I built one and posted the video on YouTube about 6 years ago. It was hunted every season until this year, when I sold it. I built it with the intention to bow, cross bow, and gun hunt out of it. I ended up only gun hunting out of it. Here are my thoughts on it.

It is an excellent blind option and I preferred the bale blind to a traditional pop up ground blind. It was warmer, quieter, and blended in better than a ground blind. The window design on a home built unit is incredibly important and that was my biggest design mistake. I made large square openings that pivoted down to allow you to see out. This worked ok-ish, but was not the best method of having windows for multiple reason. First, the hole was too big and deer spooked off of it if you had the window open more than 1/10th of the way. Secondly, getting a solid gun rest was very difficult due to the way the window opened up. What would have worked better would have been a rectangular window that was wide but not very tall with a removable window. The single largest problem was keeping the bale looking like a bale. I used layers of erosion netting to create the look, and it would cost $200-$300 every two years for maintenance. The big pain is that it took a bunch of time to do it right and not have the bale look "wrong". This could have been helped by storing the blind in the off season, but I never did.

In the time we had the blind, it was responsible for killing around 10 deer, 2 of which were shot by me. Many of the hunts out of it were with family members who never had been hunting or only go occasionally. Being able to have a heater, a solid wood floor, nice chairs, and space to bring a lot of gear (blankets for the wife) made the blind simply the perfect tool for introducing people to the sport of hunting. Both my wife and my son were with me when I took deer, one of which was a 9+ year old doe that was the most spooky doe I've ever seen. She was almost un-killable, and had I not been in the bale blind, she would have lived a few more years.

Here is my YouTube video about it if you want to see it right after it was built. 6 years of Illinois winters took its toll on it and it looked no where near as good when I sold it, but it went to a good place. Also before I'm asked, I sold it because the land I hunted was logged and made the bale blind almost obsolete as well as the land owner asked me to store it in the off season, which I don't have a barn or shed to do that in.

 

Great blinds, a plastic blind is way more durable and lasts much longer, I have no idea why but deer adjust to a tower blind quickly, we even move them around on either skies or trailers.

Personally I hate them, but from a guiding stand point they are deadly, can put them anywhere, deer are pretty oblivious to them and the really high end ones contain your scent, you can put any schmuck in them and kill deer!

To me there is nothing like being in a tree stand out in the open or even on the ground, a good blind takes away any of the deer's advantage, Bale blinds are really effective but not to the degree a Muddy, Banks or similar is.

Not sure your situation but a brushed in pop up is deadly as well, I would brush them in standing corn mostly.

 

Great blinds, a plastic blind is way more durable and lasts much longer, I have no idea why but deer adjust to a tower blind quickly, we even move them around on either skies or trailers.

Personally I hate them, but from a guiding stand point they are deadly, can put them anywhere, deer are pretty oblivious to them and the really high end ones contain your scent, you can put any schmuck in them and kill deer!

To me there is nothing like being in a tree stand out in the open or even on the ground, a good blind takes away any of the deer's advantage, Bale blinds are really effective but not to the degree a Muddy, Banks or similar is.

Not sure your situation but a brushed in pop up is deadly as well, I would brush them in standing corn mostly.

I agree they are deadly but NO BLIND, even the high end ones, will contain all your scent. If air wasn't moving through the blind, you wouldn't be getting air and you'd be dead.

So again, you can't rely any any blind including high end ones to contain all your scent, IMPOSSIBLE.

 

I hunt mostly pinch points, but one place would benefit for a hay bale blind in my opinion. Deer go from one field to the other. My uncles use this path as well to take the tractor across to get to the other field. There aren’t many trees that are real good for a stand. Real nice spot for any blind i suppose. I figured deer would be less likely to spook of the hay bale blind cause the surrounding areas have cattle and hay bales are scattered everywhere.

 

Honestly, we built a couple hay bale blinds to use out in fields/river bottom in SD. They work great. That said, if you are planning on leaving it in one spot, I wouldn't worry about it being a hay bale blind. Just put something permanent there and the deer will get used to it.

 

Honestly, we built a couple hay bale blinds to use out in fields/river bottom in SD. They work great. That said, if you are planning on leaving it in one spot, I wouldn't worry about it being a hay bale blind. Just put something permanent there and the deer will get used to it.

yep, the local deer will get use to it, but not the big bruiser who has never seen it until that day..

 

My friend has one and I have bow hunted out of it. Really like it. BUT you still have to play the wind. Set it up well in advance of season to give them time to get use to it. Leave the front windows open, again to become accustom to something new.
I would also recimmend taking it dow after season to preserve it.

 

In for reviews of the Red.neck brand specifically. Looks like most of these are DIY instead?

 

We’ve been using a red.neck for 6 years now. We’re on our second cover and it’s about done. 3 years seems to be the norm for us with cover durability. Ours is out 4 months of the year typically. I wouldn’t recommend the outfitter, the sportsman is good enough and I like the burlap cover better anyway. The deer don’t mind the difference at all. We can hunt ours immediately after setting it, the deer in our area are very accustomed to round bales. Overall I highly recommend the blind, it is durable and will withstand 50 mph winds without issue, that’s the highest winds ours has withstood out in the field.

 

Just throwing these thoughts out, not trying to be Debbie Downer. Most people refer to bales of straw as "hay bales." Hay is hay and straw is straw. So you have hay bales and make your blind out of it. Granted, most of the seed is gone, or maybe not. Could you be cited for baiting if someone wanted to be a tool? If not, you might be able to make a "legal" bit site.

