Ground Blind vs. Elevated

[younggun1849]

I'm in the process of building a few box blinds, and I'm stuck on whether I want them elevated for a better vantage point, or if I want them on the ground for easier access and concealed better. If I elevate them it would only be 8 feet off the ground, I would wrap the 4 legs with some type of camo material, creating a barrier so I could climb down without alerting deer, and I will have a screen planted to allow access once I hit the ground. If I keep them on the ground I will plant some EW/corn around it to so it blends in, and there will be a screen to allow for access as well. I like the idea of sneaking in and out of a blind on the ground overlooking a food source, but I also like being elevated. Thoughts?

 

[bat man]

I would put them 8 feet up and screen the legs. Visibilty is a big deal.

 

[BJE80]

Gun hunting? Bowhunting? Both?

 

[j-bird]

I prefer hunting from an elevated position myself. Being able to see is very important to me - not sure why but I feel like I can see "into" the cover, better than I can see "thru" it when I am elevated.

I will say I don't bow hunt from an elevated box blind, and would think it would be easier to get the animal closer to a ground level blind than an elevated one in my opinion, but I have no real facts or data to back that up - just an opinion on my part. I think a ground blind would be easier to conceal visually as well.

 

[BJE80]

I prefer hunting from an elevated position myself. Being able to see is very important to me - not sure why but I feel like I can see "into" the cover, better than I can see "thru" it when I am elevated.

I will say I don't bow hunt from an elevated box blind, and would think it would be easier to get the animal closer to a ground level blind than an elevated one in my opinion, but I have no real facts or data to back that up - just an opinion on my part. I think a ground blind would be easier to conceal visually as well.

You are thinking the same as me. If I am bowhunting I would rather be on the ground for a blind for several reasons. If I am gun hunting I would want to be elevated. If it is both then I would want to be elevated but really critical on how I set it up.

 

[younggun1849]

These will be for bow and gun hunting. If it was exclusively for bowhunting I'd prefer to be on the ground, if it was exclusively for gun hunting I'd want to be 15' high. I think getting 8 foot up will work for both, give me a better vantage point, not too high to affect shooting a bow. I think my mind is made up. I've often wondered how mature bucks view box blinds. That's a whole different can of worms.

 

[kl9]

We had a box blind that is at least 8 feet high set out on one of the fields at a farm we hunt no more than a month before gun season. The deer (albeit does) got within 15 feet of the box while I was sitting in it numerous times. I agree with previous posts that a big factor is the type of hunting you plan to do from the blind. If it is bow, I would like to be on the ground when it comes to being in a blind. For me though, you can't beat being in a tree with a bow.

 

[huntall]

Elevated unless it is on top of ridge or hillside. I have a couple on ground like that ,but like I say...it's on top of some kinda raised terrain.

 

[willy]

I have a few box blinds elevated from 7' to 16'. All have deer walking by within 5 yards including mature deer during daylight. My bowkill was out of one 8' off the ground at 7 yards(5.5 after teeth analysis). Another mature buck(4.5 plus based on cam and sighting history) was within 35 yards and standing broadside. We have taken other mature deer out of them via rifle/muzzleloader as well. Each of these blinds has pretty good screening cover to get to and some have good cover around base to conceal entry and exit. That is the weak link right now but am working to change that.

If I had a choice between elevated and ground I would take elevated every time.

 

[Steve Bartylla]

Given the choice, I'm with willy. On enclosed, elevated stands, so long as they are up way before season, deer get to the point that they ignore them completely by season's start.

I only think twice about it if a bunch of the neighbors hunted out of enclosed, elevated blinds. Then, I still use them, but only where I can tuck them into cover and "brush" them in some. In that situation, I refrain from putting them out in a wide open area. I have no doubt that in areas the more mature deer have been trained to avoid elevated blinds in and on the edges of fields, if they stick out.

 

[tooln]

Elevated every time. I have had deer walk under me in ladder & climbing stands, I doubt they walked by if I were on the ground.

 

[bueller]

I'm very surprised to see some of you preferring ground over elevated for bow hunting. I love hunting from the ground with a firearm, but with a bow I want to be in the air.

 

[Steve Bartylla]

I far from hate bow hunting out of ground blinds, but there is never a question if I'd rather be in a hang on, ladder or elevated enclosed blind. For me, ground blinds are for when I can't force a usable tree to be where I need it and don't have the option of putting an elevated box blind there. That's when I pull out the ground blinds. I'd say I end up using ground blinds in around 10-15% of the places I feel I need a "stand." I've killed a handful of good bucks out of ground blinds with arrows and a bunch more with lead. They can be a ton of fun, particularly in states that allow you to drive over or chop standing corn. Put a ground blind in the standing corn, overlooking a quarter acre of freshly driven down or brush hogged corn...It honestly isn't even fair.

 

[Fall guy]

Bow I like high ladder stand when on ridges or elevated area . When hunting valley hard to beat a good sealed up blind on ground where winds like to swirl or when dealing with thermos.