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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: bear1336 on December 31, 2009, 10:00:00 AM
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I was reading a post on the MTB forum about trying to take a shot out of a tree stand in the wind. This got me thinking how many of us are strictly Ground Pounders either stalking/still hunting or sitting in a natural ground blind or pop up blind.
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I hunt the ground, and use blinds.
A ladder stand once in a while, but I am getting to the point in life where it takes too long to heal from the mishaps that can happen from hunting elevated.
Besides the groung is more fun IMO.
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We are all around you...
Lots of us hunt on the ground.
Joshua
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Yup... I can't stand to sit in a stand all day. That being said, I've also not yet killed a nice whitey with my bow. I love chasing elk and spot-and-stalk mulies. That's just what suits me right now. I've had lots of conversations with a friend of mine who is a white tail fanatic and he started out like me but was forced to change his tactics as he got older.
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I've been hunting on the ground for 3 or 4 years now. Natural blinds.
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Ground. I don't own any tree stands, and really don't have any plans to. Blacktails and Elk are very mobile so still hunting and spot and stalk work best for me.
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Forever on the ground. If I was meant to hunt from the tree, I would have a long tail and been called a squirrel. On second thought thats what my brothers always called me when I was a kid!!!!
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Hunting from the ground is safer for me now...I have nightmares thinking about how close I came to falling after the one and last time I forgot to re-attach my safety strap.
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90% from the groud. It suits where I hunt, usually with a gillie suit sometimes a blind.
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I rally like to stay on the move,don't like to stand up a tree;but sometimes.....
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I just spent a peaceful, mind racking morning; on the ground.
Squirrels on three sides within 10-15 yards, two does to the front at 8-10, and no way to draw... :bigsmyl: IF I had been in a tree, I would not have been on that part of the tree line!!
I came home with what I took plus a memory that can't be explained in words!
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:readit: :jumper:
Since '75 my feet have been on the ground and all those close encounters with game are some of the great memories I have....
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I hunt mostly from tree stands, but will occasionally hunt from the ground if the area dictates I do.
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Mr. bear1336,
We hunt only on/from the ground; stalking, still hunting or natural blind. Provides the most fun and sense of accomplishment for us.
Best Wishes
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As I begin to crowd the half-century mark, I am starting to hunt more on the ground. I am more nervous now in a tree than several years ago.
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I get up in the air now and again but really rather keep my feet on the ground, I like make'n natural blinds and still hunting. Still hunting is real tough but both ways offer the most fun and excitement for me.
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I'm probably 50% ground and 50% treestand but the ground percentage seems to be creeping up each year.
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I hunt from mostly tree stands, but am considering more and more hunting from the ground with a ghillie suit. How many of you hunt with Ghillie's, and is there a brand preference. If it helps I will mainly be hunting whitetails in Missouri. Mark
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I hunt from the ground more and more as I get older.... I really like the Double Bull blind for turkeys!
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99.99% on the ground. The only time I've been in a tree is on a out of state hog hunt
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Great thread, I am not alone sneaking around in the woods or sitting in a ground blind. Thanks for all the responses...
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I hunt from a stand on the farm I have permission to hunt.
But stay on the ground when I hunt our local WMA's. I use a Ghillie most of the time and try to use choke points.
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Ground pounding is fun but not too productive ,, Bowhunting from the trees is far better for results and stacks the odds in your favor ,, oh yea sneaking around on the ground(roveing) is fun but ground blinds arn't my thing each to there own,,
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I hunt out of trees when I can for deer. Most everything else I hunt on the groud.
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Hunted from a tree stand till I was about 22. I fell and broke my leg, 2 miles of dragging my butt across wind fell trees and swamp definitely cooled my desire to hunt from a stand. I found that I really liked ground hunting, you can get closer, it's more of a challenge and sitting in a stand drives me nuts, I really like to move more than you can with a tree stand. Besides there is nothing quite as thrilling as being on the ground with 1000 pound + game that's close enough to make eye contact!
