I'm not convinced it was your blind that changed the pattern. It might just have been a coincidence. was their weather changes at the time you set up your blind?

I have a similar setup (Ameristep Doghouse). I set the blind up in early September and put the blind out (brushed in pretty good behind a blow down). I had deer walking past the camera two hours after I set it up.

I also noticed there was a week in there just before the season when for whatever reason (weather, moon, don't know) I hardly saw anything on the camera.

Opening morning, the wind was wrong but I hunted anyway. Busted by a doe. Three days later: I missed a doe. She ran out of there snorting and making quite the ruckus. A few days later: I dropped a doe and saw a bunch more. We're talking 20 yards.

My point is the deer didn't bug out--even though there were two cases where I was busted the first week of the season.

I did take a couple 2-3 days off and let that spot alone after I did get busted. Don't know if that was necessary or not, but that's what I did. I can't hunt everyday, but if I could I wouldn't hesitate to use the same blind. I'd probably have a plan B (a second blind) somewhere and maybe switch off a bit, though. Again, is that necessary? I don't really know. But it's also fun to have a different landscape to look at once in a while (especially if hunting ground blinds).

Also worth noting: I took a doe on state land last year walking into a spot and setting up a blind THAT AFTERNOON.



Another factor is how much pressure there is in your area. I'm hunting a spot where I'm the only hunter around on 100 acres (and I don't think there's a lot of activity yet on the adjacent properties).

If I screw up but I'm the only one screwing up in the area...that covers a lot of it. Know what I mean?