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What’s better than getting your first deer? Getting it on your birthday! Congratulations to Jonathan from Pennsylvania for getting his first deer on October 21, 2011. Watch the video for the whole replay of this youth’s successful deer hunt.
Jonathan and his uncle used a KillZone Turret XL ground blind for their hunt. This ground blind blends in well with late season hunting in the open woods or on the edge of a field.
Nothing compares to the adrenaline rush of seeing a kid get his first buck! This video shows Jonathan, a Pennsylvania youth hunter, on a deer hunt with his uncle. Jonathan got a perfect shot on a beautiful buck and tracked it down with no problem. The buck came in to the decoy at about 16 or 17 yards, and Jonathan shot him with a Parker crossbow and a G5 striker for a dead-on double lung shot.
“If you get a chance to take a kid out hunting,” Jonathan’s uncle says, “take them out hunting. It can change their life and your life forever.” Jonathan and his uncle hunted from the KillZone Turret XL ground blind, available in Zero Detect, Autumn Wooded Oak, and Open Woods camo.
Thanks to one of our customers for posting this buck picture on our Facebook fan page!
Deer hunting success
“Taken last weekend from my Turret XL in the pouring rain and slushy snow. It was too ugly to sit on a stand, so the KillZone was the only way I was going to go out that afternoon. Thank goodness I’d done some minor repairs to it from last winter’s blizzard and had it set up and waiting…sat for two hours before the deer started coming out…grunted this one away from a doe across the field and shot him just before he climbed in the blind with me…lol.
Thanks KillZone for giving me a dry roof over my head last Saturday!”
A ladder stand is one of the safest types of tree stands.
Tree stands remain one of the most popular ways to hunt for deer in wooded areas. Hunting from an elevated stand reduces the chance that the deer will see or smell you. Plus, the extra height gives you a commanding view of the surrounding area. There are four basic types of tree stands: ladder, hang on, climber, and permanent stands.
Ladder stands include a platform supported by a ladder, which breaks up into sections for easier carrying. Ladder stands are one of the safest types of tree stands, since there are points of contact with both the tree and the ground.
Hang on stands attach to the tree with a strap mounting system. They are lightweight and easy to carry into the woods.
Climber stands combine the climbing system and platform in one. The climber straps around the tree and lets the hunter “climb” up the trunk. This type of stand is convenient, but it requires the right kind of tree (free of lower limbs, the right diameter, etc.).
Permanent stands are built into the tree. Over time, they can weaken because of continued exposure to the elements. Never trust a permanent stand if it has been neglected or you are not sure how solid it is.
The type of tree stand you use will depend on the trees in your area, the weight of the stand and how far you need to carry it, how many people will be sitting in the stand, and ease of setup, as well as other factors. No matter which type of tree stand you use, always wear a safety harness and practice the 3-point rule (always have three points of contact with the steps or ladder while climbing).
Set up your ground blind before the hunt to allow deer to get used to it.
Thanks to The Hunting Channel Online for these tips on hunting from a ground blind!
Get the ground blind out as early in the season as you can. If you hunt on private land, ask permission to set up the blind a few weeks before your first hunt. Brush it in as best you can. Once the deer get used to your blind, they won’t suspect a thing when you get into position on the morning of the hunt.
Set up your blind off to the side. This increases your chance of a broadside shot and keeps deer from looking directly into your blind as they come down the trail.
Don’t expect the camouflage pattern on your ground blind to do all the work. You need to break up the outline of the blind with natural brush, deadfall, and other vegetation. The more your hunting blind blends in with the setting, the less likely you will get busted sitting in the blind.
Don’t get caught with a silhouette by letting too much light into the blind. The black interior of the blind is designed to swallow your shadow, but if you open both the front and back windows of the blind, you leave yourself wide open for a bust. Always keep a dark backdrop behind you.
Cover your scent. Synthetic odors from the blind fabric are a dead giveaway. Make sure you air out the blind before you set it up in the woods. Hardcore hunters also mud up their blinds for a natural smell that covers up the factory smell of plastic.
Ralph & Vickie of Archer's Choice are celebrity guests for the 2011 MN Deer Classic.
We’re going to be at the 29th annual Minnesota Deer Classic & Outdoor Expo this weekend (March 11-13)! Look for the KillZone Hunting booth in the coliseum building at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. We’ll be there with some of our hunting blinds and other products to get you ready for the 2011 deer season.
The Minnesota Deer Classic is the second oldest deer hunting show in the U.S. This huge event features over 250 booths, a trout pound, archery instruction and hands-on activities for kids, a photo contest, and hundreds of trophy entries.
If you’re at the expo, look us up! We’d love to meet you.
Need some help finding the right hunting gift for the outdoor sportsman in your life? This gift guide from KillZone Hunting will help you get started with your holiday shopping. Each product comes highly recommended by hunters all across the nation. Take a look at our product reviews to learn more about what other hunters have to say about our high quality, low priced products and our superior customer service.
Blind
Here are some of the types of ground blinds available from KillZone:
Sticks
Dreader
Gun Case
Gun Kit
Ice Tent
Camouflage mesh diminishes the "black hole" effect that can spook deer.
