Can't Stand Stands!

[Ron S]

Up until the last few years,I've allways hunted out of tree stands. Since I've had health problems,and gotten older,I've switched to portable,or pop up blinds. This last week while hunting with me,my wife (a hard chore tree stand hunter) hunted with me in my blind. She wasn't too happy in there at first,but as the first morning went by,she had a diffrent attitude towards blind hunting. I use a Cabela's Lightning Set blind. It has plenty of room for two hunters in it. She soon discovered it was "warmer" in there than up a tree,second you could sit in a comfortable chair,and stay in there all day. Third if it rains you don't get cold and wet. She also packed a cooler with sandwitches,cookies,slim jims,pop,water,candy,and a thermos full of coffee. The first morning was cold,and I broke out the Coleman Cat heater,within minutes it was "toasty warm in the blind"! We set up three ladder stands for this season. Every morning I would ask her if she wanted to hunt out of one of the tree stands. She would think for a second,then say I think I'll hunt in the blind with you today . My younger hunti'n buddy's have all converted to the popup blinds,for gun hunting. If you have a "open woods" (not allot of under growth) they work very well. Last year my friend Dwayne was up a tree stand in the middle of the woods,and had a nice buck walk within 50yards from him,but no shot for all the limbs of the trees around him. The next day he set up a blind,and had the same buck pass by at 118yds. He found an opening ahead of the bucks path,and waited until he steped in it. Boom dead buck! I've found I hunt better being comfortable,in a blind. Infact the wife stayed in the blind all day,on opening day( I think she's a convert now). How many of you guy's are using blinds? Ron

 

[Vadeerhunter]

I have thought about using a blind sometimes cause the wife worries about me falling out of my treestands.......I try to explain to her that if i forget mt safety belt i do not get in any treestand i just still hunt.Are the pop up blinds quiet?And do they have a funny smell or anything.

 

[RAF]

I hunt from a ground blind, just not one of the commercially bought ones. Mine are permanent and made of wood. You're right when you say they're comfortable and dry.

 

[Semisane]

Here's my favorite stand, and the view from the stand.

It's twelve feet high and tucked into the woods at the end of a half-acre food plot (150 yards to the tree line at the back of the plot).

 

[cayuga]

I hunt from both ground and tree blinds. I have them all over the property. So all I do is decide where I want to hunt and walk to it..

I also never use heaters. Strange as that might sound in Northern Wisconsin, I've sat in them blinds and trees when it was -20+? and shivered a little but I just dress for the outdoors. I always worry about heaters in a blind.

Good luck to you this season.

 

[Underclocked]

I gave up on trees quite awhile back as I had outgrown them. Have been using a simple "Outhouse" blind for the last three seasons and it has served me well - but it's too small. Have a Cabela's blind on its way to me now - should have it set up for muzzy season.

For the new blind, I chose this one for the extra side room and it seems a good value at that price.

 

[goosehunt2]

Ron, I gave up on stands after my heart attacks. I have a fallen Oak tree that I set up a folding right beside and it works out great for me. Come on second season I am ready.

 

[jims]

I hunt out of elevated stands also. I have had a heater for several years now but have never used it yet. The weather has not been too bad yet. It is ever gets really cold or I get really old (I am not too far from that ) I will fire it up. It is good just knowing I have it available.
If I were to put up more stands I might go to the two man stand even if I hunt alone, the one man stands are really pretty cramped I think.

 

[rks1949]

I have thought about using a blind sometimes cause the wife worries about me falling out of my treestands.......I try to explain to her that if i forget mt safety belt i do not get in any treestand i just still hunt.Are the pop up blinds quiet?And do they have a funny smell or anything.

Yes,they are quiet,and dry if it starts raining. They have a "new" smell to them when first used,but a little scent killer takes that away. Infact they help contain your scent,your movement,ect. They work about everywhere,and allot of places,where no trees are available. Ron

 

[Critter]

I am a treestand hunter. I have lots of them on the property to choose from depending on wind direction and times of year. I do sit the ground during some of the firearms seasons. I bought a pop up blind this year and haven't been able to get myself to sit in it. I always feel like there is something going on that I can't see. :lol: I may try to use it on Wednesday though, supposed to rain like a bugger all day long. I am going to move it and put it into a row of round bales on a different field if I do sit in it though.

 

[rks1949]

Critter,you might like it! I wasn't very keen on using them at first,but after watching a friend arrow a huge buck(that we couldn't get close to) in a willow draw,my thinking changed. Yeah,it's hard to change hunting habits(harder when your older). The new blinds have windows all the way around(my new one has 6. You won't have any trouble getting a deer to come within gun range. Ron

 

[choc-dog]

I still use fixed position lock-on stands and climbing sticks and a few ladder stands. I have never been in a pop up bling but my buddy uses one alot with his wife or used too.

I think my buddy's last Son was "concieved" in a pop-up blind but he won't admit it. His wife won't hunt out of it anymore either. I think she saw the trail cam pictures. :shock: :shock: :shock:

Choc-dog

 

[lewistt]

blinds/stands

I feel I can see better in a tree, but hunt from blinds occasionally as well. One of the best materials I have found for "rolling your own", is coroplast(the plastic stuff they make signs out of). Comes in colors, different thicknesses, is pretty cheap, 4" x 8" pieces weigh about a pound, and it is weatherproof. Cut the stuff with a utility knife in the field, attach to the frame with drywall screws and fender washers.

 

[rks1949]

I think my buddy's last Son was "concieved" in a pop-up blind but he won't admit it. His wife won't hunt out of it anymore either. I think she saw the trail cam pictures. :applause: :lol: Ron

 

[RAF]

Pop up blinds are neat and handy. My only concern is this. Deer have a keen sense of what belongs in their environment. I think if you put one up the day you hunt they'll recognize it as something new and shy away. All my blinds are built in the spring and left for the deer to get used to. But this is only my opinion.

 

[Ron S]

I have had them spot the blind,out on the edge of the fields(had it set out too far). I now make sure it's "back into the brush" along the edge,or in front of a dead fall tree. They never see it.Also you can put extra branches,weeds,corn stalks,ect on the outside. Ron

 

[oneshot]

I've got a Pop Up Blind I hate it.Too much to pack in and out,spooks Deer lots of times,have Deer slip in where I can't see them.

So I either set on the ground or use Ladder Stands.But where I hunt we can leave them out,we can't a Blind.

oneshot

 

[RAF]

I'm sure of you left a pop up blind in the woods for your next trip, when you got back you'd find that it grew legs and wondered off.

Semisane I like you elevated blind. Must have been a chore to get it up there.

 

[Ron S]

Yeah,never leave it out! Takes all of 30 seconds to set up next day. By the time I use a climber stand,I can be in a popup blind. Ron

 

[smong2000]

Hate trees too!!! Love the flexibility of ground sitting..

I have never been comfortable in treestands :shock: so even though every bow season I put 2-3 up, I usually end up spending more than 90% of my time on the ground. I love portable ground blinds and set one on my property for rainy days but have shot 12 of my 15 bow deer and all of my ML and rifle deer from the ground. For most of them have been just sitting at the base of trees like turkey hunters, on occasion will stick a few boughs in the ground in front of me. I think deer are much better at spotting people in trees than on the ground and you have the flexibility of moving anytime the wind shifts. Sure I've been scent busted quite a few times and it's tricky when a group of deer come by, but IMO you can't beat the feeling of having deer go by you at 10 feet without ever knowing you were there, OK I guess you can beat it when you put an arrow or bullet in one at close range . I hunt woods exclusively (Vermont, NH, Ontario) and set up for close encounters where it's pretty thick.