Natural ground blind examples
- Lockdown
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Natural ground blind examples
Seems to be a lot of interest in this topic, so I decided to document every natural ground blind I hunt this fall. When I can I’ll include pics from the outside looking in.
If anyone wants to show their set up(s), please do!
Here’s my early September view from a dogwood thicket. I had two lanes... one to my right one to my left.
In the first pic, I leave the stems as high as I can to help keep a small shooting window. In the second pic, all the brush and clippings down low by my bow were added. There were dogwood clippings from making my lanes, plus grass and weeds that I cleared from the ground in order to help move quietly. To help stay concealed, I like to have cover from my arrow down. The 2nd lane didn’t have that so I added it.
In general, anything that gets removed will in turn added where I need more cover rather than just be tossed aside.
If anyone wants to show their set up(s), please do!
Here’s my early September view from a dogwood thicket. I had two lanes... one to my right one to my left.
In the first pic, I leave the stems as high as I can to help keep a small shooting window. In the second pic, all the brush and clippings down low by my bow were added. There were dogwood clippings from making my lanes, plus grass and weeds that I cleared from the ground in order to help move quietly. To help stay concealed, I like to have cover from my arrow down. The 2nd lane didn’t have that so I added it.
In general, anything that gets removed will in turn added where I need more cover rather than just be tossed aside.
- <DK>
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Re: Natural ground blind examples
Nice. You shooting an old school mathews? Which one?
If I found your spot while scouting I would think its a deer bed haha
If I found your spot while scouting I would think its a deer bed haha
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Re: Natural ground blind examples
That is a sweet looking setup. I like these threads about ground hunting. You would think it would help me less hesitant of trying to do it. I know i should just try it where i need to and maybe i will gain some confidence.
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Re: Natural ground blind examples
Looks like a nice spot! It will be interesting to see others setups. Im gonna have to hunt from the ground for a while do to a sprained wrist so maybe i can pick up some pointers in this thread!
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Re: Natural ground blind examples
Not so much a blind but I look for trees bigger than I am wide. Make a nice comfortable seat,clean out all the leaves and debris so my camo suit doesn't get caught on anything if I have to move. Using xbow or gun shouldered and ready for a shot. This spot happens to be on the side of a small hill almost to the top. If the deer come from behind me they can't see me because I'm concealed by the tree and if they are out in front of me all they see is tree if you don't move.
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Re: Natural ground blind examples
<DK> wrote:Nice. You shooting an old school mathews? Which one?
If I found your spot while scouting I would think its a deer bed haha
Switchback XT. I believe this is my 14th season with it.
I think IF you saw it you would realize it is a blind. But walking back through this corridor, I’d say the only way you notice it is if you’re walking the grass/thicket transition next to it. And even then you might not notice it.
There are three things I do to help hide them.
1) make them in the spring
2) break branches rather than cut them
3) if I do cut them, I do it near the base where the grass hides the cut stem.
- <DK>
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Re: Natural ground blind examples
Lockdown wrote:<DK> wrote:Nice. You shooting an old school mathews? Which one?
If I found your spot while scouting I would think its a deer bed haha
Switchback XT. I believe this is my 14th season with it.
1) make them in the spring
Nice! I used to have the Outback and Im still sporting my Z7 Extreme. It was even ran over last season and shoots great.
That was my next question what time of year you I make them. I could have guessed haha
But what would you do if you found a spot IN season? Would you make a blind or just use natural surroundings, kind of pull things around just well enough to blend?
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Re: Natural ground blind examples
<DK> wrote:Lockdown wrote:<DK> wrote:Nice. You shooting an old school mathews? Which one?
If I found your spot while scouting I would think its a deer bed haha
Switchback XT. I believe this is my 14th season with it.
1) make them in the spring
Nice! I used to have the Outback and Im still sporting my Z7 Extreme. It was even ran over last season and shoots great.
That was my next question what time of year you I make them. I could have guessed haha
But what would you do if you found a spot IN season? Would you make a blind or just use natural surroundings, kind of pull things around just well enough to blend?
I do impromptu sets in season every year. That’s what I did last year for my opening day buck. For that one I just hid behind a bush. Trimmed it a little so I could tuck into it a bit. Then used those clippings to add cover down low.
I just made sure I was hidden, and as soon as I got eyes on them I positioned accordingly. I knew the direction of travel. So got set and waited until he cleared the bush, drew, then let ‘er rip!
I shouldn’t call it a bush it was more like a 7-8’ wide patch of dogwood. I’ll have to dig those pics up. I’m sure I’ve still got them.
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Re: Natural ground blind examples
Following.
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Re: Natural ground blind examples
Quest1001 wrote:Following.
Yup
- brancher147
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Re: Natural ground blind examples
Where I have sat last 2 mornings. Got a major trail within 20 yards and cliffs behind me running all the way to a river. Deer cannot pass the cliffs and this is the first and only trail past the cliffs leading up to a bedding point. It’s nasty steep and thick with boulders but I got a bunch of bucks on cam in the morning. Had 3 does and a spike come up this morning
The cliff behind me. It’s completely vertical rock on the other side.
The cliff behind me. It’s completely vertical rock on the other side.
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Some do. Some don't. I just might...
- MN_DeerHunter
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Re: Natural ground blind examples
Here’s one I did behind my house overlooking a small food plot. Raked a trail to it and used a spade to level out a spot for my bucket. Also dug a hole for my heels to sit in so my legs are 90 degrees from my shooting opening.
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Re: Natural ground blind examples
MN_DeerHunter wrote:Here’s one I did behind my house overlooking a small food plot. Raked a trail to it and used a spade to level out a spot for my bucket. Also dug a hole for my heels to sit in so my legs are 90 degrees from my shooting opening.
Pay close attention... I’m betting at some point you’ll find tracks and hair in your blind.
Edit- maybe not hair if you leave the pail there. Probably too foreign for them to lay next to.
- brancher147
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Re: Natural ground blind examples
Lockdown wrote:MN_DeerHunter wrote:Here’s one I did behind my house overlooking a small food plot. Raked a trail to it and used a spade to level out a spot for my bucket. Also dug a hole for my heels to sit in so my legs are 90 degrees from my shooting opening.
Pay close attention... I’m betting at some point you’ll find tracks and hair in your blind.
Edit- maybe not hair if you leave the pail there. Probably too foreign for them to lay next to.
I was walking in past a similar blind someone had built on a ridge one time. It was overlooking doe bedding and had cover behind it. I saw movement and figured maybe a hunter...well about a 130” 10 pt stood up and walked off and I almost got a shot.
Some do. Some don't. I just might...
- MN_DeerHunter
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Re: Natural ground blind examples
Lockdown wrote:MN_DeerHunter wrote:Here’s one I did behind my house overlooking a small food plot. Raked a trail to it and used a spade to level out a spot for my bucket. Also dug a hole for my heels to sit in so my legs are 90 degrees from my shooting opening.
Pay close attention... I’m betting at some point you’ll find tracks and hair in your blind.
The more I look at it, it would make a great bed for a deer! Maybe I should make a few more in strategic spots. Would be interesting to see if they would get used.
Edit- maybe not hair if you leave the pail there. Probably too foreign for them to lay next to.
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