Target Deer Hunting Season Success With A Hunting Blind

Summer will soon be gone, and as the kids head back to school and routines get back to normal, folks look forward to the cooler temperatures of autumn and all that the new season has to offer. If you love to get out in the woods and enjoy some deer hunting time, either alone or in the company of friends and family to take aim at filling your freezer with deer meat, then you eagerly await the foliage changes and the opportunity to scout out territory and look for signs of rutting spots to be ready to capture that 12-point stag. Preparation is key if you want to be successful, and if you plan to take a walk in the woods to capture your next feast, then don’t be blind to the sincere advantages of utilizing a hunting blind.

As with anything else in hunting, safety is imperative, and the decision whether to use an elevated blind or one on the ground is a decision to ponder carefully.

Also, the decision as to whether to go a homemade route and ‘MacGyver’ something together or to purchase something custom built for the purpose is another factor to consider. The right hunting blind will make the difference to the success of your hunting season and naturally, whatever hunting blind you decide on it needs to be in place well in advance of hunting season so that the deer become used to its presence.

There are many advantages to purchasing a properly crafted, 12-point hunting blind that you may not have considered.

Obviously, a professional built blind will be a safer option than a piece of plywood stuck up a tree, with a badly fashioned ladder to reach it that creaks and may even become dangerous to use as weather rots the wood. A professional, 12-point hunting blind will also be much warmer and cozier to use than hinged pieces of wood with the disadvantage that it is less portable.

We spoke with Jonathan Zook, at Stoltzfus Structures, who offers 12-Point Hunting Blinds, to find out what makes a great hunting blind. The 12-Point Hunting Blind series is fast becoming one of the bestsellers on the market so we figured you might like to find out what their product offers that others don’t, and what Zook had to share about his hunting experiences.

“As an avid deer hunter myself, I know the woes of standing out in rain, sleet and snow hour after hour, and going home empty handed from a hunting expedition. I’ve used hunting blinds of course, but with varied success. With my extensive experience in construction it was a natural fit to address all those issues that I’d suffered with other blinds, and to make the perfect hunting blind for fellow deer hunters,” explained Zook.

12-Point Hunting Blinds are well-built Amish structures that offer a myriad of exceptional features. Here are the key points Zook outlined, that make them so popular.

“Obviously whether you are above ground level or on the ground, your movements inside need to be kept quiet. You want to have great 360-degree visibility for observation and to make an accurate shot, but you also need to keep your scent to yourself. So while thermals make the elevated stand popular and your scent starts out up in the air, and you can choose the height you need to be, you still need to have windows that are kept shut. When you need to open those windows to make your shot, they better be silent. Our 12 Point Hunting Blind offer the quietest windows on the hunting blind market. Plus our windows are tinted so there is no light reflection and wrap around the door for a full view.”

When asked what other features make these hunting blinds superior to others in keeping noise at a minimum, Zook was happy to list an array of special features:

“The floor is obviously very important. We use a heavy duty 5/8 tongue and groove Smartfloor that will give years of use. The trouble with a homebuilt building is eventually the floor will rot out and you can find yourself on the ground with an injury. That’s not a good time to be out alone in the woods. Our 12-Point Hunting Blinds also include a sound dampening carpet to keep your inside movements quiet. This is especially important if the blind is elevated where deer can easily hear movements above them.

A lot of folks don’t think about the sound rain, hail and ice can make on a hunting blind roof. We do! Our 12-Point Hunting Blinds have a rubber roof, which also provides peace and quiet inside as well as outside.

The advantages of being inside out of the weather makes your day out hunting much easier on you and enables you to be out there longer giving you a better opportunity to bag that deer. You don’t want to come back next season and find your blind has taken on a leak, and you do want it to last for many years. So we added heavy-duty Smartside walls to withstand wind, and a two-foot overhang all around the roof edge, to provide a waterproof and snowproof finish to the structure. We are so proud of that and stand behind it with a 50-year warranty on those walls.

