This will be my first serious attempt at Whitetail deer hunting with a trad bow on the ground here in NY. Ever since I had a near spill off a stand, you can say I've become tree shy. Any "best" way about it. I'm leaning towards simple ground stand vs stalking. What y'all think.
I bought an ameristep ground blind last week. it is 42" x 126". wally word had them left over from turkey season. got it 70% off.throw it in the air and it opens up. Doesn't close that easy though :) . It is what I will use most of next season.
If ya got the time and energy, make you a pit blind. Just make sure you can find it in the dark.
I dug one for the first time last year and it worked great. Was able to shoot standing up, and only be about 2 foot above the ground. Deer had no idea I was there. Just have to make sure you clear your shooting lanes if you got a lot of brush in the area.
Funny I just came to that chapter last night in a book - I would suggest finding some books from people who do ground hunting - the one I have is an old thing I found on my book shelf from the NRA in 1988. Bottom line for me is I move to much. SLOOOOOOW 2 or 3 steps, stop and wait - they suggest moving no more than 100 yards in 20 minutes or LESS. That is hard for me to do - I tried it last year and had a doe get within 20 feet of me (she saw me I did not se her until she ran). Picking a well used trail and waiting down wind is about as good as it gets. Ground blinds are great if you can put them out and leave them for a few months prior to using them (someone would steal mine though)
I like that pit blind idea, sweet.
toelkeman, I've hunted whitetails for about 10 years now from ground blinds, ones I've mad with natural cover and popups. I love the popups, as I can't seem to sit still like I use to in tree a stand!! Popups take some gettin' use too, limited vision, shootin' lanes est. If you choose a popup, keep in mind your bow length and your height. Also look for one with good TIGHT shoot thur mesh. If you take the time to adjust to the blind, and TUNE your bow and arrow flight for the mesh....your love them!! Good Luck!!!
Great Thread, I'm always a student of archery and bowhunting and I too have become somewhat tree shy! Last year was my first season with time spent at eye level! But I have always hunted from the ground a some point in the past 35 years as i love still hunting and spot and stalk more than sitting in trees, each has it time and place!! This past late winter i made up a gilli siut out of a old leafy suit and tested it during turkey season, these things work great as long as you still break up and blend with the areas veg.! I got so close to turkeys that I couldn't draw my bow as i was afraid of getting busted, they came in right to my lap at 5 yards, never new I was there! I just couldn't pull it off!! next year I'll use a pop up ground blind for turkeys, With all that said, I had deer also pass me at shooting range and not know i was there!! so this fall i'll be hunting from a pop up and or whearing my gilli suit and hopefully I can pull this off!! Still lots to learn when it comes to hunting from the ground but man what a rush!!!! Jim
I don't have a ground blind (maybe this is the year) even though I have cozied up in a few blowdowns over the years but my FAVORITE ground tactic is to still hunt along the edge of this large swamp on my property. However, the timing must be exactly perfect. It must be on the backside of a nasty coldfront, the ground wet, with a decent steady wind, cold (well, 30ish for GA)with the date being somewhere around November 10-14. The bucks are foolish and driven to breed. Move SLOWLY and then become a BUSH and he'll never know I'm here. Sorry, reliving a few past hunts there for a moment. Had lots of luck with this scenario when it all comes together.
Hope this helps in your quest.
David in GA
3 out of the 6 deer I shot last year were taken from natural ground blinds. Where I hunt there are quite a few bushy cedars and I like to use them to break up my human form. The 1st picture shows the natural ground blind where I shot 2 of the 3 deer last year. I was just to the right of the tree trunk that is leaning to the right on the left side of the picture.
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m174/bohuntr77/ResizeofBowhunt11-16-08081-1.jpg)
This second picture was taken from that ground blind looking West. The white you see is the belly hair of the doe that expired about 25 to 30 yds from my blind.
