Ground Blind

[dustinwise]

Are turkeys really oblivious to ground blinds? I have read this but have never tried it in setup. Can a person just throw out his blind the same morning of the hunt and expect turkeys not to notice the change in sceneary? Will they work in an open field?

[WillowRidgeCalls]

That is true, they are pretty dumb when it comes to blinds. I don't like using them but there are times when they come in handy, in open fields where no trees are, in the rain, or with a young hunter that can't sit still for very long. I've set them up in a hay field that morning and have had hens come in and pick grasshoppers off the side of it.

[arrowsonly]

YES, YES, AND YES...

It is the only way I hunt;turkeys, deer, and black bear via stick & string. I use a Double Bull, but Rhino & Barnett make pretty good ones also. The cheap ones shine, make lots of noise & flap in the wind. They hide movment, control sent, and a great place to sleep after getting up at 2 am all week...

[shaman]

Yes, they are extremely effective. It's one of the reasons so many "Old Schoolers" get all bent out of shape over them.

I personally do not like hunting out of mine. I'll do it if I have a small kid along or its raining. However, they really seem to screw up your field of view. They also limit mobility -- both to their weight and bulk and the time it takes to set them and break them.

As a lightweight alternative, I would suggest a 12' piece of die-cut nylap and a 50 foot length of camo camper's cord and a few clothespins. I can put up a blind in a minute or less and it weighs less than a sandwich and a coke. Just like a fancy blind, the turkey is completely fooled by all but the biggest movements you make behind the blind.

[dewey]

I would agree with what everyone has said about turkeys not noticing blinds even if they were set up that morning. I have set up blinds the night before and had turkeys walk within 4-5 feet of the blind and not be freaked out at all. Like others have said I use mine for hunting with my nephew or in the rain but I prefer not to use one if it is just me. I got one from Fleet Farm that I use deer hunting as well for about $55. Easy to set up and easy to take down.

Dewey

[turkey junky]

ive had double bull & a dog house blind both worked on birds the double bull with the hub style set up is much more user friendly then the ones that un fold by memory when u start to unfold them...

& yes you can pop a blind up in the middle on a field or wear ever & the turkeys will not pay u to much mind they will not just up & leave the field/area you set up the blind because you set up the blind!!!


i couldnt stand hunting in mine all the time so i sent back my double bull & started get n into the hole takeing a turkey blind-less thing with or with out archery equipment...
a lot of folks think that is the only way to hunt turkeys & thats really the only prob i have with pop up blinds!!!??? they do work well thow

[kygobbler]

Ground blinds are very effective to use no matter where you put them. Last spring I took my cousin out for her first turkey hunt and we was in a blind. We had about 30 turkeys in all, all around us and then the boss gobbler came into the field. He literally walked us against the blind and it didnt bother him at all or the others. The only thing that bothered that gobbler was when my cousin pulled the trigger to her 20 gauge on him at 10 feet.

If you have a problem sitting still or have someone with you that has a problem with it, then I would strongly recommend one.

[ylpnfol]

i got a tent blind last year, i have yet to kill a turkey out of it, got it for hunting in the rain mostly, but i do agree that they don't pay any attention to them, i have a stake blind that i carry with me all the time, and it has contributed to a successful hunt many times, i've had birds within feet of it and not know i was in their world, i never leave home w/out it .....

[Fan Club]

I have a collection of blinds I've accumulated over the years, several Ameristep Dog Houses, a Primos Ground Max and a Tom Taker. They all work well for all of the reasons previously mentioned. As a result of owning several, some years I have left blinds in a good spot for the entire season.(the month of May in Michigan.)

A word of caution...If you decide to leave a pop up blind out for an extended period of time, it will be a magnet for every critter looking to build a spring nest- mice, snakes, bees and ants. The red ant mounds seem to be really popular. I've had mice chew the drawstrings out of decoy bags and blind carrying cases as well.

For no more effort than it is to put one up, you might think twice before leaving it out there for a week.

[arrowsonly]

This OLD SCHOOLER' loves his Double Bull, a Matrix 360 in predetor green and a T-5 in brown also in that pattern. I feel that pattern is what hides that blind so well it's larger than regular camo paterns that are designed for clothing. No I do not kill alot of turkeys like the videos, but I do not hunt turkeys to kill em if that makes sence. Warm, dry, comfortable, what else ? I bust my &@# all week at work and home, my time in the blind is mine @ 50 + I need to recharge and get ready to do it all again, family & home take time & money...