I would like to here from some of you that hunt whitetails at ground level. What is your technic and success rate? I'm gearing up for it. I'll give her a go but I think I'll be eating my tag by winter. Carl
Think positive Carl, but most of all put the thought into it. Stay downwind of bedding areas, keep your nose into the wind. Conceal your movements whenever\\however possible. Be a shadow and always in them. Put yourself in the RIGHT spot and opportunity will come. As long as you sense the prey, before it does you.
:campfire:
Thanks hormoan. I found a thread on this subject in the archives. Is that picture of you with a deer you shot off the ground?
I have taken all but one of my deer from the ground. Learn to listen more for sounds of deer comming in and move your eyes instead of your head if you can. Keep movement to a minimum. Also a good comfortable tree seat is a must for me and a foam pad to kneel or sit on is nice also. I often think of it as playing a game of hide and seek with the deer just make sure the hiding spot gives you enough freedom of movement to shoot and keeping the wind in your favor.
I also camo up my face and hands and have had good luck with Ghilie and leafy suits breaking up my outline.
Don't go into the woods with a defeated attitude! Lots of guys kill deer from the ground... and plenty of them. I will be doing it that was this year (my first year with a bow). I don't like heights, so I'm going to set up a couple of roomy groundblinds for use in different wind directions, and spend a little time looking for my first archery deer! I can't relate much for deer hunting (not much experience) but I do a lot of turkey hunting. I can tell you there is a lot to be said for a positive attitude. A positive attitude keeps you in the woods longer and that equates to success. Have faith!
Hopefully this works. I did a search for ground hunting tips and found this post.
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=051649#000000
There are some good ideas there.
-Charlie
I likethe ground, my success rate?? killed a few, for the opportunities presented? I think you have to be super carefull of you face and hands, keep em covered. I try to spend all day in the woods, time on the ground is the only way to kll em from the ground (if thaty makes sense?).
J
I would add a couple things;
First, If you are sitting still and hunting from a brush blind, make sure you scrape all the leaves away from your feet.
Second, if possible, try to have at least one or two medium to big size trees between you and where you epect the deer to show up. That way you can draw while their head is on the other side of the tree and they can't see you.
Third, If you can find a place where a field cuts squarely (like a block) into a stand of woods. The back corners of those fields are excellent places to set up ambush points. Often deer won't go through the middle of a field in daylight, they will skirt the back edges and walk right in front of you. I have seen dozens of deer with this particular technique.
Fourth, if you are sitting near a creek or ditch that the deer have to cross, listen carefully. I have heard the deer jump from one side to the other before seeing them.
Finally, it is flat out the simplest way to hunt because there is next to no set-up, you can move if the wind changes, you make less noise, easier to go to the bathroom and if one spot isn't producing you just move without all the hasle of having to move a stand.
You will get busted sometimes, but I bet you get more close encounters than you would expect. I think you will fill your tag. Even if you just get some "close encounters" it will be so addicting you won't want to go back up in the trees.
Good luck,
Charlie
Heres the link to the story and picture of a nice buck I got last year off the ground if your intrested. Story (http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=051677)
No Carl that one was shot from a tree stand. But a lot of others, I have taken from the ground. So you can do it. Putting yourself in the RIGHT spot is the biggest key, be it on the ground or in a tree stand. Gillie suits are awesome for hunting on the ground. And are a very good investment for the ground hunter. And most often less money than a quality tree stand.
Carl,
Last year was my first really concentrated effort at ground hunting - my tag tasted good - BUT even better was the experiences that I came away with. I should have had deer on two separate occasions. Both were botched by me at less than 8 yards.
You will come away with a new experience when you get within 8 yards of a buck and play the stare down game.
i hunt from a hub style blind with shoot through nets ,i can shoot a longbow or recurve out of it an its big enough 3 people can get into it, keeps your sent down and the deer cant see in ,i sit in a camping chair have my bow ready for anything that comes out,keeps the cold wind off of you and keeps you dry..
hey can hahaka ,i know what you mean ,i started about 6 years ago and i had some deer 10 yards from me ( just siiting on ground with a camo net strung out ) i started shakeing so bad that the deer heard my teeth and the doe blew 10 feet from me scared me to death :scared: and i loved it!!! :bigsmyl: ,now thats all i do is hunt from the ground.
