Ground blind and critters

[remrug]

I just bought my first ground blind and will be setting it out soon. It will be in a hedgerow where squirrel use quite a bit. Should I leave a door open so squirrels and such can go as they please? Or shut the door and take a chance they wont chew a hole to get in? Do I just plan on replacing the blind every couple of years? Cut down all the trees so squirrels use a different route?.....just kidding.....dont think the landowner would approve

 

[outrider58]

I usually leave the doors to help prevent the blind from becoming into a kite.

 

[Inigoes]

Don't leave anything in the blind to attract critters and you should not have a problem.

Heavy rains and snow storms will become the blind's nemesis.

 

[cww]

I leave several windows and the door cracked at the top so air and wind can go through - also so it doesn’t become a flier. Fricking spiders are my biggest problem so far other than snow and falling limbs.

 

[Muleskinner]

I've hunted out of a ground blind on and off for decades. There's a couple of things that you probably already know but I'll post here anyway. The stakes that come with a ground blind go in the trash can. Go to Walmart and buy at least four (six is better) of the screw in tent stakes in their camping department they're about a dollar and a half each yellow made of plastic and they have an auger at the bottom. They will be your friend and they will keep your ground blind from flying away in strong winds. Whether you keep the door open or not to prevent critters from getting in is moot. If they want in they're going to get in they're going to crawl in under or they're going to crawl in through it. Now, I've never had anything bigger than a mouse get into my ground blind probably because there's really nothing in there to attract other animals. I've had squirrels run around on the top of it while I was sitting in there but I've never had one come in. Besides the screw in tent stakes you may want to consider using guylines from the blind to a tree or a stump or anything heavy that way if in the remote chance that your tent stakes do come out of the ground the lines will prevent it from being blown away. I would also suggest an actual ground blind chair not some bag chair. A good ground blind chair is going to cost you about $100. The one that Bass pro sells is actually pretty good. It has adjustable length legs so if the windows in your blind are high you can raise your legs up. It also has a 360° pivot that is very quiet and the chair itself is pretty comfortable. Something else I have noticed about most ground blind companies they market their blinds as one two or three person. The two person blind really only holds one person comfortably and the three person blind will only really hold two people comfortably. And lastly don't try to buy one that's the cheapest one you can find. It won't last.

 

[outrider58]

I had a pet mouse take up residence in one of my pop-ups one season. He would hang out with me for company. I fed him cheese crackers(Keebler's). He was a hoot! Face it, you won't be able to stop them moving in. It's impossible. They won't need to chew their way in. They'll burrow in.

 

[remrug]

Thanks for the tips y'all
Thought the pegs were a joke. Am planning on getting the screw in type.
I guess my biggest fear was squirrels chewing on it and putting holes in the fabric.

 

[Archeryrob]

Squirrels will chew on anything, just to chew on it. I had a camera battery box last year in a fence opening 20 yards from the woods and they came over and chewed a hole in the lid and chewed the cable into the camera. No sense in why, they just did it. The fabric will likely be too soft for them to want tot chew though.

 

[outrider58]

Thanks for the tips y'all
Thought the pegs were a joke. Am planning on getting the screw in type.
I guess my biggest fear was squirrels chewing on it and putting holes in the fabric.

I've never had a problem with squirrels, and that includes two blinds that watched over two feeders,so...

For pegs, I just use the standard plastic tent pegs and haven't had any pull. YMMV

 

[Inigoes]

Squirrels will chew on anything, just to chew on it. I had a camera battery box last year in a fence opening 20 yards from the woods and they came over and chewed a hole in the lid and chewed the cable into the camera. No sense in why, they just did it. The fabric will likely be too soft for them to want tot chew though.

Soy based wire shielding...