Ground Blind

[b2down]

What are your tricks of the trade for ground blind deer hunting when no trees are available? The land I have has trees butting up to it but not on my property. The deer travel out of the trees into my corn field. I have always struggled on the ground. Seems like they catch me every time (in pop up blind). I keep my movement to a minimum, back windows closed and dark, face mask or paint, and always plan the wind. I feel like I'm just there to feed the mosquitos and the deer are there to watch.

 

[dust in the wind]

Similar situation here (Not a lot of trees) - I have my ground blind tucked in a patch of russian olives. Since I moved it a little further south, I didn't brush it in last year and seemed to work for me.

I also put it out about 3 weeks prior to the season opening.

The deer do notice it but it doesn't seem to bother them a whole lot. I will leave the window open so they get used to seeing the "black hole"

ETA: I'll probably brush in the top of the blind this year as that is still visible. Will also have to trim down my shooting lanes.

 

[dean nelson]

Well first how long are you leaving the blind out? They don't like when they fist appear. Second is if there is no way to hide the blind then make sure its easily visible to them a long way away. If they come around a corner to close to the blind they will spook. Third where black cloths including your hands and face. People would be surprised how easy it is to see small amounts of exposed skin even in a blind.

 

[PrairieGhost]

Maybe ten years ago now a buddy and I were trying to set up on some deer. There was a ten foot diameter patch of sweet clover six or seven feet high out in CRP. We used clippers to cut a square in the middle to fit our blind. The clover we cut we used to brush in the blind sides and roof. About an hour later a 3X3 nearly knocked the blind over. He was no further than one foot from my window, but he knocked so much clover over the window there was no way to get an arrow through. He stood for maybe fifteen seconds and I would guess smelled us. Still he was confused and stood at ten yards for a little while. I tried to move the clover, but he spotted that. Since then I like weed patches on or near deer trails.

 

[KDM]

Build a brush pile along the fence that is big enough and tall enough to hide your blind. The deer should be used to seeing that brush pile and accept the addition of a blind quicker. The other option is to build a permanent blind on the fence line. I see those in MN all the time.

 

[bigbrad123]

All good ideas mentioned. Can you attach some standing corn to your blind with zip ties? I try to attach brush and branches to my blind with zip ties to break it up a bit when I set it up in open areas. Wasn't sure if you could do that with corn stalks and such.

 

[Kickemup]

In open terrain I like to put the blind out in the open. So they can see it as soon as they get out of the cover

 

[PrairieGhost]

All good ideas mentioned. Can you attach some standing corn to your blind with zip ties? I try to attach brush and branches to my blind with zip ties to break it up a bit when I set it up in open areas. Wasn't sure if you could do that with corn stalks and such.

I hunt a friends land and he doesn't mind if I cut corn as long as I don't cut corn with ears on it. Two of my blinds have loops that corn stocks fit in perfectly. I sometimes throw a 2000 watt Honda generator in the back of my pickup and take my electric hedge trimmer with. I can cut a lot of phragmites (common reed) which is sort of like miniature bamboo. It also makes a good material to cover your blind. I have built entire blinds with four steel posts, some twine, and phragmites. Along a pond or river ducks and geese are total suckers for this type of blind.