Gillie suits are nice but shoot with one on. You will need to trim them. A good comfortable light seat is nice.I dont like to hunt food sources or staging areas. If your on the ground close to deer for very long you will get busted. Back off these places on the trails. Look for a ditch, log, fence or something on the trail that will take the deers attention. A lot of times they will pause just before they cross.It is also important how you set up. If your right handed set up so the trail is on your left side.Also i like to face in the direction i think they will come. And you need to play the wind. And most important dont give up and stay in the woods. Hunt the thick stuff
I hunt big woods along the Appalachian trail. It is a lot of hard wood forest, beaver swamps, oak flats and steep terrain as well. You have to put in some time to locate deer, where they move, feed etc. I like setting up so deer will pass by and then I can draw with less chance of getting busted and usually get a nice broadside or 1/4ing away shot. You don't always need a lot of cover or camo, just enough to break up your form. I shot a deer from this set up only shortly after I took this pic.
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f196/jjeffer/stillwaiting.jpg)
Great story Curtis, and great picture Jerry. Thanks to all for your tips and encouragement.Hey, I like this tradgang.
It's just hunting. No special mystery to it.
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=051860
Great story John. All I'd be thinking is,"I can't believe this."
I've killed several from the ground rather than a tree stand. To me its easier to play the wind on the ground. When your in a stand and the wind shifts, you hunt whats coming the other way. :bigsmyl:
Well I am ether lucky or good because last year was my first year hunting anything and I ground hunted. After two months of perfecting my stalking and sneaking around I harvested my first deer with an old bear white tail hunter of the mid eighties variety. I for one can't stand to wait around for something to come to me as I feel the need to go after it.But the biggest reason to be honest is that the wify wouldn't support me buying a tree stand and sitting up high in it. Yeah wipped husband but when mommas not happy no body is happy. :cool:
I think my ground hunting success rate is near 100% in that nearly every time I've set out to have a fun time hunting from the ground, I've done so. I've only killed one deer (and various small game) but hunting from the ground is a blast.
It's nice to have the option to still hunt when it gets chilly (or when the butt goes numb or whatever). Buckeye_hunter is dead on about the thrill of close encounters - that's just too much fun.
Dang - I think I'm going scouting tonight. :-D
Thanks to all of you for your replies. Everytime I think of giving up and giving in to just hanging a stand, I go to this and other threads for a confidence recharge.
I got my first deer last year hunting on the ground. It was with a wheel bow. I can't handle the hours of sitting waiting for something to walk by.
Last year was my first year really hunting from the ground. I did and still do have some ladderstands set-up on some proven spots but I total replaced my climbing stand with an Apachie ground blind. It is a different ballgame so to speak, but very rewarding. Like everything else, there are pros and cons (based on my observations)
PROS: Very easy,light and quick to set up. If the wind changes you can relocate in a flash. Lots more comfortable on the ground than in any treestand that I have ever used. Make sure you have good cover behind you to break-up your outline. I shoot better from a solid sitting or kneeling position than I do from a shifting, climbing stand.
CONS: You can get away with a lot more movement up in a tree than ground level. You can see farther from a tree stand. This lets you get ready before the deer comes in. One of the biggest problems I had last year was rushing my shots! When you are down there on the deer's level I often thought I had to shoot sooo quick that my form got sloopy. It is quite a rush and easy to "loose your cool".
Get the book "Stalking & Still Hunting" by Fred Asbell. Good stuff in it.
still hunting between two crop fields along a wooded lane. Can see game in the fields then move into position as they come closer to the lane. Use the trees for cover. This is the best way to hunt where I am at.
I've been shooting bow for 3 years, and have hunted 2 deer seasons (and 2 fall turkey). All of the hunting I've done is ground hunting, and I've been within 12 yards of deer both years on more than one occasion. Take time in an outdoors/sporting goods store finding some earth tone, flexible soled hiking shoes. That helps get rid of the clunk of boots you might otherwise have. Look for hunting clothes that will be as quiet as possible when scraping past branches (scrape your fingernails across them as a test). I've had decent luck stalking up to, maybe even along, popular deer trails - then find ground cover or pine trees that will make good natural blinds and start with a grunt call and move to a different spot as necessary. Practice shoots both kneeling and sitting.
Those are just some initial thoughts, I'm sure you will get plenty more advice!
Good luck!
Mark
Some appear to make hunting from the ground sound as if it is diametrically opposed to hunting from a tree. I look at it differently and consider both methods worthy of learning to be part of your archery skill set. Why would you limit your options.
Nothing is foolproof when it comes to tactics and techniques, for every strength and asset you'll always find a weakness and deficit. The best use of any such tactic and/or technique is to understand such strengths and weaknesses so that you can best exploit your strengths while taking advantage of your preys weaknesses. Even then, it often boils down to stumbling into blind luck while having the whereforall to capitalize on such a fortuitus event.
Bottom line, the better you understand the habits, tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses of both you and your prey...the better you will be able to utilize tactics and techniques to your maximum advantage whether it be from a tree or from the ground. Don't expect great results if you are blind and aimless in the woods, be it from a tree or on the ground.
