Ground Blind Success

[brittman]

I found a grassey open area between a small marsh and a clear cut just full of deer sign. We heard deer moving through when we were on our tree stand. While there is room (location or two) for a tree stand, I have another issue.

I would like to hunt the area with my 12 year old son. Busting in there with a double wide stand at this point would probably disrupt the area. We can set up a ground blind in minutes not the 90 minutes it takes to carry-in and set up a double wide ladder stand (95 pounds) in a remote location. Next year we know where to set up.

Anyone use groundblinds with any success?

[Hotspotter]

With varying success for deer. That said, it has directly hinged upon:

-setup

-extent to which I brushed it in

-natural cover

The trick is to set it up in a shaded area, brush it in more than you think you should, and in a spot that can naturally hide a ground blind. Sparse cover behind you never has worked for me with deer. I'd also recommend setting up a bit away from the major area/trail you're hunting. If with gun, give yourself a 25-40 yd shot, and don't crowd your spot.

If you can get off to the side, perhaps under a cedar or pine tree and really focus on breaking up the top outline of the blind, I think you'll be in business.

Keep your netting down if in a Double Bull, or windows mostly shut in others. Deer do not like the black-hole.

Bring a ratchet pruner to clip lots of brush to put over top of and incorporate into the blind.

Depending on how tall the cattails in the marsh are, you might be able to back up against them, and use bunches of them to disguise you.

Joel

[DeanoB]

I don't do any of that, I carry the blind in, in the backpack it came with, in 30 seconds I'm sitting inside placing the poles for roof support, unpacking everything else to have little noise/movement. I had 1 doe 5 feet from the blind on sunday morning before it was light. I then used a bleat can to get the attention of an 8 pt and brought him to within 15 yards, i could hear him breathing and see his breath...after getting full draw he spotted a doe in the field and was gone, 5 minutes later had a smaller 6 point come within 20 yards of the blind, he left sniffing the trail of the doe that got the 1st bucks attention. I position mine with the door facing the direction that gives me no shot. I hunt in a woods that has a real similar layout to what you described. I bring my 8 year old son, it's great cause he moves around a lot, and the blind will help conceal his movements. Mine is realtree original. The neighboring land owner has 3 setup and he leaves them out in the field, there are always deer coming into that field, I have seen them come out of the woods right next to his blinds. It is so much easier to setup than a treestand. i will probally hunt from these almost exclusivy except fot the stands I already have in place. good luck, and knowing what i know now, I would not wait till next year to purchase if you still have hunting to do this year.

[brittman]

Own two ground blinds. Both are economy grade, one small one medium sized I purchased to take kids along turkey hunting. I will bring along and may set up if that looks like our best option.

Also a great option if really cold, wet, or windy.

Thanks

[adaylate]

I'm taking my daughter on a hunt in a state park with 50 hunters in the area.I'm thinking about using a groundblind with orange covering on top for safety reasons or would just sitting up against a tree be a better idea. A tree stand is not a option?

[DeanoB]

I would surely put some orange on top.

[Hotspotter]

Ground blinds are really great for kids, as they can move. Clear out the leaves/twigs at the bottom of the blind before you even set up your chairs. You can whisper to one another, and it really makes for a fun/interesting hunt.

As for the blaze, I'd put a blaze peice of clothing on all 4 sides of the blind and break up that blaze with some small brush. Hunters will see it plain as day through the brush, and hopefully it'll break it up just enough for the deer.

As for not brushing it in, you can get away with this if you set it out for awhile, or it's in the great-wide open with 75-100yds or so of visibility. Otherwise, I can't tell you the number of times deer have spotted the blind and avoided it both deer and turkey hunting. Well over 100.

Not every deer is the same, and some are much more wary due to experience/pressure. That said, you can get away with less brushing gun hunting because your range is so much greater.

The biggest thing I try to avoid is to put the thing around a corner, exposed. Put yourself in the deer's shoes (hooves?). The worst reactions I've had to the blind are when it's not brushed in well enough, and their first sighting of the blind is within 25-40 yards. They'll freak. Some bolt, others will stomp/wheeze/snort. Which is fine with a gun, because you should be shooting by then. With a bow, it's no-good.

Joel

[chucker34]

All good tips. What I do too, even though I hunt on private land during gun season, is buy some orange duck tape and put several trips in large X's on each side of the blind. This has not spooked deer and I can see the blind from several hundred yards away through the woods.

[BradB]

I have a similar situation for this weekend, having been essentially run off my good spots by my co-land owners and their noisy ATV's. I found access to a nearby landlocked tax forfeited 40 that also is loaded with deer sign and has a similar grassy opening. There are only a few trees that I could use with my climber, but I fear I would be rather easily sky-lined and have to cut down a lot of branches to move it up (noise). I'm thinking the Double Bull in the thicket downwind and heavily brushed in is the ticket. I can get in fast, be quiet, and snip away stealthily to hide it.

My only fear is that it might be a bedding area, and unless they are off feeding at O dark 30 I'll screw it up just by going in there.

[DeanoB]

here is the typical early morn before work quick setup for me

why is this pic so huge?