Best hunting blind?

[Powerstroke]

I currently have a Double Bull darkhorse blind. In the past, DB has been the gold standard for blinds, especially for fast setup and portability. My blind was replaced once under warranty and the second one has required yearly maintenance.

So, is there a better blind out there? I clearly paid over $300 for this, so spending the money on a quality product is not the problem.

I use my blind for at least two weeks in spring turkey season and numerous times during fall deer and turkey seasons. My primary use is carrying it in and being active and portable, especially when I hunt out of state.

Any recommendations? I'd like something light, easy to carry, easy to set up and user friendly for archery hunting.

[TattooedHunter]

I picked up a Barronett Big Mike blind. Seems well made, and I can stand and shoot. This will be the first season with it though, so it's longevity is untested. Though I've heard great things about them. Pretty easy to set up and take down (hub style blind).

[harvey lee]

I have tried quite a few blinds Andy and always end up back with the Double Bull brand.

I know for the Twist of fate disabled archery hunt I guide for each fall for disabled archers, we use all DB blinds.

They may not be the best but they are the best we have found for durabillity and just plain working.

Yes, we have broke a few poles here and there but for 18 blinds, that is not bad at all.

[MNHunter65]

Check out the XP1 by Rhino Blinds. They are pretty much the same as a Double Bull and also carry the lifetime warranty on the hubs and poles. They sell direct through their HSOforum and don't have dealers. I picked one up last month for $200 with free shipping and couldn't be happier with it. I'll give it the test for turkey hunting, but it seems like a well built blind at half the price of a double bull.

[harvey lee]

I tried one of the Cabela's DB look a like's with a hub and poles.

It did not last 4 outings so buyer beware on this one, not well built.

[fishuhalik]

Ever see one of these? Never tried one but they definitely have me curious. Especially for sneaking up on critters. Just use it like a shield

ghostblind.

[heat checker]

I saw one of those ghost blinds and they have me curious as well. Would like to hear if anyone has any experience with them.

[Lunker]

I read the above comment on the Barronet Big Mike Blind. My brother has one and I have hunted out of it numerous times and I would not recommend it. Its easy to use and seems durable, but the window height is awful. While you may be able to shoot standing because of this as mentioned above, unless you plan to stand the entire time because you cant see out of them if sitting. And shooting from a seat or kneel is out of the question. Nice blind, but I will be looking for a different model.

[monstermoose78]

I had a Barronet 350 and the hubs busted through the fabric after 7 times of setting up the blind. I really liked the size of that blind, but the windows where a little high for the nephew to shoot out of while sitting, but with the size of the blind it was no issue to stand up in even for me at 6'5". For me the the windows were okay while sitting in my chair.

[Wallydog]

Powerstroke, I've hunted outta my "turkey silo" countless times and had it for 20 years with almost no repairs needed. I paid $300 for it then and not sure if my friend is still making any at all today. It weighs ~20# 5.5' diameter, 7.5' tall. Nothing I've ever seen even comes close to it, nothing!

WD

[Wallydog]

Powerstroke, I've hunted outta my "turkey silo" countless times and had it for 20 years with almost no repairs needed. I paid $300 for it then and not sure if my friend is still making any at all today. It weighs ~20# 5.5' diameter, 7.5' tall. Nothing I've ever seen even comes close to it, nothing!

WD

[Powerstroke]

After all the headaches dealing with Primos, I opted not to send my blind in. They wanted me to pay shipping both ways to get the blind repaired. That itself was going to cost $80-100, plus I no longer had a box for shipping so I accidentally bought a box and packing for another $20 before bailing on the whole plan.

Instead I spent $10 on high quality fabric repair patches that are designed for mountaineering backpacks or tent repairs. They worked perfectly. If that didn't work, then I would've gone the route of a canvas repair shop or something similar. EIther way it was cheaper than using a company that clearly uses subpar materials.

I still believe the Double Bull blind is the top blind out there. I looked into several blinds out there and nothing works as easily and is as versatile as the DB. No blind is better for bowhunting. We owe that to the original design by Keith and Brooks. I understand why they sold, but it sucks because quality suffered and the innovation from Primos has caused the new products to be lower quality.

