5 Ways To More Ground Blind Success
By Mark Melotik
While it’s true that treestands offer many advantages, portable ground blinds are dependably deadly when conditions are right. For many private landowners heavy-duty, hard-shell blinds are all the rage, but lightweight, ultra-portable fabric blinds offer extreme versatility.
The vast majority of my own deer hunting occurs from a tree, but I’ve seen my ground blind success soar after advice from my friend Brooks Johnson. The former co-owner of Double Bull Blinds (now owned by Primos Hunting), Johnson has hunted just about everything across North America out of ground blinds, and he knows mature whitetails pose one of the toughest challenges.
“Don’t surprise the deer with your blind,” Johnson says — his number-one tip. “Deer need to be able to see it from a distance — or not at all, meaning it needs to be brushed-in so it literally disappears into the surrounding vegetation.”
If placing your blind in a relatively open spot, Johnson’s personal rule is deer need to see it from at least 100 yards before they will be comfortable approaching. Johnson says there’s a buffer zone from about 50 to 100 yards where bucks can be unpredictable, but if a mature buck suddenly encounters a blind under 50 yards, it’s sayonara, baby.
“Another option is to set the blind out well in advance so the encounter becomes part of their daily routine,” Johnson says. Just how far in advance of your hunt? Johnson recommends not a few days, but rather, a few weeks.
If this is your strategy, consider treating your blind with a UV-resistant spray that will help prevent fading and prolong blind life. Sun rays can be brutal.
Decoys also can be a huge advantage to a blind ambush.
“Decoys are one of the best ways to use a ground blind,” Johnson advises. “I always use a buck, and sometimes pair it with a doe. Passing bucks will see that combo and think my fake buck has something he wants. His focus is going to be on that buck decoy instead of the blind.“
Blind location can be critical, Johnson says. He advises against random deep woods sites where the many trails can lead deer away easily. He favors specific, isolated spots. Waterholes and small food plots are great examples of smart blind ambushes.
“When you have an isolated water hole, or maybe a bait situation or small food plot, that’s when those mature bucks will get used to your blind. And it’s because they have to. At some point you’ll see most every animal in the area.”
Finally, Johnson said it’s hard to beat a ground blind where you find large concentrations of deer. We’re talking places where getting a bow drawn can be extra tough — even from lofty treestands. “If there are a lot of eyes, ground blinds are the ticket because you don’t have to worry about drawing.”
Are you one of those bowhunters who packs away the blinds after spring turkey season? Heed Johnson’s advice and you might be notching your tag this fall on a mature buck that couldn’t see your blind advantage.