If you ask any ten ‘expert’ ground blind hunters how many days in advance you should set up your ground blind for a deer hunt, you’ll probably get ten different answers. The best answer is that deer will become more and more accustomed to your blind over time. In a perfect world, you would leave your blinds out year-round so that they became part of the landscape of the deers’ lives. But, we don’t live in a perfect world. We live in a world where people steal things if they’re left unattended too long, and in a world where the elements can destroy your valuable blinds if they’re out too long.
In light of that, we recommend that you set your blind up as far in advance as practical, while taking the risks into consideration. If you don’t mind losing a blind here and there to theft or mother nature, then leave them out as long as possible. If your budget won’t allow this, then still try to get the blind out as early as your comfort zone and schedule will allow. But, keep in mind that the less time you have to allow deer to accept your blind, the more you should consider camouflaging your blind by brushing it in and disguising it as a more natural part of the landscape. Scent control tools also become more important in the shorter term. For one, the blind itself won’t have had enough time to deodorize and start smelling like nature. Perhaps more importantly, wary deer may deliberately circle downwind out of range until they smell you. That’s why an ozone producing device like the Scent Lok Oz can be such a valuable asset. Quite frankly I recommend that for every sit, even if a blind’s been out in the woods for months.
Like I said before, the best answer is to set your blind up as far in advance as possible. But, when circumstances require you to set up your blinds at the last minute, don’t despair, just be sure to take camouflage and scent control measures to the next level!