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Deer Blinds | Best Application for Each Type

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Deer Blinds 101 | Ground, Bale, Hub, and Box Blinds

Not so long ago, most deer hunters headed out to their favorite hunting spot with a thermos full of coffee or soup, some sort of cushion to sit on, and their trusty firearm slung over their shoulder.  This checklist of must-haves might be the same, however, the setup at that particular destination looks very different today.  Parents and Grandparents across the land tell many hunting tales where they were positioned on the ground up against a mature tree or up on a ridge with a few branches stacked up in front of them to provide some level of concealment.  Throughout time, we have enhanced our concealment methods with many different options to try and remain undetected while in the whitetail woods.  The first advanced deer blinds began taking shape with strong fabric materials, then we started using wood to construct shooting houses, and eventually we added elevation with towers and platforms.  If you walk into any outdoor retailer today, you can become quite overwhelmed with the amount of options you have while shopping for a deer blind.  There are countless designs that use a plethora of different materials all while providing the option of permanent, semi-permanent, or mobile setups.  Understanding the fundamental differences and the intended use for each style will really help in narrowing down your selection on the optimal choice for your particular hunting location.

The Ground / Hub Blind

The most popular deer blind on the market today is by far the pop-up ground blind.  This hub-style tent design has provided hunters means to set up a new blind with 360-degree concealment anywhere they please within just a few minutes time.  Being lightweight, packable, and durable, pop-up style blinds create shelter on those foul weather days and expand the number of sits in the field throughout the season.  The Muddy line of ground blinds can be packed in using the carrying case and back-pack style straps for easy transport.

One major advantage of using a ground blind is having an alternative in areas where there are a scarce number of mature trees, limiting your options for hanging a treestand.  A whitetails preferred bedding habitat is usually thick with young saplings and undergrowth.  If you are trying to hunt close to bedded deer, a well brushed in ground blind can really pay off if set up properly.  Something you’ll want to keep in mind though is not to get too comfortable with unfavorable wind directions.  Even though you are concealed in a thick fabric, your scent will still carry and you still need ensure you are placing your blind down wind of their beds.

Another fantastic location for placing your ground blind is in transition areas.  These are popular locations for bucks to stage before exposing themselves in ag fields or open timber.  Dry creek beds that run alongside a patch of timber or marshy grass lands that lead into a swamp are a couple other examples of where a ground blind can be a real asset.  The Muddy Ravage and VS360 are durable and resistant to harsh weather.  Watch them disappear as you brush in the Epic camo covered canvas with surrounding vegetation.  If being on the ground just isn’t providing the views that you would like, Muddy’s line of ground blinds can easily be elevated.  Both the Ravage and VS360 can be placed on a tower or platform, but Muddy specifically created a soft-sided hub blind to be robust enough to withstand the higher winds that come with a lifted blind.  The Soft Side 360 is constructed with a powder coated steel frame and has insulated fabric walls.  If you decide to stay grounded or raise yourself to new heights, Muddy’s line of ground blinds has you covered.

 The Bale Blind

One of the coolest alternatives for those who hunt farm lands, prairies, or meadows is the creation of the bale blind.  The shape and color replicates a bale of hay that deer across the country are used to seeing in open areas.  The heavy-duty steel frame is covered with a burlap material that will blend right in just like another piece of farm equipment.  How many times have you hunted a field edge and watched deer move into the center well out of your shooting range?  The bale blind can place you right in the center of the action and deer won’t have a clue that they are being hunted.  I would advise setting out your bale blind prior to the start of the hunting season so the deer have a chance to get use to its presence.  Once it’s in a particular location for a short period of time, deer will no longer act cautious and will come in close proximity.  Those who have hunted in a bale blind the first day after setting it up have not had the results others have who have waited a couple weeks.  If you have a trail camera to place in front of the blind, it wouldn’t hurt to set it up and monitor how the deer are reacting.  If you start seeing photos of deer getting closer and closer to the blind without hesitation, you know the blind is no longer considered a foreign object to your herd. 