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m174/bohuntr77/ResizeofBowhunt11-16-08083.jpg)
I hunted on the ground last year and had a doe so close I could hear her chewing! she knew somthing was not right but could not figure it out. I didnt get a shot but it was cool! gonna give it a whirl again this year and see what happens!! I have noticed that it matters more the cover behind you than it does in front! I havent used a ground blind but I have set in alot of tops with cover in front and got busted! however you do it stay concealed and dont move around alot and have fun because that's what matters most!! Jason
I hunted ground blinds for the last two years on and off. I do not like the limited view from the blind. Last year I had two encounters on the ground while on foot . I would keep the wind in my face and slowly move from cover to cover. I limited my movement and planned my next move before leaving my cover. To my suprise I got within 20 yds of a doe that was feeding and slowly moving to me. Too much movement with my bow and she was gone. I was excited to get that close and feel confident I can pull it off in the future. The other time I had a cyote pass by a big old oak tree I was using as cover. He was 45 to 50 yds away. Again the wind was in my face and he was up wind from me just walking and nose to the ground. Two really cool memories.
Dan Fox,
I am shocked that you can "conceal" yourself on the ground man!!!!!!!!!!! Aren't you like 7 feet tall??
Thats funny Justin!!! The only time I am 7 feet tall is when I am drinking Tequilla and it comes in combination with being bulletproof! :^)
My concern is that if I don't start working out more it may be possible for me to reach 7 feet wide. :biglaugh:
I've recently read some writings from a person that hunts a lot in Michigan's pressured areas...Bowhunting Pressured Whitetails by John Eberhart. He has some great ground ideas that revolve around hunting cornfields...I tried this last year with traditional equipment without success but it was a learning experience for me and I will adapt and learn from what I did wrong. I have friends that have cleaned up walking cornfields and setting up shop in and around them, many areas don't have trees and ground blinds are key.
Growing up on a large farm I've often harvested corn in the second weekend of gun season (chase deer with 700,000+ hunters for a couple weeks and deer learn to hide well) and literally chased deer down the last 4 rows of corn...they didn't want to leave the safety of the corn. I've walked through the fields when the corn is wet or the wind is blowing and I've come very close on several occasions...all learning experiences. It's funny when you enter a 140 acre cornfield and just weave your way across the field into the wind, looking into empty row after row and then you look into one and there they are. The key is to have a light breeze or a wet field...if there is grass in one area of the field they tend to bed in the grassy areas or if the planter swings wide during a direction and the row is wider...they love that also. I've seen them travel the pivot irrigation tire tracks and bed just off them in a row.
Eberhart writes that during some of the heaviest hunted times deer will still move all day in a cornfield, they feel that safe. If you find an area that has been flooded out early in the year and the corn is gone and weeds have grown up, this area can be great, bucks will cruise these areas in the rut looking for bedded does.
If you have corn up against a swamp (if it's in the middle of the field) set up shop there. Getting to know the area over 35 years has helped, remembering where the low areas are and if they get flooded out will go a long way, finding them when the corn is tall is not fun. We've planted grass in sloped areas that always washout, this is another great area as they are in the middle of a massive natural food plot, they never have to leave.
Just some thoughts...
Here are some pictures from my DB Matrix hunts last year in the corn, after I looked at the pictures I could tell I need to cover the roof line better and did going forward. This is the "recurve" addition.
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h138/oliverstacy/GEDC0758-1.jpg)
(http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h138/oliverstacy/GEDC0757-1-1.jpg)
Josh
Ground hunting is DEADLY.. If done correctly you do not need a blind. I wear either my Shaggie or when warmer ASAT Ultimate camo.. I make natural debris "pile/blind" and sit INFRONT of it. As long as the "pile" is high enough to breakup your seated outline,, your in business!! Even in a plaid jacket if your stone still a deer will not bust you. I always wait for the deer to walk PAST me then kill them in a quartering shot. This is a deadly technique. No one will ever be able to find your stands or your "honeyhole"... LOL
My father in law only still hunts and is very succesfull at it. JDS3 is right on!
