I just went the blind route because heading in and out to my tree stand on my tiny tract made noise on the forest floor and I never saw a deer in 8 sits.... first sit with a ground blind, 9 deer in 90min. Shot at one doe at dark, too dark and misjudged the distance, skimmed her back. But honestly the deer saw my blind, I sat still and they put there heads back down and kept moving through the field. They would stop again and look then keep going about there business. I have a woody pattern blind and I am backed up in some grass, really doesn't blend in at all. They didn't smell me or see movement so it was fine. I really think covering it more isn't the biggest problem, I believe it is any sort of noise whatsoever or scent then they spook.
I would love to try one, I hunt out of a Blind during Turkey season, Never Gun. I was thinking about putting it up and brushing it in real good, I would'nt hunt out of it till maybe middle of next week, what your Opnion on this, and how well do you have to brush in, I hunt in a Woodlot, so It would be more Branches and stuff.
Not gonna help you this year but one trick if hunting food plot edges is to plant sorghum or egyptian wheat around where you will put it. We have "decent" luck if last minute set up to use oak cut branches or evergreen branches and truly covering it up to the windows and some times on top if possible. Helps to have saplings around it to lean stuff against and such. I'll sacrifice one whole side by more cover than have less cover but be able to shoot every direction. Had a buck (young 8) come within 5 feet of my blind this year one morning. I rarely hunt out of it but man was that pretty exciting.
http://forums.bowhunting.com/showthread.php?39464-Evolution-of-my-Ground-Blind Here is how I recently brushed in my ground blind. It worked great for a couple weeks until the leaves started to fall off. I had to go back and brush it in again with evergreen branches. This looked just as good and will last the whole season for cover. So when you start brushing it in, use evergreen branches with a combination of sticks and logs.
i hunt in a ground mostly all season. i put the blind out in aug. the deer get used to it by hunting season.
What about the buck that is cruising for the first time in months through chasing does from a mile away just a thought
I do most of the things previously mentioned. I put my blinds out early (Aug) and leave them. Put some red pepper around the edges of the blinds to keep mice from eating them. I try to brush them in well with dead logs and limbs from trees. I found oak limbs are best because they hold their leaves after they turn brown. Primos makes a netting you can put over the top of the blind to hold the limbs in place. Blue River Innovations makes a great center pole to keep the top of the blind from collapsing from the weight of snow and the limbs. I love hunting out of blinds although I also use ladder stands.
Anyone tried Ameristep's Grizzly Vantage Point quad pod? Here is another option for elevating your ground blind a bit, my wife bought me the quad pod for x-mas and I have a blind to go on it, a few guys that have these say its amazing how just being a little elevated helps with the deer not being so skittish. Will be putting mine out this summer over a new plot I am putting in, there are no good trees so I will give this a try, I will still try to camo it some though. Scoot
