Black bears and pop up blinds

[PV]

Like to try a ground blind on my baits this year Looking for info/input from guy's who've used this combo. How do the bears react to the blind? What you like/dislike and blind recommendations. At 5'10" I'm looking for a new pop up that I can stand up in.

[tippit]

Paul, I think the bears like the bait inside the pop up     I'll take videos from the tree above if you want...Doc

[vermonster13]

Bears love to investigate pop-up blinds. Should make for an interesting hunt. Don't leave it set-up when your not there. We've had bears do some interesting things with them when they've found them up here unattended. Using them for turkeys and deer, but every once in a while a blackie will find one. Gets expensive when they do. lol

[Overspined]

They work. You can use the thermacell for mosquitos outside by the window(s). Bears will get curious and walk crazy close at times. The shoot through screens are nice to help get rid of the black window appearance, but it is difficult to see out of them as it gets darker. Often they will wait until very low light to appear. They also help to contain scent a bit. Usually a bear knows someone is there though, or has some idea something just aint right, you don't just find random donut piles all over the woods...

[RRock]

Hey Paul, Make sure you get one with a back door. If not, maybe Bow Doc will be your back up with his spear. Guys, have a great New Year.

[d. ward]

Paul that should be fine.Doc posted above you with his camera running it should be safe.At some point his laughing will surely scare the bear out of your ground blind. bowdoc

[BowHuntingFool]

Originally posted by PV:
Like to try a ground blind on my baits this year Looking for info/input from guy's who've used this combo. How do the bears react to the blind? What you like/dislike and blind recommendations. At 5'10" I'm looking for a new pop up that I can stand up in.

Get one big enough so you can run around in as well, just in case the bear decides he wants to chase ya!!!  

[PV]

         
You guy's are best med's a man could ask for!!!!!!
Had another slice and dice on my shoulder Monday.

Let's see where we're at.We've got have Doc on camera (Need a zip out roof on the new blind for close up's) Bowdoc backing me up with his spear and with the three of us bowdoc,bear and me doing laps inside trying to be the first one out the back door.  Hope we can get this all in one take!!!!!!!

[blind one]

Toilet paper..lots of t.p....just incase it gets toooo close and     the #%$@ outta ya....

[Kip]

Paul   Sorry to hear about your shoulder but hope you have a good new year.I don't know why a blind would be any more pucker factor than Tom's 5'6" high stands.Take care Kip

[vermonster13]

You seem to be under the impression it is the bears in front of you to be worried about. It's the ones that make their own door in through your blindspots that you need be real concerned about!    :D

[Ted Fry]

Paul , not sure about Tom's area in Quebec but where I guide in Idaho the bears like to tear up the pop-up style blinds and scatter the pieces all over the forest, this is why we went to the brush pile style blind.
It is fun shooting from the ground up close and personal.

[Ken Taylor]

I ran a bear camp for a long time and always had some ground blinds available. I've never used a pop up blind but whenever I used any netting or other artificial cover on my natural brush blinds the bears would mess with it if I left it there.

I wouldn't leave a commercial blind overnight.

 I personally prefer hunting bears from the ground but the spot is not always conducive to ground hunting.

[bbassi]

I found it interesting that we had 2 DBs in Quebec this year and NOBODY was chomping at the bit to try hunting out of them  - including me. I'd never hunted French Canadian bears so I was a little apprehensive (read CHICKEN), but I would have thought some of the veterans would have would have been a little braver.....        :D

[joe skipp]

I wasn't impressed. My guide had me in an Ameristep...unless your shooting a 31" Compound, you can't kneel or sit and draw your bow back. My limb tips were hitting the top with both my 60" and 56" bows and I was kneeling and lowering myself as much as I could to shoot out of the opening.

I had one bear at 10 yds, slightly downhill, thought I could get the arrow through the opening. No...arrow ripped through the blind and sailed over his back..Snuffer left a nice large hole though....    

Next night the guide was setting up a ladder stand for me, when we got to the bait site, the bears had ripped down the blind...Thank God...2 nights in that blind with bears all around and not being able to make a shot sucked. Maybe the newer ones with higher area inside would be better but I'm done with any pop ups.

[O.L. Adcock]

Joe, None of that was the blinds fault!    Good blinds and not trying to shoot out of them cold turkey will help.

PV, they work great and yes, bears do like to take a look inside! Thumb down this page for a couple of bears and blind stories...O.L.

 http://www.bowmaker.net/success.htm

[d. ward]

Wow wow wow,I never said anything about getting in no blind with my spear to back you up.No no I never said that.I said you can use my spear.I can get another from Doc.The idea of being inside a small inclosed area with you trying to shoot your bow at a scared bear and myslef flaying a 16 inches long razor sharp spear just does not sound like all that much fun..bowdoc

[vermonster13]

But bowdoc think of the video sales that would bring! It would be hilarious!!!

[PV]

Good link O.L thanks. Was curious as to the bears reaction to the blind and what type of blind works. Got an Ameristep that won't.

Good points on leaving the blind up.
I don't leave anything at a bait site I can't do without.

Hey Matt,Kip,Ted,Doc,Bowdoc and all the other folks I've had the pleasure of hunting with or spending quality time with here.

Happy and Healthy New Year!!!!!!!!

[O.L. Adcock]

PV, we don't use bait down here but I've folded up my blind and stuck it in forks of trees to come back and find it on the ground and mauled a bit by the bears! Curious critters they are...O.L.