Due to a recent thread by Buckeyehunter I am getting PM's and emails asking questions about hunting from ground blinds so I figured I'd just post up what I've been telling people here.If any of you other blind hunters have anything to add, please do so. If anyone else has a question, please feel free to add it to this thread.
First you must think of a whitetails defenses. In order of importance they would be #1 nose #2 sight #3 hearing. To over come these defenses you need to do certain things.
To overcome their incredible nose there is only one thing you can do and that's set up with the wind in your favor. I made this rookie mistake just last night and it cost me a doe at 10 steps. I was hunting new property and found a nice looking ambush spot. There was this PERFECT brushpile but it was on the wrong side of the trail, wind wise. All I had to do was crawl in it and sit. There was no way to be spotted in there, but it would be real easy to shoot out of. I decided to gamble. About 15 minutes before dark a doe came slowly walking up the trail feeding here and there. I got my bow up, but before she got to me, the wind betrayed me, and she smelled me right before she got into my shooting lane. She tried spotting me but couldn't. Whitetails trust their nose above everything else and she eventually blew out of there (figuratively and literally) taking several others that were following her (maybe a buck?) with her. As a matter of fact that was the second time this year I've been busted at under 10 yeards by the wind. You simply cannot fool their noses.Not with cover scents, not with scent loc clothing. There is no miracle cure for this one. They only need a couple parts per million of molecules in the air to smell you. Your breath exhaling will easily do that. You simply MUST have the wind in your favor. Period.
#2 the second thing that will get you busted is being spotted and by that I mean your form or outline. You need to break it up. Having good background is paramount otherwise you will be silhouetted. If they just catch you moving they will stare intently maybe do the bob, weave, thing but they are used to seeing things move, squirrels, birds etc. They need to know it's danger before busting out of there otherwise they would be in a constant state of fleeing. Humans form or outline is unique and instantly signals danger. That's why ghillie suits are so effective. They break up the human form better than anything else. Break up your outline and they may dismiss you or at least give you time to slowly draw and shoot. I've read their vision is pretty good focus wise, but they have poor depth perception, and see in shades of grey. Don't know it that's true but worth exploiting. It's imortant to cover the parts that alert deer the most, your face and your hands. Wear a headnet and gloves or paint them up if you don't like wearing a headnet. Commercial camoflage isn't necessary to break up your image (as a fact most won't) but a pattern of some sort is a good idea, whether that is camo you trust or plaid.
#3 is there ears and although they have great hearing, again they are used to some noises like leaves rustling and sticks breaking, squirrels digging for nuts, jumping limb to limb, chasing each other and the deer needs verification from one of their other two senses before percieveing danger.If you are walking in the woods and spot a deer it has generally heard you (or something) and is standing there ears out, eyes looking in the direction it heard the noise. If it gets verification thru either sight or smell that you're a human it will then flee. If it can't it may dismiss you and continue feeding or walking as it had originally intended.
To summarise: Play the wind, have stuff in front of you to break up your outline and behind you to keep from being skylined, and if you make any noise, stop, stay quiet and wait them out.
Hope this helps.
:thumbsup: :archer:
Oh and one more thing..and this is important at the moment of truth. If you get a deer within 10 or 15 yards and it is in your shooting lane. IF you manage to get your bow back and the deer isn't looking at you REMEMBER THIS..it's time to calm down, TAKE YOUR TIME and make a good shot. You don't need to rush the shot. You are well within the deers comfort zone. If it had ANY idea that you were around, it would be out of there in a flash. Since you are at full draw and it's not looking at you it obviously has no idea you are there. Pick a spot, hold your form, and make a good release. You've done an excellent job of getting the deer in this position, no since blowing it by rushing now and making a bad shot.
After the arrow blows thru the deers ribcage and it busts out of there, you have plenty of time to breath funny, shake, smile like crazy, pump the air with your fist, wet your pants or whatever. Note direction of the deers exit and listen carefully for the sound of it turning or crashing.
