Using a ground blind

[locnload]

I have never owned or used a ground blind before but age is taking its toll on my mobility and ability to stay comfortable and not squirm while watching for game. So, its time to bite the bullet and choose a blind that I can use mostly for turkey and antelope hunting with rifle or bow. Ideally, one that would allow me to shoot from standing and even prone position, as that would be great on the plains shots at antelope. Any good ideas for something quick to set up and easy to carry?

 

[burrhead]

Google "pop up blind". You'll probably have to mod one to shoot prone but it shouldn't be too hard. A lot of the bow hunters I know use them.

 

[Armored farmer]

We have a couple that we use here for turkeys and whitetails. They happen to be ameristep brand.

I suppose most have the hub pop-up system, but the most important thing is the windows. If you are bow hunting choose the windows wisely.

It's very important to "brush it in" with brush or grass or cornstalks or whatever works in your surroundings. Our ameristep blinds have loops to poke brush through.

Get yourself a small comfortable blind chair too.​

 

[Captcurt]

I have a few. The easiest to set up and take down are the hub blinds. I am cheap and don't buy expensive blinds. You might check out the Barronett brand. They are cheap, roomy, and easy to set up. A good chair and a set of shooting sticks and you are good to go.

 

[Patocazador]

Pop-up type blinds are very good for turkey hunting. They simply ignore them.
This hen came up to 8 yards from a non-brushed blind while my granddaughter and I were hunting.





I've never seen a commercial blind that you could shoot out of while standing. The center height in most is ~ 66". The same goes for prone. You would have to brush in a homemade structure for that.

 

[Captcurt]

Pop-up type blinds are very good for turkey hunting. They simply ignore them.
This hen came up to 8 yards from a non-brushed blind while my granddaughter and I were hunting.





I've never seen a commercial blind that you could shoot out of while standing. The center height in most is ~ 66". The same goes for prone. You would have to brush in a homemade structure for that.

It is amazing that a bird that can see through a two foot oak tree pays absolutely no attention to a blind and it wasn't even brushed in. I had a dozen birds come to a feeder that was 20 yards from the blind. I
stuck my arms and head out and waved to shoo them away and they stood there like it was something that they saw every day. They roosted 50 yards from the blind.

In contrast, the buck that I shot during rifle season went on high alert as soon as he came through the fence. I had set the blind up a couple weeks before season at a fence crossing. He was following a little doe who paid no attention, but as soon as he stepped into view you could see that he knew he had screwed up. He stopped, looked at the blind, his eyes got big and it was too late. Really nice nine point.

The first blind that I bought was a Doghouse by Ameristep. It was easy to set up and I had to youtube to take it down. It was too small for shooting a bow, but worked ok for a rifle. The hub blinds work a lot better in the larger sizes.

 

[95XL883]

I've used a ground blind for the last four years. It works great for turkey. It works for deer during rifle season but I'm experiencing a major drawback. For deer to be okay with it, I set it up a month before season opens. The grass in it dies and creates a lot of dust. The dust gets in my eyes and one time the irritation got so bad my corneas actually swelled. I'm planning on building either an elevated blind or a ground blind with a floor. Either should stop the dust problem. For turkey, the advance setup isn't necessary and it is easy to get comfortable and be able to move without the birds going crazy from the movement. As others have said, I haven't seen a ground blind that you can stand up in for an archery shot.

 

[ajandrs]

I've used a ground blind for the last four years. It works great for turkey. It works for deer during rifle season but I'm experiencing a major drawback. For deer to be okay with it, I set it up a month before season opens. The grass in it dies and creates a lot of dust. The dust gets in my eyes and one time the irritation got so bad my corneas actually swelled. I'm planning on building either an elevated blind or a ground blind with a floor. Either should stop the dust problem. For turkey, the advance setup isn't necessary and it is easy to get comfortable and be able to move without the birds going crazy from the movement. As others have said, I haven't seen a ground blind that you can stand up in for an archery shot.

