Muddy Outdoors Camera Arms for Filming Hunts

Which Camera to Buy for Filming Deer Hunts?

June 30, 2016/4 Comments/in Camera Arms, Get Muddy /by Muddy Outdoors

Which Camera to Buy for Filming Deer Hunts | How to Film Your Own Deer Hunt: Part 1

Filming whitetail hunts is becoming more popular each and every year. Whether it is dreaming to become a professional hunter, have a career in the outdoor industry, or just the want to record your own deer hunts for friends and family, buying film gear and hauling it up in the tree stand is a growing trend. While this industry plunges further into multimedia use, video use, and web/TV show content, not a whole lot of information is available on filming your own deer hunting. Fortunately there are some great articles, videos, resources and advice out there if you look for them hard enough. Luckily for you, you happened to stumble upon this series. Part 1 of this series on how to film your own deer hunt, will deal with the actual cameras themselves, and the most important question…”which camera to buy for filming deer hunts?”.

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The topic of filming deer hunting is expansive and never ending, mostly because there are so many different levels of filming. From amateurs to ProStaff members, and TV show quality to creative agencies and videographers, certain advice does not pertain to all hunters taking a video camera to the woods. If you are looking up which camera to buy for filming deer hunts you most likely are just getting into filming, or trying to touch up on your gear and skills before going to the next step in your career. For that level of filming, we have compiled some helpful information.

Which Camera to Buy for Filming Deer Hunts?

By far the most important aspect of filming a whitetail hunt is the cameras and camera gear itself. It is the main tool for the job. While there are many parts, gears, and critical tools that go along with filming such as tripods, fluid heads, and hunting camera arms, the camera itself is what really matters first off.

How to Film Your Own Deer Hunts | Which Camera To Buy

(Video) Are you looking for a detailed video on how to film your own deer hunt? Here are the basics of filming deer hunts, including which camera to buy for filming whitetails.

Overall there are 3 cameras to potentially get or put in your hunting pack. The camcorder, the DSLR, and the action camera.

Camcorder

Camcorders really are the backbone of filming deer hunts. As far as entry level camera gear general advice tries to stick around the $600-$1,200 range. In this category and for the price most hunters shoot for the Canon Vixia HF G10, 20, 30, or G40.

Using a camcorder allows the hunter to dial there filming skills in early. Using a camcorder such as the G30 with a Varizoom remote allows a hunter to very easily self-film a hunt. This is especially true when a hunter is bow hunting and trying to self-film. The Cannon Vixia HF G series cameras will off you a very reliable and basic camera for filming whitetail hunts.

DSLR

The other aspect to filming hunts is housing them somewhere. Once you have successfully filmed a hunt you will most likely upload the hunt to YouTube, or on a web show/ outdoor brands website. Purchasing a DSLR will make this easier for you. This camera will not only supply you with a good overall camera to have around for hero shots, or for documenting memories with the family but can be used as a reliable camera for filming hunts. DSLRs, when used correctly can offer a hunter more options for dialing the camera in perfect for stunning time-lapses, B-roll footage, and very clear focused hunting footage.

When it comes to actually buying a DSLR, so many options are available. Cannon and Sony seem to be by far the leaders in this industry, both offering DSLRs from $600-$1,700 that will do a fine job of filming whitetail hunts.

Action Camera

Anyone that has ever watched hunting shows, or hunting videos, or has dipped their feet into actually filming a whitetail hunt knows an action camera is a critical camera to buy for filming deer hunts. The ease and simplicity of the action camera allows a hunter to capture every second and detail of the hunt. This footage, while it is not as professional as the DSLR or Camcorder footage, helps tell the story and fill in the missing footage of the bigger cameras. It also can get great angles and footage that are unique to your style of hunting or filming.

The GoPro is the obvious choice here but many other companies have made small action cameras cheap and available for hunters even on the lowest budget. The one warning we can give here is to not use an action camera to film your entire hunt. At most a viewer will only be able to see the outline of a deer, maybe your arrow or your gun firing, and the brown dot (deer) run off. An action camera should be used to film the second angle of the hunt, or some downright cool and creative b-roll shots!

Deer Minerals 101

This is a beginner’s introduction into which camera to buy for filming deer hunts. If you are looking for more detailed content on other gear to use when filming deer hunts, or specific information, advice and tips on filming, don’t worry it is on its way. Look out in the near future for more blogs and videos on our Get Muddy Blog. The next segments will cover camera gear considerations for purchase, including one of the most important pieces of film equipment pertaining to whitetails, the camera arm.

Tree Stand Safety Guide | Hunting Safety Harnesses and Tree Stand Safety Tips

June 27, 2016/1 Comment/in Get Muddy /by Muddy Outdoors

Hunting Safety Harnesses | Your Tree Stand Safety Guide

Without a doubt the number one most important part of hunting is safety. Coming back home to the family is your responsibility, enough to the point where you do not leave the ground without wearing hunting safety harnesses. When it comes to tree stand safety, there is no room for error, if there is…it life threatening. While you might read and watch countless videos on how to deer hunt or just of deer hunts themselves, some of the most important information and videos might actually be the ones that could save your life. Here is tree stand safety 101 a tree stand safety guide for getting into and out of the tree safely.

When it comes to tree stand safety and hunting safety harnesses, the Treestands Manufacturer’s Association (TMA) doesn’t skimp on guidelines, standards, or safety education and tips. Here is some detailed information on the TMA and some helpful resources that define tree stand and hunter safety.

Tree Stand Safety Tips

Just as we learn firearms safety in an online hunting safety course, there are tips and steps to tree stand safety. Each of these tree stand safety tips should be treated as how important they actually are…life or death.

Read Tree Stand and Hunting Safety Harness Instructions

When buying a new tree stand and safety harness, or when you have just bought new hunting safety harnesses for yourself, you need to read the instructions. It’s so easy to forget this step when preparing for hunting, and simply discard the white paper in the bottom of the box. Not reading the instructions could lead to misuse and a potentially bad, or fatal situation.

While reading or watching DVDs or informative manuals on the products you may be thinking “I don’t need this, I will never fall”, and you might be right, you might not fall, but it can always happen.

Inspect Your Tree Stand and Your Safety Harness

When deer season arrives, it’s a constant grind, each and every day that is available to hunt, you will be in the stand. In the long season and remedial task of climbing in a tree stand it can be easy to miss something. Inspecting your tree stand and your safety harness for any tears, rips, bad rust or missing nuts before you climb is a must to staying safe during the entire season.

Notify Someone Else

Another key element to remember from these tree stand safety tips, is to always, each and every time you go out hunting, let someone else know where you are. Leave a note, or verbally tell someone where you are, and how long you will be hunting for. While it’s easy to think that you have a cell phone you can’t rely on it. For one you might not have service, but two, you might lose it during the fall.

Never Hurry When Hunting From a Tree Stand

Again, once deer season gets here the rush and anxiety to get up in a tree can and will cause a panic and hurry mindset. Remember to stay calm, relaxed and think clearly. Climbing a tree stand is dangerous, you need to be sure to follow the above steps, but also be sure you have clipped in and are climbing the tree stand correctly.

