Using a pop up blind for muzzleloading

[bigbore442001]

I had to buy it. Ok. I didn't but I did. I bought a pop up blind for bowhunting. I can see using it on my friend's place for the archery season but then I thought," I wonder if it would be good for the late muzzleloading season? "

Here in good ole Massachusetts, the season is December 15th to the 31st. It can get cold and snowy along with everything in between. The pop up blind would be great in keeping the elements out and cutting on the windchill.

The only other issue I can think of is that in Massachusetts we have a hunter orange requirement. It think it would be prudent if I put a square of orange fabric on each side equal to a vest on a man. I wouldn't want to somehow end up getting shot.

Any ideas or comments are welcomed.

 

[BrownBear]

A good friend tried one and liked it till he fired the shot. He was using a flinter.

Can you say smokehouse? :rotf:

 

[roundball]

The only other issue I can think of is that in Massachusetts we have a hunter orange requirement. It think it would be prudent if I put a square of orange fabric on each side equal to a vest on a man.

Several models come with a HO panel on each side that can be rolled & tied up, or untied and allowed to unroll.
Seems like that would start amounting to a lot of gear to carry in and out, unless you can leave it up permanently...if you used a blind, you would most likely also need a stool or chair

 

[rabjr]

I really like my Ameristep Penthouse blind as it is roomy enough for me to move around if needed. I did try a friends smaller Ameristep, doghouse? not sure the name but was smaller in size than mine he had setup in another area. It was way to small for me but maybe ok for one person in a folding chair. It may suit one able bodied person ok but not someone in a wheelchair like me. The penthouse was far better and room for two. I do drape an orange vest on it.

 

[rabjr]

A good friend tried one and liked it till he fired the shot. He was using a flinter.

Can you say smokehouse? :rotf:

Pfft I shoot flinters out of mine all the time. It's not that bad...you only cough for a few seconds. :haha:

 

[paulvallandigham]

How about considering buying some blaze orange surveyor's tape at your local building supply or hardware store? It should cost less than $5.00 for a 300 foot roll. Then you can put blaze orange tape around the blind, or taped to its sides, or around the tree near the blind, to warn off other shooters.

I circle the trees I am under with the tape just over my head, and, If I am in a tree stand, then just under the stand, so I bracketed by the two strips of blaze orange tape. In actual practice, the human eye is able to distinguish even a well camoed hunter sitting in a treestand between the two stripes from 100 yards and more away.

You can also just tie strips of this plastic tape to the branches of brush near a ground blind to give warning to approaching hunters from any direction. In a breeze, the strips will turn and flutter, but most animals show very little concern about movement at brush levels. They are too used to seeing leaves move in the wind to let such movement spook them.

 

[Dave K]

I have a pair of Ameristep Doghouses.My daughter and I have shared the same one many times. I am using a flinter as well, can't say it is a problem. Our late ML'er season can be either colder than heck or rainy. I really like mine. Use a bicycle flag to show your position.

 

[pchwcf50110]

i have used a Double Bull blind for 8 years for bowhunting turkeys but at bow ranges whitetails don't like it one bit. the best luck with deer i have had with the blind is in cedar patches that break up the entire outline. a blind i started using two seasons ago that works great on everything is the G&H Decoy Buckstumper blind. it is molded plastic sections that look like a tree stump. i usually use just one section next to a tree and game pay it no mind. shot two bucks two seasons in a row with it bowhunting. they don't even seem to notice it unlike the DB blind which seens to put them on alert. but at 50-75 yards deer don't seem to worry about the pop up style if some concealment is attempted. close range 20-30 yards stuff on whitetail is not the pop up's forte on same day set up and hunting. just my experience.

 

[bucktales]

Don't use a pop up blind, but we do use 6ft Avery roll up blinds. They set up in seconds and roll up and fit in my game vest.
They don't have protection from the elements, but they are great for quick concealment when deer, turkey and coyote hunting.

When Turkey hunting, we do hang orange bandanas off a few trees around us. Not too thin or small as they might be confused for surveyors marking tape.

 

[Billhuntz]

I killed a very nice 8 point out of a brick house 2 years ago with a cap lock. Lot's of smoke even with a cap lock, the wind must have been in my face. We are required to have 400 square inches of orange on the blind in gun season. I was watching a bunch of shotgun hunters that year across a field through my binos when I watched one of the A#$ H&%$% pull his shotgun up to look through his scope to see if anyone was in my blind. Definitely put some orange on your blind.

 

[longcruise]

I was just mulling that same thing over this morning. I have an "outhouse" that I'd like to use but the idea of not showing up bothers me. Also, just putting up strips of tape don't seem like a great idea in my hunting area because it's all public land and strips of tape used by the forest service and lumber outfits are not uncommon. It might not serve as the red (orange?) flag that one needs.

Then there are all those hunters who string the stuff all through the woods to find there way back to whereever or whatever TP will serve that purpose and quickly disintegrates in the weather.

The last Idea that came to mind is to cut out human hunter shapes from orange and fasten them to the outside of the blind. Whatcha think?

 

[roundball]

The last Idea that came to mind is to cut out human hunter shapes from orange and fasten them to the outside of the blind. Whatcha think?

Just get a set of 4 High-Vis barrels from highway construction projects with the large 6" battery operated flashing orange lights on top...

 

[rabjr]

The last Idea that came to mind is to cut out human hunter shapes from orange and fasten them to the outside of the blind. Whatcha think?

That actually sounds like a great idea to me.

 

[gmww]

I just purchased one of these Ameristep two man blinds for my daughter and I. We will be trying it out on opening day. We opened it up in the living room and it seems pretty good. We'll see how smoky it gets when she shoots with her underhammer at a meat doe. :hmm:

 

[longcruise]

Just get a set of 4 High-Vis barrels from highway construction projects with the large 6" battery operated flashing orange lights on top...

Or,just keep other hunters completely out of the area with access blocked by automatic train crossing barricades complete with lights and bells? :blah:

 

[JackAubrey]

I read a humorous account of a man deer hunting in one with a matchlock.He said it lit up like a Japanese lantern when he touched off then he had to bail out from all the smoke.I can only imagine! :rotf:

 

[Kentuckywindage]

i'd give it a try.

 

[Little Wattsy]

I just purchased one of these Ameristep two man blinds for my daughter and I. We will be trying it out on opening day. We opened it up in the living room and it seems pretty good. We'll see how smoky it gets when she shoots with her underhammer at a meat doe. :hmm:

I just got one myself. This is its 1st season, we'll see. :hmm:

 

[roundball]

Just get a set of 4 High-Vis barrels from highway construction projects with the large 6" battery operated flashing orange lights on top...

Or,just keep other hunters completely out of the area with access blocked by automatic train crossing barricades complete with lights and bells? :blah:

:grin:
But seriously...they ought to make the portable shelters out of blaze orange camo in the first place...wearing HO has never bothered any deer I know of...had them walk within 15 and 20 feet on me sitting on the ground with a full sized HO coat on...I thnk the 100's of different camo patterns now on the market are geared towards hunter purchases, not game taken :wink:

 

[pronghorn]

I have had a Double Bull blind for about 8 years. Works well on mulies, pronghorns and elk. All three of my kids have taken game from it as well. Not only does it hide your movement, it also helps to control your scent if you minimize the openings that you shoot from. Good Luck!