Looking for "How-To" Pop-Up Blind Advice

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Where I hunt, I bow hunt exclusively out of pop up blinds. We don’t have trees big enough to conceal tripods or attach tree stands. I kill multiple deer a year out of mine, but like any other type of stand sitting with a bow, it can be extremely frustrating at times but with persistence it pays off.

I don’t leave my blinds out all year due to weather and critters they get tore up too easy and I’m not willing to buy several every year. I find trails and scrapes used by my target deer and will set up on those. I find it very difficult and frustrating set up on a feeder and having multiple deer feeding in my shooting lane in front of and behind my target deer.

Concealment: if I can I’ll try to do what jerp said, find brush and clear out a spot in that brush to place the blind in, this is the best because it hides the blind much better than cutting brush to brush up in. As far as movement, wear dark clothes, only have 1 window to shoot through, and maybe a peep hole or 2 to see other directions, and sit as far back away from window and you should be able to get away with about any movement you make.

Placement: this sort of ties into the concealment part, but where I put them is strictly due to wind. If I plan on sitting this spot regularly I’ll look for a good spot to hide it down wind of prevailing wind direction. If I plan on hunting the spot on a cold front, I’ll put it in a place down wind of a north wind (south of spot I’m targeting). Preferably in a stand of brush but if I can’t then next to it. I never just put it out there, the deer have never come within range when I’ve tried this. Sometimes an area I want to target just isn’t right and so I’ll have to set up to or from that area.

Wind/scent: this is just my take on it. I used to be adamant about scent control. Only used scent killing detergent, air dried, stored in plastic bag with aromatic foliage from the area, and kept them outside to not contaminate, then used scent killing/cover spray each hunt. Did this religiously until the day I killed my biggest buck. That day I was sitting on the seeder behind the tractor all afternoon sweating my butt off. Didn’t have time to change for the evening hunt. Grabbed my bow and got in my blind and had that buck at 17 yards (closest he had come in all season). Since then I just place my blinds down wind and go from there. There’s no fooling a deers nose, period. This is anecdotal but I’ve had deer closer to my blind with me in it with no scent control measures than with, 5-6 ft from shooting window and never cautious.

Hopefully that helps some!

Biggest thing is placing it down wind. I put mine out in the open but downwind. Set it out 3 weeks before opening day. Within 24hrs there were deer back in the feeder. Opening day, the winds switched and i was now upwind. Got busted every time. The day after, wind were still off. This time i tried Ozone. The deer came in but were extremely uneasy the entire time. Finally the 3rd day the winds were back to normal and i was downwind. Deer all over the feeder pen comfortable as can be. Didn't use ozone, just spray scent killer on my clothes prior. I don't think the scent killer spray did anything to help my chances, the winds shifting back to their normal direction is what led to success.

I wear all black with a balaclava. Limit my movement and they didn't even look at me.

Thanks.

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

How do you guys set downwind when the wind can change direction so often?

[Drycreek3189]

How do you guys set downwind when the wind can change direction so often?

You cannot beat “light and variable” winds just by where you set your blind. I use an Ozonics unit and I believe in it. Several experiences have shown me that it works 90% of the time. Another thing I did before I got the Ozonics was to liberally spray Dead Down Wind on the inside walls of the blind. I had one set that deer would invariably come in and circle the blind, blow and then leave. One morning I took a shower, dressed on the porch, sprayed myself until I was damp, then sprayed the inside of the blind. They came in from behind and then I had seven does and fawns go to the feeder from both sides of the blind. One doe I could have touched with an arrow That told me than spray works at least to some extent used in conjunction with a clean body. BTW, the biggest doe hit the dirt at the arrows release and I shot over her back

[SNKETR]

How do you guys set downwind when the wind can change direction so often?

Where i hunt the winds are typically from the North during hunting season....Typically. That's probably 85%-90% of the time during that period.

[Shane]

Good info above. I'll add a couple things that seem to work well for me as well.

1. Get a good "seal" along the bottom of the blind. Remove all grass, sticks, and leaves from inside the blind floor. Get down to just dirt. Pile dirt up onto the edge of the blind on all 4 sides to fill all the air gaps.

2. Mesh up and shooting through it conceals movement the best, but if you are wearing black or dark camo, including a buff or bandana over your face and gloves on your hands, you are fine with mesh down.

