Does a ground blind spook deer?
 

Hey guys, I was out bowhunting last night next to my food plot, and I had a doe and two fawns come out. I was sitting in my ground blind, the wind was in my favour, however, when the deer came out (they saw me before I saw them) the doe was spooked by the ground blind. It wasn' t long and they were outta there!! My ground blind was positioned across a small ditch and in some long marsh grass, but in relatively open cover. This was the first time I have ever used my ground blind for hunting deer and was rather discouraged. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

RE: Does a ground blind spook deer?
 

Hi,
You' re better off crouching down in the grass than using a ground blind. The problem is that you don' t have a backdrop behind you so the blind is standing out. If it were up against a hill or even dense cover it would blend in. Is there a treeline or brushline close by that you could set up against? Is the color of the blind the same as the grass or is it a woods camo pattern?

All the deer see is the top of the blind standing out against the skyline, just as a hunter would, so the blind is not accomplishing anything. The purpose of a blind is to set it up against a backdrop of cover that is the same color so that is conceals you. Hope that helps.
Good Luck this season!
Mark
http://www.buckhuntersecrets.com

RE: Does a ground blind spook deer?
 

This last season I had a doe stick her head in the
window of my Penthouse Blind my partner at that
time was in a tree stand and could not belive that
she did that,maybe something else spooked her!:D

RE: Does a ground blind spook deer?
 

Just curious if the fawns still had their spots? The reason I ask is that any doe that has late fawns still nursing will be much more alert at times. This is a year of very many late fawns, atleast it is here. ....so be aware to that fact please! If it is later in the season and a Matriarch doe is leading, she will also alert if she scents that you are there, more than likely she will always be the first to alert if in a group which is very common this time of year. The hormones are ticking for does and bucks alike, getting ready to go.... You may want to use a natural ground blind if your hunting area allows...ie: deadfalls etc. I have always in the past found deadfalls to be most excellent and effective ground blinds.:)

RE: Does a ground blind spook deer?
 

Every deer experience is different. I had deer bed down right next to my ground blind. I jumped then while arriving. Just when you think you got them figured out they throw you a curve. Two years ago I had a button buck come by my stand almost every morning. He would come off the corn field and always look my way to see if I was there, like to say good morning.Then he would move on

RE: Does a ground blind spook deer?
 

My friend you will have that from time to time, and it is a good thing. I think that you have it happen more often because they know you do not have a red door, and you respect them, meaning that you respect the deer. !!! [:-]:D;)

RE: Does a ground blind spook deer?
 

Just curious, how many days had your ground blind been in position? If it was just a day or so, then that may be your problem.

RE: Does a ground blind spook deer?
 

You didn' t say what type of ground blind it was , but it is essential to make sure that your blind becomes part of it' s backdrop . Deer will quickly notice anything that stands out , or wasn' t there before . I use a pop-up , and I haven' t had any spook whether I set it up a minute ago or the day before .

I' m very careful when setting up to inspect the set up from every direction to see whether I can spot it easily . We have much more complex vision than deer , especially color , so if I have trouble seeing it so will they . Remember to take a distant background into account , it also helps to break up your outline at ground level . Lack of break up was probably what got you .

RE: Does a ground blind spook deer?
 

Thanks for all the helpful advice guys. I was using a pop up blind made by hunter' s view. It is skyline apparition camo, however the camo seems quite dark, I probably did not have a good match with the marsh grass. I carry the blind with me and set it up each use, so maybe that also spooked her. I also find the deer in my area are super high strung, we own 106 acres that is 700 feet wide and a little over a mile long. The other land owners all just want to shoot their deer and are not interested in any type of QDM. I find this type of pressure is hard to deal with, but it is all I' ve got for now. Anyhow, thanks again, and I will keep you posted with how I make out.

RE: Does a ground blind spook deer?
 

I would have to say you had a background problem.I had a doe last season spot me at over a 100 yards.Had it set up next to a tree but not well hidden.