Dilemma on putting in blind

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Dmking3
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Dilemma on putting in blind

Unread postby Dmking3 » Wed Aug 30, 2017 10:14 am

So ive been going back and forth with myself on a location that i would like to hunt on opening weekend (sept 15 ) giving the right wind. This location is on public land that doesnt get pressured in a river bottom grassland. Thing is im trying to decide if i should put in blind 2 weeks before or evening before. Both have set backs. Id like to use a stand but where id like to be doesnt have a tree to hang in, only where i believe they are bedding. Im only using this spot as a early season set up. What are all the other beast's opinion's??


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Re: Dilemma on putting in blind

Unread postby Mschmeiske » Wed Aug 30, 2017 10:22 am

From what some guys have told me or from what I've read it doesnt require much for a blind. It sounds like you really just need to break yourself up a bit. I'm sure others will chime in with better answers and if memory serves correct there was a good post on ground hunts/set ups. Best of luck!!
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Re: Dilemma on putting in blind

Unread postby faraones2112 » Wed Aug 30, 2017 10:23 am

I would ditch the blind and hunt the ground using natural cover. Putting it up before you hunt is just giving away your location to the deer. In my experience most deer do not take kindly to fresh tents sitting out in the woods. Only time I was able to get them close to a blind was well brushed in and it was out for one year plus.
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Re: Dilemma on putting in blind

Unread postby tgreeno » Wed Aug 30, 2017 10:32 am

Usually if I'm planning on the ground set-up, I will try to create small blind out of deadfall laying around in the early spring. Not many people on here use actual blinds on public. I would say use the natural foliage and brush your self in as best you can. The key to a good ground set-up is good back cover and a little front cover to help break-up your outline.
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Re: Dilemma on putting in blind

Unread postby Lockdown » Wed Aug 30, 2017 10:46 am

I have set my pop up blind for same day kills twice. Once for a friend and once for my wife. Both times the bucks were on to us... I don't think a 3.5+ would have stuck around.

I would go with a natural blind. It doesn't take much to hide yourself, you just need to be creative. Here's a thread that should help you with natural sets. Yes they're tougher to pull off than hunting from a tree, but it's something anyone can do. And options of where you can set up are vast.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=29460

It is very hard to get around the "blob effect" of a pop up.
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Re: Dilemma on putting in blind

Unread postby Dmking3 » Wed Aug 30, 2017 11:18 am

Usually when i do hunt from the ground it has always been from a natural blind i have made myself. I bought 5 diffrent colors of artificial grass for duck blinds to cover the blind to help conceal it in hopes it would work. I just think i would get picked off as i draw back or set up for shot in this location. Thank you guys on your input!!
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Re: Dilemma on putting in blind

Unread postby Dmking3 » Wed Aug 30, 2017 11:23 am

faraones2112 wrote:I would ditch the blind and hunt the ground using natural cover. Putting it up before you hunt is just giving away your location to the deer. In my experience most deer do not take kindly to fresh tents sitting out in the woods. Only time I was able to get them close to a blind was well brushed in and it was out for one year plus.

This is a grassland river bottom. Where the mature trees are, is where i believe the deer have been bedding and its a small long stretch of it. So that's why i have no choice to get after it from the ground. I had bought 5 diffrent colors of artificial grass for duck hunting to use to brush blind into the native grass but not 100% it would get job done.
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Re: Dilemma on putting in blind

Unread postby northeast beast » Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:31 pm

I would stay away from a pop up set if your coming back the next day to hunt...make a natural ground blind deer are not going to be on alert like if you have a pop up...it could work but I'd be willing to bet my buck tag they will be spooky just seeing the blind making the rest of the job to draw and shoot a lot harder
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Re: Dilemma on putting in blind

Unread postby Lockdown » Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:51 pm

Dmking3 wrote:
faraones2112 wrote:I would ditch the blind and hunt the ground using natural cover. Putting it up before you hunt is just giving away your location to the deer. In my experience most deer do not take kindly to fresh tents sitting out in the woods. Only time I was able to get them close to a blind was well brushed in and it was out for one year plus.

This is a grassland river bottom. Where the mature trees are, is where i believe the deer have been bedding and its a small long stretch of it. So that's why i have no choice to get after it from the ground. I had bought 5 diffrent colors of artificial grass for duck hunting to use to brush blind into the native grass but not 100% it would get job done.



Is it nothing but grass? Are there any patches of brush at all? Old dead blow downs? Hard ransitions from one type of grass to another? Or is the spot you need to set up in one monotonous landscape?
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Re: Dilemma on putting in blind

Unread postby hunter10 » Wed Aug 30, 2017 1:08 pm

element of surprise. Show up day of the hunt and sit on a chair or stool tucked into the weeds. Stool goes home with you.. sometimes blinds don't
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Re: Dilemma on putting in blind

Unread postby Dmking3 » Wed Aug 30, 2017 1:44 pm

Lockdown wrote:
Dmking3 wrote:
faraones2112 wrote:I would ditch the blind and hunt the ground using natural cover. Putting it up before you hunt is just giving away your location to the deer. In my experience most deer do not take kindly to fresh tents sitting out in the woods. Only time I was able to get them close to a blind was well brushed in and it was out for one year plus.