Don't learn it the way I did (year after year of trial and error).
Pick up a copy of _Stalking & Stillhunting: The Ground Hunter's Bible_ by the worthy G. Fred Asbell (available from 3Rivers, etc.) and read it. Then practice what you've learned and maybe re-read it.
Fred's the man.
I too am planning on trying to hunt from the ground more this year. I have been doing a lot of walking in areas I hunt and setting up ground blinds with natural materials in areas I think are good deer ambush locations. Whenever I leave the truck i have a small fanny pack with a folding saw and pruning shears. When I find a good spot I move dead limbs and such to create a little pocket. I try to make sure I have good back cover and in front. By the end of summer I hoe to have a couple dozen set up to fit my mood and weather conditions. I am not giving up on the treestand, but I am looking forward to trying from the gwound.
Just make sure you build some brush blinds in advance. Even if it means dealing with mosquitoes. Most people don't ground hunt bow season and won't bother your set-up.
Make sure to have tons of back cover to conceal any movement.
Keep the ground inside your blind clear to eliminate noise by your feet.
Finally, draw your bow from multiple positions while in the blind to see where you can and can't shoot.
If you do those three things you will be a lot closer to bagging a deer from the ground. Put in the preseason time, it will be worth it. This is all coming from a guy that is seriously mistake prone!
-Charlie
If you really think about it there are many more opportunities for a good ground blind ambush than there are from a tree...I understand there are great funnels that have optimal trees but if the pressure is on the deer will find the least visited place and stay, most of these areas don't have trees from what I've seen. I watch two really nice bucks walk out of the tip of a swamp and clear the one good tree in the area without walking within shooting distance, a ground blind would have been perfect. I was in the tree by the way.
I'm going to build some good ground blinds this summer and hunt them when I have the correct wind this fall...like someone else mentioned build them early even if you have to fight the mosquitoes.
Josh
Been on the ground since 1975 after a spill from a Baker Tree Stand. The most exciting way to bowhunt any game. Made a ton of errors in those early years but as time went on, became very proficient at perfecting my skills. Took a lot of studying deer habits, food sources, the hardwoods etc.
Back in '86 I switched over to ASAT Camouflage and its been my staple ever since. "leaves are down, woods are brown" and I found ASAT to blend in perfectly in all my hunting situations. Timing the shot is also key, most of my kills are made while the animal is quartering away from me.
Another key element my buddies and I find from ground hunting is being mobile. Especially when we are calling and the deer are in the pre rut or rut stages. We can cover more ground and at times, ease in on a good buck while the chasing hits it peak. After scouting a new area, I like to head in and build natural blinds or ambush locations in Jan/Feb. All natural cover making sure I have a few blinds to cover any wind switches.
I don't make them too obvious on state land I hunt because it just opens the door for another hunter to find and use them. Too much info to cover here...Soft quiet camouflage clothing, a good cover scent, headnet over face paint, patience and good strong buck lure during the rut.
ASAT effectiveness at a distance...notice the natural cover I used behind me...
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a281/sf1oak/scan0003-6.jpg)
I love to spot and stalk. Have yet to take a deer doing it, but last year I went out New Year's Eve Day. It was drizzling with snow already on the ground. It was great just sneaking around in the woods, following deer trails, seeing where they were... There's something awesome about being on the ground, moving, stalking, soaking up the natural environment around you... its more than harvesting, it feels like tapping into something deeper, primitive, and natural. That said, I hope to harvest a deer still hunting this year with my recurve! For me, that would be the ultimate accomplishment (although I really want to get out west and hunt Elk someday!) ;)
The good thing about hunting from the ground is being able to build a blind at the hot spots you find during scouting. It is all natural, so you don't have to let it weather in and loose its scent. You can build several in a day for different wind conditions. If you build them in the late summer, when the leaves fall they just get better. A folding dove stool is all you need to bring in with you, get the kind with a pouch and it doubles as a day pack. Bill
I'm glad that Joe Skipp chimed in on this thread. He and a couple other of my NJ Winter Bow hunting friends know a lot about hunting white tails on the ground. Joe had given me some pointers a couple seasons ago and my hunting has improved from his advice.
