Ground Blinds

[HighLife100]

Has anyone had much luck bow hunting out of a ground blind? In what situation would ground blinds be preffered?

[Swamp Scooter]

High life,
I have not bow hunted out of one but I have used them for rifle and pistol hunting. They are nice to keep you dry. Now I am talking about the teepee ones.

A ground blind I make out of camo burlap and pile up dead limbs around me and then sit in a camp chair with my back to the tree. I had a buck come within 8 yards of me and did not notice me. That one I had to use the pistol on.

If you use a teepee make sure it is tall enough and has enogh room inside for a full draw. Some have different window sizes and types.

[kelly-p]

Ground blinds can be exciting. 2 years ago NINETOE had a bear decide to go to the bait THROUGH his blind. High grass, quite bear and the rifle pointed at the bait through a hole in the blind. It should have been a Kodak moment cuz the blind wasn't big enough for two.

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Waskish Minnow Station
218-647-8652

[Swamp Scooter]

Kelly-P,

Don't you mean a KODIAK moment!! Fun to watch not fun to have done to you. Did he get the bear?

[BLACKJACK]

Hi Kelly! How have you been?

Your story brings to mind the old 'Jerimiah Johnson' movie where Will Grier is running along with a grizzly following him, right into the cabin and out the back window with the quote "skin that one Pilgrim, I'll go get you another one". Classic.

[Finlander]

Copied this from another HSOforum that should answer some of your questions!
I will be using my ground blind more often this year as my old body has a hard time getting those heavy treestands up in the tree. That is the main reason to use it for me, but you could use them anywhere you want as long as they don't stick out too much.
Try to put them amongst some small trees or brush and take some brush and stick it in front of the blind to help blend in.

If you can get your hands on the Double Bull information tape, it would answer all of these questions, irregardless of what brand of pop up you use. But this is what I do. I do all of my bowhunting from ground blinds.

1. Like what camo do you wear?
I wear dark or black clothing inside the blind.

2. What do you sit on?
I use a light folding chair that I get from Wal Mart.

3. How do you rest your bow when you are messing around?
I use a Buckwing ground bow holder that stakes into the ground.

4. Do you clear the ground where the blind will be?
I take the leaves and debris inside the blind and rake it up against the inside floor/bottom of the blind to cut down on drafts taking my scent out (for deer). For turkeys, I leave the ground cluttered so I can use the leaves for calling.

5. Do you use black makeup on your face?
If it is too hot for a dark face mask.

6. What about mosquitoes?
Don't know what you mean with this, but they still can get atcha.

7. What is the best sight pins to use with limited light?
I use, and love, my Savage sight with its fiber optic/tritium Night Hawk pin.

8. Does it get hot in there in the early season?
It can get very hot. I usually hunt only early mornings and evenings if it is going to get above 80. Take water.

9. Do you use deer decoys?
No, never needed to. Some folks do, but I've never wanted to carry one out or drop the money on one.

10. Do you ever get bothered by critters?
Not sure what you mean here either, but other animals come and go all day. That's what makes a blind so neat to hunt from. You are at ground level seeing all kinds of stuff walk by, sometimes only a few feet from you and none the wiser.

11. Do you put scent blocker spray on the outside of the blind?
Yes. I air out the blind 3-7 days prior by setting it up in my back yard. I spray it with my own sent elliminator (water and baking soda). I spray the inside as well and the mesh. I also put some sort of cover sent on it lightly here and there.

12. Ever rattle inside the blind?
Yes

13. How do you practice shooting and in what position, standing or sitting?
I practice sitting and kneeling. I just take my folding chair to the archery range with me.

14. Do you practice shooting thru the screen?
A little. This is one plug that I will give Double Bull though. I have had one blind that had shoot through mesh, but it was too thick and stiff and it affected arrow flight. My Double Bull stuff is much better and doesn't. So, I don't need to practice through it as much.

15. Any other suggestions
Again, even if you don't have one of their blinds, try to get the DB info tape. It is very helpful for ground blind hunters. It also shows you the best way to position your blind.

Hope this is of help!

[This message has been edited by Finlander (edited 08-06-2004).]

[bigbucks]

I guess that depends on what you mean by ground blind. I've sat in a clump of deadfalls before or behind a tree with thick brush beside it off to the edge of a trail. I've not done it much, but had a shot at a small buck once in that setting, I missed, but I wouldn't now. I shot a young deer once while on the ground without even using a blind I got down out of my stand to quit hunting & look around a bit before leaving & here came a deer & I shot it at 15 yards, it was broad daylight, like 9am.

