I'm assuming most of you store bought ground blind users out there have blinds where the door zips up.

I did a lot of early morning hunts this year where I settled into my blind an hour or so before legal shooting time. While I took all the precautions of slipping into my hunting spot as quietly and as unnoticed as possible, I can't help but think the "ziiiiiiiiiiip of the blind door opening and the "ziiiiiiiiiiiip" of it shutting pretty much negates all of my stealthy efforts - especially in those dark hours in the woods when you can hear a pin drop.

Am I too worried about this? I don't think so and before anyone says "that's why I'd never use a ground blind," I believe I've found a solution. I'm going to make a small, thick camo curtain to hang over the doorway slit from the inside so I can make a silent entry from now on.

Do I think you are worryig too much...ya. Most deer, in my experience, won't move out of an area if they can't see you or smell you. I've made plenty of noise getting into stand before and still taken deer. I remeber having to tromp across a cornfield, the week leading up to my hunt was HOT and DRY, it sounded like a pickup truck with tin cans in the back drivin across the field, but it was just me slowly walking and cursing under my breath. And I took two deer that morning from the ground blind within 2 hrs. of first shooting light.

I too have thought about the zipper sound. I agree with you that it isn't ideal.I just try to keep it in perspective. Last season I was taking a piss out of my stand and eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at the same time. I accendently hit my quiverwhile sitting down. Not even 3 minutes later I get two deer in the area and I took on of them with my bow at 12 yards.

Tom

Man, I think you just have to much time on your hands to think about stuff like that! I don't think I'dworry muchabout spooking a bunch of critters by zipping my blind. Granted, I know what you're saying about the silence but just try to go slow and be quiet about it. Certainly nothing to stress over, in my opinion.

You guys are probably right. I usually don't hunt the same blind/spot more than once per week unless its a couple of days in a row during the rut. But there's a lot of time to contemplate when sitting there in the pre-shooting light hour and you're thinking I wonder if any deer saw me go into the blind and they associate that ziiiiiip with me in the area the next time around. Again, probably waaaaaay to worked up.

Here's a perfect example of my own about not worrying too much. Last season, I looked all over the place for deer before exiting my blind and sure enough, after I stepped out, 3 does broke from the brush nearby. They circled round and in a few minutes were right in front of my blind but I was on my way back to my truck. Lesson learned - get back in the blind or stand and wait for a few minutes. There's a decent chance they might come back to investigage or think you've left.