Another scorce of good solid information I have found was in the book by G. Fred Asbell titled Stalking and Still Hunting. He covers foot wear, clothing, hunting from ground blinds and still hunting.I think I bought my book from 3 Rivers.
I love to make natural ground blinds. I even have a number of the plastic gree chairs set in them with my name on them with a note in plastic telling other hunters to feel free to use but do not move as I am a physcial challenged hunter and need the chair to hunt. So far over the last 10 years I have had only 4 chairs taken. So I am out a 20 bill. The use of natural blind give the hunter a natural setting that the deer see over the year. I in some cases will add some extra pine or brush to hide any movement as I go to draw on a deer. I do use camo coverall, face paint, hat, camo light gloves and most of all make sure of the wind. I even have a small feather tied on to the bow to show the slightest change in wind. It is great to be eye ball to eye ball with a deer.I also carry in my backpack extra hunting togs to keep warm and or not have them on as I walk in so I do not get sweated up. I also have at the ground blinds 1/2 pee bottles that I empty at the end of the hunt.
Bill
after talking with Joe Skipp by email i built a few ground blinds like the pictures he sent me and had deer CLOSE!! Joe is a pleasure to talk with and is a great help. i have a couple good places i now hunt from the ground.
I think sometimes guys are tied to their tree stands and need to think outside the box so to speak.
There's a whole lot of hunting that's being missed.
Example... I have a friend who's convinced shooting a deer while still hunting is impossible so he doesn't even try...therefore it's impossible, for him.
Guess I'm saying that I think still hunting and ground standing are a matter of attitude more than anything.
Though I don't do it as much as I used to, I often hunt in a tree first thing in the morning, then still hunt from there when I get down.
Also remember that the perfect tree in the perfect spot is gonna work whether you are in the tree 12 feet up or under the tree.
Don't forget to cover your face when still hunting or standing on the ground. Face paint (cork) or a head net/mask do as much to keep you undetected as the camo you wear on your body. (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/oklahomagroundstandlong.jpg)
In a tree or on the ground you are more likely to get caught trying to move when a deer is approaching (at whatever angle).
Once past you, it becomes a whole other ball game and you will get by with much more.
I'd rather shoot one from the ground than 3 from a tree. I love to wander very slowly through the woods on a wet and windy day. Being a crippled-up old man (just 60, but some days I feel it), stalking slowly comes naturally! When I say slow, I mean REALLY slow. I never take more than two or three steps at a time, and stop for several minutes between movements. If you spook squirrels or birds, you're going too fast. I like to go from tree to tree and lean against them for a little while. 100 yards per hour is about right. Since I go so slowly, I go to a good area at a faster stalk, sit for 30 minutes or so, then start the slo-mo.
Stalking can be really effective when it's dry, too, but then I don't worry about noise as much as the pattern of sounds. I break up my footsteps so that I never make three steps in a row, trying to sound like a squirrel on the ground. You know- crunch... crunch crunch... crunch... Deer get used to hearing squirrels and ignore sounds that sound like them. I have friends who also carry a turkey mouth call to help camo their sounds. When I'm feeling brave and I'm pretty sure there's no one else in my woods, sometimes I deliberately try to sound like a deer walking, using my walking stick and longbow tip. In the rut, a buck will come to investigate the sound of another deer walking. I've had them run right up to me. I don't recommend that when there's other hunters in the woods, and I never do it in gun season.
