school me on pop up blinds

[Nomad]

Ok I want one for a thick area with no trees that are good for even a ladder.We bush hog 14 foot wide paths in there and plenty of natural trails.

I'd like it for bow as well as gun. Be able to shoot 3 of the 4 compass points. I plan on leaving it up from before bow through gun .Cost is not a factor.

Well built is.

From my search so far I kinda like Primos double bull Darkhorse.Just started to look though...

Thanks.

[Doc]

Sounds like a perfect place to use a pop-up.

So I guess you are not asking for advice on how,where, and when to use one, but rather you are looking for features to look for when buying one. ..... It that right?

I probably am not a real good help in that area because the two that I bought were based primarily on low price. However, what I did find out was that even the cheapos hold up very good. The big thing that I looked for was head room for drawing my bow without interference, and also interior dimension to make sure you can draw with your elbow clearing behind you and the bow clearing in front of you, including any forward reaction of the bow after the shot. So for me it was all about adequate size. It would probably be a fair statement in your case to say, bigger is better. Using a bow puts new meaning to the term "elbow room"....lol.

I do leave mine up through bow season and much of gun season and there doesn't seem to be any deterioration. I set both of them up in a pretty protected area at the edge of a thick stand of spruce trees. So they do get pretty good protection from weather. It's so tight in there that I don't even have to stake them down. Next season will be the third year that they have been out and they still look like new.

[fasteddie]

Try to get a look at them in a store and get inside and sit down . On a few , the windows don't work right to allow a good bow shot . Bigger is better for bows so you have plenty of room to draw so you'd be looking at "hub" blinds .

The Dog House blind is a nice one for gun hunting but to small for bow .

I have an Ameristep hub blind that I had set up numerous times . I set it up last bow season and had 4 out of 5 of the hubs snap . I think I can get a set of replacement hubs for about $40 plus shipping .

[Dinsdale]

I've had a Primos ground max for a few years......outside about 4 months each year and it's held up great. Hub design and 75" tall so plenty of room for a bow without banging the cieling.

I'd rather have the continuous style of window like the Double Bull has.....

[WNYBuckHunter]

I have the same one as dinsdale. I agree, id rather have the continuous window.

[Nomad]

Thanks all. I guess I got more homework to do. I'll try Gander to see if any are set up now. I'm liking that they hold up being up for a few months.

Oh and Doc. I'll take ANY info on setting them up ,hiding them types of chairs,buckets whatever to sit on, staking down, use in any way .

It will be some what protected from the elements and an easy quite walk to it .

When I say cost is not a factor,well I don't mind a cheaper one that lasts, but I've found paying once and crying once, beats re buying cheap things over and over and crying each time.

Edited March 28, 2012 by Larry302

[WNYBuckHunter]

The one thing you have to watch out for is snow. The roof is not made to take a ton of weight, and snow will collapse them. I have thought about making some type of removable support that I can use to prop the roof up when Im not in it so that snow will slide off instead of collapsing the top. It becomes a real problem when you brush in right near the edge of the roof, it helps to hold the snow in place so it doesnt slide off.

Also, if you are going to leave it for a while, dont depend on the chincy stakes they give you. I figured out what size rod would fit through the stake holes on mine, and bought steel rod from the hardware store, then cut it about a foot or so long and bent a hook in one end. You will need a hammer to put the stakes in, but they hold alot better. I added stronger ropes too. Para cord works great.

[Doc]

Thanks all. I guess I got more homework to do. I'll try Gander to see if any are set up now. I'm liking that they hold up being up for a few months.

Oh and Doc. I'll take ANY info on setting them up ,hiding them types of chairs,buckets whatever to sit on, staking down, use in any way .

It will be some what protected from the elements and an easy quite walk to it .

When I say cost is not a factor,well I don't mind a cheaper one that lasts, but I've found paying once and crying once, beats re buying cheap things over and over and crying each time.

The one thing I will stress in terms of their use is to spare no effort when it comes to brushing them in. I thought that just because I was pushed back into the spruces so well, that I could rely on simply the camo pattern. I was picked off at about 60 yards with the foot-stomping, head-bobbing, and the snorting retreat of the whole herd. So from that point on, I have made it a practice to brush it all in so well that I really wouldn't need any camo pattern on it at all. When I get done, I have to look real hard to find it myself.

