Only other thing ii'd add is I don't like heavy 1/4" plexiglass. I like the thin stuff. Cheaper, lighter, easier to open, and won't make as much noise when dropped. I've used both.

I built 5 panels which included 4 wall panels and the roof panel. I installed 3 walls and then pulled the roof panel up and set loosely and the final panel is the 4th wall.

My advice is to save up and buy a sportsman condo. We built them for years and I love woodwork but those plastic blinds require very little maintenance, they don’t leak, they are easy to move, etc.

They are really not that more expensive than a well made wood shooting house.

About all I’ll hunt much anymore is a sportsman condo. Scent control is great in mine.

I really like the Sportsman's Condos, but they are not bugproof.

No sir they’ll get a wasp and a ladybug in em. But a bomb about Nov 1 cures that

I'm with you, but have always been worried about the effects on me when I spend multiple hours in there after a bug bomb

It’s just fine. That’s why we do them weeks ahead. And it’s pyrethrum which is very harmless.

That makes sense.

If you're gonna slant the roof, slant it to toward the front. I never understood why people would slant it to the side they are getting in/out of. This also gives more headroom when you enter. You don't spend much time standing at the very front anyway.
Use steel wool to fill gaps from metal roofing.
Put low nap carpet on window ledges, this will make a good seal for the bottom of fold up windows.
Build wooden over hangs for the windows.
Lots of good info on this thread. Good luck on your build!

This.

When I am assembling mine the roof is already made. I completely build on ground then unscrew the walls. Mine have a small "deck" like Muzziehead's picture so I have room to work. I put up the front and side walls, then lift the roof into place while the back wall (with door) is not on yet. I put a 2x4 across the top of the side walls to keep the roof out it the way while I put the back wall in place then pull out the 2x4 and screw the roof in place through the top plates of each wall.

I can do it all by myself in about an hour.

Another thing I do is when I am building my ladder I use two 2x4s for the sides, and 2x4s as the steps but I cut another 2x4 (I think at 15* angle) and put between each step on each side (to the inside). I nail that block to the outside 2x4. It allows me to nail straight down through the tread and into the block. Very sturdy and I dont have to worry about a tread coming off. Everything is locked together.

Let me resurrect this old thread real quick...I haven't dealt with OSB much. Are there any paints I should avoid? What would be ideal? Someone mentioned OSB is bad about soaking up a lot of paint. Any waterproofing of the OSB aside from exterior paint? I plan on the floor being treated plywood with the subfloor being treated 4x6s.

I'm going with 4'x8' and have two sides more or less done.

We have a few unpainted OSB houses. They have lasted 15+ years.

impressive

I'm sure they're in great shape with that magic OSB...

I read something online saying when painting OSB you needed to scuff it up a little to remove the light wax coating some of it has and apply a good primer compatible with your main coat. That and seal the cut ends very well with multiple coats soaked in.

That being said, the only experience I've ever had is painting over some older OSB shooting houses that were already degraded. Seemed to work OK for the couple years after that I was still in the club. It does soak up paint as you can imagine. I used a very coarse napped roller to make sure it got down in all the crevices.

I am building 3 more this summer on old farm wagon running gears. I find them for 50 to 100$ every once in a while. They are only 3 foot of the ground but easily moved. Can easily be moved any where with a side by side real handy.

Staple burlap over your paint job because the UV spectrum that bounces off the fresh paint will be the first thing they look at.

A large funnel screwed to the wall with a hose going down to piss in.

Some kinda mess in the window holes

If you have a frame and screw OSB to that frame, well the frame is the strength of the house. The OSB does add strength, but basically its just keeping out the wind. I work in Anniston and there are some old business's downtown that have had unpainted OSB over the windows for 20 years and they are faded but haven't rotted away as of yet. OSB gets a bad rap, but it's not like that crap from years ago that would come apart when it got wet. We've had painted OSB on a couple shooting houses for over 20 years with no problem and we haven't painted them in 10 years. Now, I just build a frame and screw tin to it and forget about it. We've had used tin laying around. Keeps down cost. Throw a bug bomb in it before daylight in September and your good to go.

I agree with building them in sections and assembling on the site. I would also suggest, if no one else has, painting the inside walls black. It helps make it darker inside and makes me feel more concealed. Whether I am or not is debatable, but I feel more hidden, plus it makes it easier to nap.

...and a comfortable chair. VERY important. 😃

I bought some cheap camo mesh off of Amazon to use as interior window curtains. Works great, got the idea from this thread.

I do the same but I thread it on a piece of quarter round as a curtain rod so it can be adjusted

Spend the $ and buy pre fab shooting house windows.. deer view windows and doors out of Texas.

I edited my earlier post to specify that it is the inside walls that I paint black if it wasn't clear.

Deer View windows have worked great for me!

Window height, shooting house height, and that yellow insulating foam sealant. The height of the shooting house does matter, because ours is a tad too short, so I always have to be VERY careful when I’m swinging the gun up to shoot because it either hits the walls or the ceiling. But, the BEST thing we ever did was spray a TON of that yellow foam insulant everywhere in the shooting house. And I mean every crack and cranny. It’s rare we even have a bug in our shooting house, and it stays very warm. That’s the warmest shooting house I’ve ever been in. It’s been 30-40 degrees and as long as I keep the windows closed (we use deerview windows) I don’t even have to put gloves on.

These work and you can also get the cheap vinyl slider windows from Lowe's for $40 a pop. Real glass, are silent, and seal up nice.

Also I echo the thoughts of using a lot of spray foam. It will keep the house warmer and will keep your scent contained better. Ideally you want to be sitting in a shooting house on a breezy, cold afternoon and not be able to feel any air at all. Using the prefab windows of any type will help in this regard.

I always put an awning over the window to block glare and were a mask. I like the house 25 yds. or so off the plot brushed in so you are looking thru a tunnel more or less. If you can't get in and out with spooking what is on the plot, you are wasting time. Houses that are mostly air tight and dark on the inside when closed up will have less critters. I build my windows 12"x 36' out of plywood with a small plexiglass window in the center, so you can see if you need to open the big window. I build them 4x4 so I can build them at home and haul in my pickup. I also use Bengal's bug spray before season.

throw a couple moth balls in when season over. will keep wasps out.

I put rubber flooring in mine. I got it from my gym when they were redoing their floors. Adds a bit of insulation to the floor and makes it much more quiet

Getting closer. Main things left to do include the roof, sinking two more 4x4s to support the base, and the stairs. Then it’s just minor stuff like finishing the painting (camo pattern), see-through mesh for the windows, etc. Center front window is a little lower for youth. 4x8’

A 6x6 is plenty for two hunters. Always put decking on the roof then add tin or else it will "rain" on you on cold mornings. If using non rolling chairs cut a slit in tennis balls and insert legs into it. Don't floor it with anything that will hold moisture or sweat because the wood will mold and rot. Paint the outside very well . I prefer glass windows because plexiglass will show scratches over time. Add some type of screening to help hide motion inside groom the deer, Add a good ledge on Windows for rifle support or use those screw in u shaped vinyl coated hangers Lowe's sells. With it screwed in the window sill you can move it side to side.toilet paper holder!!!

Base is traveling with me to the farm this weekend. Not much else left to do!

There are some how to videos on you tube that are great . On dos and donts