RE: Should I hunt from elevated blind?
Pros and cons to using existing blinds. True it is easier to get ready for the season. More likely though the deer will know those blinds exist (people coming and going, coughing, talking all the bad things that people do in near a stand). I think you have a great idea to put up a new place. Try to fix it so that some thing cannot easily look up into the stand and tell if it's occupied or not. I have even contemplated leaving a shirt of mine in between hunts to get them more aclimated to my scent... Haven't quite gotten the nerve yet to try that though.
Good luck and if you need help thinning out the herd let me know.
From NC too