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Ground blind v. Tree stand


Haskell_Hunter

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I'm interested in hearing folks experiences, feedback, and recommendations comparing hunting from a blind or a stand.

 

I've had a climbing stand for the past 12-years-or-so and recently bought an inexpensive ground blind this past weekend. I've never hunted from a blind, but figure for some of the property I hunt it might be a better experience.

 

For what I've seen, there are a few folks who set up their blinds in the early part of the season and leave them out for the duration. Is it impractical to break down the blind and set it up daily? Also, how "shoot through" are the windows? With my luck I'll be blood trailing a deer with a screen window sticking out of it.

 

I'll probably hunt over bait, and this will be the first year I've done that. I figure the blind might be a better idea than using a climber. Maybe it's just me, but climbing stands can be loud in the AM when a fat guy is trying to schlep up a tree.

 

Any insight is greatly appreciated.

Sapere aude.

Audeamus.

When you cannot measure, your knowledge is meager and unsatisfactory.

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I've hunted very successfully out of all sorts of stands, including natural and pop-up ground blinds.  My 6 Day stand is a wide crevice in the rock out croppings we have that run like little "finger ridges" up the property.  It's a natural ground blind and I just show up with my padded seat and set in in the rocks.  It is about 17' above the forest floor around it, and they never see me sitting in there.  I have a few small logs and some old camo burlap that conceals me further.  I shoot or see plenty of deer from that stand and took my bear from it a few years ago.  

 

When it comes to pop-ups, if you do plan to leave them out, make sure they are well tied down as the winds can take them for a ride.  Get better stakes to help hold them down when you have loose soils like we do.  I typically put ours out when we are using them a week prior to whichever season and just leave them alone that week.  I have had deer walk within inches of me while sitting in a pop-up.  We got my buddy's first ever deer (buck) from a pop-up on Monday morning of 6 Day a bunch of years back.  I had also scored that morning from my stand (the rock ground blind) and we checked our deer and hung them in my shed.  That afternoon he sat in that same pop-up with his teenage son after high school was over and the son took his first deer that evening as well, a spike.  They were pretty excited, especially for dad who got to do both shooting and watching his son's first deer kill.  The pop-up I had them in was slightly elevated from a trail, but not more than maybe 6' or so.  I do like the element of some height advantage when I hunt out of a pop-up, but that might be because of the hilly terrain I'm used to deer hunting.  For turkeys, I get down on their level if out of a blind.  I'm sure others will have other opinions, but I bet a lot of hunters like ground blinds for many situations.  If the wind is right, popping them up early the morning before a hunt isn't too bad unless you're too close to a bedding area.  They may not spook from their beds, but I bet they walk out the other side knowing something is there to fear.  But same goes for making noise going into or setting up any stand.       

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I've hunted out of popup, man-made, and brush blinds with success.

As Brian mentioned, if you're going to leave a blind out, make sure you secure it pretty well.

Out in ND, due to the high winds, they literally stake them down with those spiral stakes.

 

Unlike turkeys who don't give a damn about a "new" blind in their area, deer tend to be much more wary and pick up on it's presence.

At the very least, and especially if you are going to set it up on the fly...you will want to brush it in really well.

That is the only part that makes AM "on the fly" setup not practical.

If you have the ability to do so, I would recommend setting it up well in advance (even months), securing it and brushing it in heavily.  

The deer will get used to it over time and you'll have a kick ass spot ready to roll when hunting season comes around! :up:

 

Plus they are GREAT options when the weather gets crappy and you still want to go hunting.

Instead of sitting in a treestand being miserably cold and wet...you can be nice and dry in a blind :)

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I've had far more success hunting from a ground blind than any other method. However, I get much more satisfaction hunting from a tree stand or Still / Stalk hunting.. Reason?.. Visibility.. As most of us know hunting is much more than making the kill.. For a lot of us Its more about enjoying nature and its much less enjoyable sitting in a dark blind with limited visibility IMO...

 

As far as the practicality of setting up and taking down a blind every time out.. well, that would be about as practical as you want it to be.. Me, I'm too lazy, but I know a couple people who do it successfully sooo.... :pepsi:

:D

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I used to hunt from tree stands but after killing a few nice bucks all my tree stands mysteriously disappeared and shortly after that someone built permanent stands in all of my spots.  :banghead:

 

Since then we have hunted from the ground, using simple natural cover to conceal us, and we have been very successful.  This video shows our typical set up.  You would never know that someone used the spot for hunting but it works great on deer. 

 

https://www.njwoodsandwater.com/topic/2742-video-of-todays-hunt/

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Thanks for all the good info.  I have a spot in mind with some blow-downs I could craft into supplemental cover for the blind.  I'll probably get it into the woods this weekend, reposition the game cameras, and dump a bucket of corn down.

Sapere aude.

Audeamus.

When you cannot measure, your knowledge is meager and unsatisfactory.

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