Square vs. Octagon Box Blinds. Which One Is Better?

Most of us grew up with a square blind of some sort, whether on the ground or in a tree. Octagon hunting blinds are a unique shape that more manufacturers are producing. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, depending on your hunting needs.

Square box hunting blinds are easy to build, take up less space than an octagon blind, and generally cost less. Octagon deer hunting blinds offer a more comprehensive field of view while taking up a little more space.

Both square and octagon blinds have unique features that allow the hunter a different experience in each of them. However, I know if I’m spending a lot of time hunting in open country, I’d opt for an octagon blind over a square one. I can see better in all directions, and it helps me reach a better rifle position when I do shoot.

Octagon Blind Features

The octagon blind is that exact shape–an octagon. Eight sides offer an almost 360-degree view (besides the small corners). This allows multiple angles from which to shoot and more room to change and remove window panels if needed to get set up on a moving target.

These blinds are also fairly spacious, depending on the size, of course. It allows you to utilize more room inside it than square stands of the same size. Fewer tight corners mean more easily used space.

These blinds can have all sorts of windows or panels and are made from many different kinds of materials. Some are poly-based and others are camouflaged canvas. These can be ground blinds or mounted on stands for elevated viewing depending on your terrain and what you want to hunt.

What’s interesting is some octagon blinds have a more “square” type shape. Instead of having a true equal-sided octagon, they may have small corner panels and larger broad side panels. Others are the typical octagon shape with all sides having even dimensions.

Choosing one from the other is up to the user and the goals they have for the stand. If complete viewing flexibility is desired and there is not a specific direction to normally look, a true octagon may be better than a modified one.

Square Blind Features

Square blinds are what you’d expect, square. The simple four-sided box that many of us grew up in when we started hunting. Four directions to have windows or panels to shoot out of, and varying indoor space depending on the size you want to buy or build.

Some square blinds are used as both ground blinds and as stands or built into trees. I typically see a lot of homemade blinds this shape, usually out of plywood. While square blinds are easier to build, they have one downfall: shot angles. Sometimes the animal will come in straight on a corner where they are borderline invisible (depending on your build or model) and where it is hard to set up for a shot.

Hunting from Square Versus Octagon Blinds

The hunting experience from either blind can vary slightly. A big difference between square and octagon blinds is the shooting experience. Square blinds can be great for rifles, but sometimes the corners can get in the way of drawing back a bow and changing angles quickly.

Octagon Blinds

Octagon blinds often are more comfortable for bow hunters because of the more open corners. This allows a lot more room to draw back if needed and the opportunity to install more vertical panes or windows to allow for even more shot angles.

By the same token, I’ve seen more octagon blinds when hunting open areas than tree lines; think prairies or rockier hillsides. The almost uninterrupted view allows you to see more. Getting set up for a shot is easier because you have more angles to choose from. They’re also particularly advantageous in areas with a lot of wildlife, you can just see more.

Square Blinds

The last section was not made to say square blinds can never be used in the same situations. Hunters do have a hard time getting comfortable in diagonal angles. That is part of hunting from a square. You may find yourself switching from one side of the corner to the other as game moves across your field of view.

I typically see square blinds along tree lines or nestled into thickets. Usually, when you choose to hunt from this kind of position, you’re not necessarily looking to hunt your game from the sides facing into the woods or pushed up against brush. That means you’re probably going to be shooting out of one primary panel anyway.

When you’re in this kind of situation, I find it to be easier to stick to the simpler shape and take advantage of that primarily open side. This particular scenario is when the octagon shape has corners that can hinder you more than help you.

Price Points

In general, square blinds cost less than octagon blinds. There’s less material involved and less geometry if you’re building one yourself. Now, in each respect, you can spend a serious chunk of cash regardless, but square blinds generally fit into the more conservative budget.

A manufactured square box blind will cost on a low end about $1000, while an octagon blind could be up to three times as much.

Space Demands

Blinds come in different sizes, but shape can impact placement or even your choice of blind. As I mentioned previously, if I want to nestle myself in a thicket right on the edge of a field, I’d probably choose a square blind. It gives me the most interrupted space per side, and I’ll likely only be using one side in that location.

If I want to bow-hunt close to a food plot, I’d probably opt for an octagon blind with a few vertical panels since I might be in a closer range and need more room to draw. Conversely, if bow hunting in a more wooded area, the octagon shape might not fit between trees as nicely as a square would depending on where you want to put it.

The octagonal blind overall gives a little more room to move around compared to a square blind since the corners aren’t so sharp, but bigger isn’t necessarily better with either shape. You generally want a nice, central seat to minimize any movement you have to make to change viewpoints. Chairs can make a lot of noise when you have to constantly move them around.

So, Which Is Better?

Choosing which blind is better is a tough call to make. There are a lot of factors to consider, but budget often is the most limiting when choosing a stand anyway. That eliminates a lot of octagon-shaped blinds right out of the gate. Just for this discussion, let’s not consider budget limitations right away.

Overall, I’d say octagon-shaped blinds offer a lot more advantages than disadvantages compared to square blinds. They give a much greater field of view, maximize optional shooting angles, and are a little more comfortable for both rifles and bows.

However, octagon blinds are a little harder to build at home. Just with the extra measurements that you’ll need to get right, it could be more complicated. If carpentry isn’t your thing, you might be better off buying an octagon blind rather than making one yourself.

Closing Thoughts

Taking budget into consideration, a square blind beats out other shapes hands-down, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for functionality. Octagon blinds have a lot more pros than cons when you take cost out of the equation because they give you more shooting angle options

It’s not so much that one is truly superior to the other but that both offer different advantages and disadvantages. Square blinds often work really well in heavily wooded tree lines, and there isn’t a glaring need to spend the extra money to put an octagon blind in that same space. You’ll most likely end up using one panel anyway to look out of.

Octagon blinds work really well in open areas with a lot of wildlife since you can see a lot more and have an opportunity to install vertical windows. This setup then offers a great amount of protection and advantage for bow hunters that need to get into position for some strange angles.

If you’re someone that’s only ever hunted in square blinds, try an octagon blind out and see how it feels. Consider your hunting style, hunting area, and budget before making a purchase or starting a weekend carpentry project.

Overall, I enjoy the advantages of an octagon blind compared to a square blind in a lot of scenarios. However, some years I’m on a stricter budget, and I need to settle for a square blind solely because of that. Either way, as long as you’re happy hunting, that’s really what matters most.