Did my ground blind scare away the deer?

I put a trail cam in a small clearing in the woods on public land, about 4 weeks before opening day here in eastern Massachusetts Zone 10.

It recorded a doe and her fawn a day or so later.

I then went back and set up my ground blind, between two trees. It's a dome tent from Cabela's, and I guess it scared away the deer because since then my cam has seen nothing. It does stick out like a sore thumb. I sent a picture from the trail cam to my friend in Colorado, and he said "What's that giant boulder?"

I put in a cellular cam recently and it's still getting no activity even if I stay away from the area for several days. I know it works, because if I go to the blind, it sends me nice pictures of myself.

We used the tent on youth deer hunt day, and in fact we noticed fresh deer scat on the game trail when we were going home so a deer must have passed nearby but did not approach the clearing.

Did I ruin this spot with my ground blind? I'm thinking I'll go there today and just fold up the ground blind, and only use my climber (a new experience for me, wish me luck!). It's so convenient having a tent out there, but maybe it's a dumb idea?

 

The deer are on to you.

 

I would place a ground blind as far away from the intended kill spot as possible, and brush it in real good with limbs. Leave the blind there for at least a few months before the season so the game can get used to it. Another option is to build a natural blind with dead fall and large branches if the rules allow.

 

Cannon's suggestions are good ones.
I'd also question what kind of scent you may have left in the area, you have to be careful about that as well.

 

you certainly scared the hell out of them if you just popped it up and walked away. you have to brush them in and even then they can get squirrely

 

Have a pop-up ground blind. Hard to leave it up on public land and have it still there by hunting season. Even at that, a friend had three ladders stands stolen on private land.

 

I put my blinds in about a month before the season. (very safe area) I brush them in and don't go back near them for at least two weeks.