kgkoon

I am considering purchasing a ground blind for a stand site. The area is dense with mature pines and bushes, visibility is limited. A treestand will not increase visibility and may even reduce it. I have never used a ground blind before and wanted to get some thoughts on them. I have sat on the ground where I would like to put it and seen several deer, including a buck I killed this year. Any thoughts?

soonershooter

I agree I think they're better than treestands in many situations. These things are very effective. Too effective sometimes actually. I was almost shot while sitting in one during black powder season when two other guys 200 yards away on the lease couldn't see me inside as they made a stalk. The deer were between me and them. They killed a nice 8 point but I wasn't going to shoot since I could see them downrange for sure. The manufacturers should provide some sort of removable hunter orange that you can use during firearms seasons. Make sure you take an extra piece of orange and hang it in a tree or bush beside you. Wear your orange at all times so be sure to take an extra piece to stay legal.

AK

The pines and brush sound like blinds to me. I spend most of my time hunting on the ground and only use natural vegetation for cover. Sometimes I carry a small piece of die-cut camo fabric to augment the cover I'm using. A pair of pruning snips are invaluable for hollowing a section of brush to nestle down in. Tall grass or weeds, trees, brush, ditches, and other features all work fantastic for cover. Not using man-made blinds allows me to slip through the woods with stealth and mobility.

My only problem with blinds lies not with having deer to far away, but having them too close. The desire for close shots often drives me to build blinds literally within feet or against game trails. Many times I have had to remain motionless as game passed within a few feet of me, and have had deer within 3-5 feet of me on several occassions. Nothing compares to drawing back on a whiletail at eye level and within spitting distance from you, and having the all-knowing confidence that you are able to make a perfect shot.

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MissouriTrapper

Double Bull T5 Pro
I wouldn't own anything else
Check out doublebullarchery.com
MissouriTrapper

Tazman

I hunt from the ground a lot, I either use natural cover or I have a bungee cargo net with camo on it that sets up in about 2 minutes tops, costs a lot less than all the fancy ones, is fully portable and quick to set up.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

skeeter 7MM

I now hunt most of the time on the ground vs. treestand. Most times i just use what's natural and sit very still...it helps to have a larger based tree to lean against for comfort. I then pan with my head very slowly from side to side. I like to find an area where it ridges behind me with the bush and smaller based trees as backing. One key (imo) to concealment is outline break up, meaning don't sit on the top of a hill or ridge, get backed into it so your outline is soaked up into the large land mass. If you have basically flat land or treed areas and plan to hunt the location exclusively...then making a blind out of dead fall and pine balms is great. Both will be easily found in the immediate area and very natural...the bonus is pine balms have natural smell and cut down on wind pass through...so they are generally warmer than most blinds. To coin a fly fishing term "The key is to match the hatch". Meaning look natural and you'll be fine. Not only that it is much cheaper!

model722

i agree with skeeter on this one I've made many ground blinds with what nature provides. As skeeter pointed out you not only get the camo effect but you also get some help with scent. Like soonershooter said becarefull where you deceide to set it up. you will be in the line of fire if there are alot of hunters in your area. One time i had my back to a big tree i had made a blind in front of me and that's the way i was looking. I never thought to look behind me, a small fawn came in and hit me in the shoulder with its nose. I don't know who was more scared me or the deer.

kgkoon

Thank you all for your advice. I have to be very careful with this area, as it is very enclosed and easy to spook the deer. It is bordered by a road to the west, a pond to the south, and a hardwood ridge to the north. The thicket runs from the road back to the east. The deer use the area for bedding and traveling; it is basically a pine thicket where the pines have matured. I am afraid of "contaminating" the area. I already have stands on the hardwood ridge, and others hunt a clear cut along the road. Nobody hunts in the thicket at all but me. I usually access the area using an old road along the pond. Others have warned me to not try and hunt the area as I will end up spooking the deer off.