Brushing In Blinds

By: Erica Britt – Huntin’ Wives Pro Staff Member

So many hunters will make the argument for hunting in stands versus blinds and why one is better than that other. In my opinion, there can be many advantages (and disadvantages) of both. It’s pretty obvious that being up in the tree or on a platform helps you to cover more ground and gets you up and away from your hunted prey. Then there’s something to be said for getting up close and personal with your prey on the ground. But, in all reality, sometimes a blind is just better suited to the hunt. Maybe there’s not many options to hang a stand or maybe a blind is just better concealment. If you do choose a blind for your hunt, your main goal should be to make that blind as in conspicuous as possible with “brushing in.” I’m going to give you a few tips on how to brush in a blind for a successful hunt.

First things first, scout it out! Once you decide an area where you want to hunt, you want to consider the backdrop. It’s like the foundation of a new home. You have to have a good foundation to start or it’s just not going to work. You want to make sure you have an area when your blind will blend in with the background. My blind is mostly brown with pops of greenery here and there so it works perfectly around our woods filled with pines and hollys. Being able to push your blind into an already established nook or against a tree/brush, will help conceal it. Avoid just placing the blind out in the open – that’s a big yellow flag to an animal that knows the area well.

Next, brush in the edges. To me, the most noticeable thing about a blind is the edge of where the blind ends and the trees start. You want to blend in that contrast by using limbs with leaves intact or grass/brush. We often use brush and small trees that are cut down from making shooting lanes to line the edges of the blind. Pay special attention to the bottom of the blind where unlevel ground can cause a gap and make sure to conceal it. Continue to fill in all sides of the blind with more brush going in every direction. Less is not more in this case! The more you add, the better the blind will blend in with its surroundings. Tip: Some blinds come with slits or handles all around the blind to hold your brush to the blind to keep it in place!

Finally, clear shooting lanes and a path. Make sure you have a couple of clear shooting paths through your windows. Nothing is more frustrating than getting ready to take a shot and not having a clear shot! You also want to make sure that you have a clear path to the entrance of the blind so that you don’t have to disturb the area and make any more noise than you have to while getting into the blind.

Other tips for ground blind hunting:

– If possible, put your ground blind up before the season starts to allow animals to acclimate to its presence and to allow any scent to wash off.

– Instead of camo, think about wearing all black to really blend it with the back of the blind.

– Wear face paint as your face will be the brightest thing in the blind.

– If possible, keep the back of your blind toward the sun so that you stay in the shade and more hidden.

Good luck & Happy Hunting!!