Groundblind vs ladder stand

[Erussell01]

Hey gang-
We recently bought our first house on a little land and I'm getting it all set up for my wife and I to hunt. She is new to bowhunting but she is shooting awesome with her new Prima and I think this will be her year.


We have a main food plot out in the field, it's about 3 acres of peas, oats and brassica and I'll over seed it with Rye for multiple layers.

In the woods we have a ton of oaks and 2 small hunt plots. I have a ladder stand/ hang on combo on one and am deciding weather to pony up and buy a couple more ground blinds or get more ladder stands. My thoughts with a ground blind for her- less chance of being picked off drawing, better control of scent and better shot angle for her being a 45# 25 inch draw shooter.

I historically have not been a ground blind guy because I like the visibility of a stand and I like getting up into the canopy of the trees for back cover.

Since this is our home piece I don't want to overhunt each spot (we have 5 stand locations peripherally leaving about 15 acres of woods untouched for bedding) and I'm wondering if the ground blind will help with scent control so we can hunt her spots more frequently.

Anybody using ground blinds successfully?

 

[Lytro]

You're not fooling a deer's nose in any situation if they're downwind. I'd make the decision based off of where she's more comfortable shooting from. I would choose a tree stand 10 out of 10 times when possible, but that's my own personal preference.

 

[fatlander]

Nothing is fooling their nose.

No matter what you hunt out of, your ingress and egress are paramount. With whitetails, less is more. The first few sits are your best chance of hunting deer that don’t know you’re there. Get busted once or twice in a particular set and those deer will start to search you out in that set.

Personally, I like lock-ons the best for bow hunting. You can put them anywhere and hide yourself really well.

Good luck this fall.


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[Squirrel Master]

I like a treestand, but ground blinds do seem to help keep you from getting busted. I'll lean back from the window and draw, then move my bow back to the window. I never open more than one window so I'm not having them see the outline of my body in side and I wear black instead of camo. With that said you still have to play the wind. I just hate how they limit my visibility but I still use them sometimes.

 

[wind gypsy]

Just put my first ground blind in a field yesterday to let the deer get used to it and air it out. Just from putting the cover on the frame that thing has to have at on of scent on it. Every time I hunt it i'm sure I'll add scent to it. I bet they walk past that thing at dark and associate it with humans pretty quick..

 

[*zap*]

Hunt 360°



Best of luck to you folks.

 

[keystone112]

I’ve been successful the past three years with a ground blind. That’s with a rifle though.

If you go with a blind, make sure it’s big enough to maneuver the bow around.

 

[Laramie]

The ONLY time I prefer a blind is when the weather is bad. Otherwise I prefer to be in a tree. If placed properly, tree stands allow plenty of concealment for rookies to draw. If I had my own property, I would have a couple of ground blinds that were well brushed in so I had a place to hunt during higher winds or when it's raining/snowing.

As far as scent, what others have said is true. However, I have found that the deer that live close to houses tolerate much more human scent than those that live in seclusion. I have seen some that become so conditioned to it they begin to ignore it.

 

[Erussell01]

Nothing is fooling their nose.

No matter what you hunt out of, your ingress and egress are paramount. With whitetails, less is more. The first few sits are your best chance of hunting deer that don’t know you’re there. Get busted once or twice in a particular set and those deer will start to search you out in that set.

Personally, I like lock-ons the best for bow hunting. You can put them anywhere and hide yourself really well.

Good luck this fall.


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That's what I'm trying to work on for sure. I don't want to blow out our honey hole because we over hunt it. I've got good access to all of our stands and will only hunt them under perfect conditions for sure. My biggest concern with a lock on for her is safety. I kinda love her so I'd rather have her comfy and cozy with no chance of issue.

 

[Erussell01]

I like a treestand, but ground blinds do seem to help keep you from getting busted. I'll lean back from the window and draw, then move my bow back to the window. I never open more than one window so I'm not having them see the outline of my body in side and I wear black instead of camo. With that said you still have to play the wind. I just hate how they limit my visibility but I still use them sometimes.