 

I have had a ******* bale blind I have used in Kansas for about 5 years. The blind is fairly easy to set up after you have done once or twice. I was able to put frame together and leave it in farmers barn in the off season. I take cover off and pack away in box. I set the blind on edge of wheat field on the end of a row of round bales of hay so the deer never even noticed it. I had does come by close enough I thought I could reach out and touch. I killed my biggest buck out of this blind. You just need to be sure you anchor it down good if you are somewhere like Kansas because of wind.

 

My buddy and I are looking at getting 4 or5 of the Prairie Hunting blinds for our South Dakota hunts.
They have a long slender window that looks like it would be good for bowhunting VS a typical square type opening for shooting.

 

I have the ******* outfitter HD and like it. Very roomy and my go to when the weather socks. The cover is about shot and I'll need to replace it before next season. I've had it for 3 years

 

Our home is located on 10 acres with two crop fields adjoining the NW corner....often corn or soy. A local farmer gave me an old round bale and hauled it over with his tractor.....right in that same NW corner where I put in a post with a trail cam. My Red Neck Sportsman is set up about 8 yards from the real round bale and the canvas cover is put on in late August. Based on trail cam activity, local deer don't pay any attention to it.....I had Reveal cell pix of deer bedded 5 yards from the bale blind this fall overnight and twice a pair of bucks sparing there. Deer honestly get used to about anything.....a good friend lives on a farm where they have a "dump" area. Old couch, recliners, assorted trash in that area with all kinds of deer trails going past it and through it. I would guess when the couch or chair first went out with lots of human odor, they may have been cautious for a while, but over time it becomes just another part of their daily landscape....same with a bale blind.

Also very much agree on staking them down well. I lost my first one to a powerful windstorm.....50-60mph gusts coming off Lake Michigan. My Red Neck ended up 150 yards into the north field and was totalled out. The only thing I could really salvage was the ground anchor, so I use it with the new one and that has done pretty well. The cover is off now for the off-season and will go back on late summer to try again in '22.

 

I should have said in my post that they do well in wind IF you use the included anchors, there are two of them. You will need a sledge to get them in the ground if it is dry, but they will hold the blind in place through anything but the most extreme of storms.
This info is for the op Alaska, I’d just quoted you because you bring up a good piece of advice.

 

I have the Red Neck Hay Bale Blind and love it! Mine is 3 years old and needs a new cover. I just got the burlap cover, but haven't put it on yet. I would assume it will last many times longer.

I brushed it in standing corn and had deer less than 10 yards not even take a glance at it. It works as a stand alone blind or is great brushed in. Either way, the deer don't care.

I really like the looks of the Red Neck Soft Side 360 Deluxe 6x6 Blind. It looks a lot easier to brush in.

 

"Well, ours are sealed up and have floors"

Are you saying it is sealed up so well that no air moves in or out of the blind you hunt out of?

 

Clearly not… the banks have a lower vent and upper vent - which creates a vacuum like a chimney with draft. However there are carbon filters set over either. Are you 100% scent free, no.

However your blinds have a huge seam running the entire circumference thats bolted together without a gasket….The windows are bunk! There isnt a floor, hello!!! Thats a huge hole!!

A large guide, and someone with 3 book deer in 2021 are telling you your wrong… you dont know what you dont know bud, and thats okay. Its when you refuse to listen and learn, is when it becomes a joke. I’ll keep laughing, and you keep plugging the maverick, all good!

 

Clearly not… the banks have a lower vent and upper vent - which creates a vacuum like a chimney with draft. However there are carbon filters set over either. Are you 100% scent free, no.

However your blinds have a huge seam running the entire circumference thats bolted together without a gasket….The windows are bunk! There isnt a floor, hello!!! Thats a huge hole!!

A large guide, and someone with 3 book deer in 2021 are telling you your wrong… you dont know what you dont know bud, and thats okay. Its when you refuse to listen and learn, is when it becomes a joke. I’ll keep laughing, and you keep plugging the maverick, all good!

I know 300 Outfitters that will always play the wind with their clients even if they are in a blind. And what does shooting 3 book bucks got to do with anything??

Why do you always want to make a fight out of everything? You are saying the EXACT thing I am saying that you are not 100% scent free. I have never brought up what I use compared to what you use so not sure why you keep going there but neither one can control your scent 100%.

What I am saying that you should still play the wind because you can't control all your scent no matter what blind that you are in. Pretty simple and basic hunting knowledge.

Also, what happens when you have to open some windows to shoot the deer??????

If you are a hunter that keeps all the windows closed until the deer comes what happens once you open the window and can't get a shot for a minute or 2 and you didn't play the wind and the deer are downwind of you?????? You need to open a window eventually to shoot the deer!

I'm a bowhunter and keep 2-4 windows open all the time because I don't want to have to open a window with deer right out in front of me so I ALWAYS play the wind in a blind.

Lastly, I know you can get away with deer downwind of you in a blind, SOMETIMES but not ALWAYS! You are giving out bad information telling people that you can hunt out of "high end" blinds and not worry about the wind.

 

Hahahahahhhhahh mission accomplished! I got someone fired up hahahahahah

maverick- the best blind made!

 

I was referring to you both

 

If you buy the Red-neck bale blind through Red-neck use code SAVE10NEXT24 to get 10% off your order

 

Wow, thanks!

 

I built a version of the hay bale blind. That thing was nice and I put it out 3 months ahead of time so the deer could get used to it. As luck would have it a big sow bear with triplets found it. While mom was gorging in sorghum the 3 cubs used my blind for a romper room and sleeping quarters. They destroyed my blind, not to mention about 25lbs of bear crap inside.