Hunting Blind help!!

[70oldsracer]

I spent many weekends last summer building an elevated hunting blind. I got most of it done right before bow season and didn't want to do any more work on it as it got closer to opening day. Unfortunately, the mice found the blind and have taken it over. I was reluctant to put any traps inside the blind because I didn't want to attract anymore. I tried repellents and sprays, but no luck. They actually ripped apart the bags of repellent and used it to build their nest. I was going into the blind with two bb pistols and shooting them as they ran around so I could continue to work on the inside. I'm thinking about trying one of those battery operated ultrasonic mouse repellents. Any other ideas?

[DaveTM]

Take a 5 gallon bucket.

Fill it half-way with water.

Put a ramp up to the edge where the mice can climb to the top of bucket

Pour sunflower seeds on top of the water. It will give the illusion of a solid pile of seeds.

The mice will jump onto the seeds.....fall thru and eventually drown.

I never feel bad for any long and terrible death of a friggin mouse.

[70oldsracer]

Dave,

When I left after hunting season I put a 5 gallon bucket with antifreeze, a ramp leading up and a walk the plank mouse trap with peanut butter. I haven't been up there since, so I have no idea what's in that bucket. I just don't want to attract them into the blind during hunting season. I can only imagine what it smells like in there form pissing and shitting all over the place. The antifreeze is supposed to stop them from decomposing, so they shouldn't smell. Have to figure out a way of stopping them from getting up the 4x4 posts. I saw some types of cones, might have to give them a try in the spring.

[Mooncarter]

Sounds like the peanut butter and anti-freeze is attracting them. Why not just leave it empty?

Nice stand!

[jclark138]

To the 5-gal. bucket of water, we added a small can, suspended on a coat hanger across the bucket, at the end of the ramp, covered the can in peanut butter. Climb the ramp, “ log roll” on the can, into the water. I like the sunflower seed idea.
They say drowning is a peaceful passing. Gotta be better than grannie’s broom.

[70oldsracer]

Originally Posted by Mooncarter

Sounds like the peanut butter and anti-freeze is attracting them. Why not just leave it empty?

Nice stand!

Thanks. The mice have been in there way before I put the peanut butter and antifreeze. I only did it as a last resort to try to kill as many as i could over the winter.

[70oldsracer]

This is exactly what I have in the blind now, but like I said, I haven't been there since the end of November. Hoping to get up there the last weekend in March.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsoVcrFyrF8
I was thinking about trying these on the 4 posts to stop them from coming up.
https://www.duncraft.com/4-x-4-Disk-...All%20Products

[DaveTM]

I like that "slick plank" gizmo. Good idea with the antifreeze to keep the stink down. OTOH.....deer don't seem to mind a dead animal's stink. I've seen 'em eat around dead of their own. A guy posted a video where a gut pile was there....the stomach had been cut or shot open and a deer was picking the pieces of corn outta the stomach.

Yeah....gross.....but it is an animal we r talking about.

[BBBHC]

Most animals wont care about the stink. Scavengers will find it inviting though. Keeping the stink down in a somewhat enclosed area would be good for us humans is the bigger issue.

I've seen where some folks have just taken sheets of flashing and wrapped that around the supports. Critters can't get any traction on that stuff

[70oldsracer]

Originally Posted by BBBHC

Most animals wont care about the stink. Scavengers will find it inviting though. Keeping the stink down in a somewhat enclosed area would be good for us humans is the bigger issue.

I've seen where some folks have just taken sheets of flashing and wrapped that around the supports. Critters can't get any traction on that stuff

That's the exact reason I used the antifreeze. The floor of the blind is 6'x6', I could only imagine what it would smell like in there with decomposing mice. I bent some sheet metal pieces to wrap around the posts, but never had the time to install them. I'm also going to hinge my ladder, so I can fold it up so they can't climb up that. I spent a lot of time and money building the blind and never even used it last season due to the mice. Just something about sitting in there in the pitch dark and hearing things running around me kinda skives me out. These are the views from the blind of two different food plots and my heater