Brush Blinds

[sits in trees]

I converted to pop up/hub blinds years ago for rifle hunting and have had great success using them for rifle hunting. I have over the years also tried them for bow hunting but have to say have had limited success with them. No matter how long they're out there deer just seem to bust me in them for that up close bow shot. Was wondering if anyone out there is still making natural brush blinds and what techniques you might be using. I've seen a few on You Tube and have to say I'm pretty impressed. Was wondering how they work in NY type terrain especially with fall leaf loss you'll encounter in later season.

[turkeyfeathers]

I know a guy who built in a natural blind over and around a pop up.  Looks amazing     He reinforced it with 2 by 4’s to hold snow. It’s been up for years 

[JRod 8G8H]

I also have seen lots of deer out of pop up blinds but never had one in good bow range before... Been thinking about doing a brush blind this weekend on two of the properties I hunt..and stop spending money on new stands lol...

Previous owner at my cousins property did some hinge cutting a few years ago.. looks real good and has created nice funnels.  Will be using this area to brush in a blind...

[Fantail]

I think brush blinds are better in some ways, natural camouflage for example. One less thing to carry, if it's iffy weather will have an umbrella anyway. You can burn some time setting & fixing them up though.

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[wolc123]

I use to brush in my blinds every year by weaving leafy branches thru old wood & wire snow fence.  That never worked out so good and was very high-maintenance. The leaves fell off and had to be replaced every season.  Also, when the deer were in close, they would sometimes still pick out motion thru any remaining openings, and take off before I could take a shot.   What I do now, is box them in below the shooting rails with old unpainted, weathered barnwood (140 year old American chestnut).  That has been very effective and blends in quite well with the fall woods.   I boxed three of them like that 2 seasons ago and we killed 3 deer out of one of them that year.  Last year I killed one each out of the other two.   None of those blinds had produced, when they were brushed in, but they are all working well now that they are boxed.  Three of those kills were does and a button buck at slightly over 100 yards with sabot slugs.  The other two were 2.5 and 3.5 year old bucks, at 15 yards or less with a crossbow.         

[turkeyfeathers]

3 minutes ago, wolc123 said:

I use to brush in my blinds every year by weaving leafy branches thru old wood & wire snow fence.  That never worked out so good and was very high-maintenance. The leaves fell off and had to be replaced every season.  Also, when the deer were in close, they would sometimes still pick out motion thru any remaining openings, and take off before I could take a shot.   What I do now, is box them in below the shooting rails with old unpainted, weathered barnwood (140 year old American chestnut).  That has been very effective and blends in quite well with the fall woods.   I boxed three of them like that 2 seasons ago and we killed 3 deer out of one of them that year.  Last year I killed one each out of the other two.   None of those blinds had produced, when they were brushed in, but they are all working well now that they are boxed.  Three of those kills were does and a button buck at slightly over 100 yards with sabot slugs.  The other two were 2.5 and 3.5 year old bucks, at 15 yards or less with a crossbow.         

You do realize button bucks are as dumb as opossums right ?!  But congrats on the mature bucks too.  

[wolc123]

1 minute ago, turkeyfeathers said:

You do realize button bucks are as dumb as opossums right ?!  But congrats on the mature bucks too.  

Not when momma doe is still with them, but she usually takes the first shot.   With a couple deer from my prior post, my buddy missed a doe from the upper deck of a two-story box blind in the morning, but killed the button.     I assume that she was the one that I killed from the lower deck later that afternoon.  She sure seemed to be attracted to that little gut pile.       

[BizCT]

I converted to pop up/hub blinds years ago for rifle hunting and have had great success using them for rifle hunting. I have over the years also tried them for bow hunting but have to say have had limited success with them. No matter how long they're out there deer just seem to bust me in them for that up close bow shot. Was wondering if anyone out there is still making natural brush blinds and what techniques you might be using. I've seen a few on You Tube and have to say I'm pretty impressed. Was wondering how they work in NY type terrain especially with fall leaf loss you'll encounter in later season.

