One of the biggest failures I see on client properties is the improper placement of their box blinds. Placing a stand in the open, or even worse, in the middle of the food plot is a recipe for failure for several reasons. It could be the difference between a great and a failed season. Let's dive into it.

WHY?

For starters, a deer blind needs to be hidden for multiple reasons. Deer associate the unnatural box figure with humans, and humans with danger. It is simply unnatural, especially if it is sitting in the open with nothing hiding the figure, or even worse, in the middle of a food plot. I often hear this common statement “the deer will get used to it.” While this may be applicable for fantasy land areas with minimal hunting pressure, it is not the case for most whitetail areas. Whether they “get used to it” is determined by what they tolerate. Does and fawns will tolerate significantly greater levels of human presence than mature bucks. In most cases, if you do not hide your blind, you can count on your target buck not using the area during the daylight, which is the only time that actually matters.

The most common location I see exposed deer blinds is over a food source. As mentioned previously, the worst thing you can do is place your stand in the middle of a food plot. It is simply not possible to get in and out without spooking deer. Consistently spooking deer off your food plots, even if it is only on your way out at night, is unacceptable. Even the does and fawns that are somewhat tolerable to your pressure will not relate to the food source other than well after dark. Applying this pressure to mature bucks will cause them to not return to the area for weeks, in extreme cases, possibly never again.

Here is an example on poor stand placement:

ACCESS:

If you can't enter and exit your stand without spooking deer, something needs to change. The stand or the food plot should be repositioned, and your access route must be adjusted. If you can’t hunt the plot without spooking deer, removing the stand altogether is the best option. This leads us to the important topic of access, which will be covered in a future article.

Now that you understand why you need to hide your deer blinds, let's dive into how to hide them.

HOW?

The best way to hide your stand is by using adequate foreground, background, or a combination of both. Anything you can do to diminish the figure of the box is beneficial. Natural is best, so brush it in the best you can. Vines, branches, and tall grass are all great options. In some cases, planting rapid-growing willow trees around the blind can be very beneficial as well.

It is also helpful to make shooting windows rather than lanes. Wider lanes generally equate to greater stand exposure and a prominent human presence. Trimming shooting lanes minimally to create a window is best to minimize the figure of the stand.

CONCLUSION:

Apply these concepts to your habitat and hunting plan and watch your success skyrocket. Make the stand location as natural as possible by hiding the figure of the stand through adequate foreground, background, or combination. Also, ensure proper access in and out of the stand location. Make the change and you will find yourself having greater results than ever before.