OT- Ground Blinds

[Bigahh]

Anyone use one of those pop up ground blinds? Is it possible to have a Buck come in close with one. I have always sat up a tree, but found a real big Buck that hides in a serious brushy area 1/4 mile square with no trees close to his home. I was thinking of a ground set up in a blind to help conceal my scent for the Late season Bow Hunt.I could really play any wind near his home with one, but never heard of anyone who used them for Deer Just Turkeys.

[cnjarvis]

I use them extensively for rifle season and Really like them. I haven't had a deer come closer than 40-50 yards but I hunt in pretty open country and deliberately set up that far away from their anticipated travel path.

IME, I would not trust the blind to control your scent. It won't. I can see a small benefit to it in low or no wind situations but your scent WILL drift with the breeze. What it does offer you is concealment and to a degree, shelter.

[RIHMFIRE]

They use them all the time on the outdoor channel...
just buy the ones that fold up....not the one where you have to
twist them into shape to put them away...My buddy got so frustrated
trying to put one away...he just left in the woods...

[O.S.O.K.]

I've got one that has the chair built-in. You can carry it accross your back folded up. When you get to your stand site, you undo the velcro and ufold the seat - sit down and pull the blind over the front.

Got it on sale at Cabelas.

[Lastmohecken]

I have hunted out of natural blinds, off and on for years, with a fair degree of sucess.

This year, My future son in law loaned me a pop up blind. And I set it up, during bow season, in an area, where I had gotten pictures of 2 nice bucks, a spike and some does. I just knew I was going to nail a good deer out of it. I must have done something wrong, as I could not see a deer out of it, and I finally gave up on the spot.

Later I put it up, at the edge of a field, during muzzleloading, I didn't see much out of it, and finally had some deer blow me out, when they came behind me, but they could have seem me move, and I thought the wind was in my favor. I left it out for a while, it blew down, and I finally retreaved it, and took it home.

I put it back up in a slightly different place, at the edge of a field, for rifle season, I decided not to put it up, until the night before, and I cut some ceder branches and sorta camoflaged it some, but I was hoping for a fifty yard shot on one side, or maybe a hundred and fifty on the other side. I also sprayed it down good with some de-scent, in case that was the issue.

All I seen was turkeys the first weekend, but the second saturday, the deer were in the rut heavy, and bucks were chasing does. I killed a little 10 point chasing a doe, and seen a few others. So it finally worked, but I have done the same thing, just by pulling in the field and parking in my truck, on many occasions.

However, I have a friend at work who has had very good luck, with blinds, this year.

I have decided that what I really need to cover the two crossing that that I was watching, in the field, is to build a platform, against the field edge, and put a blind on top of it, or just build a small house on top of it, with some sliding lexan windows. I think maybe I will get off of my butt and do it this year.

[RKrodle]

I have one that I use some for hunting during rifle season. It's about the size of a pizza until you open it. Mine has straps on the outside so you can brush it up to help conceal with concealment. it comes with a bag that has shoulder straps for toting around, I carry a fold up chair also. If you get one I highly suggest practicing at home with it or they can drive you up the wall trying to fold them back up. Once mastered it takes down quick and easy.

[cnjarvis]

Those spring-wire blinds mentioned above reminded me of mine. They do work and I've taken deer from them but mine was all but useless in winds 20 mph and up which are common here in OK. I've moved on to a hub type blind.

[horsesoldier03]

I have taken several deer in a ground blind! However, I once had a mature doe with twins bust me at about 75 yrds with it. There was little to no wind so I know she didnt wind me. She never blew at me but she would stand and stomp the ground looking at me in the blind. Finally she decided the get out of town. She never did flag when she left either. Your best bet is if you can set it up and leave it a few days before hunting in it and let them get used to it.

[rjohns94]

I use one for rain days. I like keeping the rain off me and the weapon. Especially during blackpowder season in pouring rain. I've taken my biggest two deer from ground blinds, natural and the spring steel type. They are a since once you get the hang of them.

[BenT]

I use a permenant blind made out of wooden pallets . I don't why but deer don't seem to wind me in it. I sit on a 5 gallon bucket and all they can see is my head. But I have deer come with in 20 feet of me every year , busy eating acorns . I had an 8 point come with in 30 feet and didn't even notice me. I haven't shot any deer that come in that close it's to much fun to watch them.

[deerwhacker444]

I have limited experience using them and the results have been mixed. My cousin wanted to hunt a new spot with no suitable trees, so we put up one of the "pop up" blinds. I was hunting about 350 yards away so I could see real good what was happening.

The first morning we had it up, a few deer wandered up and by their reaction you'd have thought a T-Rex was hiding in the bushes. They wouldn't get within 40 yards of it. They snorted, stomped, danced and pranced around it all morning keeping a watchful eye on the new "mysterious 6ft tall clump of leaves" that wasn't there the day before. We decided that wasn't the ticket, so that afternoon we took hatchets and cut down a few dozen 3ft. tall cedar trees and started covering it up. We had cedar trees stuck everywhere. When we were done the shooting holes was the only thing you could see, it looked like somewhere Bigfoot might live. We left it sit till the next morning.

The next morning he had a few does and a small buck within a few yards of it and they didn't pay it any attention. They might have noticed it, but they didn't spook. He elected not to shoot any of the deer that morning, but the blind did work AFTER we put a little work in on it fixing it up.

I guess my point is that they need to fit into their surroundings extremely well, or be sitting out there for a long time and let them get used to it. I'm not sure sticking one up in the middle of the prairie on opening day and expecting to kill a giant is anything but wishful thinking.

Although,...they do that with those Pronghorns, so I don't know. Don't get me a lie'n....

[Charles]

I have never use a store bought blind of any kind, but I have hunted many times from a ground blind made of branches, leaves and brush piled up. I always made it at the base of a tree so I would have something to lean against. After these kinds of blinds have been up a few days, the deer pay them no attention. I once had a spike buck come to within 15 feel of such a blind. I had a fierce headach and was lying on the ground when I heard his hoofs on the rocky limestone soil of the Texas Hill Country.

He was still coming my way, when I poped up and said "gotcha". A good Krag rifle put him in the freezer. If I had not poped up I probably could had waited and reached out and grabed him by a leg. The Krag was a better idea!

[Mokwaw]

Never used one. Always made a bling from stuff in the area. If you're pressed for time, why not get a good Ghillie suit and set up in a likely spot...?

[Old Time Hunter]

I have both an "outhouse" and a "doghouse" pop up blinds. Got deer out of both of them at one time or another. 'Course I set 'em up usually in late summer and let 'em sit right through the year...that might make a difference as to them getting used to it. Gave up trying to store 'em away after bending the springy things every which way but correct when I would take 'em down, the two I have are really two or three replacements each. Had to kick a little black bear out the "outhouse" this year, it crawled under one side and camped out, scared the stuff out of me when I opened the door!