Pop Up Blinds, anyone have experience?

[MaryB]

I can no longer climb a tree for deer hunting so need to hide at ground level. I was looking at the larger popup blinds(I am 5'11" need head room) and am disabled(bad back/knees/hips) so need easy entry/exit. I have a spot close to a road the deer use as a highway in a local wildlife refuge(they are open to hunting) where I can setup each day. Going to be bow(crossbow) hunting from it.

How hard are they to setup/tear down? Weight isn't a huge issue but lighter the better. I might be solo or I might have a friend with so need room for 2 to sit. As mentioned the door needs to be easy to get in and out of without contortions because I do not flex well anymore!

And how are they with wind? Spot I am scouting is mostly protected but 50mph winds in fall are common...

[Tripplebeards]

I just set up a double bull predator green ground blind for my buddies kid to hunt black bear with. 3, 6'2 adults and a kid will fit fine in it. I'll be filming might offer my 77/44 and some cast boolits to him. I've sat four in it turkey hunting just a little tight. Quick pop up like a tent and you can tie all the corners to sourounding trees and it comes with tent stakes. Don't think any ground blind will withstand 50 mph winds. Had turkeys and deer walk within touching distance with the predator tan camo.

[texasnative46]

MaryB,

You cannot get something that WORKS properly, that will set up/tear down easily, is light to pack in/out, isn't noisy & isn't much bothered by wind.

IF I wanted a "ground-bound" stand for 2-3, I'd look at "the BIG tree stump blind" BUT those are $$$$$$$$ & semi-permanent. Nonetheless, you get what you pay for.
(ImVho, the "pop-up blinds" are an answer to a question that shouldn't have been asked.)

I'd save my $$$$$$ for something much better, if I were you.

yours, tex

[TXGunNut]

On a wildlife refuge it likely cannot stay there over 24 hours or so. I have a small pop-up blind and have been disappointed in it, seems its always windy when I want to use it and I never seem to see anything when I sit in it. I'd rather use natural cover, generally easy enough to drag together some brush and use it to break up your outline.

[Omega]

Why not make, or have made, something like this.
202519

[Omega]

On a wildlife refuge it likely cannot stay there over 24 hours or so. I have a small pop-up blind and have been disappointed in it, seems its always windy when I want to use it and I never seem to see anything when I sit in it. I'd rather use natural cover, generally easy enough to drag together some brush and use it to break up your outline.Pop ups work best when you can leave them in place for a week or two so they can get used to it being there. Sometimes you get lucky and a transient deer comes by, or one gets pushed in your direction, so all's not lost. Best to setup at a right angle to a crossroad so the deer can't see the blind until they're in range.

[texasnative46]

OMEGA; MaryB,

I would vote for that, as I don't climb well anymore. = BAD knees & WORSE ankles.
Also, I happen to have an old boat trailer frame (that the PO gave me as "junk") that would work as the base for a nice-sized rolling blind.

Add some 4x8 plywood, the tops of 2-3 office swivel chairs, hammer/nails/screwdrivers/screws, a cooler for drinks, a thermos of coffee, sandwiches, some OD-green/flat black paint & some fun hours of woodworking/puttering about & you're done.

yours, tex

[smoked turkey]

Omega has your answer. I have an inexpensive, small dome shaped ground blind. It looks a lot like an igloo. It came from Bass Pro. It is not bad to take down. It is more difficult to set up. With mine the inner metal support structure wants to articulate in the wrong direction. I have to keep my mind about me when setting it up. I usually have to stand on some of the arms to keep them going the right way. Once you get it going, it straightens itself out and goes up fairly easy. I stake it down on the four corners and I also tie two or three sides to a nearby tree with rope and that really helps stabilize it. There is an eye bolt in the center of each side for that purpose. I usually leave it set up for two or three weeks during turkey season. I have to say it works pretty well and the turkeys and deer are not bothered by it in the least. Having a deer pass by within 5 yards is a fairly common occurrence during turkey season. They never do that during deer season for some reason. Ha. I find they work and are very handy to get you where the game are likely to be. Having said all that, I think the small trailer idea is tops and I would recommend you consider that.

[Boolit_Head]

Not a popup but year before last I was out dove hunting and tried one of those concealment blinds with the sticks and camo about chest high you set up and sit behind. Tucked it into a notch in the treeline so I could see both ways. During a lul a doe walked around the corner and looked right at me no more than 30 foot away. She did not know what to make of things.

[Tripplebeards]

I'll take a pic of the one we put up last weekend and post it. We are going up north to check the baits Friday so I can snap a photo

[CIC]

I tried the pop up blinds for a short time. My opinion is it is an answer looking for a problem. All you need to do is sit quietly at the base of a tree and you will see deer. No ind needed. Use some natural cover around your position.

