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brush in or not?

10hunter

10hunter

PMA Member
Ok guys...do you feel hunting blinds need to be brushed in or hidden in the cover (trees, brush, grass, etc. ). We placed pop up blinds out this last week for gun\muzzle seasons. Got in a discussion between ourselves if it is going to bother activity. We didn't agree so put out a test blind. Any experience with this? Love to hear your experiences\thoughts on this...
 
I try to brush them in most of the time but sometimes I haven't. I think it affects the movement a little in the short term but I also think if there's a something that the deer want in the area like a good food source they'll be back pretty quick. Be interesting to see what your test shows.
 
My experience bow hunting & early muzzle has been that deer can spot these a mile away if not brushed-in. But deer being pushed by the blind may be a different story. Pushed deer won't be looking for anything but an escape route.
 
I have a tower blind and it sets out in the wide open. I put it up a couple years ago the weekend before shotgun and had fresh tracks walking by it and watched a doe walk by so close I could hardly see her through the windows that Saturday morning. I think the biggest issue with a ground blind is concealing your movement inside the thing. My older blind is like a ground blind and sets about 2 feet off the ground and I set it up in fence rows or on the edge of a tree line. I've set it out the afternoon before and shot deer the next morning and never brushed it in. I just don't think brushing one in is that important other than it may appeal to you more than the deer, but keeping the movement concealed inside the blind since you're at eye level is more critical in my opinion.
 
I think they spot the open windows. We have put blinds out and left a few windows (put cameras in front at the crossing) for a week or two they stared at the blind. Then after that didn't seem to get it much attention.
 
iowavf said:
I have a tower blind and it sets out in the wide open. I put it up a couple years ago the weekend before shotgun and had fresh tracks walking by it and watched a doe walk by so close I could hardly see her through the windows that Saturday morning. I think the biggest issue with a ground blind is concealing your movement inside the thing. My older blind is like a ground blind and sets about 2 feet off the ground and I set it up in fence rows or on the edge of a tree line. I've set it out the afternoon before and shot deer the next morning and never brushed it in. I just don't think brushing one in is that important other than it may appeal to you more than the deer, but keeping the movement concealed inside the blind since you're at eye level is more critical in my opinion.
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X2 They will notice a new blind and be curious, but not spooked unless something moves (or smells). They pay less attention to old blinds that have been there for years but if you are on eye level, movement will still get their attention.
 
I setup a blind two Sundays ago and checked it last Friday after a snowfall and by the tracks you could see that a few would walk by but most had skirted around it. I think by second season they might be more use to seeing it there. Also for shotgun season it has to have orange on all sides I believe.
 
Any natural or unnatural blind the deer are used to are good. I climbed inside the box of a junk combine one year and shot a tasty late season doe. The next year I sat in the drivers seat of an old junked out ford panel van to get out of the rain and dumped another late season doe. This year I used this old pickup cab to sit next to and had an 8 point walk right by at 10 feet. Not ashamed to use whats out there.

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follow up

It appears to have had little effect on deer movement. We have two blinds on this plot to "hunt the wind", one out in open and the other is concealed ok. I have plot watcher pictures of a lot of deer including mature does and bucks before and after blind placement in daylight. It is a nice brassica plot next to rye so I am sure that has helped but there is others on the farm the deer could go to if scared of the "open country blind." Have one of our main hitlister's visiting so hoping and praying to shoot him in front of the suspect blind and will post if this happens. Hard to say that it hasn't hurt at all because I know it could deter some wary old freaks BUT usually 10-20 visitors each night which is typical. I do agree that I think the open windows sometimes draw attention of some smart ol does but if don't see or smell will usually go about there business and have there meal.
 
My first few years with ground blinds, 10yrs ago or so, I would just setup and hunt. I had great luck and really no reason to change but since I've tried to brush it in a little. I never go to the extremes that I sometimes see on the tube where the camera guy barely has a shot out of the blind. I do however tend to pick a timbered background to break it up as much as possible.

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