How to Use PVC Pipe to Make a Shooting Saddle and Boat Push Pole

PVC is a relatively cheap, easy, and durable material to work with. Here are a few projects to try out for your hunting or fishing season. The push pole can serve to navigate your duck hole or fishing flats, while the shooting sadle will offer unparalleled stability in the field. If you want to go even bigger, try this PVC game cart, which will help you tote out a whole deer from the woods.

How to Make a Shooting Saddle with PVC

1. Cut a piece of 3-inch ABS or PVC pipe to 6 inches.
2. Cut the piece in half lengthwise to make two “half-pipes.”
3. Take one of the half-pipe pieces and drill out a hole to countersink a ¼-by-20 nut. This will match the threads of your tripod adapter.
4. Use epoxy to secure the nut into the pipe.
5. Next, take some foam insulation or other padding, and line the inside of the pipe with it.
6. Finally, attach your tripod adapter to the pipe and use it as a stable, comfortable rest.

—Tyler Freel

Read Next: How to Build a Lightweight Game Cart with PVC

How to Make a Push Pole for Your Boat

Whether you’re ­working the shallows for bass or crossing the marsh to reach a duck hidey-hole, a push pole is an essential tool. While a top-of-the-line model can cost hundreds, this low-cost PVC version calls for one shopping trip and 30 minutes of work. The knock against PVC as push-pole material is that PVC might flex, but there are two solutions. Opt for the more-rigid Schedule 80 PVC (dark gray) rather than run-of-the-mill Schedule 40 PVC (white). If you can locate only Schedule 40 PVC, stiffen the shaft by drilling holes in the pipe and filling it with spray foam or inserting wooden dowels.

You Will Need

• One 2-inch outside diameter (OD) PVC pipe for shaft (8 to 12 feet long for duck boats; 18 to 20 feet for saltwater flats)
• One 8-inch-long, 2-inch OD PVC pipe for lower push unit
• One PVC 90-degree T fitting for 2-inch OD pipe
• One 4-inch-long bolt with nut
• Two 1½-inch-long bolts with nuts
• One PVC end cap to fit shaft

Instructions

1. Cut PVC pipe pieces to length, and insert the T fitting on the end of the pole shaft.
2. Drill a hole through both walls of the T fitting and shaft, and anchor with the long bolt and nut.
3. Saw the 8-inch PVC pipe in half lengthwise and insert a half-pipe in either end of the T, and then anchor it with short bolts and nuts.
4. Saw off the excess bolt at the shaft and T coupling.
5. Place the end cap on top of the push pole, and anchor the cap in place with a few dabs of glue.

Note: The sawed half-pipe push units bite a little (but not too much) into muck or sand as you pole along. Position them at an angle in the T so the open ends meet substrate when you push.