Trad Gang

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.

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

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

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...

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.

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

QuoteOriginally 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!!!   :jumper:

:biglaugh:    :biglaugh:    :biglaugh:  
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.  (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/Shortbldtr/ICAM0007.jpg)Hope we can get this all in one take!!!!!!!

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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....  :saywhat:  

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.

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

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

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

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!!!!!!!!

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.

until a windstorm; I had an Ameristep stackhouse blind that worked well on bears. It was big enough to use my longbow in; and I had one bear use the slight bulge of my back hitting the wall of the blind to stand on while sniffing the blind.

They can fall for it; but you had better not put any odor on it- or it will be tested for taste.

I had another 'hunter' use the blind; and the bears left chew marks on it.

You can though put one up and have even critically serious bears come in.

They do work; just don't leave one out when a huge wind comes along and delivers them to who knows where..........

Paul the game warden told me there are over 60,000 bears in that area.I just know for sure at least one of them will want to look under your skirt.They are just to curious of a beast.You even copped out to maybe dozeing off from time to time while on stand ??? this is gonna get good.bowdoc

"You can though put one up and have even critically serious bears come in."

That's what I'm looking for Brian. A different approach.
The pic of the bear above fed at my bait for the whole season and I never could get him to commit while I was on stand.

Don a blind  will make it tougher for the bear to visit than if I'm in one of Tom's stands
 :eek:  

Wasn''t planning on bringing a blind to Quebec but I will if there's any interest and you bring your skirt  :p  
This is gonna be good............

I am glad I read this, I could not make it to BQIII this year (save me a spot for next year)and with 4 preference points I should get drawn for our spring permit season and was thinking of using my Double Bull Darkhorse Blind, but after reading this I will save it for turkeys (they don't chew them, up do they?)

This is a good blind. I am 6 feet tall and can stand up in it with room to spare.I shot a 62" bow from it while sitting on a 5 gal. bucket.I think that I could easily shoot a 64" bow from it. Screen all the way around. Easy up and down. $152 shipped. You do get a certain sense of security from the thin nylon walls, but I don't think it comes with a bruin bearier.   :saywhat:

http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=059775#000000

Looks interesting. How often did you use yours this year?

As for the bruin barrier sometimes you get the bear and sometimes.............

My bruin barrier is a .44 mag!  :) ...O.L.

I used a DB Matrix last spring in Manitoba.  The baits have never had a commercial blind on them ever.  I was shooting a 58" Silvertip T/D and didn't have a problem.  We (there were two of us, me and my buddy, who sat together every night.  One of us running a camera.)set the blind about 10 yards from the bait and had some awesome encounters with some very large bears.  They are definitely curious as to what the blind is.  Had one boar at 1.5 feet!  We took the blind down every evening.  Didn't ever see a bear spook from it, and the advice about the thermacell and scent is right on.  I am not planning on hunting from a stand again for black bear after being on the ground.  It was awesome.

My experience is the same as Ted Fry's. I had a Lucky's Tent Blind that a bear balled up and used for soccer, aluminum poles and all.

This bear liked the Double Bull so well, he tried to take it with him.  
 (http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/rogbo/th_ManlyBear.jpg) (http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/rogbo/?action=view¤t=ManlyBear.flv)

(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t92/rogbo/P6260083.jpg)

Cool video AK !!!
Looks like something I've got to try!
Nice bear also. How long is your recurve?

Next to the bait barrel, an enclosed nylon blind is about the last thing I would want to be in with black bear around.  It's like one of those easy-opening cans that Bubba Smith advertised.  I would get all legal papers up to date before you leave on the trip.

AK - What were you spraying that bear with? Did you bring a repellent of just drop trou to keep from soiling yourself after he grabbed the blind?    :biglaugh:

PV it's a a 60" DAS Dalaa and as far was what we sprayed him with, it was just the apple spray made to attract not repel.  They just don't like the noise and something wet hitting them in the face.  bbassi, my friend....real bear hunters don't wear "trou".....we wear loin cloths.  Next year I am hoping to hunt on the ground in a Ghille suit at the bait station.  We'll see.

Cool video.

Thanks for all the help.
Decided on this one. Thanks for the link Brian.
Only problem I can see is I may need a chain saw to clear enough room for the blind's footprint.Set up was a breeze with one arm in a sling.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/Shortbldtr/IMG_0177.jpg)

Plenty of room for a camera man and assistant  :)

cool video. I hunted out of a DB for 2 days in Maine. The bears paid no attention to them. Pete had them brushed in and I think it helps keep the bears from eating them. The third day I was in a brush blind. I have hunted them from trees and from the ground. Being on the ground is way more fun.
My video

 http://www.buffsblackwidow.com/videos/bearhuntday3.wmv

AK All I can say is    :scared:    :eek:
Buff Great vids as always nice bear!!  Joe

Paul, Where's my tree stand  :)   That should be an exciting hunt being able to smell Bears Breath...kinda like the morning rush at Duncan Donuts.  Doc

Doc this is gonna get good huh ? bd

I could smell his breath right through the computer screen. Looks like you'd better stake that thing down Paul and get some of that apple spray.

Cool Vid Buff Great job as always !

"kinda like the morning rush at Duncan Donuts.  Doc "
I'll take my chances with the bears. I've seen the looks on those peoples faces  :scared:  

Cheryl puts up with my obessions pretty well Doc but if she came home and there was a tripod set up in the living room it might be the straw.........
I can beef up the frame and set you a chair on the roof. At 80" it'll be higher than most of Tom's stands.

Apple juice Shaun? I don't think I better go there............  ;)

My wife killed a black bear out of this blind in Arkansas this past fall 13 yards.  I put the blind up on one day and she killed a bear the next.

(http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k71/onestringer/Web%20Pics/Blind1copy.jpg)

(http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k71/onestringer/Web%20Pics/Blind2copy.jpg)

what a video buff,and i loved the big ole' silverflame.awesome!!!!!!!

that's pretty cool video right there!

Congratulations to your wife one stringer!
Nice job of brushing in.

QuoteOriginally posted by Onestringer:
My wife killed a black bear out of this blind in Arkansas this past fall 13 yards.  I put the blind up on one day and she killed a bear the next.

 (http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k71/onestringer/Web%20Pics/Blind1copy.jpg)

(http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k71/onestringer/%3Cbr%20/%3EWeb%20Pics/Blind2copy.jpg)

congrats to both of you getting a Bear in Ar is a real feat