Ground Blinds

[gregintenn]

I've never used one, but I'm taking my 11 year old son, who has trouble being still, hunting, and I've recently thought about a ground blind. I'd love to hear any experiences or information you all have about them. Are they useful? Are they worth the trouble of setting one up? Do deer notice them? Any info or experiences, good or bad, are appreciated.

[tbuford]

I think that they are great....I have a small one that I bought from a gentleman in Westmoreland :cool:and it has proved to be a great investment...did VERY well with it last year and went unnoticed and sets up in about 1:30....including staking....but, as you mentioned...I have an 11 yr old that has some issues with being still....especially after 3- 4 hours...I will be getting something larger for the 2 of us thsi year...let me know of any good deals out there on a good 2-man.....

[ShaunM]

Some good info

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/hunting/24767-ground-blind-2.html

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/hunting/11031-quality-ground-blind.html

Ground blinds can be very usefull. They allow you to be concealed when there is no other options. Only negative things I can say are scent control and visibility. Your not going to see as well as say if your in a tree stand and your scent is at ground level. Also the scent of your blind can turn them away. So make sure you take every step in scent control. Also don't just place it in the open and if you have to make sure you also use natural cover to help conceal you. I would also do the same in thick areas. I use ground blinds and love them. To me I think the pros out way the cons. As far as setting them up most are pop ups and are real easy to set up and take down and they also pack light.

Edited November 2, 2009 by Hunting101

[Guest Jcochran88]

I love to hunt in them. Just hunted this afternoon with a 7 year old that cannot sit still!!! We had several does come in to feild just way to far for him to get a shot at! I would strongly recomend using a blind for any new hunter or any hunter for that matter.

Sorry Bronker you know what I mean.

[whiskey]

See the blind in the photo below. I bought it just to take my daughter hunting her first year. She had just turned 10 in the photo below. We used the same blind today for her to take her second deer. I just pop it up and rake away all the leaves so she can wiggle and fiddle around all she wants. Usually she takes a nap, eats a snack, makes shadow puppets as the sun gets low. If the wind gets up we just zip up more and keep the wind off us. We can hunt through rain showers in the dry. We can even bring a tent heater on those really cold mornings. I had her wrapped up in a sleeping bag in it last year.

This is the dog house blind from Wally World. It ain't top of the line, but it works well for the price. I have hunted it many rainy days by myself. I am taking it to Missouri with me in a couple weeks to have as an option. Make sure you get one atleast as big as the dog house. The bigger it is the more you can keep the kids away from the windows.

I will say that setting it up ahead of time and allowing the deer to become accustom to it is the best method. We set up in the edge of a field today and the deer immediately turned their full attention to us when the entered the field. It still got the job done though.

[Guest KarlS]

I have the same as Whiskey. I leave it set up so they get used to it. Only real downside is even though the screen windows are comoflauge in order to take them down to shoot they are velcro. Way to noisy. I just leave them down and wear a camoflauge mask. It's easy to set up, quiet, and can be comfortable. Some nice things to have with you would be a folding seat and shooting sticks.

[Cajun]

I love to hunt in them. Just hunted this afternoon with a 7 year old that cannot sit still!!! We had several does come in to feild just way to far for him to get a shot at! I would strongly recomend using a blind for any new hunter or any hunter for that matter.

Sorry Bronker you know what I mean.

I agree, I hunted out of one saturday and sunday with my son and it's the ONLY way to go with small children.

[Wingshooter]

I have the same as Whiskey. I leave it set up so they get used to it. Only real downside is even though the screen windows are comoflauge in order to take them down to shoot they are velcro. Way to noisy. I just leave them down and wear a camoflauge mask. It's easy to set up, quiet, and can be comfortable. Some nice things to have with you would be a folding seat and shooting sticks.

I have that same Dog House blind from Walmart, and I just shoot my arrow right through the camo mesh windows. I don't un-velcro them before shooting. I have practiced this way, and the mesh material seems to have no noticable affect on arrow flight. They sell replacement windows if the material get too many holes in it. If it is gun season, I use my .44 revolver for space considerations.

I hunt from my blind often. In the summer, I just wear a long-sleeve light-weight black T-shirt and black doo rag. The inside of the blind is blacked out, so if the light is kept out you are invisible inside of there.

First time I used my blind, I forgot the seat. That was an uncomfortable hunt.

Although I prefer a tree stand when feasible, a ground blind is a fun way to hunt. I could have reached out and pulled the hair off of a doe two seasons ago. She was within arms reach and never knew I was there.

Edited November 2, 2009 by Batman

[DaveS]

Congrats to your Daughter Whiskey....that sure is a fine looking Doe she took!

