Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Ground blinds

I'm thinking about buying a couple of ground blinds for elk hunting. Lots of them out there to buy. I want one that is not a flimsy POS. I would appreciate some recommendations.

Double Bull blinds are awesome!

I've been chasing elk in CO since 1996. To the best of my memory, I've never seen someone use a factory-made ground blind for elk. Elk are too nomadic and unpredictable to set up a blind of this sort. Maybe, just maybe, if you were on private land and could really pattern the elk over a water hole, or small field, and you could leave the blind out weeks ahead of the season, it would be applicable. That being said, we have made several, natural, ground blinds out of dead branches so I understand the concept. We sit in them at day break or dusk and that's it, and almost never use the same location more than twice a season. I can't imagine hiking in miles, carrying a blind and chair and heater or whatever else for elk hunting.

I killed both of these bulls in a double blind over wallows. Just brush the blind in a little bit.

I hunted elk in southern Utah with a muzzleloader last year, early November. Weather was warm and dry, and most of my hunting consisted of sitting near a good waterhole. Public land, but surrounded by private, hard to access. The elk in that canyon are not plentiful but a few good bulls do hang out there. The setup would have lent itself to using a ground blind, but I don't think it would have helped that much. Just sitting still, and being mindful of the wind worked for me. I got a shot at a nice mature bull at 24 yards. That bull never saw me until I pulled the trigger. Unfortunately my bullet hit an unseen branch and deflected badly, and I missed that bull completely. I had deer and even a mountain lion come in every day, often within just a few feet of me. I brought a small camp chair to be more comfortable. Animals never were spooked by anything they saw, even though I had does look right at me a time or two. Catching my scent would spook them though, of course. The only way I see a ground blind being helpful is if it could contain your scent. I don't know if any really do that and I doubt it.

I’ve used double bull blinds for many year, but have not used them on elk. If you have the right conditions to ambush an elk, a double bull is a quality blind.

In 50 years of elk hunting, I can't thing of any time that a blind would have been useful.

Like Rock Chuck, I cannot think of a time where a ground blind would have helped me at all. I am on my 60th season this year. When I am on a stand I am back in the shade, under a tree, behind a log or similar. I do not have any need to pack a blind two or three miles back into the woods.

This might sound nutty, but before you spend the money to buy a real blind, consider going cheap for a test run and getting a camo umbrella. It's cheap, light weight, and easy to pack. Just pop it open and sit behind it. If it doesn't accomplish anything, you're not out much.

My favorite ground blind is the Ameristep Doghouse. It is big enough (I'm 6'2") but not so big that it is hard to hide. It comes in a smallish light carrying case. It pops open and then add the fiberglass rods to support the roof, some ground stakes, tie off the sides to some brush and you are up and running. Found some metal fold up chairs at Sam's club with a bottom and back material that resembles plastic and are very comfortable. I place my blinds under overhanging limbs or in brush to break up the outline. I add some brush to the outside and it is ready to go. My experience over the past 5 years using this blind is that it does seem to hold scent, The number of times deer have walked down wind and not spooked are to numerous to mention.

Also, what I like about ground blinds is that using them allows flexibility and adaptability.... each deer season is different from the last....it may be weather or food supply or hunting pressure. Whatever is going on can be addressed much easier than moving tree stands. We have all heard of or have personal experience with tree stand accidents. I had some close calls over the years while putting up or taking down tree stands. A ground blind is much safer. I also find that I hunt longer because I can take along some creature comforts like a lunch, snacks, drinks and etc. Even a empty plastic bottle for those times I need to "flatter my bladder". Last but not least I am seeing more deer, bigger deer, and enjoying hunting even more. I know this type of hunting isn't for everyone or all game animals. It seems to work for me in my little part of the world. Good hunting to all of you.

Good luck if you go with the commercial types.

I was sitting down to watch the water hole to the left of this shot, looked a bit further west, and saw this. Left center and you can make out the dude behind the sticks doing as I was. I left so as not to dsturb his hunt.



And good luck with your hunting.