I would like to know of your hunting experiences of hunting a ground blind the same day it was set up. What were the deer reactions? I realize the best scenario is to set up the blind well in advance, but that's not possible in some public areas.
I sat in a blind and had a nice 140 buck walk out at maybe 45 yards and as soon as he glanced at the blind he turned and went right back into the woods. wont sit in a blind again unless its natural
I've had deer spot a blind and skirt it, but I hadn't put brush up in front of, or around it, either. It's my understanding that you need to put brush up around the blind to break up the outline a lot more. Just cause it's camo, doesn't mean they don't see it. I've also heard stories of deer squeezing between a tree and a blind that was set up that same day, and actually rubbing up against the blind as they walked through. So I think alot of it depends on both your scent control and your ability to brush the blind in to better disguise it.
I use a ghillie suit to solve that problem. It's a lot less obtrusive than a blind and a lot more portable.
I'd store it outside for at least a week while spraying it down once a day. They have a pretty unnatural odor to them. I popped a blind up the other day and brushed it in with cedar tree limbs and tall grass. That evening I had a doe walk up within 10 yards and wander off into the field.
Ditto. I use my ghillie in public areas and private land I want to move around a lot. When setting blinds, I try to get them into position at least a few weeks out and envelop them in brush. My son and I just set one this past weekend, a big Primos Escape Deluxe we'll use the first week of November during the rut. We cut shooting lanes and used some of that to fill the brush loops. We also found four trees that were close together to nestle it all into. And we figured out the one window on each side we'd have open to shoot out of and left them all open with the mesh up. My philosophy is to have the deer get used to the transparent "holes" now versus it being different the first time you sit in the blind. Brush piles and blowdowns have big holes in them where there aren't branches so why not your blind? Good luck.
I've seen people pop up blinds on public land and kill deer that day! Since where I hunt you can't leave stands or blinds up overnight you can't get them out in time for deer to get used to them being there! I personally tried it last year and evey deer that seen turned around and went the other way! The closest deer that didn't run was a group of 4 does and 1 buck but they were 100 yards away so i don't think they cared! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
Just sit on the ground in a dead fall or a brush pile. You'll probably have better luck. You'll make much less noise, and be just as concealed. Tall grass works really well too if available. Sit in the tall grass so it's over your head down wind from a trail. knock the grass down at an angle to the trail in the same direction as deer travel the trail. As they walk past the opening they wont see you unless they look back up the knocked down grass. You don't need a blind to hunt deer from the ground.
^This This is very key. Have a great backdrop to break it all up and blend in to the scenery and brush it in as best you can. I have realized that before I started doing this deer were very skiddish of my blind. Feel the black windows stick out like a sore thumb to them. Once I started taking the time to brush it in like it was a part of the woods, things got a lot better. Good Luck!
Thanks for the replies. I was planning on taking my GF (cameraman) She has never went hunting before. I have had lots of success hunting from the ground in the past. I was just worried about her movement. I am sure she will figit around a lot. I may just try without the blind and tell her to hold still
Right after my first back surgery in 2005 it was too close to the season to draw my bow. I took a pop up blind out to take pictures so I could still be in the woods in archery season. I learned two things. 1) Does walked right right past it, but did look at it suspiciously. 2) You can't take a picture through camo netting :p .
I have never "brushed in" a blind I was hunting but I always find a nice nook or cranny to set it up in/near so it's not sticking out like a turd in a punch bowl. I try to leave it up for @ least 5 days before I hunt out of it. The area I hunt is VERY wooded so if you don't have much cover where you hunt I would definitely brush it in. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