A bale blind is beneficial, because it can be used in early season, pre-rut, rut, post-rut and late season.  You can catch that target buck still on his early season feeding patterns before he starts chasing does and changes his routine.  Setting a bale blind in a field during peak rutting activity will put you close to bucks who drop their guard to predators.  Plus, if you have a reliable food source that deer frequent, such as a late season food plot, bucks will be looking to pack the pounds back on after a hard rut.  Having the bale blind established in a field where deer tend to feed can give you a front row seat to “Mr. Big” as he puts on his winter weight.  The Muddy bale blinds are very sturdy at 90 lbs. and large enough for some maneuverability inside if you need to reposition yourself for the perfect shot.  Hunting from inside one of these unique blinds can be an exciting new way to put yourself closer to that trophy and provide some great footage as well.

The Box Blind

 

Most of us have that one friend who has a deer blind all decked out with heaters, insulation, carpet, cup holders for his coffee, and basically everything but a television inside.  Trying to build one of those blinds is plenty difficult, but trying to make it durable enough to last through several winters can be a lot of work, time, and money.  Besides the initial construction, usually the homemade big box blinds require a new roof every couple years, frequent applications of camo paint or fabric to the outside, and resealing the cracks where insects and critters have crawled in adds up to a pretty expensive hassle.  Muddy developed a line of box blinds that accommodate every type of hunter and requires little maintenance year after year.  The Gunner, Bull, and Penthouse blinds all are constructed with thermal, scent, and noise control walls creating a stealth mode environment.  Installing either one of these box blinds on one of Muddy’s steel tower options will give you that true luxury hunting experience.

The most obvious advantage is being able to hunt in comfort during those frigid snowy late seasons.  With the warmth and security of an elevated box blind at your disposal, it takes any weather forecast out of the equation when deciding whether or not to go hunting.  No matter your weapon of choice, bow or firearm, the Bull and Penthouse blinds have window options that are configured to adhere to any shot position. 

Finding a location for your tower box blind should involve some serious thought and consideration since they are not easily moved.  For example, food plots should be built with the box blind position in mind before working the ground.  This will avoid any second guessing after a plot is seeded and the blind isn’t as easily accessible for relocation.  The prime locations for Muddy’s box blinds are areas with good clear shooting lanes.  Ag fields, food plots, watering holes, etc. are all areas with open views in several directions.  Hunting in a box blind during the rut is a huge advantage for those who can sit all day long.  The comfort and security of the box blind really helps when grinding out several long days in a stand during this time of the year when mature bucks are most active.  Pack a few meals, bring your spouse or kids and enjoy the experience without worrying about weather conditions.  Established box blinds can make your buddies really jealous, especially when you start having success year after year. 

Whitetails have evolved throughout the history of their species and so have we.  Our ambush locations have become more sophisticated and advanced as we learn more and more about deer behavior.  Deer blinds should be treated like any other piece of hunting equipment, such as your gun, bow, binoculars, etc.  Investing in a quality product like Muddy’s ground blinds, bale blinds, or box blinds will result in more successful hunts if used in the proper fashion.  Pop-up ground blinds are extremely mobile, yet durable and conceal hunters extremely well.  Bale blinds are a new trend that has proven to be successful in open terrain where cover is scarce.  Lastly, box blinds can extend your hunts and put you on trophy deer throughout the entire whitetail season.  All of these options have their niche and are proven to be fruitful when used appropriately.

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Box Blind Installation | How to Set Up a Box Blind

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The Right and Safe Way to Set Up a Box Blind

You couldn’t stand it any longer. All the dreaming of epic hunts on your property from the comfort and luxury of a tower blind was just too much to handle, so you finally bought a brand new box blind. The adventure is just beginning for you, as there are many benefits to hunting from a box blind (e.g., shelter from the weather, better scent control, can get away with more movement, etc.). But before you get to enjoy all those perks, do you know how to set up a box blind? If you’re hearing crickets chirping in your head, here’s what you need to know about how to set it all up and how to raise a blind. First, make sure you read your entire instruction manual that came with the blind, and follow all safety recommendations at all times.

Best Location for a Box Blind

Before you set up a box blind, you should decide where you are going to put your new tower. Box blind placement is so critical for several reasons. First, you presumably want to see deer and be able to hunt them from your blind, so putting it in the right location makes a difference. Second, though not particularly complicated, setting up a box blind does take much more effort than simply moving a climbing tree stand to another tree. That’s why you need to try to nail the spot the first time.

Setting it up near a food plot is almost always a good idea, provided you have a good access trail and can sneak in and out without being detected. Hunting over food sources is a proven way to see deer, but it’s especially useful when hunting mature bucks in the late season months. Sitting in an insulated box blind, you can easily wait out the late season cold weather until a reclusive (but hungry) buck finally steps out to feed on standing corn or beans.