[starnbar]

One thing though I have found with them if you set up under the tree canopy the dew falling off branches sounds like hitting a drum on some of those popups.

[Rick Hodges]

202525

Ameristep Caretaker, it is a bit tight to get in the door, pretty stable in winds if you stake it out with real tent stakes instead of the supplied wire ones. Practice setting it up and taking it down before you try it in the dark. I set mine up and leave it for the season. Room enough for two, expansive for one. Be careful of your limb placement for shooting a crossbow.

[winelover]

These are the ones I've been using since the early 90's. I like them so well, I have two. Watch the videos on this site.

http://www.luckyshuntingblinds.com/Ground-Blinds-Tree-Blinds-Ubly-MI.html

When I hunted in Michigan, on leased land, I set them up and tore them down each weekend. Piece of cake, to set up. Takes only a few minutes. Now that I have my own acreage, I set them up @ Labor Day and take them down the end of February. Arkansas bow season is almost 6 months long. The fabric has held up amazingly well, no fading, rotting or tears. The original one does have a couple of broadheads holes from when the wife was bowhunting in it. No worse for wear. They have been subjected to rain, snow, sleet and hail and high winds, over the 5 years I've been in Arkansas.

202526

This is a pix of the original tent blind. The second one I bought was a little larger. Called the Texas Special, at that time. Has larger windows and permanent screens to each side for a wider view.

Winelover

[OS OK]

Pb ingots make good ground weights.
Tie a cord to them or paint them bright so they don't get lost.

[snowwolfe]

We use 2 pop up blinds every deer season. They stay up from Oct till Jan. Work like a charm. Sometimes they are noisy to get into or out of but so is walking to the stand. Most brands just "pop up" but then we stake ours in place. If you decide to buy one pick up a swivel chair as well.

But if you have to set it up every day I would pass and just work on building a decent ground blind and going back to the same spot every day.

[akajun]

Check out ghost blinds, basically mirrors angled away from the hunter so it reflects whats on the ground. My brother bought one, it really impressed me.

[phonejack]

I've used a small Ameristep "teePee" for quite a few years. I go in the day before and set up. Next day I bring a small bag chair to sit in. Sometimes I cut small branches to lay against the sides to break up the outline. I like it, deer never notice me.

[Smoke4320]

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Ameristep-Battlefield-Ground-Blind-Kryptek-Highlander-trade/1834217.uts?productVariantId=3850506&WT.tsrc=PPC&WT.mc_id=BingPLA&WT.z_mc_id1=03873355&rid=20&gclid=CNH8zsbg8NUCFVhwgQodINMIQg&gclsrc=ds

put it up as soon as possible (not out in the open) and leave it till end of season within a month deer will be used to it and you will be fine

[nannyhammer]

Hub style blinds are easier to set up and don't flap in the wind as bad. Make sure that you get textured fabric and not the smooth fabric used on many cheaper blinds. The smooth fabric will reflect the sun.

[Tom W.]

I bought an Ameristep dog house I think it was, or maybe the next size up. it was good for two people. It took me a while to figure out how to fold it up, even with the " easy" instructions sewed to the base. I used it a few times but never saw anything. I was afraid to leave it overnight due to some of the rampant thieves in the area. I finally gave it away....

[tallwalker]

Those popup style blinds with the hub in the center of the roof are great unless you really want to brush it in. I drew back on a deer with my bow and the hub collapsed, sprang down and whacked me in the head. Damn near knocked me out!

[Thumbcocker]

I have used Double Bull and a Chinese brand from the local farm supply store. Both work. The hub design is fast to put up once you get used to it. If possible leave that blind for as long as possible for deer. Turkeys don't seem to mind as much. I have shot one turkey out of a blind (bow) and had other turkeys walk over and peck at the one I shot.

[David2011]

When I was hunting on a lease in Texas, not public land, we had some 6'x6' stands, 6' off the ground, that were not blinds and we were visible to the pigs and deer but they didn't seem to notice. When the weather was bad we would put popup blinds on them to stay dry; even put Mr. Buddy heaters in them to stay warm. Of course, the stands were substantial and oilfield duty. That aside, we learned that the sun would attack them in short order but when it was drizzling ice they were a Godsend. We tied them down pretty hard if we expected wind for the weekend and most of us took them end before going home on Sunday mornings. One guy that liked to hunt with a bow set his up close to the feeder (legal in TX) and left it up for the season one year. In two months it was trash from the sun's UV. At your height, obviously, get a tall one. We found them fast and easy to set up with the built in fiberglass rods.

