Want to encourage all you guys trying the ground for the first time or still waiting to score from the ground!
Well Saturday morning was slow with only 3 deer seen between 3 of us hunting. Got my chores done and and head back out at 2 to scout a new piece of property I got permissions to hunt. ( don't be shy about asking they can only say no! I'm alway surprized when I ask!) Mean while by 3 I was in my homemade ASAT pants and wool plaid shirt. I hunt the "Burbs" so my stand was only about 100 yards from a parking lot. I had been waiting for a SE wind and tonite was the night! About half way to my stand I dropped down on all fours to "stalk my stand". I us "stand " loosely as I really was only going to pick a spot down wind of a know trail coming out of a bedding area. Knippers in hand I got to a spot behind a leafless but thick bush with only one shot to the trail. The trail was only 10' from me on the othr side of the bush but if a deer walked it it would offer a nice quarting away shot. I dared not venture any further into the bedding area as I knew beds where as close as 10 yards to my left! I spent my time until 4 to quitely knip away twigs so I could move to make a shot.
At about 4 I slowly rose to a standing position as I hoped to catch a glimpes of any near deer movement. The weeds in this place easliy were 4' tail hiding most movement by me or the deer. At 4:30 I heard a deer approaching and before I could see it, it was 15 yards and closing. As it's head went out of sight so did I dropping to one knee with bow ready in the shooting lane. as he passed oppisite of me I saw him clearly thru the bush. THinking he'd spot me and the gig would be up he just kept walking like a "man on a mission"! You know how bucks can sometimes "look" as if they are deep in thought and oblivious to all else. Anyhow at about 4 yards I rose up picked my spot and loosed the string. He "mule kicked" and took off. I saw a good foot of my arrow sticking out of the off side and felt good about my shot. My shot went thru the liver and offside lung but he still ran nearly 300 yards.
He was just a goofy little 3 point but my only shot opportunity to date.
Good luck to all and exspecially you guys on the ground wearing wool that's full of burrs. Lol!
(If I pull all the burrs off my wool I won't have a shirt anymore Lol!)
Way cool! Congrats!
Super cool! I'm now an exclusive Michigan "ground hunter". I'll never climb a tree again.
Congrats!
Way to go 44Charlie. I'm another Michigander ground hunter. For one thing, I'm too darned old to climb trees anymore.
Is that 44C an Army MOS?
Congrats Charlie and ground hunting is about all I do anymore since a back operation...It's a whole new experinace for those who haven't tried it yet..I've taken 3 bucks off the ground with trad gear and quite a few close incounters ...Main thing is play the wind right,Keep yourself as sent free as possible , stay as still as possible,make certain your back is covered and as much surroundings as you can and try not to get the "shakes" when you are eye to eye...The more I hunt and get close the less the shakes happen...I had three bucks friday and never shook but did have one nice 8 that got me a bit excited and made my knee wobble a little after he moved out but the whole time we were focussed on each other I was fine...
Way to go Charlie!!
4 Yards! That is almost close enough to have to go to the bifocals!
Congratulations.
Congrats on a fine hunt. Well done sir.
Very good. Yet to have any luck off the ground. Close but nothing yet. You certainly got in close.
Good Deal! The burrs and seeds are just extra camo.
I love sitting on the ground in those weed clumps. Those deer can pop right up on you before you know it. My coat is so covered in stickers this year I haven't even tried to pull them off yet.
Nice going...wow..guys still hunt from the ground?
:dunno: :nono:
Congrats Charlie and thanks for sharing...
:thumbsup:
Congrats Charlie! Im with you my friend, no more trees for me, way to much of a rush on the ground.
:thumbsup:
Congrats Charlie :thumbsup:
Nice job! Need pics!!
Thanks for sharing the story. Congratulations. I love ground pounding!
:bigsmyl: :thumbsup:
Cool story , thanks for sharing. Waiting on the pics. :coffee:
Congrats!
Hunting the burbs in MI is hot stuff in the making. There are some monsters holed up in swales and thickets only yards away from some peoples yards in housing developments. Bowhunting is the only feasable (and legal that close to dwellings) way to do it. Great score.
BTW: I still have that flatbow I bought from you that you made. Shot a pesky raccoon off my trash can with it not a few weeks ago.