Bowhunting - Shoot through mesh, and ground hunting strategy

[notgreg]

Two questions in one:

Someone stole my ground blind last year, putting me in the market for a new one. I see a fair number of blinds with one-way, "shoot through" mesh that claims to allow an arrow to pass through with no effect on its trajectory. I'm skeptical. Does anyone have experience with such a blind?

I've never bow hunted from a ground blind (aside from natural blinds I've quickly put together) and don't see much appeal there, but I've got access to a spot this year that can only be hunted well from the ground, and that I can only bow hunt. Small tract of bottom land, mostly two grown-up fields but with a decent funnel between bedding and food (neither on property I can hunt) of very thick young-ish trees that buts up against a new development.

My gut tells me to use the landscape and avoid carting a ground blind in altogether, but since I'm going to buy one either way for general use I'd also like to hear anyone's opinions on ground hunting with a bow in a scenario like I've described.

 

[tree_ghost]

Shoot through is highly suspect with a lot of mechanical heads.

 

[Ski]

Blinds can be awesome, but it's late to try setting one up right now. Deer see them and don't like them. If you're going to set one up, make sure it's hidden.

Some, maybe all, mechanical heads will deploy as the go through the mesh. I wouldn't even try it with fixed blade heads unless the deer was within feet of the blind. Doesn't take much to cause an arrow to deflect.

The one way see through material is legit. It's a real thing.

 

[bloodtrailing]

I have setup ground blinds day of brushed in and hunted them. Fixed blades are the way to go with shoot through mesh. Stretch the mesh tight over the window and test it out on your setup to gauge how it works for you.

 

[redblood]

I dont think i could trust it

 

[Wrangler95]

I dont think i could trust it

Me either

 

[cbhunter]

Tried it once on a doe at 20 yds. Missed her completely YMMV

 

[tree_ghost]

Tried it once on a doe at 20 yds. Missed her completely YMMV

This is gonna sound like I'm an old man but what is "YMMV"?

 

[younggun308]

This is gonna sound like I'm an old man but what is "YMMV"?

Your Mileage May Vary

 

[Ski]

Tried it once on a doe at 20 yds. Missed her completely YMMV

That's about what I'd expect. Any little twig can completely deflect an arrow. No telling what going through fabric would do. I'd do it if the deer was only a few feet away, but no way at 20yds.

 

[redarm]

I've killed two deer 20 yards shooting through mesh with fixed blades. All I will shoot since don't like shooting much above 60 lbs. both were well placed shots and ran less than 20 yards. Prob got lucky. Would never use mechanical. I do agree blinds need to be somewhere a while to not spook deer. I've seen big bucks never come back after putting a blind up.

 

[swd]

I don't like bow hunting from a blind. I seem to get busted drawing. Bow season always finds me up a tree.

Crossbow would be a different story.

 

[Trnr]

I cannot speak from experience yet but I picked up a Ghostblind Predator to try out this season. I hunt public all the time now so I need something that will work (maybe) from the moment I set it up. It may be worth looking into. I know theres been some discussion about their effectiveness but thought it might be worth mentioning as an option.

With that said I killed my biggest buck to date from a ground blind on private, but I had the front window open so Im no help on the shoot through mesh.

 

[ronnycl]

shoot thru it, no problems with mechanical heads here