Daddy Bear
Great posts. Keep 'em coming.
Hunting from the ground today is viewed as something unique. I bow hunted deer for 30 years from the ground before I even bought my first tree stand. I remember it well, it was a Baker climbing stand and it should have been called "The Trap Door" :rolleyes: If you weren't careful and didn't keep your weight on the outside of the stand, it would drop out from under you. I think I've still got a scar on my belly from the first time that happened.
Stalking a deer in his own living room is tough if not at times impossible. To improve the odds, try it on windy days when any sounds you may make are muffled by the trees and brush rustling in the wind. I particularly like hunting in standing corn fields when the wind is blowing, in fact, the windier the better.
Ground blinds are excellent, especially if you use a natural blind that may only need a little touching up to conceal you. I once shot a deer from 7 yards hiding behind a stump that had a small fir tree and some ferns around it. My back side was open but I was concealed enough from the front that the deer never knew I was there when it came down the well used trail.
Just remember to always keep the wind in your face and you'll do fine.
Here's a buck that was taken on a windy day in a corn field.
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Cornfield_Buck.jpg)
Nancy in her ground blind last fall.
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Nancys_Pine_Blind.JPG)
I had success last year, and in the past, by sitting in hedgerows between bean, or corn fields. I use a collapsable seat, full camo, and sit back in the row so tall weeds are in front of me. I'm near the woods, so the deer come out to feed quite close. If the wind is in the wrong direction, I'll adjust my position so I'm downwind of where I think the deer will come out of the woods. Been fooled quite a few times, but that's part of the game. I enjoy seeing wildlife even if I don't get a shot. By sitting quiet, I've had skunks walk by at 6ft, and squirrels running at my feet, between my legs.
Carl
Hunting on the ground is really not much diffrent than hunting in a stand, just at a lower elevation. All the same methods apply. Be aware of the wind, blend in with your surroundings, avoid noise and movement and be ready when the time comes to make a shot.
I like hunting on the ground, although I do use stands as well. I think hunting on the ground can give you more freedom to hunt various spots without a lot of planning ahead. Wind changes, make a move...weather gets crappy, make a move. No worries about wether or not a stand location will work or is-or-ain't in the right place. Ground hunting, especially without a pop-up blind (just you your bow and a seat) is about as free wheelin' as you can get.
I hunt stands, I hunt blinds, I still hunt, and sometimes I just pick a spot, pile up some brush behind me and plop down on my seat. Simple, effective, easy...and enjoyable.
All that said, if you don't think ground hunting is getting the job done for you, do something else. Don't get all balled up on one technique just because you think it is MORE traditional or MORE better because somebody said so. The hunting thing is supposed to be enjoyable...have fun.
Good luck!
OkKeith
when i'm scouting and find a good spot i like to prep it a little maybe cut a few twigs and kick out a spot to sit. many times i never use half the spots i setup but half the fun for me is dreaming about the hunt.
ground hunting try it you'll like it!
OKKeith has a good point. Ground hunting should be fun. If you don't think it is, then by all means find another route and don't let us talk you out it. I still have my climber trestand and might just pull it out someday, but no time soon! I like to move too much.
Do what works for you.
-Charlie
I know the other method. I have 4 portable treestands right now. I have shot deer from 3 of them. One of the things I don't like is practicing with my longbow from an elevated position. With a compound, it doesn't matter much what angle you shoot, so you don't have to practice much. I put my Lone Wolf up in my back yard and it's a lot of work to just practice. I know, I sound like I'm just plain lazy.
I'm going with the best advice, and just have fun. Thanks again for all the replies and Ron thanks for the pictures.
Good on ya Carl!
Just have fun! I understand what you are saying about practicing from an elevated shooting position. It can be bothersome to set something up. My feeling though is that you don't have to EXACTLY duplicate your stand situation to get in some good practice. I have a fairly tall A-frame type ladder I use to practice from. I use really large landscape spikes to stake the feet to the ground, and use 2 buckle-straps to guy out on the sides (again using the spikes). I stand on the third rung from the top and shoot a few sets each night starting 2 or 3 weeks before season. I use this to "tune-up" after long periods of ground hunting when I know I will be in a stand in the near future.
I have a very good friend, who is not quite as civilized as most folk, who practices from the roof of his house. He takes several dozen arrows up and has 2 or 3 targets to shoot at, so as to minimize his up and down. Looks kinda goofy to his neighbors, but he gets great practice from several angles by walking up and down the eaves. This fella is a professional arborist and climbs stuff for a living, so I'm not really recomending this, but you get the idea.
If your shooting form is adequate, and you bend only at the waist, you ought not have too much trouble switching from ground level and stand level shooting.
Have fun, good luck!
OkKeith