brushing in ground blinds

[mathewsoutback]

I only have one pop up ground blind and no bow blinds at the feeders just tower gun blinds and was wondering if the reason I get blown at alot is because I don't brush them in because where hunt is mostly mesquite and not much to cover it up with and we have 3 places to hunt and I never know where we are going until around thursday and we leave saturday morning so I can't leave it up what do yall think sorry if it is confusing

[Chew]

I think the deer need 2 or 3 weeks to get used to them (at least where I hunt). That's a hard situation to be in with no bow stands. You need to invest in a lightweight tripod or quadpod that you can throw up where there's a backdrop. Another option may be building permanent brush blinds and leave a chair in them. Good luck!

[Cotton]

I'd say it was either that or they are winding you or both.

[bm22]

i would find a few "good" spots, clear them out and brush them in really good. leave a little spot in the middle that you can throw the blind in. that why when you get there you can just throw up the blind in the middle of the bush or cleared out spots. and they should help you out alot more then just putting it out where ever. this should also allow you the make as little change to the enviroment each time you come and throw up your blind.

[mathewsoutback]

yea i wish i could just use a tripod but the brush isn't but about 8 foot tall at the most and thats just the occational tall mesquite I have had deer come to the feeder before just more times then not i get blown at I think this weekend I'll set up the blind and then set in a tower blind to see if the deer are blowing at me or the blind

[TBryan]

I have my double bull backed up to a tree with a few limbs infront, but other wise it is in plain sight. They get used to it in a couple of weeks. I think they might be getting down wind of you.

[DRow]

i think that alot of it has to do with them winding you

[Peyton]

I always set my blinds up for a specific dominant wind and always brush them in. I cut my brush from a different location and bring it in in my truck. I still cut brush types that will fit the surroundings, but I bring it in from other places. After that, I give them 24-48 hrs to cool off before I hunt them. No matter what the view, after a while groundblinds give me claustrophobia!

[Laguna]

You might try finding an area near a trail leading to the feeders, or a stagging area (you can find these while sitting in a tower). Often, deer will become more alert as they near the feeder and all it takes is one old, nervous doe, to put everything on alert (shoot her while in the tower). Make sure to plan for your area's prevailing winds and set the blind in the brush, the BEST you can. Having a brushed in area to put your blind (bm22) is a great idea. Lightly, hand spread some corn in your shooting lane.
Mainly, you must have patience and confidence in your set up, as you will not be watching a feeder. Good luck. Let us know what you figure out.

[cfortner]

I don't remember where I read this but I have found it to be true:

The general rule for ground blinds is if you are hunting in a place that is wide open, such as a field or somewhere where they can see the blind for 100+ yards, don't brush it in. If you are hunting somewhere, where the deer are going to be less than 100 yards away when they can see the blind, brush it in as best you can. I tell you the difficulty I have right now is when I brush my blind in, everything is green and it's nice and covered. Then when I come back in 2 weeks all the limbs I used are dead and brown/no leaves I have to start all over again. I have done this 3 times this season already... I agree with Laguna. I have noticed deer shying away from ground blinds before. You can actually use this to your advantage by hunting on the ground away from the blind. While the deer is focused on the blind you are on the sidelines undetected.

[orion]

i try to use tri pods and brush my ground blinds in real good. i use brush blinds also. usually with decoys and scents during the rut.

[Snakelover]

Even if you put them in the wide open, I think deer will get used to them and basically ignore them eventually. If you think about it, they walk around deer feeders, windmills, water troughs, farm implements, water holding tanks, box blinds, barns... the lists goes on and on. So once they're used to something, conspicuous or not, they generally won't shy away from it. However, I do think they are more apt to notice minor changes to a conspicuous item than one that's inconspicuous. Therefore, I think there is some value to brushing in a blind and making it look as natural and inconspicuous as possible, even though that's not necessarily a requirement to kill deer out of it. Just my opinion.