Ground Blinds?

I just set up a ground blind last Friday and I’m wondering how much time the deer will need to get used to it? My cousin sat in it on Sun. and he said the does were aware that somthing was different. They seemed to stay a good 30 yards away from it and never took their eyes off of it. We’ve got it tucked under some trees and have it brushed in good we also sprayed it down inside and outside too.

Brad, you mentioned that you just put one out. How long will you wait to hunt out of it?
What does everyone else do??

It depends. Sometiems I have hunted the very same night as I set it up and did not seem to get noticed. Other times I get it set up a week or so prior. Sometimes if you see a certain deer travel pattern you need to hunt it right away.

In your case it seems to me they are either smelling it or seeing it???

I would suggest maybe brushing it in with it’s surroundings if possible. Turkeys don’t mind if you stick a ground blind out in the middle of a field, but if I’m hunting out of a ground blind then for deer I try to brush it in.

I’ll have to try brushing it in some more.

Does anyone have some pics of your ground blind set up and brushed in??

Let us know how it goes Ben! Make sure it is tucked in and brushed in good.

This is the new Covert Hunting Blind set up and brushed in a little.

Ben I do not have any pictures. However, I’m sure my Covert Blind will see some action this weekend.

I have found if you brush it in really good you can hunt it succesfully the first day. If you do not brush it in I would wait it out a few weeks.

Are you guys shooting through the mesh or leaving the windows completely open?

I guess it depends on the broadhead you’re going to use. I use Muzzy’s so I have no problem shooting thru the screens. I’ve heard some expandables will be affect once they hit the screen so you might want to take out the screen in that case. If you have a blind the best way to find out is practice.

Are the blinds effective for deer? I’m not a big tree stand guy, one reason I haven’t gotten back into bow hunting, always seemed like the only way to bow hunt was in a tree. If I could effectively hunt out of a ground blind, I would be much more inclined to take it up again.

I talked to an outfitter just last week and they have taken 6 does out of their blinds. If placed in the right location they can be a very good means of taking deer. They also control your scent better as well.

Quote:

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If you have a blind the best way to find out is practice.

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My dad and I put one out and hunted it right away and called a small 6 pointer in to within 15 yards with a doe in a can. Good Luck to All This Season!

welcome hunter93
never deer hunted outa a blind but love to turkey hunt outa em

MossBoss, yes gorund blinds can extremly be effective. We have spots in ND where there is just not many big trees and we have ground blinds brushed into the woods, crp, corn, thickets etc. I have had deer knock my arrow off my rest in ground blinds, they get so close. Some of our ground blinds are made from natural objects like limbs, branches, corn stalks, etc.

I snapped a few pics today of my ground blind while I was out checking cameras. Most of the leaves are off the trees in that area so I’m planning on dragging in a few branches with leaves still on them to help break it up a little more.

I did get some pics off my trail cam that is 40 yards away from the blind so maybe they are getting used to it??

Looks good Ben! The way I usually brush my blinds in is to open the windows that I will be shooting out of, then brush the blind in with out worrying about the windows until I’m done. Then once I have it complete, I’ll go inside the blind and trim the branches that are in my shooting windows. Then I place the screens back on the blind!

Good luck bagging that big boy!

Turkeys are a no-brainer for blinds but deer are definitely more wary. I have a farmer that has big round bales around and can convince him to set one them in “other places”.I think the deer get used to the blind easier this way. I really dont like setting out the Double Bull for long periods of time cause its spendy and dont want it to walk away,even on private land sadly.

i have shot a couple of deer out of popup blinds and had lots more walk by within shooting range. had a small buck nearly stick his head in the front door once. i do leave my blind outside before use to air out and i always wear scentlok.

i almost always use my blind around field edges and i like to get it just inside the trees or back under a tree for better camo.

they are great to rattle out of but i never use a blind turkey hunting cause i am too much of a runner and gunner.

Sorry I got back to this post so late… hunting all weekend. I have shot through the screens out to 35 yds and maintained great accuracy. I was more interested in what reactions others have had from deer with or without the screens. I went without the screens all weekend and had does/ yearlings around me for up to 1/2 hr. at a time, never winded or busted. I did miss a whopper last weekend with the screens on still can’t believe that I missed. It’s a whole different ball game when you’re eyeball to eyeball with the critters

I didn’t sit in my blind this weekend but my trail camera that is next to it is finally starting to get a bunch more pics on it. I think I’m going to hold out for muzzleloader season to sit in it now.