Self-Rescue

Planning and preparing for tree stand safety is being prepared for the worst case scenario, if it does happen when you are deer hunting this fall, you need to know how to rescue yourself. Your hunting safety harness should have a strap or relief that allows you to straighten yourself out when hanging. This allows you to grab back on to the tree or ladder. An extra precaution would be to make sure you have access to a tree stand hook or step. Having this will allow you to climb up, allowing you to self-rescue yourself.

Use a Haul-Line

A very dangerous move sportsmen and deer hunters make each and every deer season is carrying their gear up while climbing. This is not practicing correct tree stand safety. Climbing up with gear such as your bow, a firearm, a backpack, or any other hunting gear not only adds weight and possibly one less hand on the ladder but takes your full concentration off of climbing. Always be sure there is one or two haul line or a pull ropes such as Muddy’s EZ Twist Pull Up Rope.

Hunting Safety Harnesses: Selection

The absolute essentials of tree stand safety, besides being your own responsibility are hunting safety harnesses. A good hunting safety harness that hunters can rely on goes past safety. If you have hunted long enough, you know hunting from a tree stand can be a strain. Packing in gear, and more importantly extra clothes, and always tearing layers off or putting layers back on, it gets exhausting fast. Having a hunting safety harness that is not only safe, but comfortable for all day sits, and something that does not get in the way of taking off or putting on clothes is vital.

Hunting Safety Harnesses | Muddy Outdoor Teasers

(Video) – The undoubtedly most important aspect of deer hunting is safety. Besides firearms safety, climbing up in tree stands is the most dangerous part of your hunt. Stay safe on the way up, and during the hunt with Muddy’s innovative and advanced hunting safety system designs, the hunting safety harnesses in Muddy’s line is enhanced with the exceptionally high end features and unwavering quality that it has always been known for. As tradition continues, Muddy endeavors to exceed limitations for tree stand safety and raise the bar on expectations through innovation, experience, and commitment. If you are looking for hunting safety harnesses and tree stand safety harnesses, check out Muddy’s Safety Systems Line.

Hunting safety harnesses that keep comfort in mind will keep the hunter safe. Not because they are safer, or stronger, but wearable. A safety harness that is easy to wear and comfortable makes all the difference. Muddy Outdoors has many hunting safety harnesses for whatever style or hunter you are.

Muddy Crossover Hunting Safety Harness System

http://shop.gomuddy.com/the-crossover-combo/

Flexible Tether for 360° Movement
Quick & Easy to Put On
Adjustable Buckles for Sure Fit
One-hand Carabiner
6 Pockets + Built-in Binocular Straps Keeps Everything Within Reach
Extra Cushion on Shoulders and Back for All Day Hunt
CONSTRUCTION: Light Weight Padded Nylon
BUCKLES: Standard Quick-Release
INCLUDES EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO HUNT: Crossover Harness, Lineman’s Rope, Tree Strap, Suspension Relief, Strap, Carabiner, Safe-Line; WEIGHT: 2 Lbs.;
WEIGHT RATING: 300 Lbs.

Muddy Top Flight Hunting Safety Harness System

http://shop.gomuddy.com/the-top-flight-combo/

Quick & Easy to put on
Flexible Tether for 360° Movement
Quick-Set, One-hand Carabiner Clip
Binocular Straps for Convenient and Quick Access to Binoculars
8 Spacious Pockets for Instant Access to Gear
CONSTRUCTION: Stretchable, Light Weight Padded Nylon
BUCKLES: Standard Quick-Release
INCLUDES EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO HUNT: Top Flight Harness, Lineman’s Rope, Tree Strap, Suspension Relief Strap, Carabiner, Safe-Line; WEIGHT: 2.8 Lbs.;
WEIGHT RATING: 300 Lbs.

Muddy Magnum Hunting Safety Harness System

http://shop.gomuddy.com/the-magnum/

Rugged Tether Reduces Chances of Fall/Injury
Padded Shoulders and Waist for Extra Comfort and Endurance During Long Sits
Easy Cinch Adjustable Torso Straps
Noiseless & Adjustable Leg Buckles; No Metal on Metal Contact
CONSTRUCTION: Light Weight Padded Nylon
BUCKLES: Cam Leg buckles
INCLUDES EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO HUNT: Magnum Harness,Lineman’s Belt, Tree Strap, Suspension Relief Strap
SIZE: One Size Fits Most WEIGHT: 1.5 Lbs.
WEIGHT RATING: 300 Lbs.

Muddy Safeguard Hunting Safety Harness

http://shop.gomuddy.com/the-safeguard/

Flexible Tether for 360° Movement
Quick & Easy to Put On
Super Light! Sized to Fit, no Extra Bulk Provides SUPREME COMFORT!
One-Hand Carabiner
Extremely Gear Friendly, Keeps Everything Within Reach
Extra Cushion for all Day Hunt
CONSTRUCTION: Light Weight Padded Nylon
BUCKLES: Cam Leg Buckles
WEIGHT: 1.9 Lbs.
INCLUDES EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO HUNT: Safeguard Harness, Lineman’s Rope, Tree Strap, Suspension Relief Strap, Carabiner
WEIGHT RATING: 300 Lbs.

Women’s Hunting Safety Harnesses

http://shop.gomuddy.com/the-safeguard-womens/

Flexible Tether for 360° Movement
Quick & Easy to Put On
Super Lightweight! Sized to Fit Most Female Figures With no Extra Bulk. Provides SUPREME
COMFORT!
One-Hand Carabiner
2 x Gear Lanyards Keep Everything Within Reach
Extra Cushion for all Day Hunts
CONSTRUCTION: Light Weight Padded Nylon
BUCKLES Cam Leg Buckles
WEIGHT: 1.9 Lbs.
INCLUDES EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO HUNT: Safeguard Harness,Lineman’s Rope, Tree Strap, Suspension Relief Strap, Carabiner
WEIGHT RATING: 300 Lbs.

Youth Hunting Safety Harnesses

http://shop.gomuddy.com/the-safeguard-youth/

Flexible Tether for 360° Movement
Quick & Easy to Put On
Super Light! Sized to Fit, no Extra Bulk Provides SUPREME COMFORT!
One-Hand Carabiner
Extremely Gear Friendly, Keeps Everything Within Reach
Extra Cushion for all Day Hunts
CONSTRUCTION: Light Weight Padded Nylon; BUCKLES: Cam Leg Buckles
WEIGHT: 1.9 Lbs.;
INCLUDES EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO HUNT: Safeguard Harness,Lineman’s Rope, Tree Strap, Suspension Relief Strap, Carabiner
WEIGHT RATING: 150 Lbs.

Tree Stand Safety 101

Once you have selected one of the hunting safety harnesses you have a good base, but it takes more than a harness to keep safe in the stand. Not understanding tree stand safety beyond the harness is where most make the mistake. They wear their harness while hunting, they clip in once up in the tree, but they forget or do not have the equipment that can keep them safe all the way up to the seat of the stand. The most dangerous time of your hunt will be climbing up and down the tree stand. It doesn’t make sense to only be clipped in at the top of the stand, when you are just as high and in a more dangerous position to fall before and as you are clipping in. To stay safe during the entire hunt, from when your feet leave the ground until they return you need a safe-line.

