Things to Consider when Choosing Your Ground Hunting Blinds

Every hunter wants to catch a good-sized game when they go into the bush. But catching a good game takes some planning, part of which is setting up a good ground hunting blind. Hunting blinds come handy for locations where there are no trees that allow you to put up a tree stand or hunt from an elevated position. Nonetheless, they are no substitute for good archery or strategic positioning.

Hunting blinds help to conceal the hunter and give a good vantage to spot your game. You’d usually place it in an area that overlooks the path of the animals between their sleep area and their food source. The trick is to set up while they are away so that they don’t observe your movement. You also need to camouflage the blind with scrubs and fresh stems with leaves to distract the animals while blending into the environment.

There are two main types of hunting blinds. The permanent blinds (with hard exterior) and the moveable ground blinds (with soft exterior). Permanent blinds are heavy. They are made to be moved around easily during the hunting season. They are often suitable for elevated hunting and use in the winter.

Ground blinds are like tents set up for hunting. Only that you have to camouflage it to fit into the environment you’re in. You can also move it from one hunting spot to another with ease. There are two types of ground hunting blinds: the hub blinds and the pop-up blinds.

Hub blinds are bulky and require more sophistication to move around. But they don’t take a lot to set up or remove. Pop-up blinds are more difficult to remove from the hunting spot because you have to fold it up correctly. They come in a storage pack that have backpack straps which make them easier to transport.

Before the hunting season, you need to study the pattern of the game you wish to hunt. Get functional game trail cams that help you observe game habitat. Some of the trail cams only require you to install them on a tree and walk away. They capture images with time stamps on them which help you learn the behavior of these animals.

When you have patterned the behavior of the game in their habitat, you can tell where you’re more likely to spot a trophy. You can then map out where to set up your hunting blind for a better vantage. It’s not enough to just set up your blind. You need the deer to walk through your hunting trail. But that won’t happen if they suspect something is fishy.

Likely games, like deer, are very sensitive. They can tell when there’s a strange object in their habitat and this can cause them to repattern their behavior until they feel safe with the object. This means that setting up weeks before your hunt will help them adjust to the presence of the blind. You will have a better advantage if your blind is camouflaged with objects from the territory without limiting your visibility or space.

To buy the right ground hunting blind, there are some important things to consider. They include how many people will be hunting from the same blind, the animal you want to hunt, the type of weapon you use for hunting, the weather you will be hunting in, and the territory you’ll be hunting in.

Blind Size

Two factors to consider when buying a ground hunting blind are how many people will be hunting with you and the type of weapon you’ll be using. For a one-man hunt, a small blind will do except if you have a recurve or compound bow for shooting. These will require a blind that is tall and wide. Skip getting a tall blind if you don’t intend to shoot while standing. You need a wide blind to enable you move your elbows freely as you draw your bow back.

For a hunting team of two or three, you need enough room to take everyone sitting. You also need to be able to shoot freely without obstructing each other. Even then, your blind should be small enough to be concealed while being able to take everyone in comfortably.

Type of Weapon

Think about the weapon you use when hunting game. It plays a role in the blind you choose. If you’re hunting with a crossbow or gun, you’ll need a small blind with low windows that enable you to sit comfortably on a chair and rest on shooting sticks to make a good shot. If you’re hunting with a bow, you’ll be better off with a tall blind that allows you to stand in it and gives you some good room to move your elbows. A tall, spacious blind comes handy if you hunt with a bow and a gun in different seasons.

That way, you don’t have to go buying more blinds for different hunting seasons.

Weather Resistance

You want blinds that can stand up to a sudden change in the weather. You also want blinds that won’t have water leaks if the weather suddenly becomes rainy while you’re in the woods. The blind you buy should have some waterproof feature so that they can keep you warm and dry.

A waterproofing spray can help you improve the waterproofing ability of your blind. If you already have a blind that isn’t waterproof (or buy one), you can add this important feature to it by spraying it over with the waterproofing material. Then air the blind to help get some of the odor from the spray out. Airing the blind helps to reduce chances of the odor spooking your hunt when you eventually set up in the woods.

Game You’re Hunting

When hunting animals like the turkey, you don’t need a sophisticated blind. A piece of camo blind material will do. That’s because they are more carefree and would pay little attention to approaching a strange object in their territory.

Deers, on the other hand, are more sensitive. If they suspect strange activity in their territory, they’ll most likely stay away. They want to be sure the object or activity doesn’t pose a threat to them before they resume their normal pattern.

One of the ways to set up your blind for deer-hunting is to brush it in properly. This helps with concealing the blind from the deer for the season. Concealing is important to distract deer from your spot. This is because, at close range to the blind, deer can see through it. You also need to blend in with the blind for better concealment.

Blind Material

Blind material is more suitable if you sport animals like turkeys and gobblers. They are easy to fix with a mesh, burlap, or nylon fabric. Keep your camo-blind material fabric in your backpack when you go hunting. And when you spot a good game, set it up fast then run and gun. Fold it up when you are through and store away in your backpack.

Ground hunting blinds are more suitable for sensitive games like the deer. Run and gun game hunting need more flexible blinds for the hunting process.