do you use a ground blind

[Boar]

How many of you use ground blinds for archery, and do you have any pics of prport brushed in ground blind. 

[deerminator]

I do. I personally don't think brushing in matters that much if you leave your blind in one spot for any length of time. The deer get used to it. This has been my experience hunting in farm country. May be different in more remote locales. Anyway, I built a platform for one of my blinds last year and love. It's six feet high, which give you a better view of the surrounding woods and puts you up above the deer's sightline. I built it 8 foot wide by 10 foot long. This way I can set up my six by six blind on it with give on each side and a "porch" at the entrance. I've thought about buiding a permanent on the platform but Iike the portability. I actually moved it this year a couple hundred yards. Tipped it down, towed it to new spot, tipped it back up and put the blind on top.

[DonBo]

I use one frequently, and believe the better you brush it in, the better your success. deerminator is right, if you can leave it out long enough they'll get used to it, but I think that means months. Most pop ups if left out for months will be destroyed by the sun and elements way before it's time.  I'll try to get a photo of mine this week. It's been up about a month now, nicely brushed in, getting ready for this Saturday's opener.

[Boar]

i set one  out yesterday on a feild edge of beans tried to brush it in without putting logs on tue dang thing, tough to find good brushing material, i can find plenty of stick material but the more u put on the heavier the weight against the blind, plus they fall over, i got a nice little pocket on the edge  i think will work, ill take a picture and would like to see others

[deerminator]

Yes. I leave my "house blind" out from about August through when I am done (usually mid to late November). When I set my other mobile blind up, I do brush it in. I think like a tree stand, your first time out with it in one spot is often (not always) your best time out because if you have it brushed in well, you usually catch deer by surprise. I find this from experience on the farms I set up on field edges. Here is a pic of my house blind.

 

[Boar]

heres mine at 20 yeds

 

 

[triggertrav]

Deerminator  , you hunting on a gravel road? Or is that the deer highway?  

 

I have used blinds but they definitely need to be brushed in or left out.  Probably both though would be best. 

[bigbucks]

I have one out now, it's not truly brushed in, but it's set into the edge of the woods basically flush & it's thick behind it.  It's invisible to deer coming from the West until they come in broadside at 5 yards.  I can't see them coming either...

[eyeguy 54]

flipped pics for ya

 

[bottomdweller]

Wear black clothing as well, I think this is one of the more important factors.  I have had my blinds out in the wide open and have had deer come right to the window.  My factor on brushing it in is if its more open I dont brush.  If your more in the brush like in the woods then I am more apt to brush it in.  

[rkhinrichs]

wearing all black is key! as well as facepaint! And remember you don't have to go nuts like all the people on the outdoor channel

Edited October 9, 2015 by rkhinrichs

[deerminator]

Thanks eyeguy.

Boar, I like it. I had a set up like that on a farm I can hunt (blind right on edge of beans). I took a doe early that year when I could get more than one deer and it ran to the neighbors, who was nice enough, but I realized I was hunting too close (couple hundred feet) from his property line for my comfort. He didn't seem real enthusiastic I wanted to recover the deer on his land.

TriggerTrav, no, it's our driveway. We have a couple acres of woods behind the house surrounded by many more acres our neighbors grant me permission to hunt on. That just happens to be one of the best spots, right by the driveway. In fact, when I go tomorrow for the first time this season, I'll ride my mountain bike down the driveway in the dark and ditch it under the stand before crawling up. I've found the bike whizzing by is less likely to spook deer than someone creeping by in the dark.

I agree on the black and facepaint. No need to go crazy but yes, I do paint every time I go out. I save all those makeup remover wipe packets from the hotels on the work trips I go on.

[SmellEsox]

I hunted out of one last fall and absolutely hated it.  Deer knew it was there and I felt claustrophobic.

[deerminator]

Here's the view from mind this morning. I'm about 60 yards back in woods and township road in between our land and corn field farmer cut last night. 2 does this morning so far. Windy as heck. Farmer uses old equipment and leaves s lot if corn but plows under as soon as he can get back to do so. 

[deerminator]

Another thought if you use a ground blind, one that struck me just this morning, is that if you also ice fish and have one of those pop up shelter gear caddies, why not spray it down with some scent killer and use that in your blind. Took this one with me this morning.

 

 

[wannafish2]

Thank you for posting this question....I have some about using ground blinds of my own.  I still haven't taken a deer with archery yet and use both stands and blinds, but when in my ground blinds I would like to know....

1.  How do you position yourself so you can draw without poking the arrow either through the top of the blind or through the window and still see the deer approaching?

2.  I keep half the windows closed so I don't silhouette myself....is this right?  and do you keep the "shoot through" windows up or down?  and DON'T use mechanical broadheads when shooting through the mesh right? use fixed blades?

3.  I spend $50 on a swivel seat and the darn thing makes noise every move I make, I should get rid of it correct?  any suggestions what to use?

Some things I found that help me are:

I bring an old bath towel and put it under my feet to quiet down the leaves and other sounds from moving my feet.  A bow holder is a must.  and my backpack usually holds everything else I need...but if you have any little "S" hooks you can use them in the loops for the windows to hang your bino's or your grunt call or range finder from so they are easy to get at without fumbling around in the pack.

Thanks again for your help.  Maybe this will be the year!

Wannafish2

[Boar]

i keep all windows closed except were i need to see. which is front facing. i can peek thru any side windo from tim to timeni keep the mesh down. i dont trust shooting thru it. i also practice drawing from a seated position in the blindto gett accustom to the unorthadox need to draw in tight quaters, lot of lat work.

 

[deerminator]

What Boar said. Plus, I use a cheap plastic lawn chair for my seat. Can make 75 percent of the potential shots from it. Kneel or crouch for the others but not likely shots. Also, for a bow holder on many of mine, I wrap a bungee around the ceiling X frame and hang the bow from it with an arrow knocked directly in front of me. That way when its go time, there's no fumbling around or lots of movement. Just grab onto the bow with my left hand and unhook it with my right and I'm ready to draw.

[wannafish2]

Boar and Deerminator,

do you angle the blind so you are sitting in the back corner like a diamond? or do you sit square against the back and have the biggest window directly in front of you?

[Boar]

I Have a swivel chair and position myself in front of the big window  anot so near the back that i cant draw.

[mwal]

Wannafish2,

take netting down and do some target practice out of the blind. If you need to reach to the sky to draw your bow is set to to high of a poundage. YOu should able to draw your bow almost level from the sitting position. Most people have bow at to high of poundage. Its not needed with standard cutting head broad heads. It may be with mechanical s for them to penetrate.. Just like guns a 30/30 has worked for over hundred years for close range now everyone thinks they nee 300 win mag to kill a deer. I bet your accuracy would go up wit a 50lb draw weight. I used to have a bow at 70lbs and had to reach for the sky. Now I shot around 50lbs and have much less motion drawing and deer are just as dead.

Mwal