Sitting fully exposed on the ground is undoubtedly the hardest form of still hunting, regardless of your game. For this reason, quickly deployable blinds are extraordinarily popular. Essentially a pop-out tent without a floor, these structures conceal your movement but do nothing to displace your scent. Therefore, many sportsmen opt for the elevation benefits of a tree stand, which puts your human musk well above a game animal’s nostrils while providing you with a bird’s-eye view. Although elevation does deliver a degree of concealment, it’s certainly not to the level of a ground blind and, of course, provides zero protection from precipitation.
The natural solution is to enclose a tree stand, but doing so must be done carefully, as working in an elevated position provides several challenges. With that said, when I ran across Cooper Hunting at the NRA’s Great American Outdoor Show, I was intrigued at the balance they struck with their Bow Master+ Tree Stand Blind, especially when I found out that it came with the industry’s only three-year warranty.
Those of you who follow my work know that I’m not much of a bow hunter, which might make this piece stand out a little more than usual in my portfolio. However, there is no debate about the fact that archery guys get a whole lot more room in their blinds than firearm hunters. Therefore, I chose this product over their rifle version as it would afford me a fair bit more volume when using my crossbow or rifle and, of course, future-proof me should I ever decide to dust off that compound in my basement. Regardless of which you feel is best for your needs, both come in a neat little package that only weighs 9 lbs. Cooper includes a handy carry bag, allowing you to set it up on-site. So, with that, I headed out to my Muddy Odyssey XLT ladder stand and got started.
The process begins by laying out the blind and assembling the tent-style poles. The loops will provide all of the structure of the blind and, yes, are included in that three-year warranty. To that end, you’ll likely never need it, as Cooper opted for a Hexagonal system, which is stronger than the more easily manufactured round system. After slipping one through the top of the blind, you’ll put the second one aside until you’re up in the stand. In the meantime, you’ll connect both ends of the top pole to a receiver that allows for fast installation and removal.
Putting the blind aside, I climbed up to the ladder and attached the TM-100 mount, which takes nothing more than slinging a pair of ratchet straps around the trunk of your tree. After climbing down and retrieving the main component, I hoisted it up and slipped it into the square opening I had, nearly sealing the deal. After bringing up the bottom pole loop and clipping it to the lower section of the blind, all that was left was to cinch the bottom strap, providing me with a weatherproof enclosure that was 20’ off the ground.
Once inside the blind, I enjoyed the ingenious roof-tilting system. By tightening or loosening a solemn strap, you can tip the entire unit up or down to accommodate sloped terrain. Additionally, you can decide which shooting ports you want open and which you want closed simply by tying the straps off in a bow. If (scratch that, when) your best plans get laid to waste, and you need to open one in a hurry, this is by far quieter than hook-and-loop or zippers, and arguably, there is nothing faster than pulling a string.
Sitting inside the blind, I had an uninterrupted field of view through the screen panels and was able to adjust the height to my eye by moving the tree mount, adjusting the tilt or both. Standing up, I had plenty of headroom, allowing for an effortless bow draw or accommodation of even the longest hunting rifle. I tested both, as I like the idea of setting up one blind and using it for both seasons. Overall I was extraordinarily pleased with what I wound up with.
Pulling the blind down is as simple as sliding it off the tree mount and bottom rib and lowering it with a tow rope. Realistically, it’s strong enough to just shove over the side, but I like to respect my gear as much as possible. I include this information as disassembly is a key component to any field equipment review. However, thanks to its fully died construction, there is nothing stopping you from leaving it installed indefinitely. This process pushes the pattern through the entire material, as opposed to the less expensive screen printing process, which only stamps it skin deep. Because of it, Cooper even warrantees against fading, which certainly is generous as most consumers expect and allow for a large degree of this. When you add it all up, Cooper Tree Stand Blinds give you the best of both worlds, even when Mother Nature has other plans. MSRP $219.99; cooperhunting.com.
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