Without a doubt, more whitetails are harvested from a treestand than by any other means. However, a close second is from a blind, and there are some advantages blinds have over other tactics. Inside a blind your movement is concealed to a certain extent, your scent is somewhat contained and you can erect one just about anywhere. It makes a great way to introduce youth to hunting big game, and it’s a fact that with our aging demographics many feel safer while hunting from a blind.
Blinds come in many forms: from the popular pop-up/HUB style, to a box blind, to a simple bolt of burlap or camo cloth strung between a couple trees. Which to use depends upon your means, conditions and preferences. Blinds made from natural materials are also effective but don’t offer the portability of a pop-up. You can even have the best of two worlds with an elevated platform blind or blinds that fasten directly to your treestand.
Choosing the right location is important. Scouting and learning about the area is key. When hunting whitetails, you want to try to position your ambush downwind or crosswind of where you believe the animals will be. There are two routes you may take when it comes to whitetails: either set the blind up and “brush them in” (camo them) so it blends in well with the surroundings, or set it up well in advance of the hunt so the animals become accustomed to it ̶ both are effective.
Presuming you’ve chosen the right location, some details will be important. Obviously a treestand will be a bit different from a ground blind, but one detail you should always observe is trimming shooting lanes/windows. What good is it if a buck passes by within range but you can’t get a clear shot? Choose a comfortable chair and make sure you can easily get in and out of the blind, even in the dark. Make sure to practice from a seated position before the hunt.
Even though you’re inside a blind, you’ll probably be on their same level (on the ground), so you’ll want to protect against them smelling you or picking up movement. Even if you plan your set-up be downwind, often they’ll surprise you. I like to spray down the blind fabric with Scent Killer Gold to help trap any foreign odors that might otherwise escape through the fabric, and spray Scent Killer No Zone inside the blind to attack a wide range of odors and knock them out. Inside a dark blind, dark camouflage like Mossy Oak’s Bottomland or all dark clothing will help prevent against a light flash catching the eye of a wary buck.
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