Ground blinds "hang and hunt"

[Bryan pinick]

With the late bow season kicking in here in Kansas, I am looking for ways to extend my hunts. I have had decent success hunting ground blinds that have been allowed to be previously placed. On public ground however, they are not allowed to be left over night.
How many of you have had success on WHITETAILS setting up blinds before daylight in a run and gun fashion?

[KSdan]

Hi Bryan- I vote you have better success w natural blind and good camo. A ghillie top or ASAT leafy suit will serve you better.  White w snow on ground is a killing machine. My 2c

Merry Christmas
Dan

[Bryan pinick]

Agreed Dan
I know the chances of getting picked are much greater with the pop up on a "new" sit.  It sure would be nice to keep that wind off me though!

[Keb]

With a buck decoy in the rut I’ve had success wif same day set ups in the rut. If u think some rut still shaking it’s an option

[8upss]

Hi Bryan- I vote you have better success w natural blind and good camo. A ghillie top or ASAT leafy suit will serve you better.  White w snow on ground is a killing machine. My 2c

Merry Christmas
Dan

I agree with this. I prefer a natural hide, a blowdown, small thicket, or a cluster of trees/stumps to blend into.


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[Bryan pinick]

I have plenty of great natural ground blind setups. I am looking a spending a full day in a pop up blind in possibly frigid temps and windchill. Maybe heater? NO bait either like is popular in some areas.
And it will have to be carried in 3/4 mile plus. That's why I was wondering if anyone has repeated success in new set ups.

[OkKeith]

Bryan-

Now... this is on private land mind you, but the scenario is fairly the same. I have set up a ground blind and hung a trail camera on the front in the late morning. When I have checked the camera I have had photos of deer that afternoon.

Here is my opinion. If a deer shied away from every suspect lump in the woods, they would NEVER get anywhere. If you set up next to a well traveled route that has steady traffic I don't think you would halt that activity. I wouldn't plop down right in the middle of the trail and expect no reaction but otherwise I think you would be OK. Also, I would make good use of the see through mesh if your blind has it. My experience is that deer are more afraid of the giant black hole an open and uncovered window poses than they would a large camo lump that suddenly appeared. You will definitely get some head bobs and hoof stamps but with no movement and little scent I think they will quickly go back to business as usual.

I sit some hunts with a ghillie suit and stool as is suggested and it works, but like you said you are out in the wind and the cold. A blind is significantly more protection. With a ghillie and stool you also have to play the wind a lot more. A blind lets you contain your scent more.

If you can incorporate your blind to blend in to the natural surroundings it helps. I wouldn't go to the trouble of brushing it in (might be against public land rules to cut trees anyway) but setting up next to a blow down or in a gap in a thicket makes it look more natural.

Below is a photo of a blind set up of mine. Everything is still free standing. I didn't cut any of the brush to place around the blind I just snuggled it into what was there.

Good luck with the hunt!

OkKeith

[Bryan pinick]

Thank you Keith and I like your perspective and agree. I also got feedback from a buddy who is an excellent woodsman and he shared similar setups that produce. I don't mind the head bobs if they are at 15 yards 

[OkKeith]

Very true Bryan!

I spent a pretty cold 3 or 4 days hunting that blind pictured, this season. I have never used a heater in a bow blind but I managed to stay warm with a couple of thermos bottles of hot drinks and some good snacks.

Do you know what a military Woobie is? I carry one jammed in a small stuff sack in my hunting pack, washed in the same no-smell hunting soap I use on my hunting clothes. That and an insulated cushion are the best investments I have made to be able to sit long hours in a blind during cold weather. Both are pretty inexpensive. The cushion keeps your butt warm and you can either wrap up in the Woobie or drape it on the back of the chair to stop drafts. I have even laid down on the ground with the Woobie as a sleeping bag and the cushion as a pillow and had a great nap in the blind!

I have posted on some other threads about the quest to find the perfect portable chair for a blind but in this one I have a pretty standard directors chair type of seat like this:

Might be tough to pack a chair like this in 3/4 of a mile though.

Stay warm... it looks like a pretty cold patch of weather is bearing down on us for the next week or so.

OkKeith

[Tim Finley]

Avery makes a gillie blanket in 5x9 size you can attach 2 together drape over and makes a pop up hard to see .

[Wudstix]

I guess it depends on the herd, if you really blend it in without too much alteration of the area it works sometimes.  Think that ghillie suit works as well, since it is a smaller object on looks like part of the Cedar brush.  Carry in some extra layers to put on under the bush suit.  I have luck with an old Army wool blanket to wrap around my legs.
        

[Flingblade]

The only blind I've had good luck with on run and gun hunts is the Ghostblind.  I have two of the extenders for better coverage with my longbow.  Works great as long as the wind is light.  Like less than 8-10 mph.