Muddy: The Safe-Line

http://shop.gomuddy.com/the-safe-line/

The Muddy Safe-Line is a Unique System that allows the user to stay attached to the tree at all times.

Two Prusik Knots
Slides Easily Up and Down the Rope During Ascent and Decent and Stops You IMMEDIATELY Should a Fall Occur
Prusik Knots made of Reflective Material that Enhance Daytime and Low-Light Visibility
CONSTRUCTION: Braided Nylon; USE: Stay Safe from the Moment You Leave the Ground to the Time You Return!
Length: 30’
WEIGHT RATING: 300 Lbs.

Muddy Safe-Line | Trophy Pursuit

(Video) – Dunkin from Trophy Pursuit is hanging stands during the off season. As he hangs Muddy Tree Stands He discusses why he installs safe-lines in every single set he uses for deer hunting.

Deer hunters everywhere, this fall, and every fall to come will only briefly think about tree stand safety. The thought that “I will never fall” is a poor attitude to climb up a stand with. It your responsibility to not only wear hunting safety harnesses but use them properly and be clipped in and safe during the entire hunt. You have a responsibility to practice tree stand safety, and return to your family. Take the proper precautions, understand the material in this tree stand safety guide, follow these tree stand safety tips, get the right hunting safety harnesses, use a safe-line, and be prepared and prevent a worst case scenario.

How to Make Tree Stand Hunting More Effective | Muddy Outdoors

June 21, 2016/0 Comments/in Get Muddy /by Muddy Outdoors

Tree Stand Hunting Preparation and Tips

Let’s imagine something quickly. Just before dawn, you’re sitting in your tree stand with your bow in hand and hopes high. You’ve put in a lot of work to get to this moment. Just after daybreak, you hear leaves rustling and branches breaking as a brown silhouette works its way towards you. Within minutes, it’s all over and you’re looking at a mature buck lying on the ground. All because you took time to improve your tree stand hunting odds. Hopefully we’ve all had an experience like this at some point because it’s thrilling.

As hunters, we all want an ideal outcome from a day-long sit in our tree stands. The general hope is obviously seeing and flinging an arrow at a mature buck before the sunlight fades into the darkness of another night. But how much of it can be controlled and how much is just plain luck? You sometimes hear stories about people who do everything wrong and still luck out with a massive deer. Sure, it happens. But way more often, hunters kill big bucks because they took time to plan everything out to the last detail and put in the work to see the plan through.

There are a few things you can do this season to make your tree stands for hunting even better. Generally, you can do so through mechanical means or behavioral changes. Let’s look at some ways you can make your tree stand hunting more effective.

Tree Stand Maintenance

One of the worst things that can happen with your climbing stands or lock-on stands is obviously a complete failure that sends you plummeting from the tree. If you’re crippled on the ground, you’re not going to have a good day tree stand hunting any time soon. Take care before the season starts to really inspect your stands for any old or worn parts that need to be replaced. Common items that should be replaced include straps, cables, or bolts. If you notice large rust spots, seriously ask yourself if it’s time to replace the whole thing. While safety harnesses can mitigate some of the risk of a fall, is it worth taking that chance? We don’t think so.

Have you ever been in your tree stand hunting all morning with no issues, and then right as a deer approaches and you rise to grab your bow, a massive creaking sound echoes from your stand, sending the deer on high alert and out of your life? It’s a terrible feeling, especially if you knew that it could be an issue before you hung the stand in the woods. Take time to correct any noise issues while you can. For example, use a non-scented lubricant on all metal on metal parts to reduce the friction and sound. Cover exposed metal rails or platforms with a foam insulation or several wrappings of duct tape to dampen any noise if you were to bump your bow limb or arrow against it. A loud clanking noise is sure to scare a deer off quickly, and there’s just not an ethical shot at a deer when it’s running away. Luckily Muddy tree stands come silenced, due to silent rubber washers, and silent coding on the tree stand material!

The next one to tackle is the visual game. Deer don’t have excellent eyesight, but they can see well enough when something doesn’t blend in. If you can find a tree with lots of natural cover (branches, leaves, etc.), use it to your advantage by breaking up your outline. If you can’t find a tree with those characteristics where you need one, take a few minutes when you set up your stands to cover them with some type of camouflage materials. Using a tree stand blind or wrapping it with some camouflage canvas or burlap is a great way to both hide your presence and stay protected from the wind. It also allows you to dig through your hunting backpack for that last candy bar without exposing your movement to the watchful eyes of the forest.

Another thing you can add to increase your camouflage is branches. If you’re in a relatively bare cedar or pine tree, pick up a few fake Christmas tree branches to hang on and around your stand. This will break up the outline and add more structure to hide within. Simply tie them on with some twine, tape them in place, or use zip ties to secure them. If you’re in a hardwood tree, cut down a few branches from other hardwood trees to hang onto your stand. As you cut a few shooting lanes, this can be a good use of the branches.

Behavioral Changes

One of the best ways to make your tree stand hunting better is to hunt smart. Scent control and management is critical to remaining hidden from a deer’s keen sense of smell. Start to develop and stick to a scent control regimen, which consists of showering with scent elimination soaps the morning of your hunt, dressing in scent absorbing clothing, and spraying down with a scent eliminating spray in the field. If you can remove most of your scent and stay camouflaged, you should be pretty invisible to a deer in the woods.

Another way to manage your scent (and therefore be more successful) is to sit for longer periods of time. When you go out once in the morning and sit all day, you’re not laying multiple scent trails down around your tree stand hunting area that can be picked up by wandering noses. If you’re bringing lightweight climbing tree stands into remote areas, this is a must. Each time you access a remote location, you risk spooking the wary deer that live there. For that reason, climbers can be one of the best bow hunting tree stands you can have because they are so versatile and comfortable.

Being in your best tree stands longer also means you’ll be there when a bruiser of a buck goes on his midday stroll between doe bedding areas. But to do an all-day sit, you need to have a comfortable hunting tree stand underneath you. If you’ve ever tried to sit still in an uncomfortable stand, you know what we mean. Both ladder stands and climbing tree stands come in very comfortable options. Muddy Outdoors® has a Woodsman climber with padded armrests and seats that packs out at 20 pounds for bringing into remote areas. If you prefer more permanent options, the Prestige ladder stand is definitely an all-day stand with 3 inch foam seats and a wide platform. For an even simpler option, grab a couple Muddy hang on stands and set them up in a few key locations.

These simple changes to your routine can make a huge difference to your hunting success in the long run. They don’t take long to do and they become second nature very quickly. You probably already do at least one of these on your own. But if you can start doing all of them, you may find yourself behind a very respectable buck sooner than you think.

Muddy Trail Cameras | The Why, When, Where, and How of Minerals for Deer

June 13, 2016/0 Comments/in Get Muddy /by Muddy Outdoors

What You Need To Know for Putting Out Minerals for Deer This Summer

Tree stand maintenance, shed hunting, frost seeding, food plots, and then what? This has been the schedule from this point on for about 4-5 months. By the time food plots are planted, hunters can feel a false sense of accomplishment. They feel they can begin to calm down from the mad rush of spring chores and coast it out until deer season. Unfortunately for them there is still one vital piece missing from the checklist…putting out minerals for deer!

