NATHAN
Well-Known Member
Holy cow guys, do not be afraid to try the Ghost Blind. My wife has been fooling large numbers of deer left and right. They just flat out don't see it.
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GHOST BLIND
- Thread starter NATHAN
- Start date
My wife pretty much only uses the ghost blind and the crossbow for last 2 years on the public we hunt. She sees a lot more deer now. She has the small version I think it’s called the runner and sits in a turkey chair. It’s a lot easier for her to get deeper vs lugging a big climber and she can hunt in the nasty stuff with nowhere to hang in a tree
I’ve been waiting for these to come back in stock. Unless they already are and I just missed it. Been wanting to try one tho.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I don't hunt from a blind often, but have found the ghost blind works great when I do. I used it this year when I took my 7 year old with me hunting a field edge. It concealed their movements while not sticking out like a sore thumb like a newly placed pop up blind would have. They are awkward to carry around just because of their profile, and as was mentioned they don't handle the wind well.
They really blend in well in the snow!
-Dan
They really blend in well in the snow!
-Dan
131north
Well-Known Member
Just when I thought I didn't need to buy anything else I read the Ghost Blind thread...
Buckhole75
Well-Known Member
Shot a couple of deer out of one that belongs to my BOL.Gotta have one.Wouldn’t hunt in it all the time but a lot of times it would come in handy.
Bumping this up for anyone using one still. I struggle with this thing the few times I have tried it. Maybe it's still my boys heads moving around. Is the trick a solid back drop? Or really getting it circled around you? Are they picking up on the movement over the top? Or am I not setting it right? Can you polish the mirror ?
Maybe I'm trying to use it a way it doesn't work well. What do you look for when setting it up?
Maybe I'm trying to use it a way it doesn't work well. What do you look for when setting it up?
I would say depends on how and where you’re setting it up. Is there wind trying to blow it around? I think they can work well if you hide as much as you can behind it. Try to use the cutouts at the top to shoot through if possible. I got busted I guess cause I moved just enough. But the deer was about 8’ from me before she noticed something. She would have walked right into it if I didn’t get busted right before then.
Yep, when you need it, you need it!!!
This is what has worked for me:
1- The ground needs to be relatively level. Every bit of slope away or downhill from where you will sit causes the blind to lean forward, reducing the amount of concealment. This becomes very obvious if you ever try to set it up on an aggressive downhill slope in front of you.
2- The more back cover you have, the more you can move. Just like hunting without a blind. The less you have, the less you move. If you set up in the open, say in a field with no back cover, avoid "sky-lining" yourself. Also, no back cover=no movement. The blind is great for shielding body/arm/leg movement-it's the head movement that you have to be aware of.
3- The blind wants to "naturally" stand at its proper designed radius. That radius gives you the best cover. Trying to reduce (make rounder,) or increase (make flatter) this radius causes the blind to "fight" you and it doesn't want to stand on it's own.
4- Using the included guide lines and stakes is a MUST, even on calm days.
5-The height extenders that are extra accessories on the web site are well worth the cost.
6-The carry bag, which is HUGE, is also well worth the cost. BUT-plan on possibly taking it off a time or two on the way in to reduce noise when going thru the thick stuff.
7-The mirrors NEVER need to be polished. They come with a plastic protective film on them, which you peel off when you get the blind. After that, when they get dirty, rinse with water. For real dirty or hardened mud spots, CAREFULLY soak them with warm water & dish soap mixed. Let them soften up, then wash with a CLEAN gentle cloth (NOT PAPER TOWELS) and rinse, then let air dry. This method reduces the potential for scratching the mirrored surface.
Hope this helps!
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So my plan is to use the medium(phantom) Ghost Blind next year. Got a chance to practice with it yesterday and some aspects that I did not consider has me concerned. So I was planning to use it at a favorite public spot of mine. Here is what I invision:
I'm left handed, I'm sitting on a low turkey chair with the tree behind my back, but with my eye/head turn to the right but with the bow place/hold/hang/rest between/infront my legs. I would first sight the deer at the orange line; I would slowly pickup my bow and draw, by the time the deer is at or beyond the green line, it would be my perfect angle to shoot.