There are a few things I do if I am going to ground hunt. One is to bring along a nice portable seat. One of the biggest problems for me is sitting still which means being comfortable. I also bring a grunt call, small pruners and a small hand rake used in gardening. When I find a spot I set up the seat and clear the ground with the small rake. I then prune some shooing lanes as quietly as I can. All the time I use the grunt call very softly in case deer are close enough to hear me....I want them to think I'm a buck messing around. I also prefer a ghillie suit or leafy suit but have killed a number of deer in regular old camo just sitting at the base of a tree. Movement and scent are the biggest give aways. Oh yes, I also have a small screw in bow hanger or two in my pack to hang or lean my bow on in the event there is not a convenient place to hang it or lean it. I've taken deer as close as 3 yards from the ground. It is as good as it gets for bow hunters. I've had my most consistent luck when I come upon really fresh sign at a feeding area, like oak trees. If the sign is real fresh there's a really good chance the deer will be back pretty regularly for a while. Face and hand camo ore essential, as well.
When I was younger I spent alot of time on the ground, still do a bit. I used to find trails or crossings and just set up near a tree with a little brush. No chairs, just crouched on my knees. Little older now - crouched doesn't work for long anymore - gotta have a bit of the comfort, I keep a little fold stool lashed to my little pack I carry.
Seen guys give up hot spots because there was not a suitable tree close by.
J
This a great thread, like I posted earlier I hunted exclusively on the ground last year and had some close encounters, I'm talking 3 to 5 yards, and had a great time, looking forward to next season!! and like other's have said, back cover and good camo is key!! Good Hunting, Jason
Thanks much everyone for the votes of confidence. Where I hunt, I have access to some pretty thick areas and that's where you'll find me.
Actually tried it one time a couple of years ago. I went hunting on day that was very thick with fog and mist. So I decided I wouldn't be able to see anything in that slop so I hunkered down at the base of a large oak tree. Just sat there and waited. Unknown to me but a nice buck had snuck in behind me and sat down himself about 5 yards away. When hunting time was over, I stood up.....in shock...so was he. I guess I can say, we enjoyed each others company for a short while.
I stopped ground hunting in 1983 after being shot by another bowhunter who mistook me for a deer. I simply could not bring myself to hunt from the ground, even though I wanted to.
When my kids got old enough to go hunting, I slowly returned to ground hunting. At first, it was pop-up blinds to hide their fidgeting. Once my son got older I found myself hunting even more from the ground because I would be worn out after hauling and hanging his stand and getting him buckled in safely.
Now he is grown and hangs his own stands. Now I hunt almost exclusively from the ground. There are too many treestand hunters on the public ground I hunt and the deer are looking for danger in the trees more than on the ground. I also like how quietly I can sneak into a spot when I am not hauling a treestand and the associated equipment.
Most of all, I love the challenge of being at eye level. I have killed several nice bucks the last couple of years from the ground, and I do not see myself returning to the trees.
I am building natural ground blinds right now. Be sure to have a good background. I also wear ASAT Leafy wear and it is one of the best purchases I have ever made. I have had deer as close as 3 yards and simply "look right through me". That stuff is amazing.
Now I need to find a more comfortable stool.
Dan
In Northeast Ohio where I live and hunt, the deer look up when they travel through the woods. Now, they are starting to notice ground blinds! I just use a Tree Saddle or natural cover and ASAT Leafy. I have patterned these deer around here enough to know where they go and just pick out the ones I want. In high pressure areas, you have to be willing to get up and set up where the deer will go when under pressure.
QuoteOriginally posted by Three Arrows:
In Northeast Ohio where I live and hunt, the deer look up when they travel through the woods. Now, they are starting to notice ground blinds! I just use a Tree Saddle or natural cover and ASAT Leafy. I have patterned these deer around here enough to know where they go and just pick out the ones I want. In high pressure areas, you have to be willing to get up and set up where the deer will go when under pressure.
Hardly anyone ground hunts on public land here, especially with a bow. Interesting difference between our two states.
