Ground Blinds and debris shelters

[Deertick]

Swede will tell us (I think he\'ll likely tell anyone and everyone) that ambush hunting is under-rated as a tactic.

But, hunting alone, far from the road ... treestand hunts do have a level of risk that I\'m not real happy with. (They also have a level of weight that I\'m not real happy with!) Risk can be mitigated by harnesses, satellite communicators, etc., but ... what about the ground blind?

I\'m not talking here about the little box-like tents that turkey hunters use.

I\'m talking about make-shift debris shelters used as blinds.

Anyone use them? Anyone have success? I missed my first elk from a debris shelter, and I sure would like to get another chance.

Debris shelters are light-weight ... just a few zip-ties in a pack can be used to tie up some branches. And they\'re safe ... hard to fall when you\'re already on the ground.

But there are downsides ... scent, noise, movement.

So ... anyone use debris blinds?

 

[cohunter14]

Our group actually used to use a bunch of ground blinds in our area. We hunted the area long enough to know the paths the elk would take and we had multiple blinds built. Our blinds were a little different though, since we set them up for rifle hunting. It is difficult to explain how we did this, but basically we would try to find some trees in the spot we wanted the blind and we would use them as the foundation. In the end, the foundation would look something like this:

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The four corners would be either a standing tree or a blown down tree/branch. Ideally, we would have at least two trees as the foundation for stability. The branches or blow downs that we use would be at least 3\" in diameter, so when we would nail them together they don\'t split. The cross beams would be set to where, if you are sitting on a stump in the middle of the box, you could rest your gun right on the cross beams for a shot.

Once the foundation was up, we would try to throw other branches and stuff around the outside and lean them up against the cross beams. This would make it so the only thing visable to an animal passing by would be from about your pecks up.

Unfortunately, the area that we put these up in eventually got ruined by a landowner who kept using his airplane to heard the elk back towards his property. The DOW didn\'t do anything and a great area was ruined.

 

[Deertick]

That\'s what I\'m talking about ... I have used blinds like this that were only two-sided, instead of the four you put up.

Anyone else?

Tips on use? (I\'m thinking mostly of archery, though I could see how MZ and rifle hunters could use it, too).

 

[mtnmutt]

Does anyone have pictures to post of their debris ground blinds?

Last year was the first time I attempted to make these. I was trying ambush for the first time. I will be trying it again this season if my trail cam pictures reveal a promising location.

 

[Swede]

I have never killed an elk from a ground blind. I have hunted from one quite a few times, but just have not put the proper time in to give it a fair trial. I am convinced there are times and places where a ground blind is just as good as a tree stand. The problem develops when you try to put together a blind at the confluence of several trails and where the water hole and wallow are. Now is the ground blind as good? I will still say \"sometimes\", but not often. The good part of this is for the ground blind hunter is that you are at no disadvantage to the other still hunters on the ground with a bow, or even the hunter using a call. Would I sit at a water hole in a ground blind? Definitely.
Tick is right about assessing the risk. We can minimize it, but we can\'t eliminate it. I think the risk is about the same as driving down the highway. The difference is that if something happens to you on the highway, someone is probably going to find you real soon.

 

[F M]

I have used home made ground blinds for quite a few years with good results. I carry para cord and a small gerber saw with me all the times to make one if I find a spot I would like to build one. Mine are really like cohunters. I try to find at least one tree or some heavy brush or a blow down for one or two corners. On the other corners depending on what I have to work with it will be a four corner or triangle shape. For making the other corners I try and find some heavy branch`s or a small tree that has a y shape to it. Think of a old home made sling shot only a lot bigger for the other corners. Lay your side poles in the y to make your corner and tie it together. If you cant find a y try and find three limbs or some thing to make a teepee for a corner this makes a nice v on top to set your cross pieces in and tie together. Then brush it in with whatever you can find then I cut some shooting lanes where I want them. I have a couple of areas where I have built two blinds and move from one to the other depending on which way the thermals are blowing.

 

[Bullnuts]

I\'ve hunted from them, usually on afternoon hunts when I\'m pretty much content to sit and watch a wallow or field, and have seen elk and had opportunities from them. I don\'t do anything fancy, just a makeshift hasty set up- -pile a few logs between the trees to break up my outline and that\'s about it.