Been learning a ton from you guys—thank you.
Planning to set up and stake down my collapsible ground blind on the private land I have access to. I’ve already located a good spot where I can be well brushed in and have views/ shooting lanes to various places where my cams are picking up deer—in different directions from the stand that will allow me to play the wind a little (via which windows I close and which ones I open).
To be clear, this is for firearm season—starting early December.
My questions:
The landowner is cool with this plan and is willing to let me set up the blind a few weeks early—I’m thinking the second week of November—to let the deer adjust to its presence. Does that seem like enough time?
There’s no accessing this blind site without trekking a ways, over noisy leaves, possibly crunchy snow, and some deadfall, and I’ll need to carefully walk down some steep hills. This will happen in the dark, of course, with me wearing a headlamp and moving as slowly and quietly as possible, but there’s only so much one can do. I know folks suggest being in the blind (or stand) half an hour or so before sunrise: is there an advantage to getting out there much earlier? Does that give the deer more time to reset from any disruption my approach might cause? I will, of course, do my best to avoid accessing via areas where I think they’re likely to be, but, again, only so much I can do.
I plan to wear matte black in the blind. Any other blind-related things I wish I’d known pointers are very welcome. You won’t insult my intelligence. I’ve harvested two deer in my life, so am very much just getting started, even though I’m in my mid-40s.
One point of frustration I can already imagine: if you’re in there and have only one side window open (mindful of the wind and not having the deer silhouette you), and then you hear a deer coming from a direction that would require you to open a different-side window, do you just sit there silently and hope the deer wanders into your sights? (I feel like that would drive me nuts!) Or do you take your chances and zip up/zip down as quietly as possible in an effort to target the deer where it is? Too risky?
Thanks in advance.
Planning to set up and stake down my collapsible ground blind on the private land I have access to. I’ve already located a good spot where I can be well brushed in and have views/ shooting lanes to various places where my cams are picking up deer—in different directions from the stand that will allow me to play the wind a little (via which windows I close and which ones I open).
To be clear, this is for firearm season—starting early December.
My questions:
The landowner is cool with this plan and is willing to let me set up the blind a few weeks early—I’m thinking the second week of November—to let the deer adjust to its presence. Does that seem like enough time?
There’s no accessing this blind site without trekking a ways, over noisy leaves, possibly crunchy snow, and some deadfall, and I’ll need to carefully walk down some steep hills. This will happen in the dark, of course, with me wearing a headlamp and moving as slowly and quietly as possible, but there’s only so much one can do. I know folks suggest being in the blind (or stand) half an hour or so before sunrise: is there an advantage to getting out there much earlier? Does that give the deer more time to reset from any disruption my approach might cause? I will, of course, do my best to avoid accessing via areas where I think they’re likely to be, but, again, only so much I can do.
I plan to wear matte black in the blind. Any other blind-related things I wish I’d known pointers are very welcome. You won’t insult my intelligence. I’ve harvested two deer in my life, so am very much just getting started, even though I’m in my mid-40s.
One point of frustration I can already imagine: if you’re in there and have only one side window open (mindful of the wind and not having the deer silhouette you), and then you hear a deer coming from a direction that would require you to open a different-side window, do you just sit there silently and hope the deer wanders into your sights? (I feel like that would drive me nuts!) Or do you take your chances and zip up/zip down as quietly as possible in an effort to target the deer where it is? Too risky?
Thanks in advance.