[brittman]

I have had fine success with the low budget Ameristep blinds. On sale and with other discounts neither have cost me more than $60.

They are waterproof and light transmission proof. They are light for backpacking in. I have left both out for weeks if not >month at a time and they have held up fine.

Their low cost probably makes them less likely to be stolen when left out also.

[Powerstroke]

I'm not sure which AMeristep blind you have, but I have the doghouse. It is a pain to pack in, takes time to set up and take down and is overly complicated in my opinion. I have problem taking it out and sticking it somewhere, but it certainly not useful for backpacking in or making several turkey hunting stands in a day.

[deerminator]

I've always liked the Big Game Escape Deluxe Blinds. You can usually get them for about $99 on sale at the end of season and they are huge. Great for two kids along with you hunting. And great for lots of room and maneuvering for the shot. I have three set up in various spots all season long. I don't think they make them anymore but I think they make something similar - Primos makes them now. Mine have lasted 6-8 years among the three of them. Set them up and stake and brush them in late August and often don't pull them until December/January.

[harvey lee]

I purchased a blind from Sportsmen Warehouse a few years ago, looks just like the DB blind I have. It has done very well for the last 2 years and is built like a DB. Only difference is, I picked up that blind for under $100.00. Darn good blind for the money.

[JPenny]

I am currently looking for a good ground blind and have learned a few things about these hunting shelters. One, everybody I talked to said the original Double Bull was a fantastic product. However, Primos bought them out and now it seems that the quality plummeted. Lots of talk about broken hubs and poles. And the fact is I've heard the same complaints about several of the hub designed blinds. One that I'm giving a serious look at is Lucky's ground blinds. On their HSOforum, they claim it is the toughest blind on the market. On another forum board I attend, one guy claims he has had his Lucky's blind set up in the same spot for 10 years without removing it and it is still in great shape. Super easy to set up too, but portability is to me questionable. Personally, that doesn't eliminate it from consideration. If I set it up in the right location, I don't need to move around.

[monstermoose78]

Seeing Clam makes pop up ice shelters that hold up and their ground blind looks to made of the same stuff that would be my choice.

[harvey lee]

Remember one thing Jpenney, I have alway's got any broken parts replaced for free by DB or Primos and have heard the same from others.

Probably not a blind out there that will not break a part sooner or later but CS will then be key.

[sportfish]

I have had a big game escape blind for 9 years and it has to be the toughest blind ever ! It's been blown across fields for a mile or two , flipped in to ponds up sides down and filled with water , crushed 10-15 times with ice and snow , left out from Spet. To March the last two years and still sets up ! Never broke a pole yet ! It is faded bad . It just won't die . I did buy another blind Ameristep bone collector and that seems tough too . Every one I know with a Double Bull has broke a pole or two

[Powerstroke]

The qualities I'm looking for in a ground blind are easy to setup, lightweight for portable use and easy to transport and durable.

The comment about durability is related more to the durability of the fabric and the moving parts. I rarely leave my blind outside for any length of time. The one year I did my blind out is when it got completely crushed by ice and snow.

I primarily use my blind for mobile turkey hunting with a bow and the occasional deer hunt. Most of my deer hunts in the blind are late season hunts.

The only time I've had broken poles is after the Double bull was flatted by snow. The other poles were my fault because I installed them incorrectly.

My major issues are with the quality of the fabric where it meets the hubs. The hob area needs to be reinforced with something so that it doesn't stress and fray until the hobs pulls out. The DB design uses such a small washer on the outside that it does not take much of a hole for the hub to pull away form the wall.

[JPenny]

There's no doubt that customer service makes a world of difference Harvey. Nothing lasts forever and a lot of things fail immediately. Having a manufacturer that stands by his product means he believes in it and that goes a long ways with me.

Earlier, I made a post about Lucky's blinds. While I haven't seen one set up yet, there is one on my front porch that was delivered yesterday and I'm going to set it up this morning. We shall see how it looks soon. I do enjoy the fact that it was made in Michigan by natives of that fine state.

[Hunter111]

Its looks very cute thanks for share such a cute pics if possible so please share more pics of this.

[Jdjulik]

I picked up the Ameristep Crush... Seems to have very sturdy poles and fabric compared to all the other options on display at Cabela's. Time will tell how it holds up.