A crude poll to see what your methods are. Also include where you hunt, Rocky Mtns, farmlands, eastern woods, etc.
I don't care to sit for long periods so I normally spot-stalk here in Wyo but I have been known to hole up in a makeshift ground blind, especially while elk hunting. I've never been in a tree stand even once, wouldn't mind trying it though.
I don't have the desire to spend my day in a stand-it is fine with me if that is what you like.
I spot and stalk-whatever animal I am hunting-mainly hogs on the ground-love it!!
Tree stands are nice, because you can get away with a lot of movement. But for the poll I would say treestands up until this year. I'm gonna give ground level a try and I'm interested what the others are going to say.
depends. If I see an elk or a monster deer frequenting a certain trail- I go with the treestand.
If I am in the treestand; and the elk or monster deer walks by out of range- I will try stalking them; and if I fall down accidently; I ALWAYS make it look like I am considering that spot for a ground blind.
I think all bowhunters like sneaking around over sitting still. Just a matter of conditions. Here in Idaho; in the spring- it can be virtually impossible to stalk bears with any sucess; as it may not rain for months at a time ( crunch crunch crunch). But in the fall; I do a lot of stalking- and more in the winter.
I for one am glad I don't have to do one: and not the others too !!
I hunt deer from a tree and chase hogs on the ground.I don't have large areas to deer hunt and there are often other hunters in the area.Stalking around stinking up the woods just messes things up for everyone in the area so is not the best method for deer hunting around here.
yes,yes,yes and yes,yes,yes.
Mainly ground blinds (natural) also spot and stalk.
tree stands & ground blinds for now, the woods I hunt are so thick it's hard to spot & stalk.
i just hunt on the ground, sometimes moving some times sitting.
All of the above it depends on time, location, weather, and feeling. my favorite way is to spot and stalk but it's not always possible.
all of the above
I'm a ground hunter mostly I'm 6'6" and weigh 370# I Don't feel safe off the ground. I hunt hills where I live.
Im with trapperDave!
Hunting eastern hardwoods and swamps I use treestands almost exclusively.
All of the above.I like to adapt to what the animals are doing and what the situation demands.
I hunt out of natural ground blinds and also a portable climbing tree stand. Although in the last few seasons I am keeping my feet on solid ground more and more. It's such a RUSH getting eyeball to eyeball with the critters I hunt.
I hunt both ways.I`ve bin hunting on the ground more often the past few years.It seems the tree climber is getting to be more of a hassel to use lately.
I do hunt from trees. Have noticed the deer in our area look up. I had 1 experience from the ground, and am wanting to ground hunt more and more
I'll put $100 cash on the table to anyone that can spot, stalk, and kill a North Carolina whitetail with a bow....seriously.
I hunt out of a stand with both bow and rifle.
Well... all three I guess. My hunting area is pretty diverse. In the thick bottomlands you would have a very difficult time trying to do a quiet stalk, especially after our last ice storm and the spring floods. There are just too many branches from thumb size all the way up to waist size (MY waist size even). It is nearly impossible to get through the woods, let alone do it quietly. In these areas I use stands. We clear paths through the woods to access our stands and ground blinds with as little noise as possible. It is amazing how much the game uses our trails as well. They don't want to scramble over all that stuff any more than I do.
In the prarie meadows and along the edges of the meadows, I use ground blinds. I use both portable pop-up types and permanant natural material blinds. I have several built so I can choose which one to sit in based on weather and wind direction. Or, I wear my ghillie suit and sit on my hunting stool and can pick anywhere along the field edges to sit.
In the bean fields, wheat fields and hay meadows, I end up trying to put the sneak on a few deer and hogs every year. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
Like I said, I'm lucky to have such a variety of areas to hunt. Kinda like having BOTH kinds of music...Country and Western!
I like it all. I don't really have one favorite, but have been most successful over the last 5 years or so (length of time I have been hunting this spot) from stands and blinds.
OkKeith
I use a folding stool and a natural blind (I can move easily, and often.) Don't use tree stands anymore (poor balance , but wish I could. Don't use boughten ground blinds either .
I use tree stands and ground blinds for deer hunting in eastern North Carolina. I'm with you, Tom; stalking around here ain't gonna get it done!
ground hunter trees are for the birds :biglaugh:
I usually just find a comfortable spot in the right place and sit down,disturbing the area as little as possible. :thumbsup:
Im with James Wrenn , unless you have a large track to your self stalking around messes everyone up so we must respect our hunting buddys . Now with that said I have 225 acers to myself durning early bow season so at times I do like to stalk around and have killed a few deer doing so .
Mike
up here in the adk mountains,it's spot and stalk/still hunt till the gun toters hit the woods,then ground blinds and tree stands for me, i don't trust gun hunters , but if i go back in aways it's back to spot and stalk,that goes for deer and bear!!
I pretty much spot and stalk. On occasion I'll sit under a tree for a while. Never been in a stand and don't think I'd have the patience for it. I like to move slowly and see what I can sneak up on. My hunting is done West of the Cascade Mountains here in Oregon.
I sat a tree stand once....as I scanned about me during the early sunrise, a very nice buck stood looking directly at me!! The stand had been there for years, I was wearing camo. So much for tree stands.
I do use ground blinds occationally, but still hunt most of the time. Read about it in one of Fred Bear's books. :-)
My wife and I hunt out of a mix of pemanent natural blinds and pop-ups along with a few treestands. I also still hunt/stalk ,usually take at least one deer a year doing this. I know all the areas I hunt, been hunting them since a kid and am pushing 50 now, so can pretty well time when deer will be where. Last year my firs trad kill of the year, I saw 4 does going behind a big, long boat storage shed as I was driving home. Since I know the owner and had permission to hunt, I pulled into the parking lot, ,drove to the other end and stood with my bow behind a clump of young pines. In about 5 minutes the does started crossing in front of me at about 16 yds. The the last 2 saw me, but didnt wind me and as the 2nd one in front stopped to look back at them I started drawing. She had her vitals behind a bush and as I hit full draw, I was concentrating on the junction of neck and shoulder and thats were the fletching stopped. She ran, 35 yards over a bank and piled up, jugular cut. I know this is a small target, but i shoot a lot at 1" stickers at this distance and knew I could make the shot. By the way, that was my 50th whitetail with a bow, a recurve the same way I started out in the 70's. Sam.