Due to a recent thread by Buckeyehunter I am getting PM's and emails asking questions about hunting from ground blinds so I figured I'd just post up what I've been telling people here.If any of you other blind hunters have anything to add, please do so. If anyone else has a question, please feel free to add it to this thread.
First you must think of a whitetails defenses. In order of importance they would be #1 nose #2 sight #3 hearing. To over come these defenses you need to do certain things.
To overcome their incredible nose there is only one thing you can do and that's set up with the wind in your favor. I made this rookie mistake just last night and it cost me a doe at 10 steps. I was hunting new property and found a nice looking ambush spot. There was this PERFECT brushpile but it was on the wrong side of the trail, wind wise. All I had to do was crawl in it and sit. There was no way to be spotted in there, but it would be real easy to shoot out of. I decided to gamble. About 15 minutes before dark a doe came slowly walking up the trail feeding here and there. I got my bow up, but before she got to me, the wind betrayed me, and she smelled me right before she got into my shooting lane. She tried spotting me but couldn't. Whitetails trust their nose above everything else and she eventually blew out of there (figuratively and literally) taking several others that were following her (maybe a buck?) with her. As a matter of fact that was the second time this year I've been busted at under 10 yeards by the wind. You simply cannot fool their noses.Not with cover scents, not with scent loc clothing. There is no miracle cure for this one. They only need a couple parts per million of molecules in the air to smell you. Your breath exhaling will easily do that. You simply MUST have the wind in your favor. Period.
#2 the second thing that will get you busted is being spotted and by that I mean your form or outline. You need to break it up. Having good background is paramount otherwise you will be silhouetted. If they just catch you moving they will stare intently maybe do the bob, weave, thing but they are used to seeing things move, squirrels, birds etc. They need to know it's danger before busting out of there otherwise they would be in a constant state of fleeing. Humans form or outline is unique and instantly signals danger. That's why ghillie suits are so effective. They break up the human form better than anything else. Break up your outline and they may dismiss you or at least give you time to slowly draw and shoot. I've read their vision is pretty good focus wise, but they have poor depth perception, and see in shades of grey. Don't know it that's true but worth exploiting. It's imortant to cover the parts that alert deer the most, your face and your hands. Wear a headnet and gloves or paint them up if you don't like wearing a headnet. Commercial camoflage isn't necessary to break up your image (as a fact most won't) but a pattern of some sort is a good idea, whether that is camo you trust or plaid.
#3 is there ears and although they have great hearing, again they are used to some noises like leaves rustling and sticks breaking, squirrels digging for nuts, jumping limb to limb, chasing each other and the deer needs verification from one of their other two senses before percieveing danger.If you are walking in the woods and spot a deer it has generally heard you (or something) and is standing there ears out, eyes looking in the direction it heard the noise. If it gets verification thru either sight or smell that you're a human it will then flee. If it can't it may dismiss you and continue feeding or walking as it had originally intended.
To summarise: Play the wind, have stuff in front of you to break up your outline and behind you to keep from being skylined, and if you make any noise, stop, stay quiet and wait them out.
Hope this helps.
Topic: Tips for ground blind hunters (Read 992 times)