3. Whether you hunt with mesh up or down, spray paint all window mesh and camo covers that might ever get opened with flat black spray paint. If you leave them camo, and then there's suddenly a black hole in your blind when you show up to hunt and open a window, that freaks out the deer - especially the old doe that will stand and blow at everything. Make all your windows black whether they're open or closed. That way, the deer are used to it looking like that and they won't get nervous over something being different when you're in the blind. Also, flat black on the mesh makes it a LOT easier to see out of. It cuts the glare on the mesh when sunlight hits it.

4. Ozone helps a lot. I have a no-name ozone generator. I put it in a mesh bag that allows air flow. I wrap the draw string of the bad around the rod above the open window and let the ozone machine hang just above the window. I've had deer within just a few feet directly downwind of me with ozone going, and they don't spook. They'll sometimes pause, but they'll eventually relax and go back to eating.

5. Smoke works nearly as well as ozone. I use Tink's All Season smoke sticks a lot. I light one and stick it in the dirt behind my blind chair. It fills the blind with smoke, so it covers you and your clothes and everything. Deer don't seem to be bothered by the smoke smell at all. Downside is getting smoked. I've never used smoke and ozone at the same time, but I imagine that would be very effective.

6. I've found that having the blind in the wide open can still be OK, as long as you give the deer a few days to get comfortable with it. Having it tucked into existing brush, as described above, is best. But it doesn't hurt for the blind to be plainly visible. Having as much shade on the blind as possible sure makes it more comfortable to hunt out of though. Regardless, when you first put the blind up, pour a bag of corn on the ground up near the blind. Nothing helps deer make friends with a new blind faster than eating corn next to it.

7. Spray bug killer all over the inside and outside of the blind to keep spiders and bugs to a minimum.

[Chew]

I try to set up blinds on the west side of the target area when possible. You rarely have a west wind unless a front/storm is changing around. Sometimes you can't do it because the deer always come from the west or something like that. Predominant wind is usually southeast'ish. So a north wind stand would be good most of the time in early season.

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

BTW, the biggest doe hit the dirt at the arrows release and I shot over her back[/QUOTE]

Nice

Good info above. I'll add a couple things that seem to work well for me as well.

1. Get a good "seal" along the bottom of the blind. Remove all grass, sticks, and leaves from inside the blind floor. Get down to just dirt. Pile dirt up onto the edge of the blind on all 4 sides to fill all the air gaps.

Good idea

Regardless, when you first put the blind up, pour a bag of corn on the ground up near the blind. Nothing helps deer make friends with a new blind faster than eating corn next to it.

7. Spray bug killer all over the inside and outside of the blind to keep spiders and bugs to a minimum.

Should've done this sooner.

I try to set up blinds on the west side of the target area when possible. You rarely have a west wind unless a front/storm is changing around. Sometimes you can't do it because the deer always come from the west or something like that. Predominant wind is usually southeast'ish. So a north wind stand would be good most of the time in early season.

Interesting

[Romulan]

This isn't a pop-up - but have you looked into a ghost blind?

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

This isn't a pop-up - but have you looked into a ghost blind?

Not really interested in the ghost blind. The concept is interesting but I like the pop-up because I can sit in there when the weather is bad.

I like ladder stands but since my knee surgery the blinds are just easier to deal with.

[TxHunter06]

I'm my experience, the deer smell me less and catch pretty much zero movement (with mesh up). I've literally had deer touch the mesh on my blind and go right back to eating corn. The deer on the left are literally about 10ft from me.

[freerhunter16]

I agree that the mesh definitely helps with concealment. But, I HATE looking through it. I don't think it effects arrow flight, especially with a sharp fixed blade, but I just can not stand looking through the mesh for a 3 hour hunt lol. I leave the mesh down and try to make the "black hole" the window makes as small as possible.

[TxHunter06]

I have a love hate relationship with the mesh lol

[jerp]

I love the concealment mesh gives you but I can’t see through it adequately enough to take a confident shot especially in low light. Maybe it’s my old eyes but it really messes with my depth perception which is especially important shooting a trad bow instinctively.

[Where's Bruce?]

I got some shoot-thru mess, made sleeves to put doling in and created an ultralight blind I can draw from and shoot through without getting busted. Just set it up in the shade and you're good to go. Rolls up to the size and weight of a single trekking pole. Don't have any hosted photos to share and cannot upload pics here, sorry.

[Button]

Any recommendations on pop up brands and models? Pros and cons?