I learned the hard way a few too many times before I figured out that it is best to brush in your front cover nice and thick and then get into the blind and use hand pruners to cut out a small shooting window. Amazing how small of a shooting window you actually need.
Thanks for the info dump Ferret! Good stuff!
When you first set up, either with brush or tree behind you, clear the leaves and twigs away from where your feet will be. It takes only a moment and you have already made a bunch of noise walking to the spot. This makes slight changes of position to look around, adjust for comfort or set up for the shot less noisy.
Most camo is too dark and looks like solid dark shape from a distance. ASAT, light/dark plaid, gillie work much better.
Mickey is dead on about scent and the wind. No amount of scentlock, cover scent, attracting scent, ect. will fool a deer. They sometimes will come from down wind to figure out where or what you are, but they will be fully aware that you are there.
Deer are particularly good at picking up movement of small light colored objects (like you hand without dark gloves). They look for each other and signal each other with little flicks of the tail and showing white throat patches (like your face without a mask).
I had two bucks at less than 20 yards in WI last week while ground sitting. It was an "earnabuck" area and I had not. I was sitting on a log with my back against a large tree and the gillie on. The wind was right and the larger buck never knew I was there. A few minutes later the smaller one started to circle down wind and I tried to scare him off before he got a nose full and made a sceen. He crossed the path I was on at 10 yards still cross wind. I snort wheezed and he stopped but did not run. I lunged off my log a half step and he spooked about 5 feet. Then continued to circle and try my scent. He finally left without figuing out what was going on. He did the slow tail flag and prance away, no big fuss.
I almost always hear deer coming. I try to relax and sit very still while waiting.
Great stuff guys! I'm a ground hunting newbie but couldn't agree more with the advice given so far. I'll share a story later about my recent ground hunting experience and the effectiveness of a ghillie suit. :D
Bill
Does are the enemy! They will pick you off first thing while the bucks just keep moseying on never knowing you are there. I've ground hunted for years and taken multiple deer this way but I have the most trouble with the ladies. Yesterday morning was a good example: The momma and her two young of the year step into the locust grove and peg me instantly. No way to get the bow back in the ten minutes they harass me. Yes, I had to try but the string wasn't even to my chin when one of the little buggers caught me and blew them out of there pronto. Later at seperate times two bucks walk through and neither knew I was there. I blew the shot I had. Tree jumped in the way.
Later another does strolls into the area and before long she locks in on me with the death stare pinning me to the spot I'm in.
I'm wearing a 3D suit modified with birlap and yarn for a better gullie effect with a brushy cedar tree behind and brush around me, yet, still they hone in like I was nekid. It's a hard way to make meat.
No shiny limbs!! draw slow and deliberately,Bow quivers full of arrows are more visible/noticable than a thin bow is.
Well said Mickey
On some occasions, I know when I will be most likely to see deer from my current ground blind, just by the wind. My location changes with the wind. When you're made, you're made. If they don't blow right out of there, you still have a chance.
Cover/attractant scents are best saved for the rut if you use them at all IMO. When they smell a new scent, they go to DEFCON4 right away. You can get lucky on a lovesick buck sometimes, but it's not that common. I admit, I do usually keep a fresh earth disc pinned to my clothing though. If anything, it may confuse them long enough for a shot opportunity.
Ditto on clearing away the leaves and such under your feet. Always move slowly when you do move. Watch their ears and eyes but avoid eye contact. (this is where the head net helps) Ditto on comments about camo. I'm wearing my old all purpose grey camo pants, (because they're not worn out yet) and I wear a light brown/black plaid shirt or jacket. I'm convinced by 2 close encounters that it's plenty effective if you hold still. My lower half was blocked by brush anyway. Try to have something behind you to break your outline.
Great info!!!