This past fall I had a blind set up in a pretty wooded area with lots of dry grass, leaves, and twigs on the ground, I cleaned up what I could but it was still a little noisy if shifting / moving around inside. I ended up putting a thick blanket down inside the blind and it completely solved the problem ... I imagine it'd be a quick and easy solution to your dust problem as well. You just have to treat the blanket like you do your hunting clothes to prevent spreading your scent around.

 

[Polishrifleman]

Get a leafy Ghillie type net (Sportsman's guide has them), turkey season the lacey structure will stick to tree bark, or can be easily held up with limbs so you can sit or stand behind it and still see through it and for open plain usage you just lay it over yourself prone. The biggest drawback I have had is that everything gets stuck in it when you have it out on the ground or are wrestling it back into its carry bag.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

I've been hunting often from a pop-up tent type ground blind for several years now. Deer seem to pay them no attention if blended well into the trees, brush, weeds, etc. Better for my knees than climbing to a stand. Portable propane heater warms things up inside fairly well on cold days.

Here is one of mine I set up about 3-4 weeks ahead of opening day...far end of the lane. Took picture from where I shot a deer back towards the blind.

 

[Sav .250]

Lots out there. You really need to research more. Not all are "right" for your needs.
What some may like .. may not fit your needs.
Weight and ease of set-up are very important.
I`ve made ground blinds for years. Where I hunt materials needed are abundant. Have no need for a commercial product.

 

[Captcurt]

Lots out there. You really need to research more. Not all are "right" for your needs.
What some may like .. may not fit your needs.
Weight and ease of set-up are very important.
I`ve made ground blinds for years. Where I hunt materials needed are abundant. Have no need for a commercial product.

Agreed, but the tents are really nice on a rainy day. To be honest, though, even at age 66, I still spend a lot of time in a tree.

 

[Patocazador]

I have started using a ground blind in the last 2-3 years but don't really like them as much as a tree stand. Less visibility, no tree to steady the gun against, and almost impossible to stand and stretch.
I use one when I hunt with my granddaughter but use a climber when hunting alone. I wish she'd learn to use a climber then we would double our deer kill and that would suit me fine.

 

[EIB0879]

I started using pop up blinds ten years ago. I usually use them in inclement weather or when there aren't any climbable trees. I used large blinds when my kids hunted with me. Now I use a smaller light blind when I hunt alone. I have set them up and killed deer the same day and sometimes without a lot of brush in.

 

[entropy]

For prone, get an old truck topper; sometimes you can get them free. Set it facing your hunting area, sprat paint it green or whatever works where it sits, and voila, prone ground blind. Toss a little deadfall on topif you want to get fancy. It's easier to get in and out if you get one with a sliding front window, then get in through the lift up back window.......

 

[FTG-05]

Ameristep Doghouse Blind: http://www.cabelas.com/product/Amer...20&gclid=CMHRuL3zmdICFcMCMgodQVYD_A&gclsrc=ds

I've had one for the last 10 years or so. It's packable, but be aware that you also need to pack in some type of chair or stool also. It's large enough for two people. My son and I have had a bunch of father-son time in mine. Did we get a lot of deer, no but so what? But I digress.

I put mine on a platform that I bought from a Fed cop then modified into a deer shooting shack, see pics below.

Good luck!

 

[sage5907]

I use natural blinds for all of my stand locations and I sit on the ground. However, there are times when I can use a sitting position and I have one suggestion. Go to a farm supply and buy a steel framed outdoor chair that doesn't fold with a steel mesh seat and steel mesh back. Then locate a soft foam pad for the seat. I can sit in a chair like that for several hours without making any noise. Make sure that the seat is wide enough for you to sit comfortable with heavy winter clothes. A folding aluminum lawn chair doesn't work very good because they make a lot of noise when you shift your weight, and if you have a cloth seat and arm pads the ants, bees and other bugs will get into the arms and where the seat goes around the frame and literally take over. A rigid steel chair built like a lawn chair is the only way to go and they last forever, and they will work in whatever blind you choose.

