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

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

    I read a lot of negativity about hunting out of pop-up blinds. I understand many people hate them. They are sweat boxes, deer can smell you easier, can catch your movement easier. I got it.

    But, my situation is I had knee surgery last year and my knee is not right. I did put up 2 15' ladder stands this year. It was not easy.

    I hunted 1 ladder stand yesterday. I was very uncomfortable the whole sit. Kept moving to rearrange my position. Back hurt, knee hurt.

    I just believe it it is time for me to go to pop-ups. And I am looking for advice from hunters that have success out of pop-ups, what tips and secrets you might be willing to share and pass along.

    Especially North East Texas (Marshall, Jefferson) area if anyone that direction is successful out of pop-ups.

    Thanks,
    Lance

    #2
    Well. I’d say, when inside, deer smell me less and notice movement less as well.

    However, I’m speaking on ground blinds that stay in place year round. Maybe that makes a difference.

    Comment


      #3
      I've had deer walk right beside me in pop-ups without noticing me. Open as few windows as possible. They can't pick up on your movement as easy, if they can't see through. Wear dark colored clothes. One thing I learned yesterday on a hub style blind, is to not try to push the hubs out from inside the blind. They bite...hard!

      Comment


        #4
        I hunt almost exclusively out of pop ups.
        Am I successful. I think I am. I fill my tags every year.



        I wear black clothes and sit as far back in blind as I can while bow hunting. I believe it helps mask movement while drawing. While rifle hunting I try to keep end of barrel out window. Didn't once and it was louder than usual inside blind.


        Tips and tricks?
        Put them up and don't hunt it for a few days. Its something new and they need to adjust to it.
        I keep all the windows closed except the one facing the feeder. I make sure there's mesh in it. When I hunt I'll just pull enough mesh out of the way to shoot through the opening.


        I try and place my pop ups in clumps of trees with some underbrush, than cut out my shooting lane If i cut brush and pile it on the blind when it dies it draws attention to it. Using the natural vegetation it stays in sync with the surrounding vegetation.



        I prefer a magnet closure door, they are quieter. I mostly have and use Zipper doors. I don't like the noise they make early in the AM. cant say if they've had an adverse effect on my hunts or not. I personally don't like the noise.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Pushbutton2 View Post
          I hunt almost exclusively out of pop ups.
          Am I successful. I think I am. I fill my tags every year.



          I wear black clothes and sit as far back in blind as I can while bow hunting. I believe it helps mask movement while drawing. While rifle hunting I try to keep end of barrel out window. Didn't once and it was louder than usual inside blind.


          Tips and tricks?
          Put them up and don't hunt it for a few days. Its something new and they need to adjust to it.
          I keep all the windows closed except the one facing the feeder. I make sure there's mesh in it. When I hunt I'll just pull enough mesh out of the way to shoot through the opening.


          I try and place my pop ups in clumps of trees with some underbrush, than cut out my shooting lane If i cut brush and pile it on the blind when it dies it draws attention to it. Using the natural vegetation it stays in sync with the surrounding vegetation.



          I prefer a magnet closure door, they are quieter. I mostly have and use Zipper doors. I don't like the noise they make early in the AM. cant say if they've had an adverse effect on my hunts or not. I personally don't like the noise.
          Well put, can't add to this.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Pushbutton2 View Post
            I hunt almost exclusively out of pop ups.
            Am I successful. I think I am. I fill my tags every year.



            I wear black clothes and sit as far back in blind as I can while bow hunting. I believe it helps mask movement while drawing. While rifle hunting I try to keep end of barrel out window. Didn't once and it was louder than usual inside blind.


            Tips and tricks?
            Put them up and don't hunt it for a few days. Its something new and they need to adjust to it.
            I keep all the windows closed except the one facing the feeder. I make sure there's mesh in it. When I hunt I'll just pull enough mesh out of the way to shoot through the opening.


            I try and place my pop ups in clumps of trees with some underbrush, than cut out my shooting lane If i cut brush and pile it on the blind when it dies it draws attention to it. Using the natural vegetation it stays in sync with the surrounding vegetation.



            I prefer a magnet closure door, they are quieter. I mostly have and use Zipper doors. I don't like the noise they make early in the AM. cant say if they've had an adverse effect on my hunts or not. I personally don't like the noise.
            This is one mistake I made.

            Comment


              #7
              I agree with pushbutton2 about “putting it in the brush” instead of “putting brush on it”. Favorite way is to wade into a thicket and lop out a little clearing the size of the blind’s footprint. It takes some work to clear the ground adequately but I do this for blinds I’m gonna leave out all season. I put down cheap indoor/outdoor carpeting then pitch the blind on top of that. For one thing it makes it easier to see at a glance if a snake has taken up residence. Just clip enough brush to clear a lane out your shooting window.

              Comment


                #8
                I do exactly what Pushbutton said. I like jerp's idea about the carpet. Might try that.

                Has anyone tried covering their blind with a pice of camo netting? I thought more than conceal it it would protect it some from UV rays that fade the blind and weaken the material. Not sure how I would attach it. Maybe safety pins?

                To the OP I like pop ups but thats all I've ever hunted out of for 20 years. I think I would feel very exposed in a tree stand.
                Last edited by TXbowman; 10-11-2020, 02:21 PM.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Thanks for the ideas

                  Comment


                    #10
                    As far as covering with camo netting I have done that and it helped with both sun fading and concealment. I tied the corners of the netting to the blind stakes then used those black binder clips to secure it around the windows and other places along the bottom.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      How do you guys control your scent especially your breath?

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by U.S.ArmyRetired View Post
                        How do you guys control your scent especially your breath?
                        I have tried many of the "new/cutting edge" scent control methods/gadgets/sprays in years past. Like many I eventually gave all that up and just take a shower and put on clean clothes. There's only so much you can do to fool a deer's nose. You will hear "just play the wind!" which sounds simple but not always easy. In context of setting a ground blind, try to put it in a spot that makes it difficult for deer to circle you and come in from downwind.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          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!

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Excellent info above, I use most of it. Play the wind. Big Rubber coated twist ties to hang light weight things from, bumping the sides of the blind ain't good. I don't use carpet or bottom, too many rattle snakes where I am. I do clean out the floor to dirt so there is no noise when I move my feet, and I can see what's there. Never had anything in my pop up, but I want to be able to see before it scares the tar outa me. :-) Have fun!

                            Comment


                              #15
                              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.

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