I'm still new at this and learning, but I've had two shots from the ground so far. One miss and one kill with a compound before going trad. No luck so far with trad gear, but the two shots I had both had the same thing in common.
Prevailing winds here are from the south or south west. You can almost always bank on it. I set up in the east side of the trail I'm working in the morning. Then, not only am I down wind of the deer I'm watching for, but they also have to look into the sun to see me. With the doe I killed this way, I could actually see my shadow pointing directly at the doe as she was coming in, but I doubt that she could make out anything threatening.
Marvin
Ferret,
Sorry about the all the pm's you received. Just wanted to thank you and encourage others to consider ground hunting.
One other note; is to do some really good scouting. If you sit in the wrong spot, it doesn't matter if you are in a tree or on the ground, you will not see deer.
-Charlie
Shaun is right, alot of camo is too dark. ASAT and Natural Gear seem to be pretty good about "blurring" out against most backgrounds. The old style gray Trebark is another good choice if you can find it.
Love the info shared so far. Could not agree more with what has been said. With that said I would like to add that I am a big believer in keeping my body and my hunting clothes as scent free as possible. I wash my clothing in no scent soap. Keep it in plastic bags after washing. I use scent free deoderant and scent free body wash while in camp. I do not wear my hunting clothing unless I'm hunting. My guille or leafy suit is carried in my backpack while going into and out of my hunting area. I use a no scent spray cover when I leave my truck and after I reach my stand location. In the last two seasons I have had one deer smell me and blow in close proximity. Believe it or not, I had taken one extra step the evening this happened. I attached a earth scent wafer to my hat just before getting into my ladder stand. Why I did it, I do not know. But you can bet it will not happen again. Good luck. Keepum sharp and getum close. :thumbsup:
Good, helpful information here. Keep it coming. Several weeks ago I was set up on the ground next to a pond, in a small thicket. A buck came down the hill to my right, where I had no shot, and then turned uphill (also to my right rear). He was big. His rear end looked like a quarter horse but with short legs, probably eight points. Obviously a mature buck. I moved (stupid) - but not very much, to try to get an angle for a shot, I guess he heard me. He couldn't see me from where he was. He promptly went back up the hill the way he came. No blowing or panic, just a white flag and a fast walk. He might have gotten my scent, since the winds had been dodgy all day, but I doubt it. I think he heard the longbow clink on a small branch. He would have been my first trad deer. I'll try again this weekend. Thanks for all the good advice.
Richard
Outstanding post sir. This one gets its own bookmark.
Regarding clearing the junk out from under your feet, I do have one alternative suggestion. If you are inclined to grunt, blat or (especially) rattle, IMO that's the time to clear stuff from under your spot. Rather than being just one more potential problem from which you need to let the place settle down, why not use that racket to help attract the deer?
Maybe I'm wrong, but I think kicking leaves, sticks and gunk out from under you adds to the effect of a rattling symphony.
When you see movement or hear noise, get ready. You can't sit around waiting to see what's coming and expect to get your bow up. If you wait and watch until you're positive it's a deer you're going to miss opportunities and get busted.
Getting ready also means anticipating where your shot opportunity will be. Don't wait for the deer to show you your shot. Look ahead to where the deer is going and pick your shots before the deer arrives.
To be successful on the ground, you have to be decisive. Shot opportunities and good shot angles on the ground disappear much faster than they do from a tree.
The best thing to do is get out and do it. I hunt from both tree and ground depending on the location. I've probably shot more deer from trees but the numbers are close. The difference is in the excitement. You're never gonna hit the horns and have a 180 class buck charge in and nearly run you over or doze off and wake to a doe breathing in your face at 2 yds if you stay up a tree. Ground hunting is great fun and makes for the best memories.
Great info, guys thanks for sharing.