Knowing where and when to set up your hunting blind can make the difference between a successful hunt and a disappointing season. The following tips will help you make the most of your hunting blind in order to increase your chances for a successful hunt.
Set the ground blind up ahead of time to let the deer get used to it, up to a week in advance. Once the deer become accustomed to its presence, they will no longer view it as a threat.
Keep a dark backdrop behind you. Even if the blind’s design allows you to open the windows all around the blind, it’s probably better to keep the window behind you closed. A dark backdrop will swallow your silhouette and prevent deer from spotting you.
Since deer can balk at the “black hole” created when the window and mesh are open, it’s best to keep the mesh up, or with just a corner hanging down for a shooting lane. The mesh on KillZone blinds is camouflaged to match the walls of the blind and diminish the “black hole” effect.
One of the benefits of a portable ground blind is that you can easily move it from one location to another. Since a location that produces well early in the season may turn cold by the end of the season, you may need to move the blind as the season progresses in order to adjust to the deer’s movement.
Look for trail intersections, water holes, cut lines, and field edges that are heavily traveled. This is where your scouting will come in handy. Knowing where to set up your blind depends on your knowledge of the deer’s movement, which may change drastically from pre-season to post-season.
The recommended distance from the trail to the blind also depends on your shooting range with a bow, rifle, shotgun, or muzzleloader. For setting up near a trail intersection, locate the blind about 20 yards from the trail intersection for shots within close range. If you’re worried about the deer spotting you, set up further away. Wherever you locate the blind, make sure you have clear shooting lanes and visibility.
If you’re frustrated by the lack of game you’re seeing, don’t hesitate to move to another spot. Changing up your game plan may be just what you needed to bring home the jerky.
Ground blind or tree stand? It’s a debate that every hunter has an opinion about. Some hunt what they’ve always hunted and what they’re used to. Others like to experiment with new stands or blinds to find what works best for them. We can’t tell you which is better—ground blind or tree stand—but we can give you a few advantages that both have to offer. Then it’s up to you to decide which type of equipment to use.
Hunting from a ground blind is safer, warmer,
and easier to stay in for long periods.
One of the biggest advantages of a ground blind is that it gets you out of the elements. Cold, rainy days can make for miserable hunting, but a ground blind shelters you from wind, rain, and snow and takes the bite out of cold weather. With a roof over your head and walls to keep you warmer, you’ll be able to stay out for longer, even when the weather chases other hunters out of the woods.
As an added bonus, you can use a heater inside the blind, although the exhaust and/or noise can be a dead giveaway for game animals. Not all blinds are designed to be used with heaters, so check with the manufacturer before doing so.
Another big advantage for ground blinds is that you can pack them just about anywhere. No good climbing trees in the area? No problem. Just pop a blind up and you’re ready to hunt deer grazing in an open field or near a waterhole surrounded by low brush. Ground blinds are quick and easy to relocate if the first spot turns out to be a dud.
Finally, ground blinds have an advantage over tree stands when it comes to safety. Since you’re already on the ground, there’s no risk of falling or of a tree stand failing. Being able to hunt from the ground is a deciding factor for hunters who have a fear of heights. Plus, when game animals walk by close enough to touch, you get a bigger adrenaline rush.
Hunting from a tree stand gives you better visibility and scent protection.
Just as ground blinds have their distinct advantages, so do tree stands. Sitting up high means that you can see for longer distances and from a better vantage point than in a ground blind. The increased viewing range gives you more time to anticipate and set up for the kill.
Another advantage of tree stand hunting is the scent factor. On the ground, you are nose level with the animal. Up in the trees, the animal is less likely to catch wind of your scent. In either situation, you should take precautions and set up with the wind in your favor, but hunting from the ground requires greater precautions than hunting from up high.
Which type of stand or blind equipment is better depends on where, what, and when you are hunting. The weather, the tree and leaf cover, the time of the season, and the terrain, among other factors, all play a part in determining which type of stand will work better for you. You can get busted in a ground blind just like you can get busted in a tree stand. What matters most is not the type of stand or blind but your knowledge of the animal, your timing, and how you play the conditions of the hunt (wind direction, stand placement, cover, etc.).
Choose what feels most comfortable to you. You might end up using a tree stand for bowhunting and a ground blind for rifle hunting, or vice versa. What matters most is that you are comfortable with your choice and able to enjoy the hunt.
The Dreader deer drag and field dressing hunting tool
KillZone Hunting is now selling The Dreader hunting tool, acclaimed as the world’s best deer drag and rib cage spreader. This 3-in-1 hunting tool is designed to act as a field dressing aid, game dragger, and rib cage spreader all in one. It’s compact and light for easy carrying. Just stick it in your day pack, and you’re set to go!
Forget trying to find the right size stick or holding the rib cage open with one hand. The Dreader is just the right size to prop the rib cage wide open and free both hands to make field dressing quicker and easier. The attached rope can be used as a harness to drag the deer, with the rib spreader as a handle. The Dreader hunting tool also helps facilitate the cooling process for a better quality harvest.
The Dreader is made with pride in Minnesota. Get your 3-in-1 hunting tool today for only $14.99 with Free Shipping (lower 48 states).
