The modern portable hunting blind is a pretty amazing tool, and while most of my autumn whitetail hunting is from tree stands, I consider portable blinds an essential part of my late-season arsenal.

What makes blinds so important during the late season? Foremost is the shelter they provide, enabling you to hunt longer and be more effective while afield, two crucial keys to success. The extra concealment blinds offer is also important in the foliage-free woods of late fall and winter. And there are late-season methods of hunting and tactics that just plain call for use of a blind.

Here are some useful tips for using portable blinds to fill that last deer tag of the year.

Practice. Hunting out of a portable blind is different in many ways to other forms of hunting. Bowhunters especially need to set up a blind and run through a routine of moves before hunting out of it. You need to learn to set it up and take it down quickly and quietly, figure out where and how to sit (you'll want a stool or chair), how to keep you bow handy, and how to draw, aim and shoot without whacking the edge of a window and missing the deer (a common mistake). If you plan to use shoot-through windows, take enough practice shots to be assured your arrows will pass through without deflection. You'll learn valuable bits of info along the way, such as the fact you may not be able to see your sight pins in the darkness of the blind without a sight light. …Read More Tips