Now when it comes to mineral stations there is a misunderstanding that the common sense logic is correct, when in fact it really isn’t. Hunters each and every year will put out mineral stations for deer and miss the true reason for why we put out minerals. This article dives into the why, when, where, and how of mineral stations for deer.

Why and When Do We Put Out Mineral Stations For Deer?

The Science Behind the Need (Or Not) for Deer Minerals | Buck Advisors

(Video) There is a big misunderstanding that minerals equal big antlers, which is not correct! The Buck Advisors’ Weston Schrank reveals the real science and reason for mineral stations for deer!

The fact that putting out mineral bags and blocks for deer to grow bigger antlers is a false assumption. The real reason we put out mineral stations for deer is due to their salt craving for the summer. This craving is present during the entire time plant growth is at its peak in spring and summer with water and potassium content at an all-time high. This also happens to be when bucks are growing antlers, and does are giving birth to fawns and lactating over the summer. This is what creates the misunderstanding, the timing and need for salt in most hunters mind has suggested that deer need minerals, which in turn covers up the true advantage.

So if not for growing bigger antlers and helping fawn development why do we put out mineral stations for deer? The answer to this is our own desire. The desire for us to see velvet bucks can take advantage of the buck’s cravings for salt, revealing the real reason for mineral stations, taking inventory of velvet bucks with trail cameras.

Where and How Many Mineral Stations to Put Out

Deer Mineral Station Placement and Density | Buck Advisors

(Video)- Putting out minerals for deer is critical to start in May and June! Buck Advisor’s Weston Schrank explains exactly how many mineral stations for deer you need and where to place them on your deer hunting property.

One of the most important pieces of information, besides actually putting out mineral stations is, installing them at the correct density and in the right location. So where do you put mineral stations for deer out on your property, and how many do you put out? For this answer we have to touch on the real reason for these mineral sites again, basically to take inventory of velvet bucks.

That word, “inventory” is used only one other time when referring to deer…trail camera surveys. While putting out trail cameras over minerals for deer isn’t necessarily a trail camera survey due to the lack of specific settings, time of year, and applying an equation, it is keeping tabs on all the deer utilizing your property. In order to do this you have to be sure you are placing the minerals and game cameras in the correct locations and density (putting enough sites out to capture all deer on the property).

Where: throwing out minerals or a block just anywhere will not accomplish anything, you have to think and plan around it. You need to place the minerals and trail cameras in location that deer frequent. For spring and summer this means transition areas between food sources and bedding.
Density: Again referring to a trail camera survey most recommendations are a mineral station for every 80-100 acres of property, but only you can really tell how many mineral stations and trail camera sites you need. Habitat diversity, topography, cover, and human pressure can all affect deer movement and core areas, ultimately deciding how many mineral stations you should have. If a 50 acre property is separated into 2 different habitat types, and resulting in two different bachelor groups using different sides of the farm, then you need 2 mineral sites. Think back to hunting observations and past trail camera pictures to determine how deer use the property.

Patterning Velvet Bucks with Mineral Stations and Trail Cameras

The ultimate goal of installing mineral stations for deer, is to keep tabs and develop patterns on mature bucks. By putting out these sites in late May and early June, and keeping them running until deer season ( if your state requires minerals to be removed) will create a very detailed history and site map of a given bucks home range and core area. It also helps you create a detailed album of antler growth throughout the summer.

If your deer season is early enough such as Kentucky with an early September opener, you might even be able to kill you hit list buck based solely off of the trail camera data from the mineral station. If your hunting season starts later in the month of October, then you will miss the chance for velvet bucks and summer patterns. Fortunately placing a mineral station and trail camera in the right spot, such as a transition area, funnel, or run between bedding areas and food sources will also be a great spot for the rut cycles. This is where another critical point can be introduced, selecting the right trail camera for the job.

The new Muddy Outdoors trail camera lineup for 2016 should be a consideration for your trail camera over the mineral stations. The Pro-Cam 12 and Pro-Cam 10 are both quality cameras that can be reliable all summer long, all season long, and for multiple years. The cameras have all the required specs and technologies to be a top contender for trail cameras that produce clear images for identifying individual bucks during summer. If you’re looking for new trail cameras this year to put over mineral stations for deer, check out muddy trail cameras.

While your food plots are planted, tree stands are up, and your summer checklist is complete, one vital to-do might be missing. If you have yet to put mineral sites and trail cameras up you are behind. Antlers are growing, bucks are feeding, they are craving salt, and we only have 4-5 months before deer season!

how to capture velvet bucks with a trail camera in spring and summer | Muddy Outdoors

Trail Camera | How To Capture Velvet Bucks In Spring and Summer

June 2, 2016/0 Comments/in Get Muddy, Trail Camera Accessories, Trail Cameras /by Muddy Outdoors

Trail Camera Tips for Capturing Velvet Bucks in Spring and Summer

Trail cameras are an incredibly piece of technology that are continuing to grow in popularity each and every year. A trail camera provides hunters the ability to literally be in more than one place at one time and can provide a suite of invaluable information that can help when the time comes to hang tree stands or set hunting blinds and put the hunter in the best possible position to intercept that big mature buck this fall. Normally trail cameras start going up in late summer to determine patterns on velvet bucks, but spring should not be overlooked. With antlers already gaining inches every week, taking inventory now is possible, you just need to know how to capture velvet bucks in spring and early summer with your trail camera.

Mineral and Trail Camera Time | Midwest Whitetail

(Video) This week Bill Winke Gets the mineral stations out, trophy rocks set, and trail cameras out in preparation to capture velvet bucks in spring and summer.

Trail cameras are very easy to use and are becoming more and more inexpensive as each year passes. With the spring months well underway, it is not too early to begin taking inventory of the whitetails on your property, begin determining locations for your deer stands and hunting blinds, and start determining what the potential is for your farm to hold a giant this fall.

Spring Whitetail Patterns

For some reason, many whitetail deer hunters tend to make the assumption that there is no need to begin setting and running trail cameras until the late summer months of July and August. That could not be further from the truth! The trick that many successful whitetail deer hunters know is that running trail cameras is a twelve month out of the year effort that can yield some pretty amazing and extremely beneficial information that can have you eye level with a big whitetail buck this fall.

So the question that many deer hunters ask when the topic of spring and summer trail camera placement comes up is simply, “why?” Why do we need to take the time to run trail cameras during the spring months? Well, the answer to that question is really very simple, the more information that you have the better decisions you can make. Running spring time trail cameras has very little to do with gathering information on deer antlers (although you will be able to monitor the growth of the bucks on your property)and more to do with simply gathering information pertaining to overall deer numbers and travel patterns of the deer on your farm. Deer, and especially mature whitetail bucks are truly their own individuals. They tend to have subtle traits, and things that they do that are specific to them. Typically, it’s these little “ticks” that can cause them to be so hard to hunt and have allowed them to grow and become mature. Examples of these traits might be how a specific deer responds to disturbances such as farm practices or activity on the farm. Others might be specific travel routes during various times of the year that might be different from the other bucks on the area. The bottom line is, the more information you have the more informed your decisions will be, which will help you to be successful this fall.

