Leaving PopUp Blinds Out - Any Problems?

[BobCo 1965]

This coming season, my son and I will be hunting in areas where we are setting up natural cover that we can put our PopUp blinds inside of.

We are planning on leaving the popup blinds in place a good two weeks before the season starts. we're working on the natural cover now.  

Do you guys run into any damage problems with leaving the blinds up for long periods? Maybe from wind, etc. Any tips?

[vermonster13]

We've had bears rip them up and have had them stolen(from posted property one was stolen).

[Joey Ward]

Make sure you stake the corners. If the blind has teathers on the outside, stake them down, too. Leave the windows open, and screened if you use shoot through mesh, so the wind can blow through. I place my stool in the center and use an extended shooting stick proped to the roof so that it will not collapse and hold water.

If you leave stuff inside the blind, try to keep it off the ground or in a bucket with a top.

I leave mine out all season and never have a problem.

[Joseph]

Only problem I ever had was a little mouse chewing and one inquisative black bear sow who I am sure was making sure things were safe for her cubs.

[katie]

I left one out for turkey season last year.  Had it tied in and staked down.  We had a CRAZY spring storm.  When I got out to it, it was a mess.  The ties broke.  Never found my staks.  Trees down everywhere as well.  The blind was re-usable.  Just had to fix the tabs.  I felt it did ok due to the size of the storm.  Was thinking I would find it 2 counties over!

[Dave2old]

We assume you're talking private land? On public land, it's even more rude that leaving tree-stands out.

[ishiwannabe]

Left mine out for late archery once. Heavy snow snapped te upper poles....still need to replace em.

[BobCo 1965]

I guess I'm less concerned about it getting stolen then elements.

Getting stolen is alway a possiblity.

Does everyone pretty much leave the windows open? The blind that I am using has the windows and the shoot through mesh. Should I take the mesh off also. It also has the ties downs and I have some stakes.

[Hawkeye]

My experience was a bit like Katie and Ishi's.

Tried leaving it out for 3 weeks before season some years ago to see if I could get the deer used to its presence.  Used tent stakes and tied off all the tethers.  All was well until we had a thunderstorm rip through my "windy prairie" at 50+ MPH.

The tent stakes pulled out, three of the fiberglass rods snapped, and the blind pivoted around to contact a lone strand of barbed wire, resulting in a couple ripped holes.

Got it fixed up (except for the holes, which still serve as a reminder), but I will only leave it out on my property for a night or two during turkey season... with an eye on the weather!

Joey seems to have it figured out for his area, but the frequent stiff winds here make mine a temporary set up.  LOVE the blind... just cannot afford to buy another!

Daryl

[hunt it]

Chipmunks and mice chewed an 12" hole in one of mine last year.

[Jim Boettcher]

Left mine out for an entire season, yes on private land. Sun really bleached the material. Which I didn't mind, cause I thought it was too dark to begin with. But this made the material really apt to rips from falling tree branches. I had to sew a few patches in. Yep the rodents love to chew up blinds too.

[runamuk]

I don't know if there any cows in the area you are hunting, but here in Idaho where i hunt Antelope over water holes, the cows rub on them until they collapse then just stomp all over em coming and going to water..
i pound in some fence post around my blind and strech hog wire around it, then when i show up to hunt i just take the wire down while i am there..

[Joey Ward]

Hawkeye, I think that's an important part of question. "My area".

My blind is normally in the woods or along a treeline, and that acts sort of like a wind break. If I knew a hurricane was coming, I'd drop the blind. A little common sense approach.    

I have that luxury, as I leave it out on MY property.

It's an older model DB that I have for about 7 years. It's a really tough, well made blind.

Keeping the top from collapsing was the most important part of what I've learned from leaving it out for extended periods.

[bowmaster12]

the onlyh problem i ever had was with snow i had mine up for a full year (wasnt the plane but it never got taken down) the heavy snow we go tin wisconsin broke the poles and the sun faded the camo aolt still need to get a new one  I wouldnt have aproblem leaving it out for a couple weeks at a time at all

[Stonehead]

I've left them out in michigan for up to two months.  Heavy snow really takes a toll on them...snapped poles but the fabric holds up pretty good.  If snow isn't an issue I think they would be fine.

[amicus]

The mice chewed holes in mine.

[GrnMtnTradNut]

Like Vermonster13 said, had mine stolen off our posted property last year,to this day if I find out who it was I will break there fingers slowly.

[Recurve50 LBS]

I had one stolen a few years back. This year I had one out on a private property I hunt. I staked it down at each corner using plastic tent pegs and used guy lines too. It stayed in place through some nasty windy weather. It's down fall came when we got a freak October snow storm that toppled many trees. Well one maple tree decided to give up the ghost and fell on top of my blind breaking only one cross member bar. Thankfully no one was in the blind when the tree fell.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

They will blow away (try using trapping stakes) and I had one stolen this year.

[zipper bowss]

Last Dec.I had a tree fall on my wifes favorite blind.It snaped 3 poles.

Question
If a tree falls in the woods,(on a $400 blind),and there is no one there to hear it,Does it make any sound?
Bill