Molson: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
I read the first 3 post then when out to my ground blind, I was there from 9:30 am till 12:30pm then 2pm till dark.. around 4:30 or so I saw 2 fawns working their way to me, I was waiting for mommy to show up. about 30 minuets or so, I turned to my left & there she was 5 yards from me. She stopped to eat some acorns and gave me a nice broadside shot. I drew slowly and came to anchor.... I loosed the arrow and hit her good, As she was running off I saw the broad head and part of the arrow. I waited for about 30 to 45 minutes, I came home grabbed another light & help and tracked it for 2.5 hrs and the deer went on to land that the owner doesn't like hunters and won't let me track it/any deer on his land... I am mad, because I lost a deer.... even tho the shot looked good & there was lots of blood... I think it's also because the back 10inches of the arrow was left in her ( because I didn't find it just the front half )...It was a rush hunting from the ground blind.... Had a total of 20 DOEs walking around me over 5 hours of sitting time...
Thanks for the info Mickey & others.... Didn't get the deer but had a great time in the woods.
here is some pics from my blind, they are in black & white
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/mysticguido/000_0041.jpg)
here is where the DOE was standing.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/mysticguido/000_0043.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/mysticguido/000_0042.jpg)
QuoteOriginally posted by Pete W:
Bow quivers full of arrows are more visible/noticable than a thin bow is.
Yeah....but I've found that when ground hunting stalking that a bow quiver full of arrows is a great blind in itself along with the bow held up in front of you.....and a fletch cover is best if you use bright fletch.
Also when stalking, if your camo is good, you can get caught in the open and still not get busted.
Good thread guys!
The one thing I tend to fail at least a couple times a season is setting up to close to the trails I'm hunting. If I remember correctly Asbel
talks about this in his stalking and still hunting book as well. As exciting as it is to have a buck doe or fawn at 10 feet trying to get a shot off at anything under 10 yds is incredebly difficult. Set up at 10 to 20 yds whatever is in your comfort range and you will find it is easier.
Second is a subject that has already been touched on playing the wind and not being afraid to move if the wind switches on you. Do not continue to hunt a stand if the wind switches get up and move even if it's only acrossed the trail your watching. There been day's that I have moved 2 or more times in no more than a few hours and still seen deer, didn't get a shot but didn't spook them ether.
Lastly no matter what you do, occasionaly you will spook deer get busted or walk into them. don't sweat it, They will be back sooner or later. The last hunt I was on I had a 2 to 3 year old 4x4 come in behind me twice 1st time he stopped at about 10 ft, he backed off about 30' staying in sight of me so I could not move and then came back in to somewhere about a foot behind my head could not see him but could very clearly heard him breathing normaly just behind my head(I just about melted down for good) after a few minutes he had enough of me and wandered back down the trail with out giving me a shot. about 20 minutes later I busted out a doe and fawn by peeking around a tree and about 15yds coming in from the same direction. No more than 10 to 15 minutes later I managed to blow a shot at a forky at about 10 ft that came in on a different trail when he caught my movement while drawing. When this happened the doe and fawn were still within 40 to 50 yds of me, feeding normally after they finished a couple minutes of conitious snorting and blowing. All in all I did a few things wrong the deer did a few things right and we were both a little smarter from the encounters. Lessons learned ghille suits work if you do your part, don't peak around tree's and get ready before you see the deer especially when your only 10' off the trail.
Shadow Hunter
Great thread worth saving. I've been hunting from the ground some the last couple of years. Not scored yet, but have seen several deer and it is real exciting for sure.
Great info so far.
A trick that work sometimes...
If you are sight busted from a distance and you have a quiver arrows with white fletchings.
Drop to your knees and wave your bow back and forth a few times. The deer sometimes mistake the fletchings as a tail wag.
Great info..You are so right about taking your time and not rushing the shot. I have noticed that I have made some very poor shots while hunting from the ground. I've been shooting too quick thinking the deer are going to see me move. Thanks for reminding me to SLOW DOWN.
I also have string hanging from 2 branches, they are used to check the wind...
