Shooting houses; that’s what my southeastern hunting brothers and sisters call hard-walled deer hunting blinds. I used to chuckle at the phrase, but soon realized it was an accurate description. In Texas, I was already accustomed to the terms “box blinds” and “deer stands”. Regardless of the name, they’ve dotted the landscape for decades, regardless of the state. They were usually made from plywood or any other wooden scraps available – and they were almost exclusively made for gun hunting.
Things have changed. Today, there are high-end hunting blinds made from a variety of materials, usually from one form or another of fabricated plastic.
They’re full of luxury. They’re expensive. They’re awesome.
Residing in Texas, I’ve seen it all when it comes to hard-walled blinds; from elevated structures to shabby wooden ones sitting on the ground. Some are insulated and I’ve even come across a couple featuring air conditioning and heating. Budget-minded hunters still employ homemade structures too and today, they also offer more utility than in the past. For one, there are bigger versions, well-suited for multiple hunters, filming, and bow hunting.
Guess what? Whether oversized or with traditional dimensions of 4’x4’, they’re also ideal for wild game photography and, yes, digiscoping.
While many folks prefer a more fundamental outdoor approach to hunting, scouting, and phototgraphy, it’s hard to beat a box blind for enjoying the art of digiscoping.
If you’re hunting or scouting for whitetails and want to reap the benefits of capturing them in picture and video form, these structures are fantastic places to view from. Here are a few reasons to be a box-dweller for your digiscoping quests afield.
Whether homemade versions or retail feature-filled ones (like above), box blinds are well-suited for digiscoping.
Why Digiscope as a Hunter?
First off, let’s establish the obvious reasons to digiscope as a hunter in the first place.
The bottom line is if you’re not putting your optics to use, you’re leaving intel on the table.
The best part is you can soup up your optics-based deer scouting by capturing your sightings through the digiscoping solution. And there is no better way than with the leader in digiscoping technology, Phone Skope.
Put simply, Phone Skope digiscoping kits turn your smartphone and optics into a camera with long-range capabilities–which means many strategies can be put into place to capture clues in the form of coveted whitetail footage.
Hunting blinds aren’t just for hunting, rather they’re a great place from which to view and capture wildlife through digiscoping.
While trail cameras are a fairly low-impact form of scouting, they are limited in what they capture.
No Flap
Rigid structures don’t flutter in the wind like most popup blinds (unless you’re a crappy carpenter like me). This means no extra movement to tip off deer to your location. Quality concealment is important for successful digiscoping. If your popup or impromptu brush blind is flailing in the wind, you’ve got a problem from the get-go.
Fidgety-Friendly
I’ve always got the need to reach for things when I’m hunting and scouting. If it’s not connecting my smartphone to my binoculars, it’s removing a layer of clothing or reaching for a snack.
Once settled in the stand, it’s helpful to have the ability to move about with little chance of detection. Many such blinds are even tall enough to allow you to stand and stretch your legs.
Obviously, you’ve still got to be mindful of your movement, but capturing images within the confines of a more robust structure is much more forgiving in terms of movement.
Hint: Make sure you’ve got a solid and dark background to avoid silhouetting. This may require covering a window with a section of dark material.
Even Steven
For digiscoping, there’s perhaps no better trait of a hunting blind than its even floor. My dad once called it being right with the world. More than anything, a solid and level floor makes tripod setup easier and faster.
Comfort
Before you even think of fancy box blind features like easy-slide windows and drink holders, at a minimum, ridged hunting blinds make for a more comfortable digiscoping experience. If nothing else, the solid floor allows for using repurposed office chairs and other comfortable seats. No more $10 camo folding chairs from Walmart. Who says you can’t enjoy a little back support and cushioning while capturing whitetails on the hunting lease, club, or permission property.
A good blind will protect you from the elements by blocking rain, snow, and wind. For that, shielding you from breezy days also means more scent containment. It also is a better way to protect your equipment from the weather.
The bottom line? You can be Jim Shockey another time… Comfort leads to longer sits and better digiscoping results, especially during less-than-ideal conditions.
Sharing the Moment
Again, many of today’s homemade and retail hunting blinds are oversized. The good news is that this trait allows for an additional person in the blind to enjoy the show. The benefits range from having “extra eyes” to additional hunting and outdoor fellowship. Another great combination is to share the space with a hunter or videographer.
The comfort, concealment, and space offered by rigid blind structures means you can stay out till sundown.
Needless to say, the same concept works for birdwatchers and other nature-seekers.
So, if you want to be more steady, warm, dry, and concealed, consider building or buying a hard-walled blind. If you do, you’ll enjoy more staying power in the woods. That’s more time to capture your favorite game animal or other nature subject through digiscope photography.
Needless to say, a shooting house accommodates not only your favorite rifle but your digiscoping adapter, smartphone, tripod, and optics.