Open field ground blind set up
Whitetail Deer
My daughter is hunting a place that has a wide open wheat field. Deer are coming out of a river bottom where she can’t hunt and feeding on the wheat. They have been making their way across the field to where she can hunt, but getting there too late. We talked about plopping a ground blind in the field. I am not sure if the deer will accept it. Anybody try this with any success?
Hay bale blind if they are prevalent in your area?
Wish I had a hay bale blind. It is a Double Bull.
Maybe a pit like goose hunters use? Shooting could be difficult with a bow but she would stay hidden.
They will eventually get used to it. Trouble is they can get on the downwind side without you even knowing. I have no experience with these new blinds that supposedly the hunter can see out but nothing can see in.
This will be a one and done type set up. Tomorrow is the last day.
I’m assuming your daughter is using a bow, correct? If not, I’d think a layout type blind, like Overland alluded to, would work.
It’s to late now, but I believe if you put that double bull out 2-3 weeks before hunting, the deer likely would get used to it.
They'd be leery of anything that's different.... haybale blind, popup. Deer make a living by regarding everything with extreme suspicion.
Yes, a bow. Thought about adding a decoy. I have a bedded doe I could use.
I've heard of some folks putting a tractor or other farm equipment out with the blind set up next to it. Deer certainly get used to farm equipment but I have never used this trick myself.
Katahdin has the right idea if you have access to any farm equip
Todd, Too bad you didn't have more time. It doesn't take much time for them to get used to things. They walk by a few times and don't smell trouble and soon they forget all about it.
I had a camera on a trick tank in NM for elk. The Forest Service came in one day to rebuild the fence around it. They left the trailer there over night and I had pictures of elk licking parts of the trailer. Of course, whitetails are a whole lot more wary than elk but I've had lot's of times when deer walked by my blind on the same day I set it up.
On ground blinds there is little to brush up. (hold grass/hay etc.)
You can solve this by buying 1/4" bungi cord in bulk. Cut a couple lengths that will just go around the top and bottom of the blind. You can then tie knots to make them have the tension you need. I have it with mine and it works well.
We set the blind along the field edge and threw some brush on top. Just didn’t have time to do anything else. The first deer to come by was a 6x5 buck that would have grossed over 170. He stopped 80 yds out and looked us over, kept coming and turned at 50. Too far for my daughter who was nearly hyperventilating at this point. He skirted around us. We had does as close as 30 but she is maxed out at 25 yds. Finally had a doe at 15 yds but 2 minutes past legal shooting time. If we could have left the blind up for a few days prior it would have worked. We sure came close.
Sounds like you got to share in some major excitement, at least!
I've been using this Primos one for my run-n-gun hunting, easy to move and set-up plus lite weight to boot----------->
Under $100.00
Good luck, Robb
Well, I put one up on the edge of a small corn field this year, and killed 2 deer from it. It was a "Double Bull" kind of blind.
I've had other experiences where they have turned inside out when they first saw it, but after several days it just became part of the background. The only thing I could say is give it a try. You never know. TMBB
I have had many Deer come within range of my blinds (cloth pop-ups and Hay Bale) the first day they were set up in open fields and usually use a decoy, which seems to help keep them calm and not staring at the blind.
Rock I was thinking later I should have added a decoy. There were so many deer on the field it would not have been out of place.
Decoys are definitely Hugh plus IMHO when hunting from a Blind in open fields. Not only do they divert the attention away from the blind but they tend to keep the deer around you longer offering more shot opportunities.
My decoys have tail waggers added to them for some movement and realism as the tail will flick side to side every 8 or 16 seconds depending on how you set the switch. This really fools the Does which are the ones that will stomp and blow at it without the tail wagger.
Thanks for the report Todd. I've always been amazed how quickly they get used to something different like a blind. I'm also amazed at some of the things that freak them out. I had a herd spook and snort when a black and white house cat walked out of the trees 200 yards away. We are blessed to be able to witness such things.