How and Where To Place a Trail Camera This Spring and Summer

It is pretty amazing just how different a whitetail deer behaves depending upon the time of the year. As deer hunters, the spring and summer months can often be overlooked and underappreciated in terms of its importance to a whitetails life cycle. During the summer months, food requirements change to forages that are higher in proteins and other nutrients that help adult does with pregnancy and lactation as well as helping those mature bucks produce antlers for the fall. As a result, the location of your trail cameras may not necessarily be the same ole’ oak tree that you have always used during the fall months.

During the spring and early summer months, whitetail deer will tend to stay close to food in areas where they feel secure. They will tend to be more active during the over-night periods and less during the day, especially as the temperatures begin to increase. As such, you should focus your trail cameras towards heavily used travel routes. These are obviously sure fire locations to catch the deer on your property on their feet.

In addition, the spring and summer months are great times to break the edge of the tree line and begin exploring the interior wood lots on the properties your hunt. Look for areas with signs of heavy browse and forage. During the spring and summer months, mature whitetails will tend to stay within a small area for most of the day, only venturing out during the over-night hours. If you can locate a big bucks “bedroom”, that can be very useful information that can be stowed away for the fall. In many cases, large bucks will often retreat back to these areas when the pressure gets too great during the hunting season, which is something you can use to your advantage when hanging tree stands or setting hunting blinds this fall.

As spring gives way into early summer and spring rain is sucked into the plant growth and native browse, an opportunity comes up for spring and summer trail camera placement. Mineral and/or salt stations are craved by whitetails to balance their water uptake when eating this water filled browse. Their cravings and consistent visits to the stations makes for an unbeatable opportunity to monitor antler growth and behavior characteristics as well as get an inventory of bucks throughout the year.

Running trail cameras is an exciting and fun activity that helps pass the months during the off season, and can really help make deer season last all year long. With that said it can also mean the difference between tag soup and wrapping your tag around the antler of that trophy buck this fall. If you take the time to let your trail camera work for you, and deploy them year round you just might be surprised what you can learn!

Positioning your trail cameras for the best shots | Muddy Outdoors

Muddy Trail Camera Tactics | 5 Tips to get the Best Trail Camera Pictures

June 1, 2016/0 Comments/in Get Muddy, Trail Cameras /by Muddy Outdoors

Positioning Your Trail Camera for the Best Shots

We’ve all been there. After letting your trail cameras sit in the woods for weeks, it’s almost like Christmas morning when you finally get to check what’s on them. Like an excited kid, we plug the trail camera chip into our computers and open the folder. That’s when the disappointment starts. In your haste to set the camera up, you didn’t pay attention to a few basic rules of good pictures. Now you sadly scroll through picture after picture of dark, misaligned images. Those weeks of time in the field can’t be recovered either.

Most hunters use game cameras to help with their scouting efforts. They’re our eyes in the woods when we can’t physically be there to observe it all. Because they are so discrete and unobtrusive, some people even use trail cameras for security purposes, though we’ll be focusing on the hunting application here. They allow us to keep tabs on natural deer or turkey movement patterns so that we can make a more informed decision about where to hunt. Ultimately, they can help us pinpoint a mature buck’s home range and schedule, which is very difficult to do without a camera. But more importantly than all that, trail camera pictures are just plain fun and addicting to look at and collect. Trail cameras for wildlife offer a secret glimpse into the lives of wild animals, which is a rare and special opportunity. Most hunters would be just as excited about a dramatic nature scene unfolding in the picture as a mature 8-pointer strolling through.

But in order to get a jaw-dropping picture like that, you need to consider a few things before you just mount your camera on a field edge and walk away. Specifically, there are five C’s of good trail camera pictures that you’re probably missing or not thinking through fully. Let’s discuss them below.

The 5 Tips or C’s of Good Trail Camera Pictures

If you’re not at least thinking about each of these, your pictures probably aren’t coming out as well as they could be. They don’t take very long to implement, but the payoff could be huge in terms of high quality pictures. Take a moment to read through these trail camera tips so that your next pictures will be ones you’ll want to frame and put up on the wall.

Camera Angle

The trail camera angle is one of the most important pieces to keep in mind, since it will most affect how your pictures look and determine if you get any good pictures at all. Choose the wrong angle without confirming anything, and you could end up with a bunch of below-the-knee shots that nobody wants to see. Don’t mount your camera too low or too high; you’re looking for the sweet spot of about 4 feet off the ground. At this height, you shouldn’t have to adjust the angle up or down all that much, but we’ll confirm that below. You may want to keep the height lower if you’re specifically interested in turkeys or higher if you want a larger range, but four feet is a good starting point. Also, make triple sure that your trail camera is pointed at the right spot. For example, if you’re taking pictures on a mineral site, try to keep the site at the bottom central area of the camera. If you’re on a deer trail, don’t position it directly perpendicular to the trail as you’ll miss many triggers; instead, aim it either up or down the trail so you can get some approaching or leaving shots. These pictures look more unique and can show you more detail than a broadside picture anyway.

As you set the game camera up, pick your best hunch on the camera angle. Before you leave it though, do a few test pictures. Walk in front of it where you assume the deer will be, and then look at the chip using a card reader or laptop. If you’re way out of the frame, then you just saved yourself weeks of lost time.

Contrast

For the purposes of this discussion, we’ll define the contrast as the light exposure of your game camera pictures. Too little light and you won’t be able to see anything clearly, but too much light means your pictures will be overexposed and hazy-looking. There are a few things you can do to help with this issue.

The easiest one is to place your trail cameras where they won’t be so sensitive to the sunlight. For example, placing them in a shaded forest setting will moderate the light levels for you and let your trail cams take great pictures throughout the day. Placing them in an open field can work on cloudy days, but it tends to overexpose the pictures when the sun is brightly shining. You’ll also find that shadows of clouds or nearby trees could be so stark that they trigger the camera. It’s no fun looking through 300 photos of cloud shadows.

If you have a great food plot you want to keep tabs on, there are some ways to mitigate the light levels and contrast of your pictures. North is the best direction to face a trail camera, because it avoids looking right into the southerly sun. When the sun is directly above and facing into the lens, each picture will be hazy and you could have many glare issues affecting your pictures. You can actually point your trail cameras east and west, but your morning or evening pictures, respectively, will get a little washed out. Just remember that north is best.

Color

Have you ever browsed through your pictures and had an amazing shot or two? But after a closer look, you realize the colors are really off-balance and subtract from the overall picture quality.

While the contrast and light exposure discussion above is closely tied to this and will help you tremendously with getting good, vibrant colors in your pictures, there are a few other things you can do. The Pro-Cam 10 bundle is a great option if you’re looking for a solid package, as it includes the trail camera, an 8 gigabyte (GB) chip, and 6 AA batteries.

Composition

While most hunters would be thrilled to get an awesome shot of a mature buck making a scrape, think of how much better that picture could be with the right background. For example, take that mature buck and place him on a backdrop of a scenic oak flat with filtered sunlight and a pond reflecting the tree canopy. Stunning. Now place that same buck in front of an overgrown weedy field. It’s not quite the same, is it?

