Do box blinds contain your scent?

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Do box blinds contain your scent?

Unread postby Lockdown » Sun Feb 07, 2016 1:36 pm

In another thread there was a little bit of "back and forth" going on regarding whether or not an enclosed and properly built box blind (with windows) will contain your scent. Dan made the argument that if it was truly scent tight, you would eventually get asphyxiated. Obviously that is true. But how long would that take?? Of course that depends on the size of the blind, how many people are in it, etc. There are variables that come in to play.

The subject came up when I brought up a couple encounters I've had using my pop up ground blind. I swear on my mother's life that myself, as well as a friend of mine, have had does go strait downwind and not bust. The fabric is tight knit enough to hold water for a long period of time, so scent seeping through should be very minimal. Neither of us do anything with our blind pixie dust wise. With the back side of the blind sealed up and wind hitting you strait in the face, it seems to deflect up and over, with the majority of the wind currents inside the blind making circles.

So here's the scenario: Fully enclosed box blind with windows, built solid with no obvious air gaps. The stand's platform is 10' off the ground and there's a 12 mph wind. A mature buck walks directly downwind 30 yards away. Is he going to smell you?


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Re: Do box blinds contain your scent?

Unread postby IkemanTx » Sun Feb 07, 2016 2:03 pm

He probably will, unless the elevation takes it right over him. Now, smoke the box and you have a killer setup. My dad uses home built archery boxes on the ground at 12 yards. He routinely has deer within a yard or two of the window. (His design is a single narrow vertical window) The box is smoked a few times a season, and his clothes are smoked each trip.

Edit: he swears that when using a box on the ground, it is imparative to get less than 15 yards of the intended kill zone (west Texas, so it's either corn or water). If you are that close inside their comfort zone, it is almost like they have already decided the box is safe and they ignore it.
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Last edited by IkemanTx on Sun Feb 07, 2016 2:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Do box blinds contain your scent?

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Sun Feb 07, 2016 2:04 pm

Yes. I didn't think it was possible but I have dozens of experiences to prove it. It is the absolute best way to hunt low in hill country or any situation with shifty/swirling winds and thermals. It requires permanent sets though. Portable options are not an option as anything portable comes with a scent footprint even if precautions are taken.

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Re: Do box blinds contain your scent?

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Sun Feb 07, 2016 2:24 pm

Also, as far as asphyxia, the average human can function for 18.3 hours in an absolute air tight 6'x6'x6' box assuming no other oxygen consumers are present (e.g. heaters). At this point, you will find start exhibit issues with coordination, poor judgement, and discomfort. You can "live" over 40 hours, but I don't recommend it.
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Re: Do box blinds contain your scent?

Unread postby tbunao » Sun Feb 07, 2016 3:22 pm

I feel the best way to eliminate your scent in a box blind is by getting an ozonics unit. A small space like a box blind they should be pretty effective. With that said you are still going to leave your scent in the area. Your path in, climbing up (if its elevated), etc. Our scent will never be 100% contained

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Re: Do box blinds contain your scent?

Unread postby checkerfred » Sun Feb 07, 2016 4:10 pm

I've seen videos from people using pop up ground blinds in my area where does go right up to them. Now are they scent free or just curious? I've never used one so I don't know. I would think a permanent blind with the seams sealed and with Windows would work to keep scent down. I may build one on my land. I wonder about smoking the inside to see where they leak and how much?

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Re: Do box blinds contain your scent?

Unread postby JoeRE » Mon Feb 08, 2016 3:41 am

Yea, I do think they REDUCE scent that escapes down to a point it is much harder for deer to detect. To build something truly air tight, that is extremely difficult. I guarentee you cannot do it with just plywood and caulk, or even polywrap. To a certain extent, scent coming off your body is a function of surface area and a blind, where only seams in the corners leak, allow a lot less to escape than a person just sitting (and most important BREATHING) in the open. I haven't used box blinds a whole lot (for reasons below) but don't doubt it.

My main problems with box blinds are - if used very much in an area I think older deer avoid them based on vision, if you hunt them repeatedly the ground scent you leave around will make older deer avoid them (look at the infamous Bill Winke 2014 season on MWW where he was bound and determined to prove the doubters wrong....and failed.), I HATE the reduced visibility in a blind, from what I can tell the comfort is sort of addicting and that limits you as a hunter (everybody I know who has box blinds won't sit anywhere else if its cold or raining or really windy - that's a problem if you are really serious about getting every oportunity), and they are a pain in the but to ever move and expensive to buy or construct. Deal me out. Other than that, yea I agree in certain circumstances they might be the most effective setup possible like Bass mentioned.


BassBoysLLP wrote:Also, as far as asphyxia, the average human can function for 18.3 hours in an absolute air tight 6'x6'x6' box assuming no other oxygen consumers are present (e.g. heaters). At this point, you will find start exhibit issues with coordination, poor judgement, and discomfort. [glow=red]You can "live" over 40 hours, but I don't recommend it.[/glow]


Will take your word for it :lol:
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Re: Do box blinds contain your scent?

