# looking for tips for hunting from ground blind



## bigbrad123

Looking for tips for bow hunting out of a ground blind. I set it up last weekend, brushed it in, and likely won't hunt for a couple weeks go let the deer get used to it. I am wondernig a few things such as what people's experience is shooting through the "shoot through" screens? Does it alter the flight of the arrow much? I've read its best not to open the screens. I wasn't able to get much practice from shooting out of it, so I know that could be an issue, but I have practiced shooting from a chair. Also wondering how people use tactics closer to the rut (ie: using rattling, scents, etc)? Do you have to rattle a bit louder/harder when in a blind? This will be my first year in a ground blind and just looking for a bit of advice. Thanks.


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## barebackjack

If you havent shot through the netting in practice you shouldnt even think of doing shooting through it on an animal.

Ive seen certain rigs shoot through it just fine while others wont shoot through it accurately at all.

I never shoot through the netting. I hate the netting. Makes it harder to see in low light, and ive just never cottoned to the idea of shooting through it. Not having it there has never hurt me.

More importantly than netting is NOT backlighting yourself. Keep the windows facing away from your target area closed.


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## bigbrad123

Thanks for the advice. My question is that I have my blind set up where I could potentially shoot out of 3 of my windows. Or isn't that practical? My windows are velcroe, so I certainly don't want to be taking them off once I see a deer. Would it be better to not have them on at all, or cut a small hole in each one that my arrow could shoot through? That way you still could be mostly protected from backlighting.


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## barebackjack

If all three windows are oriented towards one side (or about a 180 degree portion of the blind) you could just leave them open. Sit towards the back of the blind, wear a black top and black mask, and shoot em up!

For example:

If your windows are at 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, and 9 o'clock, you should sit as close to the back of the blind at or near the 6 o'clock position and you should be just fine leaving them open. Be careful not to get in between two open windows, your movement will be very noticeable if the opposing windows are open and you line up with them and the deer.

Whitetails in my experience will kind of shy away from the "black hole" effect shooting ports make. However, brushing the blind in like you said you did helps a lot and often times they'll just give it the four minute stare down than go on about their business. One thing they dont like at all is if they can see light through the blind (like having a front and back window open at the same time), this makes em really edgy.


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## AdamFisk

The best piece of advice, don't shoot your hub rods, or the fabric that "conceals" them!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They tend to throw an arrow off target just a tad.

Seriously, practice shooting out of them, a lot. You can find yourself in some very uncomfortable shot positions in a blind. Are you going to be shooting from a chair, kneeling, etc? Practice them all.


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## huntin1

AdamFisk said:


> The best piece of advice, don't shoot your hub rods, or the fabric that "conceals" them!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> They tend to throw an arrow off target just a tad.


I detect the voice of experience. I'm betting that hitting the hub rod would throw the arrow off target more than just a tad. Would not be good for the hub rod or the arrow either. :rollin:

When setting up my blind I try to position it so that the deer are funneled to the front, not always easy to accomplish in every setting, but it helps. That way I can keep the side windows open to just a slit large enough to see through, and then drill them when they come around to the front.

As far as shooting through the screen, I've tried it in practice and it works for me, however, like BBJ I don't like the fact that it reduces visability so much. The screen is removed from the window I am going to shoot through, and in most casesI pull the side window screen as well.

huntin1


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## bigbrad123

thanks for the advice. not sure how much practice i will get shooting out of it considering its already set up in my spot. i think for this year I will have to either go without the screens on it and sit back in my blind, or i will have to open them halfway and be cognizant of not moving much. as with anything, i will just have to experiment and see what works. next year i will have to make it a point of practicing more out of the blind. i will be sitting on a folding chair that I have cut off the legs of so i will be lower. i have practiced shooting from a sitting position, but of course everything changes once buck fever takes over :thumb:


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## AdamFisk

huntin1 said:


> AdamFisk said:
> 
> 
> 
> The best piece of advice, don't shoot your hub rods, or the fabric that "conceals" them!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> They tend to throw an arrow off target just a tad.
> 
> 
> 
> I detect the voice of experience. huntin1
Click to expand...

