Iv' decided to dedicate part of tomorrow to get out and build some natural blinds for our upcoming Turkey season. I never really give this process too much thought, but was wondering if my fellow TG's have a secrete recipe for their construction. So lets share some pics and Ideas on Ground blind construction.
I am no expert yet but I look for spots that are already thick or dark and just finish the job God started. I think that if one just pops up in a clear and bright area that the local wildlife will notice and avoid it for awhile. Animals notice change in the woods like you notice change in your living room.
Rub it in Chris, bright areas you say. We don't get any sun here in NY. Not nearly enough anyway. Good thought though, really.
I hollow out the inside of a clump of brush or bushy tree. I take a roll of die cut camo fabric,some para cord,zip ties and clippers. It only takes a couple minutes to tie up limbs where you need them and zip tie the fabric on. Clip off the branches in the way and stick them in the fabric. If you blow up the picture you can see my shooting window cut in the fabric,it's about 2' in the tunnel I cut in the brush.That makes a shadow for you. I had birds within 4' of the side of me that didn't see me.
(http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc156/goshawkin/photo-53.jpg)
Here's rubbin it in David. It was a high of 80 today, clear skyies, and a slight breeze. a perfect day to go stumpin in short sleaves. :biglaugh:
Sorry it's so hot there Chris, Im' staying nice and cool here in cloudy NY.I won't even break a sweat making those blinds tomorrow. :laughing:
Goshawkin, Thats way cool man. Thanks for thee excellento Idea. I also use camo netting in the mix.Not too many bushes were I hunt but I'll deffinately remember that one. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Dave,
I'm planning on my fall ground blind for deer....metal T-posts, dog fencing at least 4' high..camo netting....and finding and transplanting honeysuckle vines and maybe even English ivy. English ivy stays green year-round. The ivy and honeysuckle will grow up and fill the fencing throughout the summer and eventually make an all natural blind cover. You can cut strategic holes in the fencing for shooting.
If it's on your land maybe something like that could be a semi-permanent blind for future use.
I gotta get busy.
Bud, your the man. Great Idea, you'll have the deer coming right to your blind to eat that honeysuckle too.I guess the only thing would be that the conditions would have to be right for those plants to flurish.You have my wheels rolling now.
I really like the honey suckle idea. That stuff around here will flat take over if it can get some sun.
I like to use small branches stuck into the ground- a little goes a long way and I think we all (myself included) have a tendency to want more cover than we need.
Anyway, I also try to keep in mind that out here in Colorado, it does not take much to alter the natural way things are in a permanent way.
With that in mind I try to be considerate of those who also enjoy the back country for its wildness that will follow.
I don't do anything that might ruin their experience- like prune up trees for a stand for example the way some will do- clearing wide shooting lanes and stuff., or leaving fire rings.
Joshua
I agree with Joshua I prefer to blend in using natural cover and position over building a site up that could make it stand out. Try to use natural funnels that will focus the animals attention to the funnel not you.
If for turkey hunting it does not have to be a natural type spot. They are dumb as a box of rocks. You could drag in an old truck and set-up inside, new stuff does not bother them. That said they have great eyesight and movement has to go undetected, they are stupid but not easy to kill. I would look for downed trees and such and than add to them to make a natural blind. Shawn
Your exact on both points Shawn. I don't worry about what the blind looks like and I most generally add to blow downs to make my blinds. Turkeys are like chickens, they don't have any cognitive thought about their surroundings.Deer on the other hand are a different story.
http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u615/dbb24/008640x480_zps9c36c6fe.jpg
My first constructed Turkey hunting blind of the year. This is on the WMA across from my house. Gobblers always work this ridge at some point during our month long season. A little camo material and added leaves from the ground and she'll be done.