[MaryB]

Can't leave anything over night on public land where I am in MN so scratch that idea... I was hoping for some protection from the wind. I will stick to my chair in a small group of trees I was planning.

[JBinMN]

Can't leave anything over night on public land where I am in MN so scratch that idea... I was hoping for some protection from the wind. I will stick to my chair in a small group of trees I was planning.

I have 3 popup blinds that I have used over the years off & on. A smaller dome, a pyramidal "doghouse" type & a larger dome. I really do not care for them that much. I have a hard time adapting to having a roof over my head when hunting for some reason. I bought the "doghouse pyramidal" one for bowhunting mostly, as I prefer to stand when using a bow. In the dome styles you would have to be a child or small adult to be able to stand, so you have to kneel or sit on a bucket or chair to shoot a bow. They are mostly for firearm use , IMO.

My suggestion to ya is basically what ya chose to do in the quoted post above, but I have a suggestion similar to the some that posted before. I have used this with success on more than one occasion....

I use either those 4'-6"(54") x 12' camo burlap from Fleet farm,etc. or the light weight camo ones that are the same size(4'-6"(54") x 12) that have the "leaves" partially cut out. The light ones are the ones I carry around with me most of the time. The heavier burlap ( particularly when snowed on or wet) work fine, but I usually leave them for overnight spots when I am not going to want to travel to more than one spot. This is even on public lands like you mentioned.

I carry wooden spring type clothes pins with me & use them to fasten the top of the blind material to branches to hold them up. I also use a 5 gal bucket much of the time for a carry all & to sit on if I know I will not be moving much. Otherwise, I just stuff the blind material in a backpack pocket or even have tied it wrapped around my waist like a sash for a short travel.

I would suggest trying them out if you are going to stick with a chair in the woods. They are relatively inexpensive & can last for years. Treat them with a scent blocker or add a cover scent to them just like your cloths if ya do that.

Here are some examples of the 2 types I am talking about:

https://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/allen-burlap-blind-material-camo/0000000249902 ($14)

https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Burlap-Material-Ground-Blinds/dp/B000KOTVO2 ($20) same item

and quite the selection on these two pages of the other kind I have used($14 - $30):

https://www.fleetfarm.com/category/hunting/blinds/blind-concealment-accessories/_/N-1524632965

https://www.fleetfarm.com/category/hunting/blinds/blind-concealment-accessories/_/N-1524632965#/category/hunting/blinds/blind-concealment-accessories/_/N-1524632965?null&No=24


G'Luck & Good Hunting!
:)

[MaryB]

I have some of the camo burlap that matches the area well. Enough to rig a wind break if needed late fall. With any luck I will have a deer in the freezer before then!

[Lloyd Smale]

mary theres big difference between the different pop ups. Ive owned quite a few. Some of the cheap ones are just that "CHEAP" the doors are **** the zippers don't last and after a year or two they leak like a sieve. Before you buy one shop at a store that at least has them set up so you can compare them. One other downside to them is heat retention. Most are cold even with a heater and the bigger you buy the worse it is so money isn't allways the answer either. Like you I'm old and allways sore and about need to stay warm or I suffer. My answer to it all is a portable hard sided blind. I bought a 4x4 unit that takes a bit more time to set up and take down then a pop up but it has a floor is a heck of a lot more confortable and holds heat much better. Some cant use them though because some states make you take then down daily. Also there more valuable and attract thieves if you do leave them in the woods. I still have a few pop ups but only use them when I have to

[MaryB]

Big thing is keeping the wind off, if I can do that I can stay warm enough. Out here on the prairie a damp November wind can be torture when it is only 35 degrees out... 35 and no wind I can dress warm enough but wind always finds a nook or cranny in your layers to freeze you! Since I sit still deer hunting that makes it worse than those who do a lot of drives etc to push the deer around.

[Lloyd Smale]

about any of them will keep the wind off. Be careful though going to cheap. The big differnces inst in design its in zipper quality and the quality of the fabric. Ive had some of those 50 dollar popups with zipper problems and leaks the first year and rarely do they last more then 2 or 3 years. Ive got one good one I paid a 150 bucks for on sale at menards about 10 years ago and it still works as good as it did new. I still do buy some cheap ones. Mostly for crop damage shooting. Sitting out in a farm field makes them prime for thieves. We get them stole every year. Nice thing about the cheap ones for that purpose is if they get stole were not out much and most of the time we just leave them when were done becauses there usually leaking or a zipper is shot buy the end of season anyway.

[MaryB]

I am trying to find some private land to hunt but it is hard to do around here. Farmers have had it with livestock being shot at and trash left in their woods.