Also, pay attention to your background and surroundings. When available, pine trees make excellent surrounding cover. Nothing is harder than trying to make one of these things blend in when you're dealing with mature, open, hardwoods. I won't say that it is impossible to use in those areas, but I generally won't bother using anyplace other than heavy, dense, brushy areas where you actually have to hack your way in to set it up.

Needless to say, your approach trail has to be quiet and easy to use, but not so obvious that the deer start using it. Any old lightweight folding stool works well for a seat. try to figure out a bow stand that keeps the bow in an upright and ready position. My stands came with a gizmo that sticks in the ground and holds my bow in a convenient fashion, ready to grab. Also clean out the interior of any twigs, leaves, and other debris that may make noise when you shift around for a shot.

Beware of having so many windows open that you become back-lit. No direct sunlight access into the interior through any open windows. Where I am set up, I really only have one possible direction to shoot anyway so I only use one window open and then it is only partially zipped down (they make them way bigger than is really necessary). Wear dark clothing. Camo is not necessary just dark colors (black is perfect). You may think you are well hidden, but even the small amount of light coming in the open window will illuminate you and show up your drawing motions and any other inadvertant movements.

Set the blind up long before you intend to use it. Even well brushed in, the deer will eventually find it and it takes some time for them to accept its presence. Once they do accept it, it's surprising how close they will come to it.

Needless to say, you still have to be as scent conscious and aware of wind directions. Even though you are kind of encapsulated, you are not scent-locked.

I found it useful to practice setting up and tearing down my blind a few times before actually trying to use it for hunting. Don't always count on instructions. Some of these have a bit of a learning curve involved and are technique sensitive. It is surprising how some of these need specific folding and twisting motions to get them back in their carrying case. That's not always so easy to figure out when you are in a hurry trying to just pick the thing up, pack it up and head home with it. The little tricks are better learned in a basement or out in your yard.

As far as shopping techniques, you already got that right. Head for Gander mountain, or Bass-Pro, or somewhere that they are likely to have a good assortment of them set up so you can judge for yourself the quality and size.

Most of all this stuff is just common sense that you would eventually think of yourself, but sometimes it is good to have it all listed ahead of time so you don't wind up blowing an opportunity and then kicking yourself because an obvious error was made. I have just randomly thrown down thoughts and ideas without any judgement as to whether they are super-obvious or not. Perhaps others will add on to this list with some things that I'm not thinking of, so it can serve as a set of reminders and a bit of a check-list.

[Dinsdale]

The one thing you have to watch out for is snow. The roof is not made to take a ton of weight, and snow will collapse them. I have thought about making some type of removable support that I can use to prop the roof up when Im not in it so that snow will slide off instead of collapsing the top. It becomes a real problem when you brush in right near the edge of the roof, it helps to hold the snow in place so it doesnt slide off.

I use a length of 3/4" EMT (that's electric conduit thinwall).......locks itself in place with the acorn nut on the hub. Most I have loaded is about a foot of light stuff before I brushed it off.....seems no worse for wear.

Edited March 28, 2012 by Dinsdale

[Dinsdale]

Oh and Doc. I'll take ANY info on setting them up ,hiding them types of chairs,buckets whatever to sit on, staking down, use in any way .

Don't get your finger pinched btween the hub and rods when pushing out to set one up. You'll leak blood all over.

Ask me how I know. LOL

[sits in trees]

Ok I want one for a thick area with no trees that are good for even a ladder.We bush hog 14 foot wide paths in there and plenty of natural trails.

I'd like it for bow as well as gun. Be able to shoot 3 of the 4 compass points. I plan on leaving it up from before bow through gun .Cost is not a factor.

Well built is.

From my search so far I kinda like Primos double bull Darkhorse.Just started to look though...

Thanks.

if money isnt an issue, just buy the big more expensive blinds, they are all good and give you the room you need for bow hunting. the best part of a big blind is being able to sit back towards the back of the blind in shadows and not being seen at all.