Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Using ground blinds for whitetail

Any one have any experience? I'd like to build a hay bale blind this summer for bow hunting this fall. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Ground blinds are the ticket. Killed one whitetail and one coyote out of the same blind just a few days apart. Both with my bow.

Yes...lots. Either make them where they are completely hidden or out in the open where the deer will not be "surprised" when they see them. The smaller the opening to shoot from, the more effective they will be. The downsides of a good ground blind are wind and the fact that they get kinda claustrophobic, dulling your ability to see and hear. I describe a good ground blind as like sitting in solitary confinement with a picture of woods on the wall. But they work.

Natural gound blinds are the only way to hunt.

Eye level adds so much to the experience.

I don't care if I kill less. That is not why I am out there.

I have killed half a dozen whitetails from pop up ground blinds, including a decent 10 point, my biggest ever.

I have done it one of two ways, either brush it in real well several weeks before hunting, or I have set them out a month or more with no brushing in.
I have shot through netting in all my deer kills.
For turkeys, set them up anywhere and kill a turkey any time.

I like cedar trees.

Find a little group of em, and cut a hole out to sit in.

Pile the cuttings in front for more cover.

Don't know if that opportunity will present itself, but that's my experience.

I don't like being cooped up.

But in a tight one... a built one, the scent is almost a non issue at times.

Pop up ones not at all. But I've sat in both a LOT because you can get away with a LOT... lot of movement, book reading etc...

ANd in reality, it doesn't much matter if I can see far or not, I can see past my chosen max distacne, and if they aren't in range anyway... not much I can do about it.

Its one of the easier ways for turkeys with a bow. Without one, they are VERY hard with a bow, having to wait until the fan blocks the eyes to draw, though that gives a really good shot angle at the same time.

All this being said I haven't sat in a tripod or such in years. and I have killed my 3 biggest bucks out of a box...

The cedar tree trick works REALLY well too if you can find that place.

Probably my imagination but when I'm in a pop-up blind I always hear lots of deer just out of my field of view. I'm just using them for turkeys now. I like the cedar trees for deer if I'm on the ground.

I did the cedar tree thicket thing while hunting in Kansas last fall and it was really fun. ALmost was run over by a decent 8 point that was chasing hard. I have hunted turkeys a ton out of blinds here in PA as it is really fun with my dayghters and as others say above you can really get away with allot of movement.

Started using them about 10 years ago and have seen my success grow significantly. I've had deer walk within 10 yards of the blind only an hour after I put it up. They don't care & don't even give it a second look. I've killed four of my five biggest bucks out of a ground blind. The fifth was killed from the ground with no blind, but the brush was thicker there.

I've used them for years and they rock. So roomy and break that cold wind. I use the Doghouse. Why? Because it is light and does not have hubs that break. Repeat -- hubs that break. I have experience with three hub types and they all broke quickly. I actually have two Doghouses and set them up side by side when hunting with a pard. A word to the wise: if you hunt with them, practice in them. I found that the right chair makes all the difference. Typical camp chairs are too deep for archery. stools and tripod stools SUCK after the first 20 minutes. The advantage to a ground blind is you can hang out all day with ease. Read a book, make a sandwich, whatever. I don't put the mesh up, just open the windows and get in the dark spot. Love 'em.

What chair do you suggest? I've been using a canvas camp chair, but like you said too deep. I'm thinking some director's chairs might be better.

LL Bean has (or had, when I last looked) armless fold up chairs that are perfect. Armless is the key, imo. The chairs with arms prevent you from being able to rotate towards a deer coming from either side.

I use one like this. It is light and I can put it in the side pockets of my backpack fine. Mine is Browning label but this one is like it. I have not tried the swivel ones like this, but they may be great.

http://www.amazon.com/ALPS-Mountain...&keywords=three+legged+folding+chair

Agree 100%. I started with a chair with arms. It was very comfortable, but shooting was pretty difficult.

I actually fixed the arm problem by cutting down the back 'post' of the backrest on my draw side. But that didn't fix the 'deep' problem. The new chair was a better route.

Thanks for the recommendation.

I picked up a "fishing" chair from bass pro for $15 that looks very much like the one listed above.