Now I hunt totally from the ground. In many areas you'll need to put in 4-6 miles of spot and stalk everyday to locate game. In some of the areas I hunt the tallest thing is 6 inch high tundra grass, others nothing but rock. Alaskan hunts and tree stands seldom mix well.
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Originally posted by Gordon martiniuk:
Ground pounding is fun but not too productive ,, Bowhunting from the trees is far better for results and stacks the odds in your favor ,, oh yea sneaking around on the ground(roveing) is fun but ground blinds arn't my thing each to there own,,
This is completely dependant on your skill set, the area you hunt and the game your chasing. In my experience I do at least as well as my tree sitting counter parts even for white tail, we just set up in and work different areas.
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Originally posted by wtpops:
99.99% on the ground. The only time I've been in a tree is on a out of state hog hunt
Interesting, why hunt from a tree stand for out of state hogs if your strength is ground hunting?
PS hoping to chase hogs for the first time next winter. I'll be in hawaii for the first time now that I know there is hunting available. (Boiling on a beach with a bunch of yahoos I don't know is my own personal vision of hell)
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I do both.I find the ground a little more exciting.
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Didnt climb a tree in years now.And I get deer and turkeys and other game within spittin' distance.
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Originally posted by Rick P:
Originally posted by wtpops:
99.99% on the ground. The only time I've been in a tree is on a out of state hog hunt
Interesting, why hunt from a tree stand for out of state hogs if your strength is ground hunting?
PS hoping to chase hogs for the first time next winter. I'll be in hawaii for the first time now that I know there is hunting available. (Boiling on a beach with a bunch of yahoos I don't know is my own personal vision of hell) [/b]
I was at a ranch in Oklahoma and they required you to hunt from their stands. You should have seen there faces when they handed me the safty harness and i asked what it was and then told them i had never been in a tree before :saywhat:
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For me, hunting from the ground is the way to go. I get busted alot but that's OK. Hunting black bear over bait will find me in a tree stand. That's a real rush!
... mike ...
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I haven't been off the ground since about '73-'74, I have been thinking about it lately.
Hap
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I use whatever means best fits the area I intend to hunt. Spot & stalk, natural blinds, tree stands, I like them all. I've even bow hunted out of shooting houses in Alabama. Whatever works for the area.
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Every time I get in a tree I start thinking maybe I should be in that other tree. What if that deer comes thru that other opening?
About then I start to get ansy and it's only 20 minutes into the hunt.
Needless to say, I prefer to be on the ground.
Patrick
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I hunt hogs from the ground.I will start hunting deer from the ground when I get to the point I don't want to kill them any more and just like walking around in the woods with a bow. :D
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Ground only for me. Much more fun and challenging.
Dennis
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Ghillie suit. Rancho Safari. What a blast!
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I've ground hunted for the last 5 seasons.NATURAL BLINDS AND A GHILLIE.
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I hunt mostly from the ground but do occasionally get up in a tree. Just all depends on how I feel that day I guess but I hunt from the ground at least 90% of the time.
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95% of my hunting is from one of two treesands I have setup on my place.The other time I will sit in a ground blind my dad has setup.I've been FEET away from deer in that blind.So cool to be that close to deer and they have no clue you're there. :thumbsup:
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Wtpops
Thanks
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I've hunted from the ground the last 2 years and it's difintely more difficult. Getting them close is not a problem, getting drawn is! I've been busted several times by old does and had young ones almost step on me, but it's alot simpler to go in find a good tree, unfold yer chair and set down! Sad part is look's like tag soup again this year! :( Jason
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Jason
Do you use a limb sock or a flat finished bow?
Best way to get busted on the ground is move your bow parallel to the animal. Most herbivores see movement in a parallel plain to them very well but don't pick up on movement at a right angle to them well at all. In other words if your bow is in basically the same up and down orientation as it will be in your shot it is less noticeable when you draw by moving the bow towards the game than it is if you have to raise it to vertical then shoot. Keep your bow oriented up and down, don't make sweeping moves with it. Second fastest way to get busted is brad new shinny bow! We love the way that finish shines, deer do not. Non reflective finishes or limb socks work much better. Look for either a mute natural tone or a pattern that dose a good job of braking up the bows outline.