Naturally, you want the blind to be as ‘blind’ and out of sight as possible for deer so our blinds all come in a well-camouflaged green color.

Of course when you are ready to target your deer, it is much easier to make a successful shot if you can stand to your full height. So all our blinds offer a 7 foot wall height.”

We also asked Zook what he considered the pros and cons between an elevated or ground blind, as 12-Point Hunting Blinds offer both options.

“If you are a little older or less mobile then consider a ground blind. There is less risk of injury and ‘stealth’ climbing into an elevated blind can be harder for those less physically able. You are shooting on a flat plane, which isn’t as safe for others who may be in the woods hunting too so be careful. But at least you may have a good blood trail with an exit wound when shooting from ground level, as the bullet won’t be in the ground.

On ground level you are naturally in the deer’s line of sight and your viewing area is more limited than if you are higher up plus thermals are more likely to carry your scent to nearby deer. Many blinds you’ll see on the market have windows on three sides that necessarily need to kept shut, because they’d be noisy to open, with an open window on one side. This makes for the blind much colder blind for the occupant in bad weather, and limits visibility to just 90 degrees. With 12 Point Hunting Blinds we’ve fixed that problem. You have full 360-degree views from all our hunting blinds and you can shoot from any direction as our ‘shush glide’ felt window system eliminates any noise being caused by opening the window. Having said that hides are harder to disguise on the ground. An advantage is you can easily add some furniture inside to sit comfortably while you survey the view.

An elevated blind on the other hand means a steeper angled shot so you better be good at taking aim and keeping it on point. You have much better visibility especially into thicker forest growth and with all our ‘shush’ features deer nearby are not going to see you or smell you or hear you!”

Another factor to consider when building or purchasing a hunting blind is the shape and the size.

“Sometimes I hunt alone, sometimes with friends or family. So we created a line of blinds that could be used either elevated or on the ground safely, with room to draw back a bow and room to bring along others for a hunting experience. A hunting blind needs to add to your success rate when hunting, not detract from it. There really is nothing quite as satisfying as spending time watching, waiting and then spying that prey. That ‘Aha’ moment when the deer wanders into range and you can take your shot. While all that waiting is going on, it’s also great to be dry, warm and alert. Not wondering if now is the time to pack it in for the day because you are tired and hungry. Using a quality hunting blind makes all the difference. Last year when my hunting buddies had given up for the day when snow fell and the weather turned really ugly, I was able to stay out hunting. And wouldn’t you know it, an eight pointer wandered into my view and I went home with a successful shoot on the Opening Day of the New York open season. Yes, you could say my buddies were as green as my hunting blind with envy.”

For more information on anything hunting blind, please reach out to Jonathan Zook the folks here at Stoltzfus Structures. Their blinds are ready to ship and delivery is quick and easy.

Note: Before you place any type of blind anywhere make sure you are not too close to neighbors and that the law in your State allows their use. Check with local ordinances for the legality of using a hunting blind, as in some areas their use is forbidden for gun season and limited to bow season.

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About The Author
Nikki Alvin-Smith

Nikki Alvin-Smith is a seasoned freelance writer who loves to share her lifelong experience with everything lifestyle, horse, farm and travel. Her work has been printed in more than two hundred magazine titles worldwide and her published articles number in the thousands including travel and lifestyle press.

A Brit who has called the U.S. home for more than 37 years, Nikki brings a unique perspective to her writing. Her experience as an international level Grand Prix dressage competitor/coach/clinician ensures plenty of travel and opportunity to gather lifestyle ideas for home, garden and farm. When she is not writing, riding or on the road, you’ll find her prepping culinary delights for family and friends or out with camera in hand capturing the beauty of the great outdoors.

Together with her husband Paul, also a Grand Prix dressage rider, she lives in the beautiful Catskill Mountains of New York and operates an organic hay farm and dressage yard. Over the years they have developed and constructed several properties together. She is the proud mother of three children, Tristan, James and Chelsea (twins), and the latter two have kept with the horse riding as adults.

Learn more at www.NikkiAlvinSmithStudio.com.