The limited visibility is why I've never hunted from a blind personally. I often catch deer moving in the brush behind me or sneaking through on another trail and during the rut will Grunt at them

 

[Erussell01]

Just put my first ground blind in a field yesterday to let the deer get used to it and air it out. Just from putting the cover on the frame that thing has to have at on of scent on it. Every time I hunt it i'm sure I'll add scent to it. I bet they walk past that thing at dark and associate it with humans pretty quick..

Yeah I'm sure you're right there. I know I've had better Sits when I have perfect access so I really have to develop a system for getting in and out without leaving scent where the deer will be and where I won't bump them on the way in.

 

[Erussell01]

Hunt 360°



Best of luck to you folks.

Is that the ones with the full top to bottom mesh?

 

[Erussell01]

I’ve been successful the past three years with a ground blind. That’s with a rifle though.

If you go with a blind, make sure it’s big enough to maneuver the bow around.

I've rifle hunted with my FIL and my wife our of a blind, but we usually set up 100 to 150 from where the deer are likely to pop out and yet they seem to end up 20 yards our looking at my FIL through the window while he looks off into space trying to find them in his scope.

Sadly They usually get away from him.

Not my wife though. She's a stone cold killer

 

[Erussell01]

The ONLY time I prefer a blind is when the weather is bad. Otherwise I prefer to be in a tree. If placed properly, tree stands allow plenty of concealment for rookies to draw. If I had my own property, I would have a couple of ground blinds that were well brushed in so I had a place to hunt during higher winds or when it's raining/snowing.

As far as scent, what others have said is true. However, I have found that the deer that live close to houses tolerate much more human scent than those that live in seclusion. I have seen some that become so conditioned to it they begin to ignore it.

On our little 25 acre piece we have about 18 acres of good woods, and 2 by the house. Kid you not, the does bed right behind the house in this thick spot that wad logged about 7 years ago and the dirty buggers watch me working in the garden.

 

[OKHunter84]

I always prefer to be up in a tree. I've always had better luck from high, with not getting winded as much and with being able to scratch your nose without being spotted as easily. I also prefer to shoot my bow standing up so I like to stand in a climber, ladder or hang on. I think if you can get 25' high that the wind won't blow your scent towards the deer if the wind switches as easily either.

That being said, when it's really really cold, it is nice to be in a ground blind. Either that or when all the leaves have fallen and you stick out more in a tree, then a blind can also be nice. We have a couple different blinds that my buddy built platforms for. You'd be surprised how much difference even 8' to 10' make from ground level.

 

[keystone112]

Good point on elevation. If you can raise the blind some that makes a big difference.

 

[Laramie]

On our little 25 acre piece we have about 18 acres of good woods, and 2 by the house. Kid you not, the does bed right behind the house in this thick spot that wad logged about 7 years ago and the dirty buggers watch me working in the garden.

Be nice to those pet does... they attract the big boys every November.

 

[fatlander]

That's what I'm trying to work on for sure. I don't want to blow out our honey hole because we over hunt it. I've got good access to all of our stands and will only hunt them under perfect conditions for sure. My biggest concern with a lock on for her is safety. I kinda love her so I'd rather have her comfy and cozy with no chance of issue.

Under that concern. Make sure you put lifelines go on every permanent set, whether it be a lock-on or a ladder stand. She’ll never leave the ground not hooked up.


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[Boarmaster]

I use ground blinds and stands. I much prefer the stands. I don't care for being inside a black box.
But the blinds are more comfortable on a cold windy day or light rain. I like to be outside but ground blinds have there good characterists.

 

[LostArra]

Ladder stands. Even on a no-deer day it's nice to sit and watch the day start or end from an elevated seat.

A ground blind is solitary confinement with a picture of the outdoors on the wall. I started one of my adult daughters in a blind. She hated it. Every squirrel, armadillo, ground bird and possum, all behind the blind, sound like a deer. Of course the deer come in silent.

I will concede the bad weather days for those who can tolerate a blind but I'm still in the tree.

If you have 25 acres you should set up a stand and a 3D target or two for safety and shooting practice.

I hunt a working farm where the best cover scent is diesel fuel. I'm guessing your deer know your scent.