When setting up a ground blind for bowhunting, what is the safest distance you should be away from a feeder? I am 18 yards and have it brushed in great. I wear Scentlok and got busted by a HUGE moma sow last week.
Thoughts?

I like 20-25 from a focal point, but I think it is personal preference.

I can't say exactly, but I have been as close as 16 yards with no problems before. I think the deer know something is out of the ordinary, but they didn't care that much.

I had two does and a nice 7 point for 20 minutes...they kept looking at the blind, but never spooked or left. This was a pop-up blind.

Kansas , muzzleloader couple of weeks ago. Pop up tent blind, I found a bare spot in a soy bean field so as not to disturb the crop too much, but it was only 40 yards from the tree line I was hunting, wind was in my face. I used some dried soy bean plants to tie on to it to help brush it in.
3 does came out that evening and the one I ended up taking knew something was up and kept walking toward it checking it out, ears where wide out but tail never flagged. I had to hurry up and pop her at appx 30 yards to keep her from walking right up on me. Now in answer to your question, IMO if you take the time to set it up with great consideration of the wind direction and really conceal it as best as possible you will be ok at any yardage. Just be quite and still and as scent free as possible. They will know it is different and may be leary of it but there curiosity may get the better of them as well. Good luck.

I would say if you can see the eye lashes on em naked eye your too close...

Normally if I am hunting a feeder I try (if I have a choice)to put my ground stand about 25 yards from directly under the feeder...that way when the deer are feeding on the side closest to the blind they are between 17-23 yards or so...Also, what I have found with using the pop up blinds is that it works much better to put the blind a little further out than really close if that is your two choices...then take along a little corn (I use 5-10lbs) and string it out between the feeder and the pop up blind at the distance you want to shoot the deer will eat on the line of corn after they finish under the feeder or before...I have also turned down the seconds my feeder is spinning when hunting further away from the feeder and using the "corn line" so they would move over to the other corn earlier/faster...

Like the corn idea! Thanks for all the info. Are you guys leaving your pop-ups, up year round (full season). This is the first year to hunt out of a pop-up and I plan on leaving it out all season. Keep brushing it in when it needs it.

I wouldnt leave it out year around....that is if you are talking about a portable pop up "tent" type blind...probably get too much wear and sun damage during the year...I normally try to put mine out about a week in advance (I have 2 blinds)...If you will be hunting the same feeder/trail the whole season I would put it up a week or more in advance sometimes I move mine around lunchtime and hunt different feeder in the evening...as long as you have good scent control and a good stand set up you should be ok...

Scentlok doesn't work. So, don't count on it. Watch the wind and do all the other scent control stuff including spraying down your blind.

I've put up portable pop-ups for the whole season, and the way I preserved it was go to Home-depot or Academy and buy one of thos small 8' by 6' or so green or camo tarps and drape it over the blind and tie it down so the wind doesn't cause it to flap. Sort of how a fly works over a tent.

This will help protect the blind from the elements, by placing an added barrier from the sun, and also make it 100% water proof.

Tie it down really well and your blind will look like new at the end of the season when you put it away!

I tried the corn line idea and it works great. One thing i learned last weekend was to be careful of the windows in the rear of the pop up blinds. I had several does within a chip shot and all of a sudden they started acting nervous and looking behind me to the right. I had the window behind me open enough to see if any deer were coming in. When I turned my head, I saw a beautiful 10 pt standing 25 yards behind me. I guess he saw my movement through the opening of the rear window - he stared at me as long as i could keep my head turned in an awkward postion. Point is, all of the front windows were open and highlighted my movement from the rear. The buck eased off into the brush, not to be seen again, but it is still early.

Bowkiller you need to let me hunt that popup and i will show you the safest distance.