Great thread; you covered alot there Mickey and covered it well. I too use my bow quiver has sort of a blind and it has paid off on occasion. For that reason i don't use bright fletching...guess i need to find a good cover.
I hunt exclusively from the ground and always made wind direction my top priority. Once I started paying just as much attention to my blind I became much more successful. At first, I always concerned myself with a backdrop...no siloette, which will get you busted everytime. There were times however when I didn't watch my outline from 90deg...straight on I was ok, but not so good at 90deg. I like to set-up in kind of a cove...no matter where the deer approaches, I do not want to be siloetted. If possible let someone sit in your blind and just check if things "look right" to you. BTW- As others have said,hunting in ground blinds or still hunting...a ghillie is hard to beat...they have sure worked for me.
Charlie...here's the best covers I've found....
Morrison Archery (http://www.morrisonarchery.com/html/caps_covers.html)
If you sit, sit LOW and not on something squeaky.
Look around all the time, but move your head slowly. You must see the deer first.
Learn to draw slowly and make your bow extra quiet.
PAD the arrow rest. Even a small "tink" will spook them, and you can double that for mule deer. I use enough moleskin to make mine ugly.
You will still spook some, so don't dispair. You will learn more about deer body language in one season on the ground than a lifetime above them.
Wear quiet clothes. If you can hear it at all, they can hear it for a long way.
When possible, keep the sun at your back.
Use camo cream or a facenet. A white man's face glows like a pumpkin in the daylight.
Stay in the shadows as much as possible, and ALWAYS stop in a shadow, and in a position where you can shoot, if you're still huning.
PRACTICE those odd angle shots, shooting from your knees, squatting and sitting. And then practice some more...Good Luck!
Yeah, that's what I've been looking for. I'm gonna order 2... tonite. Thanks, Terry. You think this is my ticket to gettin one of those big ole deer like you got?
Good stuff! I'm trying my hand at ground hunting this year too, and I am at the point where I can get/have deer as close as 12yds without spooking them but still can't find an opportunity to draw on them. The spot I have been using doesn't provide much of a view to spot the deer before they get real close. On top of that the does always seem to come through in small groups. If one of them has their view of me blocked by a tree or whatever, the other/s don't and I can't move a finger that they don't notice. Their defensive tactics work really well. lol
So I was wondering is spotting the deer before they get real close an absolute necessity or is it possible to get drawn on them when they're right on top of you?
There really is no difference between ground and tree other than time and distance. Think about it. If you are 20' up a tree and the deer is 10 yds away, you really have about 20 yds of distance. 10 yds on the ground is 10 yds. Likewise, you can generally see farther from a tree, so you have more time to prepare.
That is the key... time and distance. If you can't draw because there are too many eyes watching or the deer are too close, whether you get busted or not, you have no shot. However, the deer didn't just drop from the sky. They came from somewhere and are going somewhere. Use what you've learned to make adjustments that give you the advantage.
If you can make adjustments to your location or your blind that increase your time, you can decrease your distance and easily draw on deer at close range. If you can't, you need to increase your distance which will increase your time. If you can't do either, then look for another location.
BBB,
Have you actually been busted attempting to draw? If you consistently get deer to 12 yards, you're doin somethin right. Certain blinds or set-ups, require different tactics. For, example some set-ups might be better with a little brush or some type of cover 2 or 3 feet off the ground. You'll need to be on one knee, and get real low..and draw slow using that brush to conceal your draw. Practice, practice, practice drawing and shooting like this because it will pay off one day. This is just one example of drawing from strange positions, but IMHO you need to be so familiar with creating strange shots, that it becomes second nature in order to be consistently successful hunting from the ground. In all due respect, it is much different hunting on the ground than it is 20' up a tree.
