By Harrison Hoegh

One strategy Jared has used successfully in the late season and I am utilizing this late season is the hay bale blind. A hay bale blind is windproof and can be placed in open fields which is advantageous in the late season. Here is how I built mine.

1. Supplies. Here is the list of what I bought. I ended up needing a lot more burlap than I purchased, and I had some extra particle board laying around, so I estimated how much I would need to do it again. There was plenty of everything else.

 

4-8 foot 2×4’s

1-12 foot 2×6

3-particle board 4’x6’ sheet

2-15′ hog panels

1 8’x10′ Brown or Black tarp

1 10’x12′ Brown or Black tarp

2 3×25′ sheets of Garden Burlap

Screws, zip-ties, wire

 

2. The Frame. I cut the 12′ 2×6 in half to create a front and a back to the blind. The 2×4’s were cut to 5 feet in length so the overall dimensions of the base was 5’x6′. The 2×4’s were drilled into the the top portion of the 2×6’s so there is a 2″ gap between the sides of the frame and the ground. I also supported the corners with braces.

 

3. Forming the Shape of the Bale. This step is probably the hardest part when making a hay bale blind. I laid the hog panels in front of the frame and wired them to the 2×6’s. I then bent them back and around to the other side to give it a round shape. I had to shorten the panel down to about 14’6″ but the length can be whatever you think gives the best shape/height for your blind. I used a conduit bender to shape the hog panels in places where I thought they were too straight.
   

 

4. Building the sides. I placed a 2×4 vertically from the front of the blind to where the panel had been bent around the frame and wired the panel and wood together. I then took the particle board and wired it to the 2×4. My blind ended up being 5’6″, but the height can change depending on how round the blind is. I then cut the particle board to match the bend of the wire.

5. Tarp and Burlap. I then zip-tied the tarp to the hog panel, and stapled the tarp to the particle board. For the next one I will overlap the tarp over the particle board less because the particle board is close to the same color as the burlap. The burlap was zip-tied to the wire of the hog panel.

 

6. Windows and doors. I cut two windows on each side of the blind by clipping the hog panel and cutting the tarp and burlap. I also cut one window on each side of the particle board. I can’t remember the height of the window but the dimensions were 13″x16″ and the height was chosen for shooting from a seated position.

7. Finishing touches and Final Ideas. We placed our hay bale blind in a field near a trail that offered little seclusion or trees. I would use more burlap on the next blind. Stuart and I were able to pick up the blind with some effort and place it in the back of the pickup. I think the next blind I will build will be built to fit in the back of a pickup, so the dimensions will be 6’x4′ instead of 6’x5′. Once the blind is in the field, it is a good idea to open the two windows you plan to shoot out of when hunting so the deer don’t notice a difference when you show up to hunt and the windows are open. Also when Jared and I were hunting the deer only smelled us when both the side windows were open and air was able to pass flow through the blind. Thanks for reading and good luck this season. Comment below if you have any questions on how I did any of the steps.