In recent years, there has been an increase in the popularity of ground level portable hunting blinds among avid whitetail deer trophy hunters and for some very good reasons. Portable blinds, particularly the pop-up tent varieties, offer ease in transporting and mobility that can’t happen with the traditional permanent tree stand and do so at pretty affordable prices. A portable hunting blind allows the hunter to quickly and easily get into his or her chosen position and watch for the big one, no climbing necessary. They also enable a hunter to benefit from being able to try out several spots during the course of the season, giving him more options and increasing his odds of success. They allow the sportsman who may not have land of his own where he can build a permanent stand to travel to where the deer are and quickly get set up in a variety of terrains. He can go where the game is. This makes a portable hunting blind a great convenience to pack along on that long weekend at a buddy’s camp.
As with any other piece of hunting equipment, a hunting blind, even a popup portable tent one that assembles in seconds, requires some preparation for it to perform at its best. This is where a few extra steps can make a big difference in the outcome of the hunt. The successful hunter must understand his prey and use his wits instead of just relying on his gear to think for him. When hunting whitetail deer, knowledge of the animals’ habits and instincts is crucial. When setting up even the simplest and easiest hunting blind, the hunter needs to do everything he possibly can to become invisible to the deer and gain the advantage.
Even the casual hunter who may just enjoy a few days in the woods or who just likes to add some venison to the family menu still generally prides himself on getting the biggest animal possible. With size, however, comes age and experience on the part of the deer. The really big bucks have gotten that way because they are very crafty and attuned to their environment. Especially during hunting season, deer are on the alert for anything out of the ordinary in their familiar surroundings. While they may be a little more distracted during rut, generally speaking a whitetail deer is a surprisingly intelligent creature who relies on very acute senses to alert him of danger in a nanosecond.
Deer have almost a 300 degree field of vision, meaning the placement of their eyes allows them to see in every direction except straight behind them. They constanting scan their environment and will quickly notice anything unusual, such as a brand new deer blind that appears to them like an alien blob in the landscape. Just like camoflauge is used to break up the human silhouette, it needs to be used to make the hunting blind blend into its surroundings. Even the best cami patterned tent blind can benefit from additional help in the form of branches, corn stalks and other available natural materials placed on and around it to visually break up its outline. Going with a low blind and sitting on the ground or small stool can help minimize the appearance of the blind so that it is less noticeable and threatening. Placement is also important; the blind is obviously less visible if it’s tucked into trees or brush instead of plopped in the middle of a field or other open area.
The back should be camouflaged or closed to effectively hide the hunter from that angle as well as the front. Measures should be taken to disguise the window so that it doesn’t look like a big dark hole in the middle of an otherwise natural looking background. (The lightskinned hunter would also be wise to wear facial netting or camoflauge paint so that his face doesn’t stand out too starkly in the window.) Depending upon the time of day, the direction of the sun also needs to be considered when positioning the hunting blind, as deer will quickly notice the blind if its surface is reflecting sunlight. Placing the blind up above the deers’ line of sight, as on a knoll overlooking the trail, can also help both visually and with dissipating the hunter’s scent in higher air.
Most hunters know that whitetails have a very keen sense of smell and are best tracked from downwind. The same principles apply to using the hunting blind. The brand new deer blind should spend some time in the great outdoors before it’s put into action so that it takes on a more natural smell. Likewise, if it’s musty from storage, it should be aired out for at least several days, longer if possible. (Setting it up ahead of time where it’s going to be used so that it has a bit of time to cure is an even better idea, but not always feasible.) Any necessary cleaning needs to be done with scent free products, just as with the hunter’s clothing. If it doesn’t come with a built in odor absorbent, the fabric blind can also benefit from a good spray of cover scent/odor eliminator. Boots worn when setting up the blind or when coming and going need to be treated as well or they will leave a nice human-scented trail that deer will be almost guaranteed to avoid. It goes without saying that smoking cigarettes or answering the call of Mother Nature is a definite “don’t” when in or around the hunting blind. These foreign odors immediately signal the hunter’s presence. Any animal that marks its territory with scrapes will be keenly aware if a hunter seems to have done likewise.
When it comes to smoke and heat, deer will sometimes become curious about the smoke from the small wood burners that some hunters use in extremely cold weather – after all, these animals instinctively watch for forest fires as well as predators. There are also many small propane options for use in the hunting blind that make various degrees of odor and noise. All in all, there seem to be as many opinions about using heaters in blinds as there are hunters, so it’s really up to individual discretion if its worth taking the chance to be a few degrees warmer. Since hunting blinds already provide protection from the elements, the safest approach would probably just be to wear appropriate gear for the weather. Too much heat in a small space and the hunter’s sweat scent will likely cue in the deer – again, not a good thing.
Whitetails also rely on their sense of hearing extensively, with large ears that work independantly of one another and swivel in all directions. Any hunter who has stepped on a crackly twig while lining up that perfect shot can attest to how fast the smallest noise can ruin a potentially great hunt. A deer’s best natural defense is to run. Any sudden noise will register as a potential predator and likely spook him, especially during hunting season when sights and smells of humans are all around him and he’s already on high alert. Any other deer in the vicinity will like follow suit with no questions asked, leaving the hunter with nothing to hunt. For this reason, it’s wise to be extremely still, even when sitting tucked in the blind. The hunter needs to be invisible to all of a deer’s senses, not just his sight. If using a swivel or folding stool of any kind, the hunter should make sure that it has been treated and will not squeak. It is equally important to clear out any dry leaves and sticks on the ground under the blind when setting it up so these don’t crunch under a shuffling foot or shifting rump during a long sit (this material can be used as part of the exterior camouflage and will perfectly match the natural surrounding for that particular spot). These are the type of details that can be very important and yet may be overlooked by an over-eager hunter.
As with any aspect of the sport, using a hunting blind does require a bit of patience and skill. The portable blind can be a great boon to the outdoorsman – allowing him to “hide in plain sight” wherever he chooses, but he must not just rely on it straight out of the box. Portable blinds can be a terrific tool to add to a hunter’s gear, but to get that trophy deer (or even just some venison for good eating), the whitetail hunter must still take some extra care to outwit a very clever animal that has the home-court advantage.
(Please hunt responsibly and safely, comply with local laws and obtain property owner’s permission when hunting on other’s lands. Be careful to never set up a blind where it will likely be in the line of fire for other hunters. Readers are responsible for their own interpretation and use of any information in this article.)