[Hidalgo]

.....I just leave them down and wear a camoflauge mask.....

EXCELLENT suggestion. I have seen hunters in a ground blind from 300 yards away. Your face lights up like a halogen spotlight! Some type of camo on the face is mandatory. Camo mask, face paint, or something to tone down your face. Your face is WHITE ... the interior is DARK ... it is a no-brainer. It also helps if you position the blind so that the sun is behind you ... NEVER in front of you shining into the blind.

[Guest KarlS]

I have that same Dog House blind from Walmart, and I just shoot my arrow right through the camo mesh windows. I don't un-velcro them before shooting. I have practiced this way, and the mesh material seems to have no noticable affect on arrow flight. They sell replacement windows if the material get too many holes in it. If it is gun season, I use my .44 revolver for space considerations.

Batman,

As I sat there cursing because I forgot my seat today I had thought the same thing about just shooting through the screen. Good idea. I guess I was too damn cheap to ruin a $35.00 blind. Forget the seat and it can get uncomfortable.

[Guest walkingdeadman]

I used my blind two weeks ago to bust my very first doe ever. It is great to use for a couple reasons but also has LOTS of negatives to it. I guess it is all in what want your hunt to be like.

[ShaunM]

I had one blind tied down in the woods for almost 1 1/2 years and this year someone trespassing stole it. I got it at a yard sale for 15 bucks so really can't complain just mad that someone would steal it.

[Guest cjr]

I had one blind tied down in the woods for almost 1 1/2 years and this year someone trespassing stole it. I got it at a yard sale for 15 bucks so really can't complain just mad that someone would steal it.

That sucks,did you happen to have a trail cam in the area.It would be cool to have pics on it of the jack a$$ that stole it.

[gregintenn]

If you leave them in place, doesn't the wind or falling limbs or some such damage them?

[Guest KarlS]

That sucks,did you happen to have a trail cam in the area.It would be cool to have pics on it of the jack a$$ that stole it.

I've had mine up for a few weeks now. I've never seen anyone hunting in there before but I put a note inside it saying if they wanted to take it fine...I'd just take their picture off the trail cam and catch up with them later. I don't really have a trail cam set up there but they don't know that.

[ShaunM]

That sucks,did you happen to have a trail cam in the area.It would be cool to have pics on it of the jack a$$ that stole it.

No trail cams it's property I have hunted all my life so I know were the deer move. Wish I had one. I think it was the neighbors kid but not sure.

[ShaunM]

I've had mine up for a few weeks now. I've never seen anyone hunting in there before but I put a note inside it saying if they wanted to take it fine...I'd just take their picture off the trail cam and catch up with them later. I don't really have a trail cam set up there but they don't know that.

Maybe I should have done this but my property borders all of my other families property and the dreaded neighbors. I have caught him on his ATV riding on my property while I was in my stand. I told him he couldn't be riding all over my property. He said sorry but I still think it was him.

[Guest KarlS]

Maybe I should have done this but my property borders all of my other families property and the dreaded neighbors. I have caught him on his ATV riding on my property while I was in my stand. I told him he couldn't be riding all over my property. He said sorry but I still think it was him.

Not only did he take your blind but he ruined a good sit in the stand. Time to flatten his tires.

[ShaunM]

Not only did he take your blind but he ruined a good sit in the stand. Time to flatten his tires.

Not sure it was him, I think it was but not sure. Nah on the flat tires. I guess I will be going to Wal-Mart and get me a blind unless someone knows were I can get a better deal on one. I have several spots were ground blinds work better that tree stands so I need another one.

[Guest KarlS]

The great thing about blinds is they are inexpensive. Only kidding about the tires. lol

[ShaunM]

The great thing about blinds is they are inexpensive. Only kidding about the tires. lol

Yeah I didn't think you meant flatening the tires for real . Ground blinds are not that expensive, especially since they are very portable.

[memphismason]

That stinks Hunting 101. At least they don't cost too much.

I hunt out of a ground blind more often than I do from a stand, that is just how my dad taught me. However this Sunday I plan on being in my stand.

[ShaunM]

I've killed more deer sitting next to a tree than in a stand or ground blind. I like the ground blind better as it keeps the wind and cold of my little toes

[Guest cjr]

Have you guys seen the mirror ground blinds.I heard about them a few years back and thought it was the dummest idea I had ever heard of,I was lookin for a 2000 lb. corn cart to feed roads for exotics and a feed store in Rosenberg,TX. had a few of them.

All you could see was a 12"x36" black rectangle in the reflection of the brush.I will be back down there this weekend and will try to get a web address for anyone that would like to see them.I could not belive how well they worked.