Hunter Tip: How to Set Up Your Hunting Blind
Before your hunt, you want to maximize your experience. Properly setting up a turkey or deer blind (or a tree stand) is part of that, but do you know how to do it safely?
Setting up a hunting blind the right way helps you stay hidden from game while masking your movements and sounds. However, without proper safety precautions and choosing the right location, you risk not being visible to other hunters entering the area. You could also shoot toward other hunters based on the best entry point to the hunting area as they come into a clearing.
What's the correct way to set up a hunting blind? Keep reading for insights into what you must consider when choosing the location and best setup for your blind this season.
3 Safety Considerations When Setting Up a Hunting Blind
While there can be more than three things to consider when it's time to set up your hunting blind, we can boil down the primary safety considerations into three steps that should take place before putting up the blind.
Before you set up:
- Identify where other hunters will arrive in your hunting area (near a trail or open area).
- Set up your blind and decoy to be visible to other hunters.
- Make sure your zone of fire will point away from other others.
Depending on the state requirements for where you hunt, you might also need to add blaze orange to the outside of your blind to help other hunters see you.
Don't worry: deer won't be able to see the orange on your blind!
To see a few options and learn how to choose the best spot for your hunting blind, check out the video below!
Finding a good location for your ground blind is critical to a safe hunt. You want to be slightly concealed, with a line of fire away from the blind and where the decoy is visible beyond your blind. After that, hunker down for your shot!
A Hunter Education Course Prepares You For a Safe Hunt
While setting up your blind is a crucial aspect of keeping yourself and others safe in the field, it's only one aspect of being a safe hunter.
Responsible hunters learn everything they can about staying safe in the field. The best way to do that is through a state-approved safety course with Hunter-Ed. Our online courses cover a wide range of topics that every hunter should understand before taking the field, including basic shooting skills, hunting skills, firearm safety, when and how to use blaze orange (and why), and preparation and survival techniques for your time outdoors.
Plus, most states require hunters to pass a safety course before purchasing a hunting license and going out in the field. Get more in-depth insights into setting up your blind safely (and more)! Find the course for your state and start learning for free with our online study guide.
Originally published November 12, 2015. Content updated September 25, 2023.