I have found that deer will easily pick up the movement of a bow being raised INTO position, but have a hard time recognizing a bow being drawn from the raised position. They just don't seem to understand the string arm going straight back away from them.(Another good reason not to be overbowed..you need to be able to slowly pull that string straight back...as Pete said earlier). When I hear deer walking thru the leaves close by I raise my bow to the shooting position where I expect them to end up. From there it takes very little to draw the bow and shoot. If it's been raining and I can't hear them coming and they just "show up", I just have to wait until they pass behind a tree, turn or put there head down to feed to get that bow in position for the shot. Unless they are very very close, 10 yards or less do not even attempt to shoot if they are on alert and looking at you or you will not hit the spot you are aiming for. You may still hit the deer but it will be way high or back and not a good hit. Even at that distance an alert deer can drop and turn a full body length before your arrow gets there.
A little "luck" doesn't hurt either. Here is a portion of a story I wrote about ground hunting on a Sika deer hunt recently. I was tucked up under a wax myrtle bush, with a bit of leafy camo blind material out front to close off the entrance to my spot. To this day, I don't know why he wasn't spooked by me:
Then, right about the time when we were going to call it a morning and meet up, from my right, out pops an 8 point Whitetail at about 15 feet from my blind. He walked right up to the camo material, and put his head right to it - he was 5 feet from me!!!! The wind was blowing right across me, and right into his nose, and he didn't move at all. I could have reached up with my bow and touched him on the nose with it!!! I froze, just laying there paralyzed. The worst part - I have never taken a buck with antlers yet. Button bucks - yes. Antlered deer - no. And I have yet to take an animal with my traditional equipment. BUT... Whitetail bucks were off-limits this week to archery hunters. Only Sika cows and bulls, and Whitetail does. So all I could do is watch. He circled the outside of my blind, making a 180 degree pass on the side of it that was exposed to the open. He got to the other side and went to the waters edge for a drink. I carefully slipped my other "weapon" out of my pack - my camera phone (by the way... does anyone know how to get a picture off a Verizon LG phone so I can post it on the internet???). He walked back to my blind, and again stopped within spitting distance of me. I slowly snapped three pictures of him from beneath that tree. He never moved. As he turned to walk around the front of my blind, I decided to try something else. Moving slowly, I was on my knees, and if he had been legal to shoot, I think he would have been an easy take at less than 7 feet shooting from the ground on my knees. However, I didn't touch my bow, as I didn't want my mind to go blank and do something stupid. I was so excited, no telling what my brain might have snapped and done. LOL!!! Finally, he came back to the front of my blind, again standing about 5 feet from me. He was alert to something in the field. Finally, he snorted and took off like a shot in the opposite direction. It was then that I realized my friend Curt was in the field, and had been walking to me when he caught sight of the Whitetail.
All the best,
Glenn
Mickey- Excellent and right on. Relaxed deer are what you want. There's no getting around it.
Moengo- I suppose "no difference" is a generic statement but, is it really different? You are attempting to avoid a deer's eyes, ears, and nose (relaxed deer) up until (and right after) your arrow has struck your spot. It doesn't matter whether you're in a tree or on the ground. Is it easier to do from a tree? Sure it is, but only because you have "created" an advantage by using height as cover and that advantage allows you more choices in set up. A Double Bull blind creates and advantage by surrounding you with 360 degrees of cover. You can create an advantage without either by using your head!
Looking at Bamboobender's situation, he has beaten the deer's nose and beaten the deer's ears, but he has not beaten their eyes. That is where he needs to make adjustments. If he can't beat their eyes, he needs to move or remain content as an observer. Some places just don't work on the ground just like some places just don't work from a tree. See the pattern?
I remember the 1st time I deer hunted on the ground with a bow. After hunting exclusively from trees for years and years.....I felt like I had a neon sign over my head 'Here I AM"!....but I stuck with it.
I'll tell you one thing, movement at the right time is key, and at times you can get away with murder it seems, and others you wonder "what the heck did I do"?!?!?..."I only thought about moving"!!!