Obviously, not everyone has a postcard-quality property with scenic outlooks, but you surely have some spots that are better than others. Avoid areas with too much “junk” in the background (e.g., brush, blow-down, weed patches, etc.). Just keep this in mind as you set your trail cameras up, so that when you luck out with the shot of a lifetime, the background doesn’t ruin it.

Chips

No, not the crunchy kind in a bag. We’re talking about trail camera chips. It’s tempting for some hunters on a budget to skimp on this step so they can buy more low-quality chips instead of fewer high-quality ones. Unfortunately, the chip you buy can make a big difference on getting good trail camera pictures.

Obviously, you should get the chip with the most memory you feel comfortable buying so you can leave it out for weeks without worrying about running out of room. The higher resolution pictures really burn through digital real estate quickly, so an 8 GB card should be a minimum choice to start with. If you plan on taking a lot of video, a 16 or 32 GB card would be better. Also, some deer trail cameras require certain newer cards, which basically operate faster. If you were to use a lesser quality card with one of these cameras, you wouldn’t be pleased with the result.

Never delete pictures from your card while it is in your computer. You can actually affect the way your camera reads it. For best results, copy any pictures you want to keep to your computer, and format the card in your trail camera each time you install it. This removes the pictures from the card and basically starts fresh.

Positioning Your Trail Cameras

Now that you know what’s required for good trail camera pictures, you can focus on actually getting your camera mounted the right way in the field. If you’re wondering how to position your trail camera, don’t worry – it’s very simple. In more cases than not, there will be a suitable tree near where you want to take pictures. Simply attach your camera to the base of the tree. Secure a cable lock on it if you’re putting them on public land, just in case. Sometimes all the trees are leaning a little too much or there simply are no trees where you want to hang a camera. In that case, you need to get creative.

If the trees are less than ideal, you can always use a Muddy Outdoors trail camera support, which simply screws into a tree or post. This trail camera mount allows you to adjust the angle and position of the camera itself. Of course, that won’t be of any help in an open field should you feel the need to put one there. In that case, the Muddy Outdoors dual camera ground mount is your solution. Simply stick it into the ground wherever you need a pair of eyes, adjust the height from 19 to 41 inches, and attach up to two trail cameras to it on the trail camera arms. That way, you can cover two different directions and make sure you catch anything that walks by.

If you hadn’t ever really considered the five C’s of good trail camera pictures, now you should understand why they’re important and how they can affect your scouting efforts. Whether you use them in spring to watch the development of the deer herd, or only in fall to see what the big boys are doing, you want to have the best information you can get. By locating and positioning your trail cameras correctly and making sure you use high quality gear, you can be sure you’ll get better pictures than ever before. And for those who take hunting seriously, that attention to detail matters.

tips for setting up ground blinds under roosted turkeys | Muddy Outdoors

Tips For Setting Up Ground Blinds Under Roosted Birds

May 9, 2016/0 Comments/in Bale Blind, Get Muddy, Ground Blinds, Tree Seats and Ground Seats /by Muddy Outdoors

Turkey Hunting With Ground Blinds | Getting Close To The Roost

The action packed hunts of the spring that draw us into the woods will soon be over. The cool rain of spring is giving way to the heat of summer, and with it turkey season will come to a close. While some states are just getting through their first week of turkey season, some turkey hunters have checked out completely. For those still in the game, some much needed tips will be supplied to end your frustrations and save your turkey hunting. By now, if your still turkey hunting you might be getting discouraged. Many hunters tap out in May, it’s simply too late in the season they think, but they couldn’t be more wrong. May is a perfect opportunity to break open the ground blind, get the decoys out one last time, and experience the last of the beautiful spring mornings. Use these tips to set up your ground blinds under the roosted turkeys, and come out of spring one beard and fan richer!

Ground Blind Hunting Tips for Turkey Hunting | Buck Advisors

(Video)- Whether it’s ground blinds, box blinds, or some sticks and branches thrown together, hunting blinds are excellent tools for hunting. When it comes to turkey hunting it’s all about getting them in the correct place.

Roosting Turkeys

Late spring birds have been heart broke, many hens have used them, and left them and this can present to you some extraordinarily lonesome Toms. Getting close to their roost and presenting a lonesome hen at first light can and is one of the best ways to kill a gobbler. The trick is, getting a near exact location on the bird the night before.

Roosting birds can be easy, or tricky depending on the situation. Some are easily roosted with a owl, crow, or pileated woodpecker call. Other birds that are surrounded by crows, owls, and woodpeckers daily, hourly, and even minutely ( if that’s even a thing?) will not sound off no matter what you throw at them, even with the last ditch effort of a coyote howl. These birds require much more education to roost. You literally need to be their stalker…follow them, learn what they do, and be relentless. Knowing where they come from, and where they are going gets you the general area. Two nights preferably, if not, the night before you hunt grab some camouflage and sit quietly on that ridge, section of tall trees, or whatever the area is that you think they are roosting. Pay attention as the sun goes down, listen and look for any sign of flight up to the roost and try and pinpoint the bird’s location.

Getting A Ground Blind Under Roosted Turkeys

After you have pinpointed the birds go in cautiously. As a rule of thumb, a lot of hunters will try and get within 100 yards of the roost location. If the situation allows sneak in quietly and set up your ground blind, one window facing towards the birds with all other windows closed. It also helps , if it’s two nights before, to clear a small path so you can be silent on the way to the blind, walking with no lights is best but not at the risk of snapping and tripping on every stick in your way.

Another quick tip for you to remember while roosting the birds and setting up your ground blind under them is to place your chairs, decoys, and whatever else you can into the blind to make the next morning as effort free as possible.

When the Plan Comes Together

The morning of the hunt it’s important to wear all black. These late season birds have been through the ringer most likely. Their buds have been blasted, they themselves may be missing a couple feathers. Be sure to wear solid black long-sleeved shirt, hat, and face paint or facemask. That morning again sneak into the blind, set your decoys up, get settled in and start with some very soft yelps to simulate a hen on the roost. If available simulate the fly down with a cackle and wing sounds. This aspect of realism will notify the gobblers that there is a hen on the ground, and close! Once you hear the gobbler fly down, listen to the direction and volume of the gobble to determine if they are heading your way or going away from you. If they are heading away, hit them with some excited cuts and yelps to get them fired up. In a perfect situation and everything goes according to plan your hunt should look something like this…

Ground Blind Tactics | Success During Spring Turkey Hunting

(Video) Turkey season has finally arrived in the Midwest! Join The Buck Advisors’ Weston Schrank and his dad for a successful spring turkey hunt after they set up a ground blind on roosted birds on a small 40 acre property in Indiana!

Which Ground Blind Is Right For You?

Turkey hunting success out of a ground blind is dependent on getting the right blind. Some blinds just don’t cut it, they are too small, not dark enough of the inside, not weather resistant, or simply just don’t function well enough for a turkey hunt, especially bow hunting or filming your hunt out of a ground blind. When it comes to ground blinds for turkey hunting space, function, and overall quality and construction with thought of the hunter is needed. Check out these top hunting blinds for turkey hunting.