Dan
That's what I used to think. I just kept going higher up the trees and the deer still looked up. They don't run, they just get nervous and leave. I started ground hunting using natural cover or building blinds ahead of time using deadfall and brush. This method allowed me to have deer within a couple feet of me. I have even had does take a whiff of the Copenhagen in my pocket when I used to use snuff.
I know this is an old post but found it searching and had a question...
Been thinking about spending some time on the ground in some of the really thick stuff on my property that I'm seeing lots of sign in but I'm concerned about swirling winds.
Seems every time I've sat on the ground. Taking into consideration the wind before sitting down. Within a few minutes I have breezes from different directions. Usually 180 degrees from where it started out. If I moved every time the wind shifted I'd be walking all over the woods constantly....
Any advice?
I took to hunting the ground 3 years ago. I hunt some pretty remote areas and found that even the lightest stands was starting to hold me back from getting into areas that I want to hunt. Best tools I've found are Russel Hulls Cover-Up and this here seat that I discovered last year. Google up SitDrag and you'll find it.
Walk SLOWLY!!!!! :thumbsup:
I have killed quite a few deer while slowly walking from place to place. Due to a bad back it is hard for me to sit for a long period of time. When the old back starts to hurt,I get up and move. It gats the blood flowing and helps work the kinks out. Make ALL of your movements SLOW!!!!! If you are not spooking the squirrels that are scampering around on the ground you are doing it right!!!!!
Good Luck!!!!!!!!!! :archer:
Look a lot, move a little. Today, I went to an area overgrown with multiflora rose and cleared paths through the thick stuff. My father in law and I stood for minutes at a time and move about 50 yards or so in between. We encountered 2 bucks and 3 does in an hour's time. One doe actually went up to me and sniffed my smoking Thermacell! The Thermacell did not spook the doe at all, rather it was my father in law's scent that sent her packing. If you use a ground blind set up, use an inverted V shape with a tree as your backrest. /o\\ like this. Keep the blind only as high as your upper chest. Give yourself room to hold out your bow. I have downed the majority of my deer from the ground. I prefer to hunt from a treestand simply for the view. It is very difficult to hunt from the ground when you fidget as much as I do. To combat this, I pick a zone and scan that zone for at least 15 minutes at a time then I scan another zone on the opposite side. Ghillie suits are simply fantastic for ground hunting! Use a ghillie suit and a log and you don't need a blind. I was taking a deuce one time and a duck hunter walked back and forth trying to find the pile he thought he stepped in 10 yards from me.
Sorry...TMI
Three Arrows - rofl! Talk about claiming a spot. :-p
I hunt the ground exclusively as I just don't like tree stands nothing against anyone who does use them they are just not for me with that said I use ASAT camo Ghillie suits and have had deer almost walk on top of me I feel as you hunt this style you pick up on better ways of doing it as you go. And in one post I saw someone speak of hunting in corn now I believe in The DVD Hunting October Whitetails they demonstrate a technique for doing this with a bow maybe you would want to check this out also
QuoteOriginally posted by One eye:
I stopped ground hunting in 1983 after being shot by another bowhunter who mistook me for a deer.
Did anyone else hear this? one eye, can you tell us more if you don't mind of course
(very interesting) maybe in a new thread or if you have already shared this story I would like to read it if anyone has the link available.
James
I have found deer hunting from the ground has been very effective on the state land around me. I can slip into an area, find a natural blow down and setup. No noise setting up a climber, I would not advise anyone to leave a stand in these woods as it would find a way out of the woods without you :confused: But have fun,, not all of your setups will work the first time and some will. Its very exciting, and a great way to explore a new area that may be a bit of a walk too. Couple things I make sure of for a good ground blind.
