If your hunting experience has grown stale on the ground, you may want to join the ranks of whitetail hunters who are enjoying the advantages of an elevated hunting tower blind.
Benefits include:
- You can see farther when you are up high than you can in a ground blind.
- It never hurts to have a 360-degree view when you are a serious hunter.
- When you are elevated 8 to 10 feet off the ground, you are less visible.
- Over time, the elevated deer blind blends into the landscape and the deer don’t seem to notice it.
An elevated deer stand can open up some great hunting opportunities for you when placed in an area of high game activity.
They Smell You…
Too, your scent is not nearly as detectable from above as when you are at the same level as the deer. From an elevated position, the deer are also less likely to get spooked by noise. Another plus is that an elevated hunting tower blind is much roomier and more comfortable when you are seated for an extended period of time than a tree stand.
Although varieties of available elevated hunting tower blinds are somewhat limited, they are still a good option for the hunter seeking an easy set up and a more durable blind.
Bow Hunters Love Elevated Tower Blinds
Elevated tower blind stands are also finding favor with bow hunters. In addition to many of the same advantages this type blind affords the rifle hunter, there are some specific benefits for the bow hunter. First, it provides the bow hunter with a shot angle that allows the arrow to exit at a lower place on the animal, which actually helps create a better blood trail to find the deer if it runs off. With the elevated blind, it is less likely that one hunter will interfere with another guy’s hunt. Finally, it offers a better vantage point for viewing wildlife and optimizing the total hunting experience.
There are a few disadvantages, however, with an elevated blind. It may pose an increased risk of injury from a fall. These type blinds can also be difficult to transport or move once they are set up. Straight line winds can knock one over unless it is properly anchored, and it can be much colder up high than a ground blind. Because of the downward angle, estimating distances and shooting accurately is another negative. And you are kind of stuck up there and unable to move toward game, when the situation calls for it, like you can on the ground.
Hunting – It’s For Families
Beyond the practical reasons for choosing an elevated hunting tower blind, Joe Davis, owner of Avid Outdoorsman LLC, makes the point that in today’s world of deer hunting, he sees a really special family atmosphere taking place.
“Not only are husbands and wives hunting more and more together, but, more importantly, they are getting the kids involved at earlier and earlier ages,” says Davis. “Now, kids are great and really into it when the game is moving, and they are entertained just watching. But when the action slows, the little ones can sit still and be quiet only so long. Elevated blinds, with warm cozy enclosures atop, allow the kiddos the flexibility to play their games or take a nap in the floor. All in all, it makes for an enjoyable outing for everyone. We all know that if our kids and grandkids are in the field hunting as they get older, we don’t worry nearly as much about where they are or what they are doing.”
Davis says he was recently discussing the advantages of the elevated hunting tower blind with a long-time, well known hunting guide. The guide pointed out another advantage of elevated blinds – the hunter is far less likely to encounter a snake in the air than on the ground.
Look Out For Snakes!
“He reminded me that in Texas, especially, that in many regions of the state, the snakes do not hibernate much at all – if ever,” Davis explains. “Some of the bigger and more prestigious ranches that he guides for will no longer allow any blind less than 4 feet off the ground simply to reduce the liability factor of snakes!”
Davis says, for what it’s worth, liability has become one of the biggest concerns for ranches in the hunting industry today, adding that poorly built blinds account for numerous injuries every year.
Some Ranches Require Blinds Be Removed
“Many ranches I am associated with require that all blinds be approved by ranch management. Furthermore, many ranches are starting to require that blinds be removed each year at the end of the season. All things considered, I believe the Swift Lift is the answer to more than just hunter advantage in the field nowadays,” he observes.
Veteran Texas deer hunter and Inventor and manufacturer of the Swift Lift, Mel Robinson of Comanche Peak Outdoors LLC, designed his trailered hunting tower blind not only to enhance the hunting experience, but with convenience and practicality in mind. The idea for the Swift Lift actually came to Robinson as the result of his own unpleasant experiences in erecting and moving tower blinds from lease to lease or just to a different site on the same property.
“The Swift Lift allows you the advantage of going where the deer are. Raising or lowering the Swift Lift takes less than 5 minutes and is a one-man job. And if you like to hunt the rut, you can go to where the action is instead of watching the chase from a distance and wishing you were closer to the activity,” Robinson explains. “Furthermore, if you are hunting large ranches or running a guide service, one Swift Lift per hunter or guide does the job. No need for multiple, stationary blinds.”
The hassle-free Swift Lift is portable and trailer mounted. It works off a remote control and takes about 5 minutes for one man to put it up or take it down. You simply level the outriggers, remove the travel pins, winch it up, secure the stabilizer bar, set the ladder and you’re ready to hunt!
You simply level the outriggers, remove the travel pins, winch it up, secure the stabilizer bar, set the ladder and you’re ready to hunt!
Never Worry Again
“With the Swift Lift, you never have to worry again about rounding up help to move your hunting blind. And if you already have a trailer, a free-standing Swift Lift, available in 8-and 10-ft. tall models, is available that can be transported on your existing trailer,” says Robinson. “So if you are thinking of purchasing an elevated hunting tower blind, the Swift Lift makes the most sense.”