The Bale Blind – bale blinds are growing more and more popular, and for good reason! Space, shooting windows, and overall comfort with wildlife make this a great ground blind to set in for turkey hunting.-64” Wide x 27” Tall Waterfowl Drop Down Window, Easy One-Hand Operation-Large Zippered Door with Window
-4 Windows 6” Wide x 16” Tall
-6 Windows 12” Wide x 16” Tall
-Windows are reversible, with Burlap on One Side and Black on the Other; Slide Easily on Bungees
-Bottom Wind Flap
VS360 – Featured in the above videos, the VS360 is quickly becoming well known for a great deer and turkey hunting blind with its window design and function.Product Features
-Sets up in Seconds!
-Sliding Shoot-Through Mesh Over All Windows for 360° Viewing & Shooting
-9 Steel Stakes with Interior Stake Pocket
-Over-Sized Deluxe Carry Bag Included
-Sliding, Shoot-Through Mesh Camouflage Offers Endless Window Configuration
The Muddy Redemption – the redemption ground blind with its quick set hub-style PRODUCT FEATURES
-Sets up in Seconds!
-Extra Wide V-Shaped Entrance
-2 Interior Gear Pockets
-9 Steel Stakes with Interior Stake Pocket
-Silent, One-Hand Release ground blind system is another hub-style blind make for a popular turkey hunting and deer hunting ground blind.Hooks for Window Adjustments
-Reversible Shooting Windows; Black Side Facing in or Facing Out
-Corner Shelves for Access to Gear
-Exterior Covered with Soft, Noise-Free Material
-Over-Sized Deluxe Carry Bag Included

Again, many hunters tap out in May, but you now know it is a perfect opportunity to break open the ground blind, get the decoys out one last time, and experience the last of the beautiful spring mornings. Use these tips to set up your ground blinds under the roosted turkeys, and come out of spring one beard and fan richer!

4 Mistakes Bow Hunters Make When Turkey Hunting From A Ground Blind

May 5, 2016/0 Comments/in Get Muddy, Ground Blinds, Tree Seats and Ground Seats /by Muddy Outdoors

Mistakes Not to Make While Turkey Hunting Out of a Ground Blind with a Bow

Bow hunting turkeys is a hot topic, but every article you read on the topic will tell you about the struggles and challenges of turkey hunting with a bow and how to beat it. While it is a challenge, bow hunters are actively seeking it, so they do not need to know exactly what the challenges are, instead some tips on what to remember when hunting would be more useful. When it comes to bow hunting turkeys out of a ground blind 4 mistakes are always made. Take not of these mistakes and go into your ground blind prepared this spring!

Spring Turkey Hunting From A Ground Blind With A Bow | Her Quest

(Video) Each and every year, turkey hunters take to the woods with their bows. This year The Buck Advisors’ Jessica Johnson attempts the challenge of bow hunting turkeys, and takes to the blind with her bow in hopes of sticking her first turkey.

These 4 mistakes made by bow hunter’s turkey hunting out of ground blinds are some common sense slip-ups but without being said, they will go unnoticed.

Mistake 1: Not Wearing Black in the Ground Blind

You know it, we know it, and every other bow hunter out there knows it…the draw is the most critical part of hunting any species. While you can remain perfectly still while hunting deer or turkey hunting, when the time comes for the shot you have to draw the bow back and this is when you get caught. Both deer and turkey have the uncanny ability to pick out the slightest movement. When your heart is pounding it can be difficult to pull back creating even more movement and struggle. While you are turkey hunting out of a ground blind one of the most important things you can do is wear black! Black hoodie, black gloves, and a black facemask or face paint. In a well built and functional ground blind the interior should deprive light, and with black on, virtually all movement inside the blind will be eliminated. This spring do not go turkey hunting in camouflage in your blind. Normal camo clothes are too bright in a blind.

Mistake 2: Not Getting a Big Enough Hunting Blind

This happens a lot when it comes to turkey hunting from a ground blind. You walk into a Bass Pro Shops looking for ground blinds, and you see the cheapest pop up edition ground blind. It’s a minimal investment, but you get what you buy! Upon taking it out in the field it does not take long to discover the blind is barely big enough to draw your bow back, put your film equipment in, or even take a youth hunter in. Getting a big ground blind that is sturdy is key for turkey hunting with a bow, taking youth hunters out turkey hunting, or filming your own hunt.

Mistake 3: Not Drawing at the Right Time

This goes for any and all turkey or deer bow hunters. Not picking out the opportune moment to draw and forcing the hunt your way will be futile. Even with wearing black, in a well-built blacked out ground blind, and only minimal light coming through one window a turkey still seems to inevitably see some sort of movement if its looking your way. Instead of forcing the issue, draw at the appropriate moment. Most turkey hunts have such moments. When the gobbler is committed to the decoy, his fan block his view, when they are feeding, or multiple gobblers are breeding/fighting. Drawing at these moments totally eliminates the chance a gobbler spots you. But still be cautious of observant hens that are trying to figure out the decoys and your blind. Keep this the back of your mind so it becomes instinct to only draw at the opportune instant in the seconds leading up to the shot.

Mistake 4: Not Practicing Shooting Your Bow Out of a Ground Blind Enough

While you might practice every summer before deer season and periodically through deer season chances are you haven’t picked up the bow since about January or February, right? Even on the off chance you have been practicing, it’s almost a guarantee it was not from a sitting position from inside the ground blind. The practice up to this point was made standing up in a perfect archery position in your backyard. This really doesn’t help simulate the actual scenario of bow hunting turkeys out of a ground blind. Instead this spring take your ground blind seat, set it inside your ground blind, and practice shooting at a turkey target or similarly sized block with turkey vitals. This will do several things for you. One, get you accustomed to sitting down and shooting, which is very different than standing up. Two, get you aware and watching to see if you will hit the ground blind on the draw or hit it with your arrow while shooting. Finally, shooting out of a ground blind at a turkey target will get your mind around where to shoot a turkey with a bow and where the vitals will be in different positions.

These are several mistake bow hunters make when turkey hunting out of ground blinds. Many of these problems can simply be solved with starting with your basics and purchasing a ground blind that takes these mistakes and considerations into mind. A ground blind with a black interior, plenty of room for a bow hunter, and something that functions well with bow hunting turkeys is needed. Getting the right blind, and taking a conscious effort to avoid these 4 mistakes will have you being one of the many successful turkey hunters this spring.

Tips for bow hunting turkeys out of ground binds | Muddy Outdoors

Ground Blinds | Tips for Turkey Hunting With a Bow

April 22, 2016/0 Comments/in Bale Blind, Get Muddy, Ground Blinds /by Muddy Outdoors

Bow Hunting Turkeys from a Ground Blind

Bow hunting any game is making a commitment to a challenge in itself. Whether its deer, other big game, or turkeys, taking a bow to the field can be a humbling experience and with time can become the only hunting you take part in. Bow hunting turkeys is one of these challenges. Why some may have mastered turkey hunting, one thing is undeniable, drawing on a turkey is the biggest challenge. Multiple toms, or vigilant hens become major problems for turkey hunters. The most dreaded part is just trying to draw with all of those eyes around, but there are some tips such as using ground blinds that can help you be successful. Here are some tips to make hunting turkeys with a bow a little easier with ground blinds.