 

Down by me tons of stone walls, so I sit behind a stone and wear a face mask. Otherwise ground blinds that are up year round have no issue with spooking deer. They walk close enough I could reach out and grab them. I wear black in the blind and only open a few window. I wear face paint or a mask.

 

All of the above is for bow/xbow. With the shotgun, I just sit against a tree or stone wall on the ground. Shoot them from 50-60yds. They never see me

 

 

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[grampy]

I hunt almost exclusively from brush blinds. Some examples. So many times, had deer close enough to touch. Nothing beats being eye to eye with em.

[HuntNfish100]

As a young man hunting with my uncles I made a natural deer blind (Columbia Cty), during small game season in October it was our favorite blind.  A huge pine tree was selected.  we selected about 6 tall 2-3 inch dia. samplings/young trees, trimmed them and leaned them against the tree in 360 deg.around the tree like tee pee poles.  Make them long enough so you can stand next to the tree to clear your head.  then we cut 3/4 to 1 inch samplings and tied them with rope from pole to pole in a horizontal position to the ground this will keep the poles upright during storms. I recall we added enough horizontal samplings to give the poles the strength we felt they needed. then we ran rope all around the circumference, we would hang pine boughs or weave them using the rope and horizontal poles as the framing to support the camo vegetation.  Some of the large tree lower pine branches were cut to provide clear sight lanes.   we put a plastic chair next to the trunk.  You can stand up and move around the trunk without being seen.  The basic tee pee structure lasted many years.  Every October we had to add new fresh natural vegetation as needed - easy.  The old vegetation just added to character of the blind.  I recall at some point we used black/white/ground #14 electric wire to replace the rope and tie up the structure.  Because the ground is covered with several inches of pine needles the blind was extremely quiet.  The tree provided protection from heavy rain, sleet, snow.  Maybe, the pine scent from the tree provided a little scent protection.  Not sure.  We picked sap off the tree and rubbed it on our clothes.   Alternative, look for 10' bamboo poles (2" dia.) pretty cheap - easier for sure.  Another idea: Pit blinds can be very effective particularly for open areas, scent is below grade.  Big advantage is scent is almost a non factor - big disadvantage is your not in a tree stand with all the advantages it provides but your scent can be a problem. 

 

 

 

[Swamp_bucks]

14 hours ago, grampy said:

I hunt almost exclusively from brush blinds. Some examples. So many times, had deer close enough to touch. Nothing beats being eye to eye with em.

I like those.  Going to have to try to make one like that today when im out with my nephew setting blinds for him.

[Doc]

A well used trail is exactly 20 yards in front of this stand. this stand is over 15 years old and is simply a wall to stand behind. I come to full draw while hidden, and release as soon as the walking deer exposes the vitals. This one has taken the most deer and is very consistent.

Another very consistent producer with the same "wall-style" cover. I just let the deer move into shooting position.

Down in the valley bottom. Don't see the blind? That's good because the deer can't see it either. Another measured 20 yard shot to the trail. Just behind the camera is an old wild apple tree that always produces. The cover is very tight and thick in here and good bedding is not very far away. You have to be watching all the time here because you will look one time and there will be no deer, and the next time you look they will get right across the shooting lane before you realize what is going on .... lol.

Old dead beech tree that overlooks a mineral-seep. It is almost like a treestand the way the land is shaped. No stand construction required. I just take advantage of the natural barrier and the attraction of the seep coming out of the ground right below the tree. Sometimes you just get lucky.

Gun stand ..... All the comforts of home! And it is as close to a guaranteed stand as I have ever found. It is a plateau that crosses the hill and forms an escape route when the orange-coats enter the woods. I have spent dozens of opening days right here.

Edited September 15, 2018 by Doc

[landtracdeerhunter]

I  have some brush piles that I cut inserts into.  The right height and zero movement is the key to success.