Portable Blinds For Bow Hunters
Copyright © 1998 -
2005
Roger W. Raisch * Nadine Adele, all rights reserved
Blinds Department
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Bow hunters are beginning to use portable
camouflage blinds a lot more than a few years ago, especially for turkeys and deer. The right type of blind is mandatory if you plan to routinely bag turkeys
with bow and arrow. There are a lot of models on the market, but I find most
have major design flaws. Things like Velcro attachments on the shooting
windows. Have these manufacturers ever tried to detach a window flap with Velcro
after a gobbler just snuck in on their location and he's eyeballing the blind at 10
yards!! Also, most companies want to lighten up the blind by making it with nylon
material. That material makes so much noise during rain or wind you almost have to
have earplugs to hunt from it. And their windows---most have too few. The
shape and size are usually about 6 times too big. But, don't despair, I have several
choices of excellent blind designs for you to review as you read on.
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The primary reason
to use a blind is to camouflage the movement you make while drawing your bow.
I recommend a portable, Full-Coverage
Lightweight Cloth Blind, made from camouflage material for convenience and
fast set up. It can be placed exactly where you want it. In addition to
hunting, the blind has other important uses. It can be used for training a novice
turkey hunter and for photographing wildlife. The typical youngster or older novice
turkey hunter fidgets around and can not sit still, often unknowingly. The blind
solves the movement problem and lets the newcomer see turkeys under natural
conditions. Photographers find that this type of blind allows them to take rolls of
film of the same undisturbed turkeys, rather than the single shot afforded by smaller or
less concealing blinds.
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These types of
larger blinds are probably best suited for placement in good strutting, roosting and
feeding areas that have been determined before the hunt. They can be set up a
couple of weeks before season and camouflaged with natural vegetation. Although it's
nice to set them up in advance, turkeys will not notice a well camouflaged blind even if
it was set up the day before. I prefer to set them up early simply because I want
to let the area cool off from my intrusion for a few days before returning to hunt.
On the other hand, I have set up blinds quietly in the morning and had birds within bow
range the same morning. They also work great in very open areas where you normally
wouldn't be able to hunt. I've also set them up against large, round hay bales in a
pasture to fool turkeys that like to stay out in the middle of those types of
fields. Try one along a fence which can act like a funnel to direct turkeys right to
your location.
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For those willing to spend time building
an effective, portable, full coverage blind, I recommend my Construction Blueprints as a
guide for building my Specialized Bow Hunting Turkey Blind.
I have used this round design for the past 25 years very successfully on turkey, deer, elk
and antelope. A square blind is just as good.
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Select a blind that has at least 8
shooting port holes, is made from quiet, cotton or cotton twill material. Also,
select one with a roof to keep the inside of the blind dark. Then, on a sunny day,
your shadow will not be moving as with a blind that does not have a roof. A good
blind is fast to set up...less than 5 minutes, and ruggedly built for years of service.
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With a blind, your confidence will
improve, especially if you strategically locate it in the proper place. You will be
able to remain Patient
for the hours that it often takes to have success. To further aid your hunt from a
blind, I strongly recommend a good Seat Cushion or Seat be part of your gear.
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Try a blind...you'll like
it! Without one...well....you'll find the Butterballs in the frozen foods section! |
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God Bless America
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MARCH
2010
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