wetpwdr53

I've bow hunted most of my life using elevated stands. I've used them due to the common attitude that my chances are greatly increased vs hunting on the ground. I'd like to hear from those of you who have had success using ground blinds (commercial or natural) and any tips on hunting on the ground. Thanks.

elmoughler

Ive shot just as many deer from the ground as I have from a tree. Same rules, control your scent, noise, and movement. My first deer I shot I was just sitting on a bucket next to a tree just inside the woods, no cover what so ever. You can make a ground blind using downed limbs and brush fairly easily. Just try and make it look natural and do it well before the season so the deer can get used to it.

Bocajnala

Same principles. I hunt the ground in places where I can't hang a stand. One of my best properties was completely stripped 5 years ago. The deer were off it for about two years, then as the brush started growing it filled up with deer. My farthest shot in this stuff is lanes I've cleared out to ten yards. But I set right back against a brushy area and watch my lanes. It works. The biggest difference I notice is movement on the ground. In a stand I can usually easily switch sides, turn my head, or turn in the stand. On the ground those movements will get you busted unless you're completely covered by your blind.
-Jake

wisbowhunter2009

i LOVE hunting from the Ground blind. I do not like treestands at all. I'll hunt in them but i'd much rather be in a ground blind. I highly recommend them!

ihookem1

I sat in my first ground blind last week. It was 16 degrees outside . I set it up in th evening and the next morning I sat for a bit and 2 does came by. The old doe looked at i ta bit and snorts. Then a buck comes tearing in and off they go. I noticed I was warmer than if I would have been in a stand. I'm sticking with ground blindes. I'm also going to make my own out of tarps to save money.

SecondChance

I do all my gun hunting here In Illinois from ground blinds. I it all day in a folding lawn chair, heater at my feet, hot tea thermos and hot soup thermos. Then when I really want comfort, I pull out a samich in tin foil and heat it with my heater and have a hot samich with my stew and hot tea!!!!! have been doing it like this for going on now 10yrs and have my wife to thank for that for she suggested it when we hunted together. Haven't looked back once!!!! Have taken some really nice deer from it as well. Took the first one at 25yds with ML with her in blind, just haveing bought it the night before. 141" 10pt backed up into a honeysuckle patch and brushed in. They work!!!! I use the Ameristep DogHouse. Rain, snow, wind, cold, don't care.

blackhawk_archery

Same here I love them I don't have a heater and thermos but im get them soon what i love to do when im in the blind during the rut is splash the mesh window with hot do piss,shot a small racked big bodied meat in the freezer deer outta the blind just 2 days ago dont mid the garage been boiling traps so its a bit messy haha. he came in to about 3 yards from my blind.

Adkhunter831

I hunt ground and stands. Depends on terrain and what's best for the certain spot I want to hunt. Sometimes you find a great spot near a field edge or something else but there's not a straight tree or big enough tree to get a stand on so ground blind is the perfect tool for the job. I hunt blinds especially when it's raining or extreme cold and wind. Makes the hunt more enjoyable. Naturally built blinds out of trees and brush are best to fool the eyes of a deer but they also don't provide the rain or wind protection. There are some very good pop up blinds on the market though. My personal favorite is the primos double bull. Quite pricey though but they hold up extemely well and you can get years of use out of it which is worth the price. (Unless you forget to tie it down good and the notorious Kansas wind takes that thing off the ground and shreds it in a barbed wire fence! Whoops!). For a decent blind you should figure on spending around $100-$175. I picked up a Ameristep Patriot blind from cabelas for $100 a couple months ago and it's been out in the woods since and is holding up well and isn't bad at all for the price. The only thing I don't like about it is the lack of brush straps. They really help when you brush the blind in to break up the outline of it. Alot of cheaper blinds also have a shiny finish to them which will spook deer at first but they eventually become used to it being there. Like anything else in the woods once its there long enough they won't pay any attention to it. If you brush in a pop up well and have it out a week or so before you plan to hunt they won't notice you at all. Also only open the windows as much as you need to see at first then open the rest when it comes time to shoot. I keep all my windows mostly closed and just pull them to the sides a bit to peek out every minute or so to cut down the chances of a deer seeing me moving around inside. Also the more windows you keep closed the darker it will be inside which will shadow your movements. Wearing black also helps you blend in with the interior darkness. And remember to tie those suckers down lol. They are very light and it doesn't take much wind to blow them around! Hope this helps you.

Here's a pic of a blind I brushed in on the edge of a field for a handicapped client that couldn't use tree stands. Had about 5 other blinds similarly brushed in according to the foilage surrounding it.

LI archer

just got a new prop to hunt. residental but take what i can get!! got some big bucks in the general area there. the woods is imature no real trees to hang a stand in. found on near beding area and the other spot had nothing so got a ground blind from cabela's. sete it up a week ago this saturday brushed it in as best i could. first time hunting out of a blind so hoping it will be productive!

annika3

I use Maverick blinds. They are designed with all vertical windows which allows you to shoot out of all windows. It comes in 2 pieces see it's easy to transport and only weighs 110lbs. It's 6ft diameter so it gives you a lot of room inside. You can go to www.maverick blinds to look at them.