Hunting Blind Article, your input needed.

[robby denning]

Hey all, meet Don Smith, on Rokslide as DonSmithWrites

He'd like to do an article for us on Blinds from a Whitetail point of view, but pepper in some input for us Western Hunters too.

As all good writers do, he's researching his subject and looking for input from you all on what you'd like to see covered in an article like this. Brands, designs, placements? What else needs covered. Just post on here what you'd like covered and of course if you have an experience with Blinds that might help him.

Thanks!

 

[DonSmithWrites]

Hello all:

Thanks for this! I am looking for particular portable deer blinds that can be carried easily on a hike.

My questions are these:

What is the brand you'd recommend?
How easy/complicated is it to set up/tear down?
For new hunters wanting something new, what is the most important aspect of a deer blind to look out for?
And also, can you "MacGuyver" or modify any deer blinds in a pinch, should you the situation call for it?
What is the best material blinds are made of?
What safety factors should be considered?

Thanks!!!!!!!
Don

 

[MadDawg]

Well the trad guys would appreciate something that a longbow can be used in. I have a bolderton blind that is 6'6'' in the center so that is super nice for using my recurve in. I would highly recommend giving it a try.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Welcome, Don. Cool idea for an article. A topic close to my heart so I will toss in my $0.02. I experimented with the concept of a portable blind after developing a preference for a style of hunting I call mobile ambush.

I am a relatively new hunter. Just finished my 4th season. I mainly hunt white tails in the east with a little turkey thrown in. PA and NY hardwoods. 95% archery. I have the patience of a gnat on crack so I use tree stands on less than 10% of my hunts. I still hunt or mobile ambush where I walk from point to point and set up, sit for a while and then move. Sits can be a few minutes or a few hours depending on the spot and my patience. Visibility is usually quite limited (100 yards) by western standards unless I am hunting farm fields. I basically set up and then see if something walks into my range or I may try a stalk if I see something.

Early on, I tried a box blind. Hated it. Poor visibility and I felt like mine and my friends are designedly with rifle hunters in mind. I had practiced shooting from a chair inside the blind but when the moment came I couldn’t get a sight line and had to shoot from an awkward kneeling position. After a couple of other tries, my box blind now only comes out when I am with a kid or a non hunter type where comfort and sound dampening are needed.

I made my own portable blind from two cheap Walmart camo cloth covers rigged end to end:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ameriste...-Hunting-Treestand-Cover-System-Camo/37299752

A bunch of zip ties and 550 cord. 1 40 foot piece across the top and 1-5 guy lines that attach to tree or bushes. I keep a couple of tent stakes and use a trekking pole if needed for support. I can rig it up and pull it down in 3-5 mins and it gives me ~20 foot wall 4-5 feet high that I rig in a v or three sided blind or a box depending on my desires and the terrain. I have had both deer and turkey walk within feet of me and not know I was there.

I add a stool some times for comfort.

I have also played with these things and a few similar designs from time to time.

Amazon.com : Flambeau Outdoors MD-480 MAD Max Blind, Mossy Oak Break-Up : Hunting Blinds : Sports & Outdoors

Not a bad option. I have used one or paired them and made a “v” with them at my front while my back was against a tree or rock for turkey and deer. Interesting concept and they work but they are low. I hav been busted by turkey and deer trying to draw my bow from behind these things. One of the advantages of my home brew rig is that I can draw behind it and then rise up for the shot.

I tried camo umbrellas and a couple versions of the type of blind that is like a little portable fence.

Amazon.com : Ameristep 4-Spur Blind Realtree-Realtree Xtra Green : Sports & Outdoors

They didn’t work but the latter inspired my home brew blind above.

Can’t say that I won’t keep buying run and gun blinds looking for the right one but I just finished my second season with my current version. I am averaging 2-3 white tails a year so I guess if it ain’t broke...

 

[DonSmithWrites]

Hello everyone and thanks so much!!!

Don

 

[Midwestwaterfowl]

My preference for gun hunting is a turkey chair and making a natural blind, sitting in front of something to help break up my outline.

 

[Btaylor]

There are plenty of portable blind options out there and they work well. Some things to keep in mind though is blind scale applicable to hunting weapon and style like mentioned above with traditional archery, target animal, safety as when in use on public ground during a gun season.

Mobile blind use is far more effective for turkey than deer in my experience. Deer, esp mature deer, will pick up on a new blind in their core area more times than not and either blow out or steer well wide and down wind. Using natural cover like mentioned above I think is a far more effective method for the mobile deer hunter. Natural ground blinds just dont work as well for a nice chair, scent spray, an ozonics unit, a small cooler and yeti tumbler. If you can set up a pop up blind in advance and brush it in, they are very effective and really useful for filming when you need to conceal more than one person plus associated gear.

 

[Milhouse58421]

Let me start by saying I hate the very limited visibility that ground blinds generally provide. I have had limited luck with hub style blinds. I live in an area with very few trees....a lot of what I hunt is cattail sloughs, creeks. My best luck, blind wise, has been with a little basically 2 sided hub type setup. I don't even know what brand it is, or where I got it. It's a predator green type camo. Very light, sets up in about 1 minute. I find a spot with good background cover, set it up, throw a little brush in front of it, and I'm in business. It doesn't have a "blind" profile....deer don't recognize it as such. I also usually wear a leafy suit type top and head cover when I use it.

I don't get the scent control of a hub style blind, but I really don't believe in that anyway....I find it hard to believe a fabric blind with a bunch of ill fitting window closures contains scent. I make sure the wind is right for where I expect deer to show up. Of course they do unexpected things....but I have had great success with this setup, and I can run and gun a lot of new spots, in short order.

The only other blind that seems to work alright for me is the Muddy Bale blind. Still very limited visibility, but apparently they see it as a round bale.

Lastly, when ground hunting, I try to set up so I'm not closer than 15-20 yards from where I expect deer to show up...deer are much more in tune with what's going on at eye level, IMHO.

 

[JR1972]

I'm a pretty big guy so blinds are a big part of my game. I use barronett grounders. Good solid blinds. I prefer opening two windows and facing it in a diamond shape for bow, gives me more too to draw. Set it square for gun for a better field of view. I do think they help scent control, at least at distance. Plus they're nice in the wind and rain I also use the method mentioned above with some fabric/tarps and also run with a folding mirror type blind with a portable chair. I like all of them, but I get antsy so the grounder works best for me in terms of concealment.

 

[Glendon Mullins]

How can I keep Bear from eating mine lol

 

[DonSmithWrites]

Hello:

I wanted to say thanks for all the responses on here! You have been most kind. I have decided not to pursue the article due to family and health situations.

You have been most kind!
Thanks,
Don Smith

 

[traviswdalton]

Hello all:

Thanks for this! I am looking for particular portable deer blinds that can be carried easily on a hike.

My questions are these:

What is the brand you'd recommend?
How easy/complicated is it to set up/tear down?
For new hunters wanting something new, what is the most important aspect of a deer blind to look out for?
And also, can you "MacGuyver" or modify any deer blinds in a pinch, should you the situation call for it?
What is the best material blinds are made of?
What safety factors should be considered?

Thanks!!!!!!!
Don

One of the best portable blinds I’ve found is to simply take a piece of camo netting. Cut a small shooting window and brush it in real good. You always want the sun to your back. I use zip ties to anchor it to limbs, saplings or whatever I can find.


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