Should do the trick
http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/dbb24/media/010640x480_zpsbede3789http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/dbb24/media/012_zps695a0133.jpg.html?sort=3&o=6.jpg.html?sort=3&o=10http://s13 24.photobucket.com/user/dbb24/media/erwin640x480_zps387737f8.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0 (http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/dbb24/media/010640x480_zpsbede3789http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/dbb24/media/012_zps695a0133.jpg.html?sort=3&o=6.jpg.html?sort=3&o=10http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/dbb24/media/erwin640x480_zps387737f8.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0)
http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/dbb24/media/010640x480_zpsbede3789.jpg.html?sort=3&o=10
Here we go, some day I'll get this photobucket figured out.
I just find cover cut a couple of holes for deer or turkey! (http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv7/lilbobby_photos/GetAttachment.jpg)
What lilbobby said!!
This will be my first year turkey hunting, I hope I have more success than I did deer hunting lol, but I always enjoy being out hunting regardless of whether I see or harvest game.
My IDEAS for a blind (and I say ideas because I haven't put them into practice yet... I have some realtree camo mesh, and some Turkey Thugs camo fabric, the solid kind thats got some leafy shapes already cut into it. My plan is the find a naturally downed tree, cedar preferably, hack out a few of the larger branches of under it and place them on the back side and then clean out all the leaves so I can move soundlessly and then using the solid camo fabric with the leave shapes, paracord and branches cut into stakes make a 12-16" high blind around me and then use the camo mesh to fill in holes and use natural shooting lanes. I'm sure I'll fail alot, learn alot, and have alot of fun lol.
Withngroundblinds it's a good idea to put an old blanket on the ground, it really quiets things down. Position the blind so that you're never in the light, keep in the shadows. Remember the direction of the sun for the time of day you'll be hunting, you'll generally need different blinds for different times of the day.
As I scout areas, if I find a good spot for a blind, I'll build it on the spot using natural fiber twine to tie/anchor support limbs, etc. If I come back and hunt it, it just needs a little foliage added to spruce it up. If I never get back to it, the natural materials and fiber twine naturally recycle.
Were I hunt, ( all hill and hard woods with few clearings or fields } my blind building materials are limited to logs, branches, sticks, leaves, and some grasses, and thats about it. What do some of you other folks build your natural blinds from? Prairie grass?, hay bails, palms ????? Tricks or tips????? COME ON......... CARE TO SHARE! :campfire:
For those who think turkeys are stupid, etc. Instead of dragging a truck in there drag a full body mount coyote. ;) trucks don't typically kill and eat turkeys.
One thing I like to do after building a blind is get a stick to use as my bow and swing it around to check clearance.
QuoteOriginally posted by southernarcher:
For those who think turkeys are stupid, etc. Instead of dragging a truck in there drag a full body mount coyote. ;) trucks don't typically kill and eat turkeys.
I think you missed the point,and yes Turkeys are dumb, weary, but dumb.
I got the point, hince the wink.
All you need to do is mask your movement.
Went out today to build another blind and to show my neighbor around my hunting land.I didn't get the blind built but we had A good time. So I shot a few pics around my little field and pond.This pic is looking over corning (http://images.imagelinky.com/1364693252.JPG) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1364693252.JPG) and painted post from the field
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My 1/2 acre pond still has ice on it at a mere 1500 ft. elevation
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Just off one side of the field is about a 2 acre chunk of White Oaks
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Behind the field and pond is 600 acres of State land.Not such a bad thing.
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One last shot of the Twin Tirs
I was in Home Depot today and I saw a product made by the seed company that they carry that is marketed as a trellis of sorts for tomatos and other plants. It is a 5' x 10' olive drab nylon net that costs $3.99. I thought it would be the cat's meow for carrying in your pack and using as a frame for a temporary blind. You could weave all sorts of brush into it.
I put it down and forgot to get back to it, but I plan to pick up one or two the next time that I am there. It was thrown into a big bin with other assorted gardening gadgets and gizmos.
Thanks for the info Gregg, Is that something they carry a lot of or did it have A brand name that I could ask for. I'm looking for cheep material such as that for covering the roofs of my larger blinds. The more light rays I can block out the better.Would also be good as you suggested.I'll have to check out my local H.D.