But as you continue to hunt, your confidence and success will GROW....and you wont feel like you are sticking out like a soar thumb!!!...You WILL start to feel more at home.
But, I'll tell ya what will bust ya more than anything in the flatter lands, and that's the wind. That's the biggest obstacle and sometimes there's just now way to play it as it often swirls here if there's not a definite wind direction from some type of front moving in.
In the rolling hills and Mts is more predictable, but the flat lands can flat out kill ya.
Take for instance that I spent 3 weekends this May and June, and although I could have gotten many shots at 15 and 30 pound hogs, and mommas with them, I just could not get a shot at a boar to save my life. In those 3 weekends, I got busted by the wind 8 times due to it doing a 180 if I was down wind, or a 90 if I was cross wind. Those weekends the wind had a mind of its own and not once did I ever spook them due to movement. All I needed most times was 10 more yards...or less, but the jig was up when I felt the coolness on the back of my neck.
Hunting hill and Mts can have this happen from time to time, but when I hunt the Cohuttas, the MTs force the wind along in certain directions.
If you have a swirling wind on your ground blind set up, just hope the animal comes in and gives ya a shot before the wind changes its mind.....or have another one you can move to. This is why I like to use natural cover at times when I find a hot spot. I'll watch the wind and move if it changes. I've had as many as 4 different spots cleared of clutter on a hunt, and I managed to get a little pig once that day.
Make sure if you set up 'blindless' next to a tree that you clear out MORE clutter than you think you need, at times you will NEED more room to get way from the tree or brush or what ever.
Here's a little quick blind set up I've used before when the leaves are on still on the trees....you just need 4 tent stakes, some green parachute cord, and some hand held pruning shears, and a rock.....
Find two 8 to 10 foot saplings 10 to 12 foot apart parallel to the area you EXPECT the game to come through. Its best if they are offset by 4-6 feet or so, but you can change that if need be by the angle you bend them. Bend the saplings over paralleling the same area and stake them down a foot or two off the ground...one one way, and the other the other way.
Its best to have one stake at least already in the ground if not both, and the cord tied to one of them. Drape the cord over the top end of one of the saplings under a limb and tie it off to the other stake....then do the same with the other sapling. Make sure your stakes are driven in at a 45 degree angle for a much better hold.
Now prune out the middle and clear the ground, and clear out some of the branches for shooting lanes. If the saplings are offset, or your angle is good, you will also have shooting lanes on both ends...if not, just prune a little more.
If you have a thick back drop to work with then just one sapling in front will work.
And believe it or not----when approaching your blind in the early morning dark, don't try to be too quiet. Thats a dead giveaway that your a human. My uncle will actually jog in and make all sorts of noise. Works for him---maybe they figure that anything that makes that kind of racket is either another deer, or couldn't possibly be threatening.
A little crude...but I think you'll get the idea...
(http://www.tradgang.com/upload/terry/blind.JPG)
And BJiorn, I agree....I believe that if you are walking at a steady pace during the dark and don't stop that deer may or may not 'bump'...but if you bump them just keep on walking. If you stop, they will leave outta there as they aren't sure what you are up to.....best to keep walking.
I do not enter the area I want to hunt during the dark the mornings that I bear hunt, I do not want to blow them out as they are stalkable if you see them 1st. I will bite off a large part of the walk in, but when I get close, I'll hang back till good shooting light before I proceed to the spot I want to set up in....or 'cruise'.
Terry, Very good idea and illustration. Your experience with bears is the same as mine with tapir. I had to force myself to walk in right at first light instead of in the dark. It's paid off more than once. Anyway, thanks for the tip...should not be much of problem to find 8-10 foot saplings here in the rainforest.
Again good stuff! Keep it comin.