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Ground
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Hate heights! Ground only here!
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A few weeks back went to join my close friend for the rifle season in Montrose PA. Only had one deay to hunt so I committed to hunt all day come h@ll or high water.
Now for the fellows that don't know me I hunt probably %50 on the ground and the other 50 in stands, ladder climber and usually portables we put up.
I enjoy, and have had the best success from the ground actually but it is definetly trickier.
Now the point I wanted to make is this, this rifle opening day in PA it was blowing a combo of snow/rain often sideways and the stand I went into was a portable that was a tricky 18 foot climb.
In years past I would not have thought about it much but this year I got up in the early morning dark and climbed up, cold hands and heavier winter boots and it was tricky.
Well after spending 11 hours or so in a torture test and seeing nothing but a bunch of does and a spike buck I climbed down in the dark with colder hands and feet.
I realized that if I had fallen at 0445 hrs on the way up and could not take care of myself I would have been lying or hanging there all day and probably die. My friends knew where I was but would have no reason to come look for me until well after dark cause we always sit the stands all day.
I had a moment of clarity, I think that is what they call it. Why would I put myself in that type of position again to hunt deer. Yes the elevated hunting is better for scent and for seeing deer as they came in and shooting over brush etc. But it was dangerous and taking a risk that I could not justify.
God has blessed me with 55 years of good fortune in the field, taken care of me. But I don't believe he rewards foolish.
So effective this year I have made the commitment to hunt %100 percent from the ground with my bows and flintlocks.
Think about it, due whats best for you as it is a personal decision and be careful
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Rick P, I actually have camo limbs and I alway's try to keep my bow as if I'm gonna draw. The first time I got busted this year was by an old mature doe and I bet I did'nt pick my bow up an inch off the ground, jerked her head up and looked right at me! I thought "dang man" it's incredible how good they can see, but us fella's gotta realize we are in thier living room. I still prefer the ground over the tree's any day!! Jason
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I'm to lazy and fat to carry around a 35# treestand all day.
I dont get time to hardly hunt at all and no time for scouting.. So I just walk til I find a good spot and set up. If the wind changes or I see a trail near that deer are using right then?? It won't take 30 sec. for me to pack up my torge seat and pack to move..
To me the real problem is the wind. Here in Va. It seems to change every 5 minutes. Never really have a problem with movement. Years of turkey hunting has taught me when and where and how to move. And to TAKE MY TIME!! Ain't nothing out there a race..
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I've never hunted from a tree stand. Was out walking for 45-60 minutes today, but with temps hovering close to zero all the bunnys were hold up and the skirls were skittish. Not a shot but good excercise tromping thru some of this heavy snow.
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Always on the ground. I like the way it causes me to be more aware of my surroundings and heightens my enjoyment of my time in the woods.
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Never in a tree...dont kow very many out here that do hunt out of trees
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100% on the ground; ghille suit and I own 2 ground blinds; no need at all for the fancy camo clothing; wear black inside blinds and whatever I want to wear with ghille suit; fill tags every year... :campfire:
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I still hunt, and take a deer every yr. this way for the past 12yrs. I also take deer from a short ladder stand- that puts my feet about 7ft. off the ground---This is plenty high enough, if it is placed so that surrounding cover is as high as the deers head. This way it screens his view, and this slightly elevated stand gives me the advantage of being able to see over cover to spot deer. I see no reason to get higher than this, unless it is late in the season, and cover is gone. As a bonus,. Shot angles are not so severe at this lower height, and if you should take a fall, chances are the damage will be mimimal.
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I have been in the trees, but this year is the first year I have been tied in the whole time from the time I leave the ground to the time I come back down.
That said, I can see myself hunting form the ground more and more especially as I get older. I have had 2 shots at deer from the ground thus far, and I am 50% successful.