Sadly, you are correct. If was my first shot out of a ground blind, at my first shot ever on a buck antelope, on my first ever antelope hunting trip......Standing..........18yds.........Broadside............ uke: Hard lesson learned there boy.

Didn't have another shot at one on that trip.

So, I say again, practice shooting out of the damn ground blind. :wink:


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## AdamFisk

huntin1 said:


> When setting up my blind I try to position it so that the deer are funneled to the front, not always easy to accomplish in every setting, but it helps. That way I can keep the side windows open to just a slit large enough to see through, and then drill them when they come around to the front.huntin1


You and me both.....I use big sloughs to block off deer travel to the rear. 



















This will be my first year having a ground blind set up for long term hunting. It's been up for about a month now. One other thing, be sure to wind proof the thing. I got normal tent stakes holding the corners down, but I also pounded in t posts and tied the hubs off on them. She should be able to take a direct hit from just about anything now. I also have a brace in there, going from the ground up to support the top, so it doesn't collapse in. I had that happen already due to rain, and it became a big pool on top, not good for the rods.


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## CJofWolfcreek

Mark off your yardage in your shooting lanes around the blind. Looking through the open portals and shoot through mesh can throw off your perspective with changing light conditions. I've got markers set up 10, 20 and 30 yards from the blind.


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## bjr86

if your bow is perfectly tuned and your shooting fixed blades i wouldnt worry about shooting through the mesh at close distance....I think where people have bad experiences it is due to a mech blade snagging up as it passes through the mesh or a bow that is not well tuned (arrow not leaving the string straight). But as somenoe else said, I'd give it a try before you take a shot in the field.


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## duckp

Hide the 'horizontal' nature of the blind.If feasible set up so other 'horizontal' lines are nearby,ie,a fallen tree or limb.If the only horizontal line in view is your blind,good luck trying to get a nice buck close.


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## bigbrad123

thanks for the advice everyone. for this year, i've decided to just open up the windows about halfway and shoot out. i only open 2 of the 3 windows and try to sit back in my blind. i think my big downfall is that each time i go out and have to unzip the windows and door. i also have the cheaper blind with velcroe windows on the inside. the first night I went out, I had a pretty nice, wide 8 point walk 15 yards in front of my blind, but it was past legal shooting time and was so dark I couldn't see my pins. obviously he wasn't affected by the blind whatsoever. took everything i had not to shoot. however, the last time I went out, I think the wind wasn't in my favor as I didn't see a single deer (and I've often had deer coming in to my area in the evening). strange thing is i haven't seen one doe (but I'm getting numerous one's on my camera in the evenings). i think i need to be extra careful walking to my blind because its noisy walking through the tall brush. I have my blind set up close (about 20 feet away from) to the corn field. i'm thinking maybe i need to move it away from the field a bit more so I have a little quieter access since i have to unzip everything and am likely making noise close to the corn. i'm fairly new to bowhunting and ground blinds, so i am definitely learning little thing that could make me more successful.


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## CJofWolfcreek

I've climbed out of my blind just before end of legal light, (my old eyes end the shooting day about 5-10 minutes early), and started closing up the blind....zippers, velcro, then looked up to see deer coming in. Wind helps cover the sound. So do other natural sounds. Go slow in getting to your blind, give yourself plenty of time and still hunt your way in. Mask some of your movements with a doe bleat. Same thing when you arrive at the blind, open it slowly and use a doe bleat, a gust of wind, a truck driving by ...anything thing to help mask the sound.

Sight, smell, sound, that's what keep a deer alive, get busted on one and they may be wary. Get busted on two or three and they are gone. If weather isn't an issue, leave the windows unzipped so you only have to move the velcro. if You're going to shoot through the open window, take out the mesh screen or move it to where you want it and leave it that way. Get some bow string wax and wax up those zippers.


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