Blind or Tree Stand

Wasatch · Aug 3, 2012

So I ended up buying myself a blind recently(Ameristep Carnivore) that I have set up for archery season this year. However, before pulling the trigger on purchasing the blind I went back and forth and really waffled between the ideas of hunting from a blind or a tree stand. I'm just wondering what everyone else thinks about hunting from a blind vs. a tree stand. Which method would you choose and why? I'm extremely happy with my purchase and have lots of reasons for making my choice, but again, I just wanted to see what others would choose and why....

TOPGUN · Aug 3, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Aug-03-12 AT 10:26AM (MST)[p]All the stands I have up here in MI now are ladder stands for safety sake, as I'll be 65 on the 16th. I gave my three treestands to GotBowAz last September while we were out hunting in AZ 6A for all the help he gave us. I was getting to the point where drilling trees and putting bolts in for steps to put them up was just getting to the point where at my age I figured I would quit before I had an accident. I also have an Ameristep ground blind I can put out anywhere at the spur of the moment and even used it during our deer/elk hunt out in Wyoming last year. I also just built a permanent blind up in the swamp 1/2 mile from my cabin in northern MI with drop down glass windows and have to go back up in the next few weeks and put the exterior metal on and spray it with camo paint. I'll use it when the weather really gets bad and it should last forever. Here's a picture of it before I put the metal on the walls.

tailchasers · Aug 3, 2012

You sure this ain't an outhouse here TG. Being near 65 can you really aford to not be prepared? Just thinking you add a half moon and good toilet seat and you be set.

I'm just sayn'...

Back to the OP. Depends on the hunt and the animal I am persuing. Tails I would hedge for a tree stand. Mulies and Elk ground blind IMO. They don't seem to be as weary about them. Blinds also work great in crappy weather and for when you wanna take a nap. You can get away with more movement too. But plan on givign the critters time to get used to it.

Now if this is a trophy hunt a I would use a tree stand and the most amount of steathe as possible no matter the species.

"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway."

TOPGUN · Aug 3, 2012

LAST EDITED ON Aug-03-12 AT 11:40AM (MST)[p]tailchasers---Actually my outhouse back at the cabin is a similar design, but no windows for peeking, LOL! Maybe I should do as you mentioned and a big ole buck might stroll right by thinking I was taking a dump and not be prepared to shot him!!! The main reason I use all the different ones is the basic terrain involved and how far you can see depending if you are up in the air or down and it really varies where I hunt up north. I've probably shot 4 or 5 times as many deer up there while sitting on the ground than up in a tree.

GotBowAz · Aug 3, 2012

Thanks Mike for the tree stands , I will be putting them to good use as I have a 12a,12b tag in the Kaibab for Monster Muleys and I will be putting those stands to good use!

I don't much care for ground blinds as I feel kind of limited to my view. I love tree stands and I know my scent is up off the ground in case of wind changes.

Hey tailchaser, that does sort of look like an outhouse, being from Michigan myself I have see a few of those out in the sticks to know what it is. Nice job Mike! BTW, he doesn't need a seat in it, you should ask him about his 101 ways to use a wal-mart bag! Ha ha ha? He is gonna kill me!

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