As the firearms deer season progresses, deer are fewer. Careless deer have become freezer venison or have been educated. Remaining comfortable on stand becomes more problematic with colder weather upon us and it may be time for “Plan B”.
Enter the one-person chairblind – a relative newcomer to the bevy of store-bought blinds. These low-cost, hideout options have pros and cons and here’s a look at both.
For portability, the chairblind is hard to beat. It’s lightweight and folds into a flat package that’s easy to carry.
They can be set up in less than a minute, including staking to the ground. If you intend to leave the blind in place for the season, make sure to double stake each corner to insure it remains in place.
Chairblinds can keep a hunter comfortable for hours – even in a steady rain. Since the hunter is tucked in toward the back, the overhead canopy provides good cover from the elements – and, from approaching deer.
Since whitetail deer seem to notice anything out of place in their environment, placement of the blind requires good concealment. It’s best to place them in heavy cover using as much natural cover as practical. Look for opportunities on travel routes perpendicular to your position.
Good hunters know to face the wind, and if the wind changes direction, you can change the position of the blind to suit conditions quickly – even without getting out of the blind!
The biggest disadvantage of the chair blind is that your shooting angle is relatively small– about 45 degrees. Side windows allow for more viewing opportunities, but shooting is all done straight out the front.
It is possible to keep a short firearm inside the blind with you in an upright position, but moving it into a shooting position on a moment’s notice can spoil a good opportunity. A better approach is to set up a bipod on the outside of the blind. Angle the two legs outward so the bipod rests on the blind. Properly done, the bipod allows accurate shots at distant targets and maintains the firearm in the ready position out the window. Using the armrest of the chair to support your elbow and stock in conjunction with the bipod is extremely steady. In fact, I was able to hold “dead on” a deer some 209 yards away last week from the comfort of my chairblind.
It’s also important to have binoculars on a harness so that they can be used with little movement.
You won’t be able to sit in the blind all day, because they are just too tight for long-term comfort, but for a surprise attack, chairblinds offer an option for late-season, short-term sessions afield.