In my opinion you use a ground blind if you find a good spot where the deer are going that setting up a stand just isn't feasable, ie: trees are too small, it's just a fenceline, or willow patch or perhaps when you're hunting an area for the first time & haven't had much time to scout, at least your mobile, or it may help you determine where a stand should go. It would be sort of like scouting, but with the option of actually taking a deer. The most important things are being down wind & out of their main line of sight.

[The Grebe]

Ground blinds are real effective...if you do your home work! You have to cross all the t's and dot all the i's if you want to be effective. You have to do everything right.

I don't know about the synthetic blinds, I always used natural set ups, with a little embellishment here and there. That and good camo.

When I had more time, before I became self employed, I used to love bow hunting in the snow, on the ground.

Best set up ever, I hid in plain sight on a fence line...snow camo, a little brush, a small tree and an open field at my back, had 2 small bucks come in so close I could have touched one of them with my bow.

They were a fork and a 6 pointer, both had antlers about as big around as a pepperoni stick! I drew down on the 6 pointer at about 5 yards when he bent down to graze..held the anchor for a second and let him walk... they never knew I was there.

[eyesontonka]

I have a double bull and after i sat in a new blind this spring turkey hunting i threw my bull in the corner...i'll get the name of this blind for ya..awsum is all i can say...bull blinds are ok if you like to be hunched over lookin out the screen..

the blind i sat in this spring was twice as fast setting up..had more room in it..better camo patterns..more shooting windows for bow hunting..true 1 way screen meaning you can see out but not in..arrows fly threw the screen perfect..175 bucks cheaper..and 3 pounds lighter..

i'm buying 1 as soon as the new camo patterns come out..once you sit in a bull compared to this blind you wont have no doubt what 1 to get..

[BLACKJACK]

Eyetonka, I'd be curious what brand you're talking about. I've lusted after one of the Double Bulls for a couple of years but the high price has scared me off. I did buy one of the cheaper Ameristep Doghouse blinds and will be trying it this year. I'll be trying it in grassy/brushy areas where its tough to put a tree blind.

Another spot where I can see a ground blinds potential is on public hunting areas where leaving a stand hanging is an invitation to the stand thieves.

I have shot two deer using natural ground blinds. It is up close and personal! One dandy spot I have is a fenceline/treerow with a field on one side, I set up behind a brushy tree facing west, I've shot one deer there and missed out on two others. One nice buck I shot right over his back - buck fever to the max!!

[eyesontonka]

Name of this blind is (invisablind)..cost is about 289 bucks plus tax is the cheapest i can find..when i talked to a salesmen this spring he said they were going to offer a couple more colours this year and 1 was the snow camo..other was corn camo..2 thumbs up if they have those..i'll be talkin with this same salesman on thursday so i'll let ya know..

[NELS-BELLS]

I'm thinking seriously of buying one for bow hunting, mostly so that I can take my 6 year old son with me, but I'm concerned that during low light (dusk or dawn), which is when I see the most deer, it will be too dark inside the blind to see the peep on my string. The pins I'm not worried about because they are a bright fiber optic and don't need much light. Any of you that have a store bought blind ever had a problem with seen there peep sight?

[simplefish]

I hunt on a small 40 acre lot much of the early season. There is a marshy area that is surrounded by a band of trees on all sides and on the other side of the trees are corn and soybean fields. I am the only bowhunter that hunts here. I like to use the ground blinds in the band between the marsh and crop fields. I have found that setting up in the corners are best, but have a few natural ones down a few fence rows. Depending on the time of year I will either set up off the crops a good 30+ yards or right on the edge of the field. Most of the ground blinds I use are made up of natural matierial from around the area, usually at least a month in advance. If I use a store bought one I will set it up and hunt it the first day and afterward leave it alone for a week+ so the deer get used to having it around. When you set it up try and throw a few branches and debris around it. This will help with the outline. Also scrape some dirt up around in the inside and outside edges as this will help keep scent contained. And last but not least watch your entrance and exit routes when hunting fields. Good luck!

[This message has been edited by simplefish (edited 08-19-2004).]

[echotrail]

HighLife100...I agree with a few of the other posts the ground blind is a real effective method. I rifle hunt Northern MN. and get some real close shots. Just some camo and nearby deadfall materials is all you need. Put a couple of scent strips in your shooting zone. You're more sheltered from weather than if your sitting on the side of a tree.