Tips for Bowhunting From Ground Blinds

Hunting from a ground blind is an exciting way to get close to game, but it’s not without challenges

The hub-style, pop-up ground blind is a revolutionary piece of hunting gear. The blinds are lightweight, portable, and inexpensive. They allow hunters to set up in places where treestands aren’t possible or practical. They’re also fairly weatherproof and comfortable for long sits. Scores of big bucks and spring gobblers are arrowed from pop-up blinds each hunting season, but the blinds are not without their flaws. Plenty of bowhunters have sad tales of lost opportunities that occurred because they were confined to a ground blind. But if you plan your hunting strategy on the front end with a ground blind’s flaws in mind, you’ll be more successful in the long run. Here’s what to know.

SET BLINDS UP EARLY

Most animals become accustomed to a ground blind’s presence fairly quickly. Wild turkeys in particular often ignore them even immediately after they’re set up. Still, it’s best to set up a blind several days or weeks prior to hunting whenever you can, and brush it into the natural surroundings if possible, especially when hunting whitetails.

OPEN WINDOWS EARLY, BUT NOT TOO MANY

Ground blinds provide the best concealment when they’re dark on the inside. For that reason, you should keep as few windows open as possible while still providing yourself the necessary shot opportunities. Try to avoid opening windows both behind and in front of you so that you’re not sky-lit. It’s also best to open the shooting windows when you first set up the blind rather than when you go hunting. Animals that have become used to a ground blind can be alarmed by the sight of a new black hole once you’re sitting there, especially if they catch a little movement inside.

SIT STILL

Speaking of movement, blinds do allow you to get away with more of it, but you’re not invisible in there. Sit back in a dark corner if at all possible, and time the drawing of your bow for when the animal’s view is obscured, just as you would if sitting out in the open.

REMEMBER, IT’LL BE DARK

Big game hunters can expect to lose five to 10 minutes of shooting light early in the morning and late in the evening when hunting from a ground blind, at least with a compound bow. You might be able to see the animal clearly but not your peep and pins from inside the blind. Keep that in mind when planning a sit, especially early and late in the season when bucks tend to move at last light. 

CLEAR THAT WINDOW

There’s a 2- to 3-inch gap between the shelf and sight pins on most compound bows. You rarely notice this as the arrow’s trajectory corrects itself after leaving the bow, but you can definitely be reminded of it when shooting from a blind. It’s possible to have a clear sight picture and still hit the fabric or frame of the blind with your arrow. Check your arrow clearance after you draw and before you shoot. Also, some blinds have “shoot-through” mesh windows. While shooting through that might may be OK at close range, our opinion is that you should avoid any potential obstruction to your arrow’s flight. Why take the chance?

TRY A DECOY

In a ground blind, your shot opportunities are mostly limited to right in front of the windows, and getting a shot can be difficult when your target animal is on the move. For that reason decoys are especially helpful to bowhunters. They can capture a wary buck’s attention long enough for you to draw your bow, or keep a big spring gobbler in the perfect position for an easy shot. 

WASP DART: A 4-BLADE CLASSIC

For maximum cutting potential few broadhead styles can rival a good fixed 4-blade, and the Wasp Dart is one of the best options on the market. It has a 1 1/8 x 1 1/8 profile for aerodynamic flight and is tipped with our 100% steel Stainless Smart Tip for bone-breaking power. It also has four razor-sharp .027 stainless steel blades that provide a 2 1/4-inch total cutting surface. The Dart is available in 100- and 125-grain options. 

— Story by Wasp Archery Staff; hunting images by John Hafner photography

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