This is a grassland river bottom. Where the mature trees are, is where i believe the deer have been bedding and its a small long stretch of it. So that's why i have no choice to get after it from the ground. I had bought 5 diffrent colors of artificial grass for duck hunting to use to brush blind into the native grass but not 100% it would get job done.



Is it nothing but grass? Are there any patches of brush at all? Old dead blow downs? Hard ransitions from one type of grass to another? Or is the spot you need to set up in one monotonous landscape?


Where id like to be set up is on a trastion line were 2 diffrent grasses meet. The patch of timber i believe they are bedding in is about 60 yrds out. They are traveling along that transition and the grass is only about chest high to them and where id like to sit is over head providing excellent screening for them to travel the way they do. The predominant wind works great for this type of scenario also
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Re: Dilemma on putting in blind

Unread postby WV Bowhunter » Wed Aug 30, 2017 2:04 pm

I'd rather be hunkered down in that grass than in a blind. I hate hunting out of one except when I have my kids with me.
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Re: Dilemma on putting in blind

Unread postby Lockdown » Wed Aug 30, 2017 4:45 pm

Dmking3 wrote:
Lockdown wrote:
Dmking3 wrote:
faraones2112 wrote:I would ditch the blind and hunt the ground using natural cover. Putting it up before you hunt is just giving away your location to the deer. In my experience most deer do not take kindly to fresh tents sitting out in the woods. Only time I was able to get them close to a blind was well brushed in and it was out for one year plus.

This is a grassland river bottom. Where the mature trees are, is where i believe the deer have been bedding and its a small long stretch of it. So that's why i have no choice to get after it from the ground. I had bought 5 diffrent colors of artificial grass for duck hunting to use to brush blind into the native grass but not 100% it would get job done.



Is it nothing but grass? Are there any patches of brush at all? Old dead blow downs? Hard ransitions from one type of grass to another? Or is the spot you need to set up in one monotonous landscape?


Where id like to be set up is on a trastion line were 2 diffrent grasses meet. The patch of timber i believe they are bedding in is about 60 yrds out. They are traveling along that transition and the grass is only about chest high to them and where id like to sit is over head providing excellent screening for them to travel the way they do. The predominant wind works great for this type of scenario also


The grass is over head to them? So canary grass or shatter cane type stuff? I assume they're walking in the chest high grass and you're going to hide in the taller grass. Sorry for all the questions I'm just trying to fully understand the situation.

Here's some pics that I need to get put back in the success from the ground thread that I posted earlier. Dewey has been helping me get that thread fixed (thanks Dewey) but I haven't gotten these edited back in yet. Here's how I set up my lanes in a tall grass/cattail situation:
Image
Make yourself a couple shooting lanes (or just one if you're positive of the direction of travel). The tan lines would be vegetation and brown lines are the same vegetation that I put on top of my lane to help break up my outline. If you need to you can shove some sticks in the ground on each side to help support the vegetation up top. This time of year is perfect as you can cut a few small branches and haul them in and the leaves will help break up your outline as well. If you're worried they'll wonder how that new "bush" got there then just use dead/bare sticks.

Here's another pic of how I normally set up my blinds. I used this tactic this past January in SD to kill a public land doe in a sea of cattails where any type of brush was completely non existent.
Image
I normally make two lanes. If they're coming right(red) I hide where the red X is, making sure they don't spot me down the other lane while they're quartering to. Let them walk through that then draw when the opportunity arises. If they're coming from the left then I do things just the opposite and hide on the other side of the blind. Make sure you can move around in your blind without making any noise. Bring a knife or scissors so you can clear the grass from the blind floor.

I also zip tie grass/cattails/leafed branches to my riser to help break my outline up. If I am really worried I'll also tuck stuff into my stocking cap.
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Re: Dilemma on putting in blind

Unread postby Lockdown » Wed Aug 30, 2017 5:06 pm

Here's a pic from the lane I killed that doe from. I jammed some sticks in the cattails and zip tied more above my lane.
Image
If you look close you can see the stick and the zip tie. Lane is a lot smaller than it looks in the pic. Here's a pic of a two year old buck I passed before I shot the doe. I was scooted too far forward in my blind to shoot him, so this doesnt depict a good view of the lane itself.
Image


Here's a look back at the cover I was hiding in. I'm standing where the doe was when I shot her. 10 yards or less.
Image

Just make sure you stay low and keep your outline broken up. It's also super important that your camo/clothes blend in and arent too dark. Many camo patterns meant for stand hunting are VERY dark. I was wearing my tan carhart bibs and jacket in that cattail set. The same stuff I wear to work. If your background is lush green grass, you could even buy a green long sleeve T-shirt and wear that if you don't have the right camo pattern at home.
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Re: Dilemma on putting in blind

Unread postby vtbuck » Wed Aug 30, 2017 5:16 pm

A blind is just more crap to carry in. Like the others have said use natural cover. Besides, carrying less means sweating less. Good luck
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