Situate the blind on the downwind side of the food plot or field, with the shooting windows facing the direction you expect to see most deer. Always keep the ladder on the back side so you can sneak into and out of it. It helps to have some kind of cover to hide your approach too, whether that be a spruce windbreak, a messy field edge, or some tall grasses you planted for screening cover.

Planning Box Blind Setups for the Early Season

How to Set Up a Box Blind

You will definitely need to be able to transport your Muddy® box blind and the deer stand base to the field using a large trailer or tractor. The blind comes completely assembled so you don’t have to worry about how to set up a box blind itself. But you will need to assemble your tower kit, whether you choose the 5- or 10-foot option (depends on availability at most Muddy® blind dealers), before you can raise the blind. Depending on where you set your box blinds up, it may be easier to assemble the tower kit at home. At least you have all the necessary tools there and the mosquitoes, flies, and ticks shouldn’t be as bad as they would be in the field. In addition, finding dropped nuts and washers in your garage would be a lot easier than on a field edge!

After assembling your tower kit per the instruction manual, you basically have two options when installing a box blind. As for the best way to raise a box blind, it really depends on your own preferences, what equipment you have, and how many people who can help.

Option #1: Assembling in the Air

The first option to set up a box blind is to tackle the two pieces separately. Choose a level area and set your tower kit upright – two people should be able to lift this up into place. The base should then be leveled and staked down to provide a solid structure on which the blind will sit. If you don’t know how to level a deer blind, simply place a level on all the horizontal beams you can. Try excavating with a shovel beneath the legs to adjust the ground surface until everything looks completely plumb. Then pound the rebar stakes into the foot pegs of all four corners and the ladder as well. Find the very center of the base by tying some ropes from corner to corner – where the two ropes cross is where you should twist the auger stake into the ground until the loop hole rests on the ground surface. At that point, use wrenches to turn the turnbuckle loose while still keeping the two ends connected. Attach the bolt and clevis to the auger stake loop, and attach the wire to the loop-end of the turnbuckle. Use the clevis to tighten the excess wire and secure it. Finally, tighten the turnbuckle by turning it clockwise until the wires are taut. Now the structure should be very solid.

At this point, use a tractor to lift your Muddy® box blind up and place it on top of the base. Before doing so, make sure everybody is clear from the surrounding area, and ensure nobody is underneath it! Obviously, you should also make sure the door is located on the ladder side. Once the blind is resting on the base, attach them to each other and double check all the connections are secure. You will likely need to retighten the cable attached to the auger stake once the blind settles the tower a bit.

Option #2: Preassemble and Team Lift

The other option to set up a box blind is to attach the blind to the tower kit on the ground, and then team lift the whole thing up into position. As with option #1, make sure the spot you choose is a level area and in the right spot. Lay the tower kit and blind on their sides, and arrange the base of the tower to be exactly where you want to lift it up. Then, attach the blind to the base using the proper tools.

About 10 to 15 feet away and 45 degrees from the base (towards the blind), drive two of the rebar stakes into the ground. Attach support straps to them from the foot pegs touching the ground. This anchors the base to the ground, which will allow you and your team to safely lift the blind into position without the base kicking out from beneath you. Using your team and safe lifting practices (lifting with your legs, not your back), slowly raise the full blind and tower kit up until it settles into place. At this point, you should go through the same leveling and staking steps as listed in option #1 above (i.e., level the tower, drive the foot peg stakes into the ground, attach the auger stake to the cable, etc.).

For the full instructions for each of the options listed above, check out the video below.

Time to Go Hunting?

After you set up a box blind, you’ll probably feel like you can’t wait to get out on your first hunt. But don’t let the excitement get the best of you. Remember that you should always check the connections and ensure the tower is stable and safe to use before climbing into it. The ground may settle and the wind may shift it slightly, which can loosen the cables or foot peg stakes over time. Always keep safety in mind when using any elevated hunting platform.

If you’ve been keeping an eye on Muddy® blinds for a while now, but weren’t sure how to raise a tower stand, we hope this explains it for you. Early season hunting isn’t that far away now, so it’s time to start thinking about how you can incorporate one of these blinds into your hunting strategy.

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