Ferry-Morse is the brand of seed and was the brand of the net as well. Like I said it was in a bin by the seeds that also had soil testers, moisture readers, other ties for plants, etc.
If the dang thing was marketed for hunters it would have been at least $10 more!
Pictures look great David. Look out for alligators in the pond :scared: ;)
Turkeys are in trouble.
Lots of good blind making ideas here. Two things I always carry, a set of ratchet pruners and a roll of cheap vinyl electrical tape. The pruners make quick and quiet work of cutting holes and lanes and the tape can be used for securing most anything, even a bandage. It doesn't degrade as quickly as the twine but does eventually crumble and disappear.
Went back up on my land again today to start building that ground blind I was going to start yesterday.Got started on it until it started raining.Found a little fresh Turkey sign that wasn't there the day before. That's always a good thing.
(http://images.imagelinky.com/1364759688.JPG) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1364759688.JPG)
This area on top of my hill sees Turkey action most every year,and this blow down is just the ticket for a nice roomy bind.
(http://images.imagelinky.com/1364760299.JPG) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1364760299.JPG)
Well it's a good start, but rain is starting so I'll finish it another day. Being that this is on my own land, I will use plastic sheeting on the roof,covered with limbs and leaves from the forest floor. If it rains a day I want to hunt.....I can.
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f196/jjeffer/Lastditchblind.jpg)
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Found this track
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And some scratching.......these weren't here yesterday! Looks like my plans may come together.
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Deer stay on my land year round.....found these only 25 yds. from the blind location.Building this blind now, will give the Deer plenty of time to get used to it by bow season!
And by the time I get done covering the blind, the Turkeys will only see a non threating pile of brush.
(http://images.imagelinky.com/1364763320.JPG) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1364763320.JPG)
My logging road were I found the Turkey tracks and scratchings 50 yds. from the blind.This road runs along a ridge line. This ridge merges with another ridge which runs perpendicular to it. Need I say more? OK, I will......it's a great travel corridor for all Game! I consider myself very blessed to own it.
(http://images.imagelinky.com/1364764382.JPG) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1364764382.JPG)
My favorite form of transportation in the off season.
Bone did you ever finish that leento?
Just started it earlier today Dave,rain delay.I'll finish it sometime this week or next weekend.
gotcha..look forward to the rest og the pics
Well this ground Blind is almost done. I need to fill in the back of the blind, brush in one side, a cover for my stone window, and break up her outline a little more and she'll be done
(http://images.imagelinky.com/1365288697.JPG) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1365288697.JPG)
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That'll work! :thumbsup:
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I'll finish this off so it's nice and dark inside. The Turkeys this Spring and the Deer this fall will never see me.
Great looking blind!!!
Thom
(http://images.imagelinky.com/1365290268.JPG) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1365290268.JPG)
From the rear of the Blind. First two pics were frontal shots and the third pic is from the right side. My next project is to finish my bow blind for my long bows.
That's not a blind....that's a condo....lol!! :thumbsup:
You know how it is with getting older Ron.......I need my condo in the woods. :biglaugh:
A coffee pot and a recliner and you will be good to go!! :wavey:
Is that for rent?
Holy Crap, you will have to check for squatters before you get in. Those are way more than I ever make. Should work good!
QuoteOriginally posted by ron w:
That's not a blind....that's a condo....lol!! :thumbsup:
lol Ron :biglaugh:
That is one cool blind. If thing got tough or you wanted to spend the night, you got it covered. Very original...kinda reminds me of blinds you'd see in Africa.
Back up on my hill top today to finish my blind and to do a little stump shooting.
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I had a good time today, walking my property and looking for more turkey sign. Shot a few stumps and a pile of saw dust from under my buzz saw. Game was active today. Sunny and warm brought out the critters. Saw four wood ducks and a mallard on my pond. Also two Grouse took off from below the pond, and none of those birds stayed still long enough to get a picture. Got a picture of one of two Deer that were in my neighbors field, however!
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Thanks for your comments everyone. The CONDO is now done!