Ground Blinds?

[257bob]

How many of you all hunt deer from a ground blind (with your bow)? I have one, but I don't know if it is a very good option for bow hunting. It is definitely easier to set up and more mobile. I will be hunting a lot of public land most likely. How many of you have taken a white-tail from a ground blind?

[Chrud]

I hunted from an Ameristep Brickhouse TSC a bit last year. Saw some deer from it. Had several get really close also. In the right location they are fun to hunt from. I usually don't hunt from them though unless the forecast calls for rain.

[hutchies]

I rifle hunt out of mine ever chance I get cause you can get a comfy chair and bring a friend. I bowhunt out of mine some too in areas where I can't get a stand.

[Leo]

Ground blinds are way more effective for deer if they have been there awhile. When I first started using them I didn't see the first deer out of one until I finally had one in the same place a couple weeks.

On public land, I hate to say it, it's alot more likely to get stolen, if you try that

[hutchies]

Make a homeade blind. Just cut limbs and bushes to make a natural blind.

[VTbowman]

[ QUOTE ]
Ground blinds are way more effective for deer if they have been there awhile. When I first started using them I didn't see the first deer out of one until I finally had one in the same place a couple weeks.

On public land, I hate to say it, it's alot more likely to get stolen, if you try that

[/ QUOTE ]

This has been my experience too for deer hunting.

I had a nice spike at 8 yards one day last year but that year VT when to antler restrictions so he was not legal. Fun to watch.
I also had 2 fawns sticking thier noses in it as I was walking towards it eariler that same afternoon.

[257bob]

I wouldn't even think about leaving a blind on public land or a tree stand for that matter. I guess I will just stay with the tree stand for bow hunting, I think it is such a hassle to climb a tree with a stand every day.

[VTbowman]

I agree that its a pain to pack in a climber and go up and down everytime you want to hunt. Packing in a blind is no easier less the climb part.
I too would not leave either out there unless it was an over night set up for the next morning.

JMO but using a blind the same minute you set it up just did not work for me. They picked me off the second they hit the field row.
Same bland left out for just 2 weeks was my above story so it was not the camo nor the faberic, or whatever. Just the NEW thing in the field.
Again JMO

[mike]

in my expierience with ground blinds i have noticed it is easier to get winded by the deer. its alot more calm on the ground and the wind seems to swirl more.jmo. plus ya can't see to far!

[Rhino]

I'm not really sure how many deer I've killed while bowhunting from a ground blind. Probably somewhere between 20 and 25. The first deer I ever killed from a ground blind was a 10 point buck back in October, 1993. That's before the days of commercial blinds. After I realized how effective they were I started hunting from ground blinds a lot more. For 6 or 8 years after that I hunted ground blinds almost every afternoon. If not for the chigger problems we have down here during the early bow season, I'd probably still hunt them that much. Virtually all of my ground blind hunting is at food sources and mainly in the afternoon. However, I don't care to hunt out of ground blinds when I head out of state bowhunting during the rut. I tried that on 2 different trips. There's just not enough cover left to suit me and far more often than not deer would stay clear of a commercial blind just set up. I think it's something they need to get used to for at least a week.

All of my ground blinds are made from natural material that's both growing on site and I cut extra branches, etc. and use electrical tape to put and keep each cut piece in place. Tape is also a great help when shapping your shooting holes using cut leafy limbs. It usually takes me 30 to 45 minutes to build a natural blind that suits my fancy for blending in and providing great cover to bow hunt. I keep a Gerber saw, some hand clippers, and electrical tape in my fanny pack all the time during bow season.

The better they blind in, the more effective they are. I tried using commercial blinds but the deer really need to get used to them for a while. They usually don't blend in as well as I'd like so that's why I prefer building natural blinds. You can't leave a commercial blind out on public land and expect it to be there when you go back to hunt it either. Build a natural blind on site and unwelcome guest can use it but they can't walk off with it.

[Switchback29A1]

Only hunted out of a ground blind one...got in and decided to just make one up and started grabbing sticks or whatever i could.

[wtnhunt]

Have bowhunted from my homemade ground blinds some, and have had does get close enough for shots early on in the season, but have never taken a shot with the bow from a ground blind.

[bozz]

Actually I've been winded in tree stands and never in my ground blind...I've shot a few deer our of my blinds......had a nice B.H. blind stolen last year on private land....had deer within a couple of feet of it.....one doe sniff my window while I was in it smelling my earth scent..shot a little buck out of it at 10 yds. ...really cool way to hunt,you can move around a lot and they don't see ya.....I'm hook on binds.....I even carry a little 1,000 btu heater on cold ohio days......don't care for cold wet windy tree hugging days anymore.....I just got a new blind with that 3D leafy blur cuts in it.......looks great and I think I may be able to lock it to a tree........I just too old for all that sweaty hot tree climbing stuff......when I can just head to my camo condo of which I do leave in the woods all season.

[Tominator]

I do, out in my field. I have yet to shoot one off the ground though. One of these days it's going to happen.

[hunterfisherman]

On public land you need to find a place where the blind will blend in. They are nice in thick cover where there are no shotting lanes or where no good trees are. I have done well with them in gun season and ok in archery. They can be a good piece of equipment for you. I've covered mine with brush I found to make it blend in better. Usually try to make a pile of it while scouting and then it's there when I'm ready to come in. Try it before you discard it. Works great for Turkeys too. They don't seem to care to much.