I know the cover photo doesn’t look like much more than a pile of trunks and limbs but bear with me. Do you ever drive or walk through a hunting property and it seems like there is a good place for a ground setup every 20 yards? I do. This happens a lot in the Texas hill country where there are endless areas of tight and heavy cover; low, overarching oak branches, mixed cedar, mesquite, and brambles. The thing is, I also find it appealing in the South Texas brush country and even in more open areas with the main cover lying along fence lines and in small woodlots.
What about piles of deadfall and those piles of dead brush formed years ago via bulldozers?
Smart from Scratch
As a long-time deer hunter, I can assure you that efficiencies matter when it comes to hunting. I mean, who doesn’t appreciate a piece of hunting property falling into your lap by haphazardly meeting a willing landowner? How about coming across an ultra-cheap hunting stand at a flea market or farm auction?
Deer hunting is a time-consuming and expensive endeavor. Anything that aids the old hunting budget or saves time in the field is righteous.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over many years of deer hunting, it’s that there are a ton of “head start” ground blinds just waiting to be utilized by whitetail hunters.
I prefer hunting from the ground for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is I’m not crazy about heights. Sure, I sometimes bow hunt from tree stands, but it’s not my go-to setup.
I also like saving money.
Natural and semi-natural ground blinds cost little more than a little time and work. Even the cheapest of popup blinds will set you back a hundred bucks. You can double or triple that for the really good ones. They have advantages too, including visual concealment and even some scent masking. Also, short of a heavy storm, they keep you dry.
Still, it’s hard to beat native limbs, brush, and foliage – especially if it’s already at or near a desirable hunting location. For the record, my wife contends my zest for natural blinds is rooted in childhood forts. While I have no real rebuttal, I rest assured in the fact that they just make sense.
Here are a few tips and ways to leverage existing brush piles and other existing land features for whitetail hunting success.
Before You Get Started
There are a few basic things to consider before seeking out existing brush piles and features begging for some hunting sits.
First off, while the point is to leverage existing brush, make sure it’s in a good location. Look for area trails, draws, and other favorable land features. It’s never a bad idea to set up between known food and bedding areas.
Tools and supplies you will need include a good pair of loppers, gloves, camo cloth (optional), and of course, zip ties. As one of the best inventions ever, the latter will allow you to increase concealment easily, whether with native cuttings and/or camo cloth. Finally, if a natural backdrop doesn’t exist, create a dark one with nearby brush, camo cloth, or my favorite, black roof felt. This step will eliminate any chance of being silhouetted.
Existing Brush Piles
I’ve leveraged mounds of brush for bowhunting success for many years. Heck, most of the work is already done, given it’s in a favorable hunting location. In fact, for the last 4 seasons, I’ve hunted a ground blind I call “the Heap” heavily. The only thing I had to do to complete the structure was to cut a couple of shooting holes in the pile and put up a wall behind me. The latter was made with t-posts and some roofing felt. It ain’t pretty, but it’s very effective concealment-wise. While this structure sits about 80 yards from a deer feeder, it’s near a heavy deer trail. If the wind is right, I can pick deer off as they traverse the trail. It’s a staging area when it comes down to it.
Natural Cages
I love old live oak trees; always have. I like them, even more, when many established limbs grow downward toward the ground. Talk about a ground blind waiting to happen. The beauty is not only the cage-like effect but the inherent dark shadowy area within the canopy. This feature can be deadly as a natural ambush site.
In both images, live oaks present accessible ground blind opportunities by featuring natural cavities to embellish and hunt.
Embellish
For another great ground setup, simply look for areas within heavy cover that can be cleaned out for sitting chambers. On many properties, these features are not hard to find – just use a little imagination, and be willing to get a little dirty (and itchy) by cutting out a sitting area. Add limbs and other cuttings to make for additional concealment. Again, you can take it a step further by also utilizing camo cloth, roof felt, or landscape cloth. This can be done either by zip-tying the cloth to existing limbs or metal posts.
This ground blind is set up in existing cover, utilizing both camo burlap and nearby deadfall and cuttings.
Nature Meets Popup Blind
Sometimes nature provides spots within cover that are tailor-made for ground blinds – you know, the ones that practically beg for one. This is yet another thing to look for when surveying your hunting property for natural hunting spots.
The takeaway is to not take existing brush and land features for granted. Native ground blinds are the easier softer way, especially on the wallet. However, their greatness comes from their authenticity with regard to the given landscape. Deer are already familiar with existing heaps, piles, and deadfall making them great permanent or impromptu setups waiting to happen.
These cedar trunks envelop a perfect spot for a popup blind. They not only add support to the blind but are ripe for embellishment with existing limbs and/or cloth.
Next time you consider a new bow hunting setup, turn your thoughts toward those often-overlooked head-start opportunities for a whitetail ground attack; all courtesy of bulldozer, chainsaw, and of course, nature.
