One of my goals for this year is to take a deer from a natural ground blind with my bow. So for you people that use them or have in the past or just people with ideas, what do you guys do to make the blind hide movement or just me and my gear? Any ideas or tips would be appreciated.

Noone uses natural ground blinds?

yah my first deer came from a ground blind, I personally have better confidence sitting in a tree, but I have gotten close enough to them stalking or sittin in a thick pine tree and shot them I'd say it's a 60/40 split IMO,

We make a lot of ground blinds with what is available such as long grass, tall weeds, sticks and such. We don't make naturalblinds a head of time but on the fly so to speak. We rarely hunt a spot twice. Making them a head of time will just wise up the deer and a very good chance we wouldn't use itanyways due to hunting the wind.

We use a knifeand a small hand held pruning shear for cutting.

We hunt within 50 yards of bedding areas a lot. You've gotto be ablesneak in and building one very quietly. Usually we get lucky and find a clump of clover, weeds or tall grass to hide behind and start building. Hopefully it is big/tall enough just to clear out a spot andhide in.

You've got to plan on the deer coming from any direction in really open spots. You want to be able to turn 360 degrees if it is a very open spot. It needs to be big enough inside to move your bow andthe arrowat full draw.

We either sit ( 3-legged stool )or kneel so the blind must be a bit taller then your head at this position.

A footABOVE your WAIST andDOWN... you want it to be fullyenclosed to hide any movement of your legs or feet.

You want to build it so you have 2 -4 very narrow slits to shot out of. It must hide you from any direction otherwise.

You've got to have a back drop to hide your movement even if the deer are forced to travel on one side by natural obstructions.Trust me you can be hiding behind something and still be a bitsky lined to the deer if in thin cover. They will catch you moving!! [:@]

Tim

I have a couple of spots , ground level, that I like to use. I have set up fallen trees and logs up against bushes and trees. Stick a stool behind the set up and that's it.. It's perfect.. They don't even question it and you can not see me move.. Thick enough.. Just had to make sure, like with all ground blinds that the area where you'll be sitting or standing is clear of sticks, leaves, etc.

Another thing I just picked up for my ground blinds and for my homemade ladder stands is the Loggy Bayou port. tree seat.. Take a look at it.

You can have nothing in front of you as long as you have good background cover. Background cover is more important than what's in front of you. But if you feel too exposed without something in front of you take one of those turkey screens that are just poles attached to a length of 3D cloth and put that in a semi-circle in front of you. I had deer almost crunching in my ear last year and hardly ever had front cover. I've heard great things about ghillie suits helping mask movement and I'm going to try a short ghillie jacket this season. I shot this buck and turkey on the ground within 15 yards last year (blackpowder though). I was using a big oak and a blowdown as cover.

Here is one my son and I are in the process of building. We just use natural downfall, some parachut chord and some wire ties, to really hide movement you could line the inside with some dark or camo cloth. Cost pretty much nothing to make.The pic was from 8-10 yards:





We've also built them from concrete mesh and camo cloth.

natural downfall and lots of cedar limbs to creat a good backdrop! Like Talondale said, it is the key to a good ground blind.

I also have a couple big cedar trees thats are just in the perfect spot. Just trim a few branches out of the way and you got yourself a sweet ground blind.

I really hope this isn't the case or I'm screwed.[]

I hear mixed opinions with that, some people tell me to make them before so the deer arent skittish when they enter near the blind, and other tell me to make it the day I plan to use it, so I have no clue????