Deer blind advice

[Kamm1004]

Will be chasing eastern colorado riverbottom whitetails for the first time this year with stick and string. Plan on using a blind and maybe a decoy (Could really use advice here too). My question is to buy a blind or build a natural blind? Those of you in favor of buying a blind, give some brands or places to get a good deal. Those in favor of builing a blind, please give me some advice (pics appreciated). I tried building one for turkeys out of a half circle of chain link fence in front of me woven with cattails and weeds, and it worked okay but i didn't have a shooting window and had to shoot above or around the side.
Also, if you had advice on using a decoy during the rut that'd be great! should or shouldn't I use one? whats a good one to use and how do you use/situate it, etc. Thanks again guys!!

[rolltidehunter]

I hate tent blinds! Don't feel like im hunting when I'm in one.  No Movement is the key! Brush yourself in a little and be still

[Flingblade]

I've never had luck on deer with the pop up tent type blinds.  I have put them up in areas with lots of deer sign and had the deer completely avoid the area even after several weeks.  Check out the Ghostblind.  They have a website that shows how they work.  They are available from 3rivers now and work great for deer and turkeys although I still prefer tent type blinds for turkeys.  Natural blinds also work well and even better if built ahead of time. As for the decoy question; my biggest buck yet was shot as he ran up to the hind end of my doe decoy so yes they do work.  Set it up so you have shots at the back 20 yards of the doe decoy and shoot before he gets to the decoy cause they figure out the fake pretty quick and bust out of there.  Use rubber gloves and some kind of scent killer on the decoy.  From my experience bigger bucks in rut will sometimes charge in but lesser bucks will come in more cautiously.  Does will stop and check it out from a distance and sometimes hang around for quite awhile which will bring in the bucks trailing them during the rut.  Best of luck!

[m midd]

Natural blind for sure. It doesnt take much to construct, just some cord and limb clippers. Sure beats hauling around a tent.

[deaddoc4444]

I like natural blinds also  ALWAYS enough material lying around to use .

[Kamm1004]

Great guys thanks for the advice!

[Bill Carlsen]

I've killed plenty of deer from the ground in natural blinds. I now own 3 Double Bull blinds that are great for turkey and work well on deer, as well. It's a different kind of ball game but as I get older it seems like a more "comfortable" way to hunt.

[WRV]

Natural blinds work well for me

[koger]

Natural blinds work great, but pop up blinds have the advantage of making a scent well, which holds in most of your scent, not to mention making it a lot more comfortable in inclimate weather. I have a bad back, and sitting in a double bull magnum stool and a pop up, I can hunt 3-4 hours with no problem.

[Terry Green]

Reed Fencing at Home Depot....6 x 16 for $25.  You can cut it with ease with pruning shears....

    Click Here to see Blinds with Reed Fencing

[wooddamon1]

That's a killer set-up!    

I like to find an area and slap together a natural blind, hunt it then leave it alone for a few days while scouting/hunting other areas. Makes for exciting hunting having a few scattered around that aren't getting over hunted...

Never tried decoys...

[Kamm1004]

Koger, your exactly right. The scent issue is a major reason I was thinking of a tent blind. Especially if my girlfriend will be filming, it might work better to conceal movement and scent. But has anyone ever been picked out or spotted by deer in a tent blind?would it be more likely than in a natural blind? I would have trees and cattails to my back. Any thoughts?

[TomBow]

I researched much for blinds and ended up buying a Big Jim 275, 80" high for a little over a Benjamin.  The windows are a bit high at the bottom, but that is cured by a few small bunjees strung from outside brush loops to inside frame rod.  I can shoot my 62" longbow with no worries about hitting limb on the roof or hitting the window edge (after adding the bunjees).  Seat height determines what you can do but most blinds don't allow enough room for trad bows so check them out first before dropping the ching.

From my experience, a tent blind suddenly appearing will probably spook a deer unless you brush it in well so it becomes part of the landscape not something NEW to the landscape.  That is where the natural blind beats the tent blind.  but the natural blind method, you are going to have to time your movement much better as the tent blind will hide all concealment.  

My first experience with a tent blind was during turkey hunting.  Set it up in the middle of the field, turkeys ignored it and the deer we saw were very suspicious,  but we WERE like a big pimple on the face of the field.  With filming, I would say tent blind wins.  (disclaimer:  writer may be misinterpreted as knowing what he is talking about, use information provided at your own risk!!)

TomBow

[Kamm1004]

Tombow, I'll be using an ambush recurve so size isn't a big issue. It's gonna be a tough decision either way!

[Tom Leemans]

Natural for Deer. Pop up for turkeys.

[NBK]

Although I don't like being in a tent blind, I've been doing it more and more because my young kids are always begging to come along.  I'm with Tombow in that I prefer a tent blind, but I brush it in really well.  I'm amazed at what we can get away with in a tent blind when deer are close.  One thing I always do though is I lay a piece of carpet remnant on the ground to keep it quiet and doubles for when the kids want/need a nap!

[kennym]

The way I see it (for deer), if you gotta brush in your tent blind, why not just brush yourself a little spot?

I understand the kids need one, but if I gotta brush anything for me, I'll be in the open air where I can see, and hear it all.

[longrifle346]

I use'em for 80% of my hunting on the ground with really good success. Keep them de-scented and in the bag until the setup, throw/stack some brush around them, and give me 5 minutes with a pair of pruning shears to brush in the outline. I've had deer within 10 yards the same morning.

I just ordered a Baronnet 350 for next season, it's 7'6" across the hubs and tall enough that I can stand and shoot my longbow from it....thinking about puttin' in a flatscreen and satellite!