Issue is that I did not take into account the length of an arrow at rest. To hide the bow/arrow under the cover of the blind, I need to be at least 3 feet away from the blind (28in arrows+extended arm etc). I feel really exposed being that far away from the blind, but is that just natural? All the videos I see are people using other weapons literally right up against the blind, some even using it as a gun rest basically.
For trad bows, what are some advices?
Should I be sitting AGAINST the tree completely? I feel that would limit my shooting flexibility as my vision is cut dramatically. Or are you setting where you expect the deer to come directly at you?
I never had to worry about this in a tree with the wide area of rotation and no hinderances.
Looking at you @TradBowGuy
I'm left handed, I'm sitting on a low turkey chair with the tree behind my back, but with my eye/head turn to the right but with the bow place/hold/hang/rest between/infront my legs. I would first sight the deer at the orange line; I would slowly pickup my bow and draw, by the time the deer is at or beyond the green line, it would be my perfect angle to shoot.
Issue is that I did not take into account the length of an arrow at rest. To hide the bow/arrow under the cover of the blind, I need to be at least 3 feet away from the blind (28in arrows+extended arm etc). I feel really exposed being that far away from the blind, but is that just natural? All the videos I see are people using other weapons literally right up against the blind, some even using it as a gun rest basically.
For trad bows, what are some advices?
Should I be sitting AGAINST the tree completely? I feel that would limit my shooting flexibility as my vision is cut dramatically. Or are you setting where you expect the deer to come directly at you?
I never had to worry about this in a tree with the wide area of rotation and no hinderances.
Looking at you @TradBowGuy
What is that? A little blind?
Yes ghost blind with my turkey chair and little Debbie's and crocs and other gear, works great in the right environment.
Ok, Let it be understood- I am NO Ghost Blind Guru, nor Ground hunting expert!
I use my Ghost Blind occasionally, and I like it, but like anything else, my methods might not be your methods!
Here's how I would set up in that location:
It ALWAYS starts with the wind. It's gotta be right. (I can hear you guys now-"Thanks alot, Captain Obvious!"
) Let's assume that the top of the page is North, so today, the wind is from the North, which means that this is the best location to be in, even though the deer are most likely coming from behind you -as a "lefty," you're facing away, and they can see you before you see them, which, on the ground, is the 2nd "No-No" for me, (the 1st being bad wind,) but with conditions and terrain, it is what it is.For reference, let's call the top far right arrow #1, the next one to the left #2, and so on. That makes the bottom arrow #9. Your bow is currently at the 6 o'clock position. 12 o'clock position would be above your head. You're a lefty, so we'll keep that orientation the same.
Right off the bat-Your concern about distance from the blind is valid. I don't have a "magic pill" for that. That is why the blind works best on level ground, and is even better on a piece of ground where your seat is a little lower than the blind. Now we all know that there just ain't no piece of level ground in the woods, but I'm assuming in this scenario that the ground between where the blind sits and your seat is relatively level.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY- you need some natural cover at your 12 and 6 o'clock positions- on the N & S ends of the blind. AND, it needs to go back a ways. The tree may be enough-if it's big enough in diameter. Side cover is what lets you get away with being further back from the blind. That's as close to a "magic pill" as I can provide. You can also obviously consider blind material & stakes on each side, but that's more gear, more noise, more fiddle factor, etc. I never use it with a Ghost Blind.
NOTE- they do sell extra full length side panels on the web site, in sets of 2. Also something to consider.
1-In the diagram, your feet and your bow are at 6 o'clock. Your back is close to, but not against the tree. That's good-I agree with you that touching the tree is not a good thing here. For your desired broadside shot, my feet (still shooting lefty,) would be at 7:30, or possibly 8 depending on the natural cover between arrows #2-5. So I would "rotate clockwise" a little more to allow me to see the deer much sooner, with possible shot opportunities starting at arrow #4, depending on distance, obstructions, and angle.