Unread postby Tufrthnails » Mon Feb 08, 2016 3:53 am

I think they help I have had cases where deer have gotten within touching distance from permanent blinds. One of the things I think plays into it is we lose skin cells well if they can't travel because they land inside the blind that is seriously knocking down your scentprint.
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Re: Do box blinds contain your scent?

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Mon Feb 08, 2016 6:17 am

JoeRE wrote:My main problems with box blinds are - if used very much in an area I think older deer avoid them based on vision, if you hunt them repeatedly the ground scent you leave around will make older deer avoid them (look at the infamous Bill Winke 2014 season on MWW where he was bound and determined to prove the doubters wrong....and failed.), I HATE the reduced visibility in a blind, from what I can tell the comfort is sort of addicting and that limits you as a hunter (everybody I know who has box blinds won't sit anywhere else if its cold or raining or really windy - that's a problem if you are really serious about getting every oportunity), and they are a pain in the but to ever move and expensive to buy or construct. Deal me out. Other than that, yea I agree in certain circumstances they might be the most effective setup possible like Bass mentioned.


I watched that whole season and could not figure why is he not moving? All these great bucks were cruising/moving through the end of the field and he was not moving. He gave the breakdown of how many years it took to move the redneck blind where it was. And I have noticed, he hunts out of them A LOT. Was just thinking about that the other day when I was watching his show.

I also think redneck commercial blinds would tend to be more weather tight / air tight than something that you build yourself. I have hunted a lot out of Double Bull blinds especially in bad weather. But I hate blinds from the standpoint, they are hard to get brushed in for mobile style hunting. Deer peg them big time. Plus, the limited visibility is not for me.
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Re: Do box blinds contain your scent?

Unread postby iowa whitetail » Mon Feb 08, 2016 9:13 am

If you rely on some sort of scent control to avoid hunting a bad wind you will not Consistently kill bucks that have any age to them at all. Spray, soap, a deer blind it doesn't matter it won't work. It's easy to say I had a deer down wind and it didn't smell me, well that's just one deer. It's a feel good sort of thing but it's going to kill your taxidermy bill.

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Re: Do box blinds contain your scent?

Unread postby Lockdown » Mon Feb 08, 2016 10:09 am

The issue that we've got is that we're hunting a treeless wide open CRP field. The deer are there, but there are no fence lines for them to follow, field edges, etc. movement is extremely random.

The first year we hunted dad got busted (in an open box blind) by a big buck, so we decided to make some enclosed blinds. There is really no other way to hunt it since we haven't seen consistent travel patterns.

There isn't any security cover at all other than the big blue stem itself. When pressured even a little, they vacate the property. So we gun hunt it during rut, and hope a shooter chases a doe in there. Honestly it's about as mindless as deer hunting gets.

A few people questioned whether or not the blinds would keep our scent inside, so I started this thread.

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Re: Do box blinds contain your scent?

Unread postby kurt » Mon Feb 08, 2016 10:34 am

If a box blind is built that air tight it will get moldy on inside. If it is left out all year. We had a problem with one you need a vent. The door had seals and the wood swelled tight to the point you had to beat it with a sledge.

It probably helps some especially with swirling but deer are incredible with their nose especially mature ones.

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Re: Do box blinds contain your scent?

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Mon Feb 08, 2016 11:46 am

Lockdown wrote:The issue that we've got is that we're hunting a treeless wide open CRP field. The deer are there, but there are no fence lines for them to follow, field edges, etc. movement is extremely random.

The first year we hunted dad got busted (in an open box blind) by a big buck, so we decided to make some enclosed blinds. There is really no other way to hunt it since we haven't seen consistent travel patterns.

There isn't any security cover at all other than the big blue stem itself. When pressured even a little, they vacate the property. So we gun hunt it during rut, and hope a shooter chases a doe in there. Honestly it's about as mindless as deer hunting gets.

A few people questioned whether or not the blinds would keep our scent inside, so I started this thread.

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I do believe that is what the redneck blind is all about. But wow....they are $$. Not sure what happens when you open a window to shoot.
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Re: Do box blinds contain your scent?

Unread postby Bayshorebuck8 » Mon Feb 08, 2016 12:14 pm

Not if your window is open.

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Re: Do box blinds contain your scent?

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Mon Feb 08, 2016 12:18 pm

mainebowhunter wrote:
Lockdown wrote:The issue that we've got is that we're hunting a treeless wide open CRP field. The deer are there, but there are no fence lines for them to follow, field edges, etc. movement is extremely random.

The first year we hunted dad got busted (in an open box blind) by a big buck, so we decided to make some enclosed blinds. There is really no other way to hunt it since we haven't seen consistent travel patterns.

There isn't any security cover at all other than the big blue stem itself. When pressured even a little, they vacate the property. So we gun hunt it during rut, and hope a shooter chases a doe in there. Honestly it's about as mindless as deer hunting gets.

A few people questioned whether or not the blinds would keep our scent inside, so I started this thread.

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I do believe that is what the redneck blind is all about. But wow....they are $$. Not sure what happens when you open a window to shoot.


You never want to open more than one window at once. Even if they are downwind you have a good sized window of opportunity. Once you create a draft through the blind all bets are off.

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