Here's a pic I took of a doe coming through my place that also shows my setup. It's taken from my kitchen window because the blowdown I have been using is only about 75 yds from my house. Couldn't see it when the leaves were still on, but you can now that they're all gone. I just edited it to show what I'm talking about. The blue circle is about where I sit(and should have been sitting this morning at 11am :knothead: ) The green arrows on the top left are the usual wind direction. The yellow arrow on the bottom is the trail they take quite often. The red is the other way they come through. If they come in on the yellow line they exit on the red line, and vice versa. The pic also shows the lack of vegetation this time of year. Sorry about the poor image quality it was taken with full digital zoom, through my kitchen window and screen, and it was kinda dark this morning.
(http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m238/byerswolfe/doe-1.jpg)
Hey Boo, that's pretty cool.You wear real light colored camo? I would think light grey sweats would be the ticket up there.
BBB,
It is hard tell, but looks like you're sitting in front...or back of a fallen tree. Probably that was good for a back-drop before the leaves fell. If you moved (farther to the right)behind the tree's branches, or kind of into it could you open a couple "windows" to shoot thru? Good luck today, I sure want you to get a deer and I know you will. What is that white thing off to the right?
Boo- That looks like a good set up based on the photo. Have you considered moving to the right and using the top of the tree as cover? Try getting behind or inside that tree top, build up some back and front cover, and cut shooting lanes for the angles. That will give you depth of cover and should improve your odds quite a bit.
(Oops, Looks like we were posting at same time Moengo!)
After reading about hunters in Africa using warthog decoys as a "makes them feel safe" decoy I wonder if it would work here. Maybe a squirrel decoy. I have heard of duck hunters having a heron decoy for the same reason.
Great TTT
Great Info Mickey.
Good access and exit to and from the stand site is critical...human scent hangs on vegetation for awhile. Deer may or may not spook when encountering your in/out trails, but they WILL eventually figure out your setup if you use that route often. Don't just work the wind relative to your ground stand...work it relative to how you come and go.
The BEST face camo is a headnet turned backwards so that little eye hole is in the back of your head. Yes, you can't see quite as well with the netting over your eyes, but at 15 yards it makes little difference. And your face will be all but invisible to the deer.
Beware of ticks if you sit low or in vegetation. Deet won't work for long, clothing treated with Permethin (don't put on the skin) works best.
Unless you tuck your pantslegs into your boots, wear drab socks. You may look 'camoed' when standing up, but sitting down your pants may hike up enough to show those white/light socks you have on.
Once set up, always draw your bow from several angles to make sure it clears brush, trees and ground.
Eat an apple or pear, etc. before hitting your stand. Nothing like warm bad breath to flag your whereabouts.
Knee pads or a foam pad for kneeling can be handy for shifting into shooting position from a sitting position once deer are spotted. Clear all leaves away in a 360 around your stool and sit to allow slow 'melting' to your knees from the stool (rubber boots best...more flexible). Minimal noise, minimal movement, maximum shooting flexibility.
Good info..thanks
I was thinking that I would like to get some peoples cut Christmas trees after the holidays and place them stratigicly for ground cover for next year. What do you think? Some one also suggested I could use old artificial trees. Should be cheap to pick up at a rummage sale. I don't normally do rummage sales but I would for this! Sorry for the late post.
I used turkey decoys this evening. I didn't see any deer or turkey so I can't say if they helped or not.
God bless,Mudd
Lots of good info here guys, thanks!
I will generally walk some trails I find to get the general idea of the area. Will the deer avoid these trails because of the scent I left? If so for how long?
Thanks!
I have heard that our scent lingers for about three days. But the buck in my avatar walked the same path that I took, twice. Either my scent control was that good(rubber boots used for hunting only and stored in dirt for the first week after bought, scent killer spray)or he was used to human scent, or both.
I tried a gillie suit this year.
It worked very, very well...the critters didn't "look through" me...I simply was not there.
And backing off to 20 yards or so is much better than being 10 yards away.
Bob