My blind is gone!

[wabi]

The old Ameristep Doghouse served me for several years left outdoors year-round. After one year the sunlight faded it to a relaxing shade of pink, but I sprayed some paint & rubberized undercoating on it and restored it to a dark color. Here's a pic from 2006:

This summer I patched a few rips where the fabric was getting weak and a few weeks ago I noticed one side had a rip starting by the window.
Went down to shoot my new compound bow the other evening and checked on my stands & blind as I usually do. There had been a couple good hard rain/wind storms since I was there, and my new 2-man ladder stand looked fine. Then I noticed my blind seemed to be missing. I got closer and saw the blind was gone, but my heater, seat, and cushions were still there. The hold-down stakes were still in the ground, so I'm guessing it finally just ripped to shreds in the wind. I looked around for it, but no sign of it. It was on a creek bank this year, and the creek was probably flooded when it blew away. If it blew into the creek it may be miles downstream now.
Not sure how many years I had that blind, but I got my money's worth out of it!
And I just happen to have another one a forum member who had a wee bit of difficulty in folding it decided to give away before they had to lock him in a rubber room. (Thanks Dan )
Looks like next fall will find me in a new (to me) doghouse blind!

[Woody Williams]

I guess your deductible is too high to claim it on your homeowners insurance? Would that be wind or flood damage.

I had one of those pink ones too. I did like you and spary painted it after Ameristep replaced it with a new one. It's fading fast too, but not quite to the pink stage yet.

[joeumholtz]

Wabi,

The prevailing wind from Ohio is towards Pennsylvania. I'll keep an eye out for it.

"course if it's in the creek it might just be to the Gulf by now.

Now if someone in New Jersey will just keep an eye out for my long johns that blew off the clothesline during the last storm. They'll be easy to spot, they're brown and green...used to be white.

[awshucks]

Lol, that's how you got mine, Mike. The wind blows them around and the rods go to Hades. I didn't have any problem folding it up, [well after the first fold up, lol] but got tired of the broken rods. Use it in good health! I smile every time I see where it used to sit.

Btw, here's the kind of people here. I made a major error on shipping cost, told Mike I had a brain f*rt, not to send the extra $7.00. He did anyhow.
"Wabi" must be Indian for "high class act".

[Normous]

Almost 16,000 posts between the first three posters. We should look up to our elders.

[Cossack]

You gotta admit that blind not only served you well but found a neat way to prevent you from having to 'put her down.'
Got a new one just like it , which will start it's life this spring.

[sumner4991]

If I remember right, the wind gusts were up to 60 MPH . . .if you of those caught your stand, then if blew right past PA.

[Esox]

Well don't that beat all....

Just this past week we had a series of UFO sightings reported... Seems they were heading out to sea...

......Mystery Solved......

[BigUgly]

Same boat as you but I think mines still where I left it, but under 2' off snow. Didn't get it out in time, and the rods broke.

[dick195252]

Haven't seen it in Ft. Lauderdale Florida yet but will keep my eyes open

[wabi]

Almost 16,000 posts between the first three posters. We should look up to our elders.

Were either "elder statesmen" of the forum, or as windy as the storm that took my blind!

Big Ugly, when awshucks gave me the blind he included a couple sets of replacement rods. It seems that Ameristep has switched the dimensions of the blind a few times over the years and not all the rods are the same length. If you call Ameristep and get a set of replacements they send the longest length and you have to cut them to fit. Not an easy job, until you figure out how cut them cleanly and re-thread the elastic cord that holds them together. I have a few pieces of rod left over after I made a set, and if you need replacements PM me with the exact length of your old rods and I will see if I can piece together a set for you. (I've figured out how to do it Like the old saying goes - "You give the hardest job to the laziest man, and he'll figure out the easiest way to do it!)

[VixChix]

Awesome idea, bstout!

[raydaughety]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. We have to get Bob's Username changed to Macgyver . That's a good thing buddy, wish I was good at tinkerin.

God bless,

[wabi]

Great idea Bob!!!

...I found a small rock the size of a golf ball and wadded up the top of the blind and wrapped a piece of clothesline rope around it. There happened to be a tree branch above my blind so I tossed the rope over the branch and fished it over to the tree's trunk where it came back down. Then I tied a larger fallen branch that was laying on the ground as a dead weight. This allowed the whole arrangement to breathe as the wind blew.

Good news! I found the blind today! It apparently blew into the creek and was carried downstream, then finally washed ashore. Plenty of mud & sand in it, and the roof support rods were broken up, but I may use the rock & string trick and put it back out to see how long it will last. It wasn't as torn and shredded as I had figured it might be, and it is handy to have emergency shelters scattered around the hunting area. Right now it's folded and laying under a couple heavy logs near where I had it. Not really worth packing out, but I hate to "put it down". Where I had it set there was a tree limb almost touching the roof, so I'll probably put it back in the same spot!

[raydaughety]

Wabi, I have 1 set of poles that has the very tip broken off. It could be drilled out and reset on the end. Just let me know and I'll send it to ya.

God Bless,