For the past 2 years I've been going to a friends property and hunting the 1st week in December. The place is fed year round and set up for guns only. I've set up a couple of ground blinds near feeders and have had deer come in but no shooters. The deer are also skiddish, I'm guessing that they've been pressured by the gun hunters before I get there since it's already Dec. The place is about 7 hrs away and we're making a trip in Aug for a mini vac and I'm planning on setting up some more blinds and possibly a hang-on tree stand. Any that yall suggest that aren't too cheap that will hold up for 4 months. I have a pop up blind that I was considering leaving up, but I don't know if it will hold up.
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There aren't any cheap blinds that I know of that are likely to hold up Aug-Dec. Even a good blind can get torn up if there's bad weather or cows get interested. With a cheap blind you're asking for disappointment when you arrive in December. A tree stand or ladder will hold up better and should be fine.
If you've been setting up around feeders they're rifle hunting, there's no wonder the deer are spooky by December! I would set up somewhere else - maybe a travel route between two feeders - and then just hand feed the spot when you hunt. Or, see if you can get permission to put up your own feeder. If you don't have time to fill it, see if you can pay whoever fills the other feeder to fill yours.
If you like hunting from the ground (like I do) you really don't need a pop-up sitting there for 4 months to be successful. That only invites others to sit in your spot and bugger it up before you get there. Set your pop-up up when you get there to hunt and spend a lot of time brushing it in so that it is INVISIBLE. Where I do most of my hunting is about as pressured as it gets and I have a lot of success for my hunters and myself doing exactly this. I can promise you that no lease is as pressured as where I hunt.
Good luck! -
Good advice there. a game tamer style can be had pretty reasonably these days (sportsman guide) I like those if you have a tree big enoughComment
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As far as pop up blinds are concerned, you could brush in predetermined spots just big enough for your blind to fit into; then leave one side open so you can slide your pop up blind in place.
By the time hunting season rolls around the deer will already be accustomed to that pile of brush being there so when you put up your blind you will be much less likely to get sniped off.
This method will enable you to make as many alternate stand locations as you want; allowing you to alternate one or two blinds amongst the set locations instead of buying a pop up for each spot.
Then when you are ready to hunt just pop up your blind and slide it into place.
This way you don’t have to leave your blinds out, and you won’t blow up an area by making a set just prior to season.
It also allows you to be more mobile by having multiple blind locations set up well in advance.
Give it a try hntr1117Comment
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That all sounds like great advice to me. When I go in August I'll brush in a few new spots for my pop ups and redo the spots I had last year so that I can just place one of my pop ups in it when I'm ready to hunt it. I've always hunted off the ground, but this year I think I may try a hang-on with my ground blinds just so I have a few new places to hunt. What are some decent hang-ons. I'm looking around $150 or less.Comment
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One thing I do at my place in Llano is to take a cattle panel and fold about 3ft on each end in so that it makes a "[" shape. Set the panel up in front of where you ground blind will sit so that it would kinda wrap around your blind. Now take a second panel and make an arching roof. You will need to zip tie the ends of the panel to the othe panel. The ends of the second panel may need to be up off the ground to make it tall enough for your ground blind to fit inside.
Once it is built, start covering it in brush. Pile it on thick. You should leave your shooting window area open but make sure the rest is covered. Come hunting season the deer will be very use to the brushed in frame. When you get there all you need to do is pop up your blinds inside the frame. The deer should be less skiddish.Comment
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It also helps to use slick or bailing wire when setting up your pop up spots.Originally posted by huntr1117 View Post
In the areas you want to hunt find 4 saplings, trees, or bushes that form an outline or square just larger than your blind and fence in three sides with a strand or two of wire.
You can also use a few t posts in place of saplings/trees if needed.
The wire will give you something to lean & tie the brush off to so it will stay in place during high winds, insuring your spot(s) will be ready to go when you are.
Once each spot is set up this way they should be good for the season. Then all you have to do is just freshen up the set every now and then.
Good Luck!
And as for the hang on stands, I would check this out before they are all spoken for.
Last edited by TUCO; 07-15-2012, 05:32 PM.Comment
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