With all the recent pics of different ground blind setups I figured I'd throw a few pics of mine on here too for critique. Edit: forgot to add a thank you to Joe Skipp for his advice on ground setups. So thank you Joe Skipp!
At full draw in color
   

and in black-n-white
   

another bw pic
   

The funny thing is that the above pics were taken in late afternoon with the sun low on the horizon creating a lot of shadows. So the asat leafy suit seems to work great. But, in this one taken just after the sun dipped below the horizon, it doesn't work so great. You can clearly pick out the form of the hunter. Maybe I need some more background cover or just lighter clothes. lol
   

   

Stay still and move slow when you need to. Your blind looks great.
I have used ASAT Ultimate 3D for years with great sucess on deer and turkey.
I have found that setting up in front of cover works best for me.

John III

Thanks JDS3. The more I look at the pics, the more I think I need more a thicker background screen. I have lots of tree tops and such from the recent storms I could drag over behind me.

I still think your human form is pretty well-camoed even after the shadows are gone.  Feel free to share the tips Joe Skipp gave you too!

Still looks good to me....might be interesting to see what you look like in front of the blow down, rather than behind it.  I also try to setup with the cover behind me.

Looks real good...now all you have to do is wait for the right shot opportunity and bring home some venison..      

Thanks for the replies!

I'm actually sitting on a green plastic lawn chair. So the downed tree is just the right height to conceal it completely. I'm only about 17 yds. from a trail the deer generally use when they pass through, so I don't think I should setup any closer.


 

Quotenow all you have to do is wait for the right shot opportunity and bring home some venison.

Hopefully Joe, it's been a while.

Well it looks like it's back to the drawing board. I was sitting in this spot this evening and it took and old doe about thirty seconds to put the bee on me. She came in from the worst possible direction(like deer have an uncanny knack for doing as you all know lol), and was too close. I think she honed in on my breath vapors or maybe caught my scent, but she stomped, blew, and departed.

At any rate, I'll leave this place alone for a while and focus on a different spot, then maybe come back and try to improve this one. Any ideas?

btw Now I know why deer hunting is tough for lots of folks in the northwoods, I've been educating them quite a bit.  

Did you cover your face at all? It shows up pretty good in the first pic.

Yep VM, my face was covered. I still think I need a better backdrop. It would be nice if blowdowns would occur exactly where you want them.lol

You can always give her a helping hand.

Thats true.  I plan to plant some pines around my place to have some better late season cover, so felling some of the aspens would prolly be good to give the pines some light during the growing season.

Don't give up on the spot because one doe spotted you - the next deer might not.

One thing I thought I would mention is the type of chair your using. Make sure you can draw back while sitting in it. I like the fold up camp chairs without arms; and the three legged chairs for pop-up blinds. You can shoot without moving your body; and come to a full draw in more positions. ( at least when your 6-3 and shoot a longbow).    

I would shoot out of the blind with a blunt tip to make sure you can pull back; and take the shots you plan to make. Amazing how twigs and branches grow up in the way just at the shot  

I use 100% ground blinds and also the camo material. I also cut a lot of pine and tie the branches into the blind to give me that extra coverage. But again when a deer gets to close it is almost no way they will not see, feel and scent you. I just also tie a small feather onto the bow so I can see the wind direction at all times. As they say aim small, miss small and always have the wind in your face...

I agree with the above post on don't give up the spot becasue one deer spotted you.

I also agree with not enough back cover. I've always hunted on the ground but until this season mostly still hunted. I made several groundblinds this season and what I found is you can never have to much back cover. I've went about 50/50 half my spots I have not been busted and the other half i got busted almost every time out.

On the spots that i was getting busted alot I was tring to hide behind big red oak trees and this didn't work at. when the deer came from behind me they saw me sticking out like a sore thumb and when the came in fromthe frontthey couls somehow still see me.

The spots that did great were actually spots i thought i would get busted. I had one spot where I got 4 shots in one morning and the deer never no i was there.I'll se if i can find the pic. the spot dosn't look like much but deer have come in from all driections without spooking .

We've all been busted one time or another. Never give up, just make some adjustments to the blind.

If the doe came in downwind and picked up a strange scent...well...them old does "ain't stupid". Keep your movement to a minimum, check out the area thoroughly before making any movements or shifting positions.

Thanks for the encouragement and help! I'm not giving up, only pulling back a bit to figure my next move. I am a little frustrated and doubtful of my setup now though, cause I didn't move a muscle as the doe came in.  

I'll tell you what! This ground hunting sure isn't as easy as some of you guys make it look.  

I think your set-up is just fine. If you want my honest opinion,(OK so I'll give it to you anyway LOL) I think she smelled you. The breath vapors "may" have given you away also,but my #1 gut feeling is she smelled you.

I have been at this Ground Hound gig a LONG time LOL. Do NOT abandon your set-up!!!!! You can tell your set-up is good because she got so close in the first place!!!!! One thing that you CANNOT change is the wind. However.....You can learn to work around it,OR learn to let it work FOR YOU!!!!! By using scents and lures you can cover your scent and cause the deer to focus thier attention elsewhere.

Hang In There!!!!! GOOD LUCK!!!!!

QuoteOriginally posted by woodchucker:
I think your set-up is just fine. If you want my honest opinion,(OK so I'll give it to you anyway LOL) I think she smelled you. The breath vapors "may" have given you away also,but my #1 gut feeling is she smelled you.

I have been at this Ground Hound gig a LONG time LOL. Do NOT abandon your set-up!!!!! You can tell your set-up is good because she got so close in the first place!!!!! One thing that you CANNOT change is the wind. However.....You can learn to work around it,OR learn to let it work FOR YOU!!!!! By using scents and lures you can cover your scent and cause the deer to focus thier attention elsewhere.

Hang In There!!!!! GOOD LUCK!!!!!

You may be right, it was pretty still at the time. Usually it blows at angle from my front to back, and blows the scent away from the direction the deer usually come from.  My breath was coming out pretty fast at the time too. lol That's why I wasn't sure if she scented me or just noticed the growing cloud of vapor.

I hope this works- my North Dakota ground blind. . . I will post results next pci if this works.

Dan