Ground blind and scent control

For the past 13 years I have been guiding a handi-capped archer for a Twist of Fate hunt in North Dakota.

The Twist of fate group is a local sportsman club that has been putting this hunt on for disadvantaged archers for the past 14 years. The hunter have to get to the hunt and from there on, there is no charge for anything including the butchering of the meat. Their food, lodging, meals and licenses are all taken care of for them. If they need a long bow or crossbow, the group has bows for them to use and they also recieve a set of camo clothing for free.

Many times one of my biggest concerns is wind direction and scent control.

Last season and again this year, I have placed the blind in the woods for the entire year so the deer in the area would get very comfortable with it’s location.

I do use corn as bait so these blind locations typically do have a fair group of deer that hit the area.

My biggest concern every year is with human scent as I am always in the blind with the hunter as they typically do need alot of help including taking the safety off and reloading if needed.

Last year I thought why not treat my deer blind like I have done in the past with bear bait areas.

I started to leave my t shirt in the blind when I bait or go to the blind so when the deer come to feed, they can get use to some of the human smell. It’s tough to keep more than 2 blinds and bait piles going so there are times when we have to use a blind with a bad wind.

This seems to be helping as I had a doe and fawn walk into the bait last year within 15 yards of the blind and the deer were downwind of us and never smelled a thing and feed like nothing was wrong at all.

I also like to take a small pail of cow manure along so I can wipe some on the blind to help cover any other scent as they are very use to the cow manure.

Between the manure and my sweaty t shirts left in the blind, seems I can hunt the blinds with a very bad wind.

Next week I go to North Dakotas for the annual hunt in hopes of getting a buck or doe in range of my hunter.

last Monday I was up there to fill my bait pile and check the camera. What a suprise when I looked at the card. In 23 days I had 811 pictures from bucks to doe’s to a very few fawns. Many pictures were of the same deer but they are hitting the area hard.

So, if you have an area with wind issues, try the t shirt in the blind if you are using one as it does seem to help long enough to take the shot.

I guess I will see if this works again this year.

Hopefully I can put my hunter on a nicer buck as I have 3 coming in daily. Then I just need them to stand there for a few minutes so my hunter can get a shot off.

The majority of the archers are in wheel chairs so when a deer is at a bad angle, we have to wait quite awhile and then there are times I have to move the wheel chair with them in it to get a good shot.

I can say this, I could shoot a record book buck and it would not be the thrill that I recieve when one of my hunters what a deer. The smile on their face typically says it all.

I think what you are doing is awesome! Best of luck this fall.

The scent thing seems like it aught to work for deer as it does for bear. It would just be another scent they are accustomed to. Cripes, look at Pat’s deer. He’s in the woods twice a day checking trail cameras or planting or spraying his food plots.

This hunt makes my whole fall hunting season Kooty.

I cannot explain the feeling one get’s when one helps another that cannot go it on their own harvest a deer.

After ones hunter harvest a deer, it can and does bring tears to a grown mans eyes every time.

I had a fellow a few years ago that had a terminal disease. He was from Wisc and everyone in his family had shot a deer in their lifetime. When he told me all he wanted to do before he passed was to harvest a deer, I felt pressure like never before.

That week he shot a nice doe and sad to say but 4 month’s later he passed. I did recieve a very nice letter from the family saying how much he enjoyed the hunt of a lifetime for him weeks after he passed.

Just trying to help give something back to another fellow outdoorsman.

I am having health issues and will start using ground blinds instead of tree stands this year. thanks for the scent tips.

Thank You for taking the time to get others less fortunate out into the field. I am sure you are making a real positive difference with their lives. Keep up the good work

Mwal

Here is a link to a story about one fellow that thought he would never hunt again in his lifetime.

Twist of fate the first year was grouped up with U.F.F.D.A.

Year 2 we went on our own.

You will be able to see that anyone can hunt again with the help of these fellows. It just takes a little extra effort.

http://www.fishingbuddy.com/articles/evolution_of_a_bow_hunter_part_two

here is a link to the Twist of Fate

http://twistoffatend.org/

I have belonged to many outdoor groups but the work that Twist of Fate does really sits high with me.