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saskie · Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2003 6:14 pm Post subject:

I've heard and read that whenever you find an abandonned stand or ground blind in the woods, pay attention. This definitely was the case today.

I was out scouting a new area. Mostly I was just exploring and shed hunting as I had already sited a couple good stand sites in the area I hunt. Anyway - wouldn't you know it I stumbled on an old fallen down, half rotten ground blind about 100yds into the bush from a clearcut. There was NOTHING at all that was "buckish" about the site, other than that it would have offered a decent shot in 3 directions about 5yrs ago (it has since grown up with young spruce saplings about 4-5 ft high).

But since I didn't have anything else to do, I checked a little more thoroughly and sure enough - eventually I found a still well used trail...which led to a couple rubs from last fall, one of which was done with such fury it had almost uprooted the tree and it looked like it had been peeled with a paring knife, a little further down I found a large scrape, then another smaller one. The ground in the area was littered with droppings - some old, some made within a few hours.

All I can say is that had I not seen that blind and checked the area thoroughly, I'd have walked right through it and missed a very promising spot.

sawman · Joined: 12 Apr 2003 Posts: 90 Location: central ontario

Don't presume to much. they might be re vamping the blinds this year. You are in Canada and don't know who the blind belongs to? In this case I would suggest it is not your hunting area be ware.

bitmasher · Joined: 27 Feb 2002 Posts: 2598 Location: Colorado

If it was on public land, I don't think somebody can claim a right to hunt the blind indefinitely.

saskie · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2003 3:14 am Post subject:

You raised a good point about hunting someone's spot. However I didn't mention that before I went out scouting at all I asked around guys who hunt that area if anyone hunted there. The unanimous answer was No, everyone hunted miles further back on the logging road.

The stand itself was very definitely abandonned. The board used for a seat was rotted, the covering brush was gone and it had young saplings growing up through it.