1. Wind direction, must be from the expected deer zone.
2. Cover, Must have a decent screen in front of you with a good "something" big behind you,, Rocks, Hill, Tree or trees, treetops. I've been successfull as using lumber piles that have been sitting in the woods,, Took a nice buck at 12 yards from it. It was there where I wanted to be so I moved a few logs so I could sit with logs surrounding my two sides and he walked up and I sent an arrow threw both lungs. So be creative is what I'm saying,,LOL,,
3. Sitting still is important too. As far as camo,,as long as your doing the above,,you can wear about anything,even blaze orange,,LOL,,
4. Shooting lanes,,,, a great way to setup your lanes is in a 12/15 yard "V" if your hunting very thick cover. Its exzactly what I do in cattails swamps. A lot of times I don't even trim lanes because I don't want to change anything the deer are used to seeing or smelling. I hunt very preassured deer. Have fun and post some pics of your success from the ground,, and I don't mean putting a deer down,, how about some pics of your setups,,stories of the close encounters till the wind just slightly changed,ECT. Have fun bud,,JB
Ghillie, or leafy suit. Dobt need anything else(except a video cam)What a blast. I have had deer within 3 feet of me, a red squirrel stop on my boot, and a 4 pt buck make a scrape, next to me while looking at me! I am glad he didnt pee on me instead of his tarsals. If you want to try its effectiveness before the season put one on and stalk squirrels. You will be amazed how close you can walk up to them.
Ground hunting is the way to go, "for me that is" alot easier with a ten year old boy! Me and my son got out and made some good ground blinds from blowdowns on some well used trails! hope to see some doe's I'm not to concerned about seeing buck's right now, although they are welcome! just want to get him in some deer this year without worring about him falling out of a tree, been on the ground a couple of years now and love it!! Jason
Some great info on both ground stands and moving. Ill second a vote towards what I feel important when Im in the woods.
Don Stokes has the major key listed from what I have found. Move slow. Slower than you have ever moved in your life. You MUST see the deer before it sees you or the game is up. You will spot a deer WHEN it moves, and vice versa. Aways look, move slow and infrequently.
Good camo is a huge help but Ive had deer close enough to swat with my bow with jeans and a flannel shirt on. My face is ALWAYS darkened and I feel really important so I can move my head looking (moving very slowly).
If in a ground stand, I dislike anything in front of me unless several feet out in front and less than waist high.
If planning on staying in a spot awhile or coming back, slowly scrape the leaves and twigs away from a larger area than you think you may have to move your feet to.
When first stopping in a spot, sitting on a log etc, I always double check what is above my head. A few times not doing so found me drawing on a deer with a single branch stopping me. Unlike a fixed stand where you do this before season, each time you stop it's a new ballgame.
Stay in the shadows as much as possible and try to stop with part of your body blocked by a tree or bush.
I like ground hunting. Every day is a new hunt, no boredom of stand sitting and I can move to inspect areas once a week or so checking sign as I hunt. Never know when slipping through the area when a new scrape or rub line will suddenly appear that wasnt there 3 days ago.
I love standing corn. Slipping along a thick fence, along a marsh or creek I can spend an entire day S L O W L Y slipping along and glassing the area I can see for several minutes before moving again.
Once a tail or ear flick catches your eye, you're in business and the fun begins.
It's hard for me to move slow enough and I get busted a few times annually before I get it pounded back into my head that what is slow the rest of the year is 10 times too fast hunting.
Good luck......you're gonna love it.
God bless
Thanks folks, Lots of good info! I sat on the ground last night and got busted by a big old doe at about 4 yards. What a hoot! I'm still a bit perplexed as to what to do about swirling winds. I can sit based on the wind direction at the time I sit but it seems that, where I'm hunting I've got breezes swirling from all directions, all the time. I'm using scent killer and tinks as a cover/attractant and as far as I know, I haven't been busted due to scent, But the question remains, just how many deer are smelling me and slipping off unseen? Thats what has kept me in the trees but the fact is, I'm a better shot on the ground. And its a lot more fun, eye to eye! :-)