Bow Hunting Turkeys With Ground Blinds | Early Season Toms

(Video) Trophy Pursuit staff has some luck with early season gobblers. Several turkeys killed with bows out of Muddy ground blinds.

Ground Blind Selection

Ground blinds make turkey hunting easier. This is an extraordinary advantage when it comes to bow hunting. The biggest problem turkey hunters will run into when hunting out of a ground blind is selecting and hunting out of the wrong type. Face it, some blinds were just not made for bow hunters, they are small, with few windows, and everything seems to be in the way. Some of these blinds also don’t take into consideration what a bow hunter truly needs out of a ground blind for turkeys. What is needed, everything focused on the most important part…the draw.

Space- the biggest thing that bow hunters run into is enough space to draw. A ground blind needs to have enough room to bring up the bow, draw, hold, and swivel on for moving targets and an accurate shot. If your back arm is brushing against the blind, or limbs are touching the roof, or broadhead is catching just beneath the window there is a significant problem. A big blind, enough for multiple people, bow hunters, and even some extra gear like camera equipment would look something like The Bale Blind or VS360 Ground Blind by Muddy. These blinds are wide, tall, and perfect for bow hunting turkeys.

Invisible Draw- A blind that has enough windows to kill a bird out of it, but at the same time can provide a dark, flat black interior to make anything inside disappear, is desirable. Wearing dark clothing and either a black facemask, or black face paint, even a black bow all helps being inside a blind. Drawing inside the blind under the low light makes it near impossible for the keen eyes of a turkey to spot.

Comfort- If you have hunted out of a ground blinds before, especially one not made with requirements for bow hunting, you have been in some uncomfortable situations. With turkey or deer hunting out of ground blinds, finding a seat that is the perfect height to stay hidden but also be able to see out of the blind and draw out of is hard to find. Pair these restraints with the additional requirement for a seat that is completely silent, and you might as well just kneel on the ground. A big comfortable ground blind, with the addition of Muddy’s Swivel-Ease Ground Blind Seat or Folding Tripod Ground Seat

Bow Hunting Turkeys | Turkey Raw Double Muddy

(Video) Raw video footage of bow hunting turkeys. A double with multiple camera angles is caught on film by the trophy pursuit team out of a Muddy ground blind.

Bow Hunting Tips

Getting the right ground blind solves a lot of the problems and challenges of bow hunting turkeys. It conceals your draw, it gives you time to make a great shot, and it allows you to concentrate on every aspect of the hunt. Other than this, take the tips that you just witnessed from the Trophy Pursuit team. Use a quality broadhead, draw when the birds fan is blocking his view, and be sure to take your time with the shot. Bow hunting turkeys can be tough, but the right ground blind can make this challenge not only successful but twice as enjoyable.

How to set up a youth turkey hunt with ground blind | Muddy Outdoors

Ground Blinds | How to Set Up a Turkey Hunt for Youth Hunters

April 19, 2016/0 Comments/in Bale Blind, Get Muddy, Ground Blinds, Tree Seats and Ground Seats /by Muddy Outdoors

How to Set Up a Youth Turkey Hunt with Ground Blinds

Turkey hunting is a passion that is instilled in nearly every hunter come spring. Part of our responsibility as passionate hunters and conservationist should be bringing up the ranks with youth hunters. While taking youth hunters out hunting is nothing new to your ears, some tips may be useful. Here are some tips on how to set up a turkey hunt for youth hunters using ground blinds.

Taking youth hunting can be somewhat difficult, especially if you are feeling the pressure to make an incredibly good impression on them to make it stick. Commonly deer hunting is not where you want to start this process as it can be long, boring at times, and cold. Small game hunting is often the first hunt a youth can experience with minimal time spent and a lot of success. Turkey hunting is another great start for youth hunters. A normally quick hunt, in the comfort of a ground blind, and a unique heart thumping moment with a large bird gobbling his head off can be unforgettable for a youth hunter.

Youth Turkey Hunting Success

(Video)- Join Trophy Pursuit for some action packed youth turkey hunts in Iowa and Missouri. Shotguns, big ground blinds, turkey decoys, cameras, dead turkeys and some happy youth hunters make for an incredible episode.

Scouting

Like any turkey hunt scouting before you take a youth hunter out is critical. Scouting before the youth turkey season opens and making sure you find birds to hunt is the first step you should take. Find out where the gobblers roost, where the hens will feed, and which direction and pattern the birds work through routinely. Using trail cameras to scout for gobblers is also a technique that should be in use before a youth hunt. Gathering all this information will give you the perfect ambush spot to set a ground blind for the crew going out opening morning.

Ground Blind and Turkey Decoy Set Up

When it comes to youth hunter’s movement and focus is a very real struggle. Movement doesn’t work with turkeys so hunting from a ground blind is a must. While any ground blind might work for you when you solo hunt turkeys, ground blinds have requirements for turkey hunting with youth for the best experience.

Inconspicuous-A good hunting blind will be able to blend into the setting it is placed. Besides the obvious camo pattern, ground blinds have recently shift in the thought and ideal. The normal square ground blinds are now joined by popularity growing Bale Blinds. The bale blinds that are now available, create a perfect solution for certain turkey hunting situations, especially youth hunting.
Space-When it comes to turkey hunting with youth hunters, more space is better in a ground blind. Ground blinds with enough space for multiple hunters, will result in a fun and successful turkey hunt. A blind with ample room, a width around 64+ inches, is ideal. Youth hunters need space, an early morning nap, enough room for two or three chairs, and room for gear. The bigger the better.
Windows-This one’s obvious, the more windows, the more shooting angle and opportunities the youth hunter gets. A ground blind with multiple windows that allows a youth hunter to witness the hunt out of more than a tiny square window is ideal.
Dark Interior-Staying hidden inside the blind is a must for turkey hunting, especially with a squirming youth hunter inside. A flat black interior on a bind creates the ability to be invisible inside it when hunters also wear black.

When setting up a turkey hunt for youth, place the ground blind, keep only the front window facing the decoys open, closing up the surrounding windows will restrict the light that’s coming into the blind, and get rid of any silhouettes. When hunting out of a blind, do not wear your normal camo pattern. Wear a black top, black hat, and apply face paint to darken your face, this will virtually eliminate any chance the birds see movement in the blind. Face paint also is fun for youth hunters so it’s not a bad idea that is purposeful. Set the turkey decoys up about 10 -20 yards away from the blind. Close birds are not desired, 20-30 yards is perfect for a youth hunter with a shotgun.

Other Considerations

The obvious considerations when taking youth hunting is safety first. This should go without saying that practicing firearm safety and being observant to potential other hunters is a must. Also be sure t make it fun. This turkey hunting trip won’t stick if it’s not fun. Being too serious, or too hard on a missed shot opportunity can spoil it fast. Get a spacious ground blind, bring some snacks, break out the face paint, take pictures, grab a video camera, and have fun every minute of the hunt.

Taking a youth hunter out turkey hunting should be on all of our list this spring. Study up on how to set up a youth turkey hunt and get a set of spurs in a young kids hands.