Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Ground blinds

Last year I discovered the dog house style pop up blinds, the dome shaped ones with jointed rods, do not fare well in high winds. What's your experience with the hub type blinds? Any better in high wind conditions? And I'm talking 40 to 50 mph gusts sometimes more with steady 25 to 30.

Can't really comment on deer, but Cookie uses several different popup type ground blinds mostly with pronghorn and at rare times for mule deer with her camera work. Under optimum conditions, pronghorn will come within 3 to 5 yds. Her biggest gripe is with structures and materials that rattle in the wind. Wind and the associated motion are not much of a factor, as vegetation and such also move about in those conditions. The noise produced by those blinds, however, causes the pronghorn to hold well back and not make the final close order approaches one is after. The tightly stretched nylon units rattle a lot, while those composed of softer materials like burlap are essentially silent. Those, however, do not shed water if one plans on enduring inclement conditions.

I've used some blinds constructed from local stone and vegetation, and they're ignored regardless of conditions.

Have a good one,

I have a Double Bull hub type blind that is pretty stable, although you have to have it staked down if there is much wind. I think they sold out to one of the bigger companies now...

I've had the same Ameristep Doghouse blind in 3 different spots since 2016. Only problem was last November the roof started folding in after a 1+ foot dose of wet snow. Brushed it off & popped the roof back up. It has a tent stake driven through a loop at all 4 bottom corners and about half way up each corner another point for a rope that leads out to another tent stake about 4 ft. away. Been good in the wind with 8 stakes and four ropes holding it. Although now it's in a more sheltered location from high winds. Currently up since early April and planning on leaving it there till sometime this coming December.

We drive rebar in on all 4 corners. Then zip tie them. They will stand a pretty good wind that way.

I got my first hub one 2 years ago to supplement my old weathered, and much smaller, Doghouse blind. It's a Barronett brand. I say that to say that I don't know if they all have this feature, but in addition to the normal place to stake the bottom down, there is an eyelet on the outside of all the hub points so you can anchor them with outward tension to keep them from collapsing inward. Erected it about 6 weeks before season in a hollow in southern Ohio where we don't normally get the big winds. That was before the leaves and nuts all fell. It was fine come hunting season in late Nov/ early Dec.

Use better stakes

My Ameristep Doghouse did not survive the wind gusts thru the cold front season in Texas. It was brand new & succumbed after 5 months of 24/7 exposure.

My farm is on a rather high-standing ridge. I can see 4 counties from the front porch, and looking out to the southwest, there seems like there is nothing between me and Paducah. Winds can get fierce on our place.

I've got an old HuntersView Wigwam that is in near-new condition. It was purchased in 2001. I bought it so that my little kids could come with me hunting, and fuss and fidget all they wanted. I've set it up now and again for various reasons. Most often, it's been for turkey hunting in the rain. What has allowed it to survive so long is that I am meticulous about staking it out. I don't know the Doghouse specifically, but the Wigwam has auxiliary tie-down points about half-way up. I run a line through each with a small carabiner and then out to 2 stakes at 45 degrees 4 feet out. I also replace the regular skewer stakes with something more sturdy.

In my experience, the hub-style are quite a bit stronger and they generally keep the fabric more taught.
I have a couple of early-model Double Bull blinds that have withstood some pretty substantial winds but I'll generally tie/stake them down with some heavy duty rigging.

I have not quite figured out why people leave them out year-round as they often deteriorate in a hurry due to the elements - different strokes I guess.

ground blinds i use a blind sometimes for certain animals i hunt. ground blinds have worked great for me on turkeys,antelope and mule deer. but whitetails it can be a hit or a miss there just smarter and more nervous . but i either tie my blind to a tree or stake it down somehow i also leave all windows open and zipper door so air goes thru it at nite when i am not there too.when i know i am going to use or put a blind out i bring extra camo rope,stakes,hand saw and a hammer . good luck this fall,Pete53

Why yeah

Our biggest issue is the roof caving in after a heavy snow fall !!

That sure looks like a Barnett camo pattern to me and mine have done the same thing under a heavy snow, but I never had a wind issue with all those tie down points. Mine work pretty well with farm deer and archery stuff, but a big woods 8 point and a fox last deer season up in the hinterland spooked seeing it. A turkey blind that fits in my pack has worked better up north for gun season.

Yep, top one is a baronet blood trail & second one (2nd & 3rd photo) is a Hunter's specialty.

My Baronnett has held up well. We stake it good and pile rocks along the edge. It is not out 365 days a year though.

My Double Bull blind has served me well in wind and other inclement weather if staked down and I definitely don't leave it up for long periods of time. A couple of times I found the need to put a couple of ratchet straps over the top to secure it because of frozen ground.

Good things come to a well placed ground blind.

I like mine , I have used 3 mostly primos XL and xxl clubs. I picked up a few Ameristeps this summer with the same basic design and material. Mine are up in Alabama from Late October thru March. I use these blinds where they are somewhat sheltered. Their construction obviously limits their durability. I bought better stakes and I run a rope over the top to help keep the top from moving so much in a high wind. I been able to keep them from getting messed up for three years and I plan on them lasting at least another three years. Mine are not expensive I have between 75-140 per blind in them.
They wouldn't be my pick for any big snow fall or high wind. Maybe I dont know what ai am missing but Im not willing to pay $300-400 for a cloth and hub style ground blind. If my $75 blind lasts five or six years I will be happy and use it for spare parts. If it gets crushed or torn by falling tree limbs then I wont cry too hard.

Cool photo!
Around here if that buck was allowed to walk, I'd hear a gunshot when got to the property boundary.

Yep, ours too. It's been our best blind for sure. 6 seasons so far, ours go out end of September & are always down by December 15th.