Do's and Don'ts of Ground blinds
 

I have dabbled in all sorts of blinds from the simple 'rag' or camo panel blind, to the umbrella blind, to the fully enclosed blinds. I went from sitting on the ground net to a tree, to a boat cushion, to those low leg chairs, to a beach chair, and now my Yelp-a-Lounger!
As I got older and less mobile I looked for ways to be comfortable. Now some of the best naps are in my blind. Nothing better than snoring yourself awake only to find your decoys have mated and had decoys! :)

What I have found
Turkeys pay no attention to blinds ~ it is the movement they are wary of.
Blinds allow you to now be where the birds want to be. Even in the wide open farm fields.
I do not brush any of my blinds at all ~ no need to!
Always try to place the blind in shady spot or the shadows.
Do keep the sun at your back always! This help keep you in the shadows.
Use the smallest window possible - keeps it dark in your blind.
With very small window opening there is no need for a head net.
I only take birds that are in front of my blind ~ they hang up in back they win! :(
Decoys are placed no more than 10 paces from the front of the blind (another reason I let the blind stand out and do not brush in - SAFETY!)
Take you time and make sure you poke your gun barrel out PAST the blind window. If not you will still kill the bird but might have new ragged looking windows!
Poke gun barrels straight at the bird. Need no go more than an inch. While some blinds tout shoot through windows - I just don't want too. Why wreck a nice 'skeeter-keeper-outer-function?'
If you blind gets wet do dry it out - take care of it and it will take care of you!
Do stake your blind. Wind will make the blind roll down the field at the absolute wrong time! :(

JW

Some Examples


Rag Blind with a beach chair


My beach chair I painted - steel frame - aluminum frame with a fat body equals breaks and ya roll down the ravine!


My chair with Avery Roll up 'Rag' Blinds in a couple different colors.
The panel blinds can be draped over a fence easily to help hide your silloette. They also have bungee corded fit together stakes.


Looking back to the blind from the farthest decoy. Decoy is 10 paces (approx. 10-11 yards) - Note blind is in the shadows between 2 cedar trees.


Now - From the blind looking back out at the same decoy spread - distance is percieving! But is no more than 10 steps - some decoys are only 5 steps away


Now with the size window I use in my DB blind.
Remember - keep it dark in the blind, as dark as possible. YOU CAN BE HIGHLIGHTED AND LOOK LIKE A MOVING SHADOW if you do not keep the back closed - screen mesh down or not! As I said the only time I spooked birds was when I used the 360 function - the mesh screen was down but because I had light at my back and I moved - it was a shadow that spooked that wary Tom.


JW

It's really useful. Thanks!!!

good stuff jw thanks. This will be my first year giving spring gobblers a try and i need all the help i can get

my pops and i just got a one man blind, we hope to take turns with it for spring shotgun its too small for a bow. sadly i wont be able to par take in the spring season this year :( whats your view on one man blinds?

They all work. The smaller the blind the more one has to plan on how to take the shot because lack of room to move!

JW

i think turkey see like the cheetah, black and white, grays...i saw a show where the cheetah chased a baby gazelle 100 yards er somethin, and when the baby crashed to the dirt and laid still, the cheetah couldnt see it 10 feet away layin in plain sight.

great info for me, this will be my first turkey season! thanks alot

Im not sure where you heard that; but from my experience with turkey hunting, I've noticed that they have a keen sense of eyesight. I've been taught that they see in color and actually have better eyesight than the average joe. Most birds see in color and that is what makes it difficult to hunt them. Same goes with crows. If turkeys saw in shades of gray then turkey hunters wouldn't be as concerned about blending in so well with the surroundings. Just my opinion...

JW - you are the MASTER!!! :hail:

Those pics & suggestions are GREAT!!!!!

I will definitely use my blind again this spring - for those of you that have never used one, I definitely recommend practicing putting it up a few times before you take it out. It's a bit cumbersome and took me a few times to get the hang of it. I was pouring sweat and the tent whooped my butt! Haha

Even once I get the hang of it though - it's definitely a challenge to set up in the dark (early early morning) and it makes soooo much noise!!! LOL I'm like, "Well - any turkey within 1 mile of me is long gone now!" I wish I had a place where I could leave it set up.

JW - any suggestions to minimize the noise or do you think it's no big deal? I've been curious about that...

Kim :)

Very true...but my problem is getting the darn thing folded back up at the end of the day so it fits in the carrying case! :confused0024: I have used my blind for deer hunting, and may try it this fall for Turkey if I am fortunate enough to pull a fall season permit.

This thread definitely answered some questions I had regarding placement etc.