I have talked to some friends about building a ground blinde and we got on the discution of how we build them an what they look like. I build them so I have cover from behind and and cover in front. An my friends said that they have build some with a roof on top an walls all the way around. What do you guys do to build a ground blinde?
The best ground blind I ever built was made out of hay bales. Kinda got the idea from one of the 3 little pigs. Any how, it had 2 bales on each side with one bale to sit on. 9 bales total. The bale I sat on was covered by one of the bales that went on the wall. I would enter the blind and take the bale off the bale I used as a seat. The seat was always dry and the blind was toasty warm. I also had brush behind me to break up the outline. And it helped to put sticks and branches in the strings of the bales.
Never thought of hay bails.
That's an awesome idea. Thanks for that!
......Philip
I had a guy I knew who did that same hay bale thing but put it right on the hay wagon on his place. He would move his "ground" blind to where ever the deer seemed to like it in the spot he had....he could even change field edges across the farm. I like to build them in or into blow downs. Sometimes you can use the blow down as the front, sometimes it's the back. Just make sure you have more than one spot to shoot from. I like a couple of "windows".
My favorites are patches of grass, weeds or stickers in front of bushes. I take my pruners and clip out a little spot in the seam and sit so I can just see heads bobing above the weeds. If I have a gap so that I don't have to stand to shoot, that is even better. Less is more. Although, I am learning to make them wide enough to lay the bow across my lap and have it not touch anything.
My buddy Richie Mason on facebook bulids round hay bale blinds, they work awesome.
Built one today that I'll use next week I hope...I generally just take some saplings or brush and pile it up and tie it together with zip ties . I sit against a wide tree so my silhouette doesn't show and above all I sit still. Making it too big draws attention from deer and other hunters..Mostly I rely on sitting in shadows and being very still
Good bush or a tree behind me and just enough cover in front so as to not get in the way of the shot. I don't really build one just find one made by nature.
I might move a dead branch or two but thats about it. Usually just a large tree or blow down.
What Ron W.said, anything more elaborate should be built in the spring.
What Bjorn and Rob W. said! And amen on the "sit still" Pointer. That's the ticket. It is amazing how close a deer will come if you remain still. I had 3 does walk 20 yards from me while I was freshening up a scrape wearing a hunters orange vest on public land standing up in a dry slough.I was amazed.Breaking your silouette with something behind you is in my opinion more important than frontal cover if you can't find both in the spot you want to hunt.
I like blowdowns. Then I pile up extra stuff to provide a good screen. I think whatever is behind you plays a very major role in keeping your outline from being clear. I don't like roofs. I always hit them with my bow. I agree with the "be still" guys.
I pulled up my "Antelope blind build-a-long" thread for you. This will work great for deer as well.
I like a blind with a roof, and dark inside to hide movement, and keep the burning sun, and or rain off me.
You never can be too hid when making a blind.
I like solid cover behind me and lots in front of me low. A couple of high spots up front to hide behind are nice as long as they don't get in the way of shooting. Front cover should be far enuf out that the arrow doesn't get in it. Here are a couple pics of one blind. You can see the bow hanging and the red spot just to the left of the bow is my DB seat's back.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/Fletcher610/PA120522.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/Fletcher610/PA120524.jpg)
I built one of Shedrocks lope blinds on the edge of my food plot and the deer don't seem to mind it a bit. Haven't hunted it yet but looking forward to it.
I try to make mine as natural as possible and 3 dimensional! Up here in Northern Mi there are a lot of downfall trees that are the start of a good ground blind! The large Junipers work real well if can get in the center one near a deer trail, my current blind is in a stand of Junipers below a white pine tree!
This is a semi-pit blind. I sit on the edge of the hole. Lots of dead-fall behind me, I brush up the front once in awhile with oak branches. I use oak because they hold thier leaves all season.
(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h227/rnorris/IMG_0013.jpg)
I don't do much, and I try to avoid fresh branches and stirring up the dirt. Deer are attracted to both and will come check them out. And there is no way you can draw when the deer is only 2 feet away. And they always catch your scent then.
I can tell that Roger has done this ground blind thing before. His semi-pit can be a great option. Dig a hole for your feet and sit on the edge. Really lowers your profile and makes it easy to blend in. Just watch your lower limb. Oak branches cut in late summer will hold their leaves for a couple years of more - you can't hardly pull them off. Other trees will lose their leaves shortly after being cut.
Sunday I built a monster blind
Had some down brush on newly aquired property.
It was either cut it up or build a blind.
I built the blind.
Came out nice.
i learnt the pit blind trick from calgary chef.
the animals dont see you as such a threat- smaller profile i geuss. just one thing- make the hole so that small critters can get out- should they fall in.
All I do is ground hunt, haven't pulled my tree stand out in two years. I keep a good pair of sharp snips with me, they're in my pants pocket every time I hit the woods. If I find the right spot I can slip into cover with those snips, preferrably in the shade of overhanging branches, and have a blind built in less than 2-3 minutes. I make sure there's enough room overhead and gaps in front of me to come to draw from a sitting position in at least 2-3 places.
Nature provides plenty of cover, although i dont actually build a blind, i do on occasion, move mother natures furniture a bit.
Love the pit blind idea, but no way in Texas without heavy equipment unless you stumble on a deep, natural drainage.
Good back-cover is the ticket. I back into it whether its a large tree or a good size blow-down. Try to hit the woods earlier than usual if I'm going to ground pound it for the evening hunt.
The best tool is the pruning sheers. I simply find a couple small saplings and trim the 1/4" branches at an angle like you would cut flowers. Stick the cut ends in the gound in front of me, and whalla... instant cover anywhere the deer sign looks promising.
Just had a spike in to 15 yards broadside the other evening using this blind method.
I like a good blow down or tree tops. Loppers are a must for construction. Good stuff in this thread enjoyed. :clapper:
I like to trim out a few small openings in a good sized cedar tree. Since I have to saw the branches close to the trunk of the tree to sit up against it in addition to a good pair of pruning shears I also carry a small hand saw. Works great and now I have several cedars to back up against on the land I hunt!
K.C.
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f196/jjeffer/P1010008.jpg)
For me it is movement that deer notice most. I have had them walk yards from me if I am standing still somewhat in the open and had them spook when I fell I am hidden and make the slightest movement. I like the pop up blinds since they have a top and are black inside. The darkens makes your movement almost not noticable.
If I don't use a pop up blind I try to make sure my arms are well covered.
I notice the guys who stack the most brush don't generally live in snake country!
Here is a pic of one my ground blinds Junipers and Pines!
(http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae270/ripforce_photo/IMG_0929.jpg)
I normal look for good back cover (either deadfall or bushes) and then either trim a spot to sit or stack branches up in front of me. I always have pruners with me just in case I need to move or trim some branches so I can draw back without hitting anything with my elbow. I try not to do too much cutting or trimming if possible.
QuoteOriginally posted by gregg dudley:
I notice the guys who stack the most brush don't generally live in snake country!
I'm not scared of snakes, but I'd absolutely hate to be sitting in my ground blind and look down at first light to see a rattler coiled up in the corner. It's almost happened twice before. I have a really good flashlight now :)
I have a piece of camo cloth I use as either a poncho, or drape over a bush, but most of the time it just sits in my backpack.
I'm with you Gregg. Don't like reaching down and dragging and stacking up lots of limbs with the diamond backs and copperheads hanging around. No matter what size ground blind you build, it can get crowded very quick. And there are never enough exits!!!!
Danny