[richhodg66]

I used cheap ones from Sportsmans Guide quite a bit when my boys were young and started hunting. They work pretty well, though the advice to set them up for a while and brush them in is sound and it seems you aren't allowed to do that. I can do about as well hiding on the ground as I can with a blind, but that doesn't solve the wind break problem. I hate being cold and really sympathize with you. We've hardly had a real Winter for the past few years here, so I've been lucky, but I have a feeling this is gonna be a bad one as cool as it is already. Good luck on whatever you decide to use.

[Lloyd Smale]

My buddy did a pretty cool one where he hunts which is in another friends farm field. He took hay bails he bought from the farmer and stacked them into a small shelter. Piece of plywood for a roof. Farmer uses the bails for feed after the seasons over and just gives him replacements every year for free after the initial cost.

[MaryB]

Hay bale blinds are popular here, there is a guy who starts with a 6' diameter hard cardboard tube in his baler then round bales it. Gets about 1' of hay on top of the cardboard. They stand them on end, add a roof, cut windows for shooting and a small door on the back side. They usually last 2 years before the hay starts to rot. I told him he needs to refine the idea and sell it(uses a special adapter or the baler to hold the cardboard form). It is hit and miss and sometimes the hay all falls off when they take it out.

[Lloyd Smale]

One buddy of mine that has a bit more money then I do bought a hard blind that is made to look just like a hay bale. It even has a cloth cover that looks like hay. Very cool blind but it cost him like 2k and that's way more then I can afford. Its even mounted on its own trailer so you pull it out in the field and level it like a camper.

[MaryB]

I really need to find some private land where I can put a permanent ground blind. I am close to the MN River so lots of deer around here... but I have to be within 100 yards of so of road access because of my back.

[Lloyd Smale]

At the risk of sounding chauvinistic you might have an advantage in that area mary. I would think that your local farmers would look kind of favorably on letting a women hunt on there property. Id bet if you knocked on a few doors youd find a spot. Most of the farmers up here like nothing better then the deer being shot out of there fields but have been soured by irresponsible hunters.

[dverna]

Lloyd makes a good point. Most farmers want the deer killed but have been soured by some of the jerks out there. It helps if they know you are local and a good neighbor. I have 20 acres to hunt, but my neighbor grants me access to his 220 acres for the second week of rifle season and the late anterless hunt. The only stipulation is that I take no bucks, or only those bucks that should be removed from the gene pool.

A bit off topic but I bought an old RV trailer this year. Paid $100 for it delivered. I gutted the inside. It is parked next to my range and I store my targets, shooting table, bench, pop up canopy, and chairs there. I will probably use it as a shoot shack for deer hunting as well as it is near deer trails.

Harbor Freight has small trailers for less than $300 that could serve as a semi portable platform for a blind made of T111 or plywood. They can be pulled with a SxS or ATV to get into places you would not go with a pickup truck.

Snow is a factor where I live and it can get cold. A rigid wind proof blind makes a lot of sense. And it is convenient to be able to lock it up and leave your chair, heater etc inside for the next day/hunt. A swivel chair on wheels that is quite is handy if you have a decent floor.

[JBinMN]

Snow is a factor where I live and it can get cold.

LOL No offense meant, but that was kind of funny to me... Occasionally snow & cold is a factor in Minnesota too. Even where MaryB lives & where I live in the more Southern parts.
;)

:drinks:

[MaryB]

Private land around here is locked up tight by family hunting. And yes it gets COLD here, like the year my shotgun froze up in the ice storm that took out power poles over a large part of SW MN. Yes we were out in the ice... that was miserable hunting but 3 of our group of 6 got deer that day. I missed when the shotgun went *click* and refused to fire. Water had froze the firing pin in place.

[JBinMN]

These are on sale at Menards if ya have one near you & maybe still interested....
:)

https://www.menards.com/main/outdoors/outdoor-recreation/hunting-equipment/treestands-blinds/guidesman-54-w-x-12-l-camouflage-leaf-non-woven-fabric/p-1444448976955-c-13885.htm?tid=-6114137017351876441&ipos=35

https://www.menards.com/main/outdoors/outdoor-recreation/hunting-equipment/treestands-blinds/guidesman-54-w-x-12-l-camouflage-burlap/p-1444448976749-c-13885.htm?tid=-6114137017351876441&ipos=46

https://www.menards.com/main/outdoors/outdoor-recreation/hunting-equipment/treestands-blinds/camouflage-leaf-nonwoven-fabric/p-1487834568427-c-13885.htm?tid=-6114137017351876441&ipos=52