 

[Kingcreek]

I bought a Double Bull ground blind years ago before they sold to Primus. The first night I set it up I had a doe so close I could hear her sniffing the thing! The buck stayed about 40 yards out. They are great in some spots but visibility is much more limited than a tree stand. Also shooting light with a bow and peepsight will be about 10-15 minutes less unless you have illuminated sights. They sure are nice in bad weather. Plenty of room and I can move around a little, stretch, reach for my water bottle etc with no risk of spooking with movement.

 

[SoonerMedic]

If you want something more portable and that will set up in seconds, maybe a more expensive option like a Ghost blind? I don't have any personal experience with them, but it's ingenious! And I can't think of anything more camouflaged than the plant life and foliage around where you're sitting!

 

[mgmorden]

I've taken to using these quite a bit this year. Truthfully though I've got a climbing stand sitting in the garage I've never really trusted them and I tend to hunt public land and move around too much to setup a permanent ladder stand.

I've got two that I use. One that is a bit larger that my brother gave to me (he tried it and didn't care for them), and a smaller one that I got from Walmart for like $45. Both pop-up in seconds, but it's tight to move around - particularly in the smaller one. I typically just use a folding chair inside them but in the smaller blind it's so cramped that if I were to need to point my gun out of the right side of the blind there's not enough room to turn it - I have to first stick the barrel out the front, pull the stock back to reposition it, then push it out of the right. I'm strongly considering having a Rossi .308 single shot cut down to 16.5" so that it maneuvers more easily in the blind (either that or hunting with my .300 Blackout AR in that blind).

I ended up getting a doe this year that walked within 15-20 yards of the blind and didn't notice me.

 

[Captcurt]

I have been winding down the archery season this last week. Friday I had a big gobbler walk within 10 feet of me. The farmer has a cattle feeder in the pasture and there were 7 big birds headed for it. They paid no attention what-so-ever to the blind and it was not brushed in. I put an arrow through a big doe at 20 yards the same day. My only gripe with the blind is that you can't hear out of them. I had deer come in from behind and I only had one window open. I couldn't tell which direction that they were coming from until they got close.

 

[SoonerMedic]

So, I'll contribute to this thread a bit more. I recently bought an Ameristep Silencer blind and I will say that I'm really shocked at the quality of it. I paid $149 at Tractor Supply (I found it about $20 cheaper online, but it's no biggie) and popped it up in my living room. I'm 5'11" roughly and I was unable to stand up straight inside, however my wife is 5'4" and was able to stand up with room to spare. The fabric that is used is not flimsy and doesn't seem like it will tear easily. The inside is nearly 100% blacked out with all the windows up. There is one zipper (for the door) and no velcro. The windows have little clasps on plastic type piping that allow them to slide up and down silently as well as elastic with S hooks that attach some of the windows closed. The support poles feel durable. It doesn't have a floor so it's probably a good idea to set it up about a week or two before opening day or your planned hunt so that you can clear out under where you intend on setting up as well as allowing the blind to air out and acclimate (scent wise) to the area you'll be hunting. There are small pinholes on the inside that allow light to pass through, but not enough to cast any type of shadow or be seen from the outside. I would absolutely recommend this blind for a single hunter with a child or spouse that intends on watching. I don't think it's quite big enough for two people hunting, but I could be wrong! Also comes with stakes to stake it to the ground. I can't wait to sit in it in 5 weeks!!

 

[FL-NC]

Try shooting from a lightweight chair in a pop-up blind. Get one of those pole-cat or bog shot tripods. Sounds like a lot of stuff, but its all pretty light weight.

 

[redneck2]

I got a really nice 9 point last season for a doghouse type. Where I was set up, I'd have never gotten him because of the movement I had to make to get into shooting position. And as noted, they really nice when it rains.

 

[ICE1210]

I've been using pop ups (Ameristep 2 person) For several years now, usually when I need to hunt with the kids in an area we don't have 2 person stands. I set them up early and brush them in well. Seem to be effective here in SC. I tend to use them even without the kids, turns out I actually LIKE being warm and dry during inclement weather! Who knew?