2-(and you're probably not gonna like this,
) If I planned to take the broadside shot, I would have my bow at my 9 o'clock position. Much less movement to raise and draw, and less chance of scraping the broadhead against the blind as you swing it into shooting position. I'll bet that you have it at 6 so you can be closer and more "into" the blind. I won't fault you for that. That may work fine for you, and that's good. Just consider-where your bow is now, you need to disengage it from the holder and move it at least 90 degrees to shoot at your desired broadside location, UNLESS your plan would change to letting the deer walk by and go for the quarter-away shot. That's ALOT of movement. A bow at 9 o'clock just needs to be disengaged from the holder and raised. Much less movement , more control, which means the broadhead can be closer to the surface of the blind.Yep, I know- the bow at 9 o'clock w/ a 28" arrow nocked means you're at least 3 ft from the front of the blind, depending on brace height and the desired distance between broadhead point and blind. Gun & Xbow hunters don't have this problem. But we've decided to do it the hard way. Again, side cover is the key here.
So that is why, given the above scenario, my preferred shot would be starting at arrow #8. Then the bow at 6 o'clock is right where it needs to be. The deer has passed me, and if I've been PERFECTLY still, AND the wind hasn't changed or swirled, hasn't noticed me, and is likely focusing more on what's in front of it than what's behind it.
This is how my IDEAL scenario goes from MY preferred shot location, and YOUR original orientation:
I hear the deer coming around the tree and turning south.
As he proceeds past my blind, my head doesn't turn, my eyes are positioned such that I can see my bow. I don't need to SEE him, because I can HEAR him. When I hear a deer, I LOOK AT MY BOW.
I slowly reach for the bow w/right hand, string w/left hand as he continues on his way-the blind covers that movement, because it's below the top of the blind.
I DO NOT lift the bow off of the holder until I can see the deer's eyes.
By now, I hopefully see him in peripheral vision. If he stopped, I can wait. Both hands are on the bow, but are NOT supporting its weight.
As he continues, I slowly disengage the bow from the holder.
Now my eyes are ALL ABOUT focusing on "the spot."
When the moment of truth arrives, bow gets slowly drawn, and...hopefully there's a happy ending!
And while we're at it, someone may ask, "So what do you do if a deer walks up in the opposite direction starting at arrow #9 & moving North?"
(...which we all know is EXACTLY what's gonna happen, and he'll be a MONSTER, heading INTO THE WIND...hmm...go figure...)
...and before anyone else says it, I will-"You'll wish you were up in the tree!" ...Well, you can't kill 'em from the ground, unless YOU are on the ground!
)Great question- I'm in a good spot to see it before it sees me, so what I do depends on how it behaves and how much cover is between it and me on it's way up, but I'll say in 90% of the time, for me, that deer will walk, and hopefully never know I was there because I won't move.
Because I have NEVER found a spot on the ground that was perfect in every direction. So based on your chosen location, I have to assume that it's more open in the South direction. The bigger the deer, the MORE likely that I turn into a stone and not move at all-He wins this one, but I'll be back later in a better location!
3-When I use the Ghost blind, I don't raise the bow and then draw. I draw while raising the bow-both happening at the same time. (Think G. Fred Asbell.) This doesn't solve the static clearance concern, but it does solve the dynamic clearance concern, because the arrow is getting "shorter" as the bow is rising.
Why is that important?
It ELIMINATES divided concentration during the shot between focusing on "the spot" and worrying about "is the broadhead gonna scrape the blind?"
I don't know about you, but I S**K at trying to focus on 2 things at the same time, especially in moments like these!
So my 5 basic rules for ground hunting;
1-the wind has gotta be right- Remember- The only Lady who's more fickle than the sea, is the wind!
2-First, find the sign. Then, find the spot.
3-I gotta see them BEFORE they can see me. This is WAY more important on the ground than in a tree.
4-I try to pick a spot where it is darn near IMPOSSIBLE for deer to approach from behind.
5-anything causing me to move:
- more is BAD,
-less is GOOD.
Hope this helps!
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