Don't leave your blind out after the season. Here we had a large amount of freezing rain/sleet about a month ago (for Alabama). When I went to the woods this weekend to collect stands and the blind the blind looked like Sasquatch had tore through it. I do suppose that's a possibility, but I'm confident that the reason the blind was destroyed was because of the buildup of about 3 inches of ice on top. Broke 4 different poles on the baronette hub blind, tore through the fabric in a few places. Rough lesson to learn. I had considered leaving a 2x4 in the blind to support the top when I wasn't there. Looks like that would have been a good idea.
I feel your Pain....... I hunt on private land......this being cattle country you would think I would have been smart enough or at least not so lazy, live and learn 30 head of Black Angus 2yr olds Using it as a bed and my Ameristep Backstrap blind was completely destroyed in one weekend Oh well I wont leave one out again period. I have decided to go all natural from now on and use Cedar cuttings to build brush blinds.
I had seriously contemplated that I as carried the broken remains of my blind to the truck. I can probably patch the holes, if I can replace the poles It'll function as a blind next season.
I have had pretty good luck using cheap chimney rods as replacements. If you can find them about the same diameter, drill out the old broken fiberglass and epoxy the new ones in.
I am more concerned about various different critters chewing on them once it starts to warm up. That is when most the damage to my blinds occur. One thing I like about the Rhino Outdoor blinds is they do free rod replacements for life.
Ooh, good point. I haven't hunted in a covered ground blind in a few years but was planning to put one out on my property. I will have to make sure to take it down after next season. What I have had happen most recently though, the damn squirrels chew a hole in my seat in the stand and use it for bedding material. They leave me a small pile of cracked acorn to let me know who the culprit is.
I have replaced the rods with these before. Zareba® 60 in. Fiberglass Rod Post - Tractor Supply Co. Perfect size for my Primos blind. Just need cut to length. I used a drill to drill out the old broken pole and used a two part epoxy to glue the pole into the socket. This year was the second time I've left the blind out to get destroyed My zipper also ripped out this fall, so looks like I'll just be looking to replace this time.
I have used the same rods as skywalker posted about to fix broken poles in my Ameristep Posse blind. Works well and cheap!
my Lesson I learned was to stake them down. still finding pieces of mine from3 yrs ago because I never use stakes.
Thanks for posting that link sky... I had a bunch of renegade cattle destroy my domed blind two years ago. I have it in the garage. I actually went out and purchased a new hub-styled one because I couldn't find rods for it.. Now I'm gonna' go get some and have two set-up for turkey season.
1st time we had a ground blind out was this year and we left it out after the season. 16 inches of snow and then freezing rain on top of that and sub zero temps after that conspired to destroy the blind. I feel your pain and have learned an expensive lesson.
I left mine out a few years ago and the exact same thing happened. I also just found a buddies on the property that we hunt recently and his is totally trashed as well. Hard lesson to learn but I won't make that mistake again.
Apparently I bought the 2 year extended warranty, all I have to do is throw their shipping label on it and they'll send me a check. That said, Now I'm in the market for a new blind. I enjoyed the barronett, so that may be on the cards again. I can't swing a 500 dollar blind, so sub 200 dollar suggestions won't hurt my feelings.
That's nice to have that warranty at least. I decided this year that I'm not buying blinds anymore. I'm tired of putting them out only to find that some animal has chewed all the corners off (this year), a squirrel ripped the top to shreds (last year), or an ice storm completely destroyed it (2x). I don't like packing them in and out, which is what I would have to do to use one for more than 2 years it seems.
Brush Blinds for the Win!!!! Mother natures Department store a couple of blow downs and some fresh cut Cedar Branches and Presto Ground blind!
Rogue6, I'm with you and in the final throes of last season I had a few different locations that I brushed up and sat in, and saw several does that in the early days would have been eating material. The blind was my go-to in the drizzle/rainy days. It kept me good and dry on those days where the rain is on again off again.
Found out the hard way with this as well. Winter Storm tore my blind all too pieces. I called AmeriStep and they have a new one on the way!
