Hello everyone, I am new to bowhunting and after months of research and shooting finally purchased my bow set-up a few weeks ago. I am well on my way to scouting the public land I will be hunting in Indiana and sighting in my bow. I was curious though what advice or opinions you all had about hunting on the ground without a blind. Success stories, what you've learned, is it preferable or possible? Or should I just get comfortable with a tree stand and not waste my time? Thanks! FYI: I ended up getting an Elite Synergy.
I prefer hunting on the ground. I use a premade blind but more often, I find a spot and brush in a spot that gives me the right spot to sit and wait. One of the most important issues in a ground blind is your screening behind yourself so that you don't end up silhouetting yourself with nothing behind you. You have to be extremely careful with every movement but man is it fun to be on their level.
Hunting on the ground without a blind is tough but it is do able.I have killed quite a few deer from the ground with a gun but only two with a bow.When you are hunting on the ground it is much harder to get away with movement than it is from a treestand and you need some cover to break up your outline and having soemthing like a ghillie suit helps a lot.However being on the same eye level as the deer is a lot more thrilling than when your 18 feet above them. Most people (myself included) prefer hunting from a stand becauce its easier to get away with movement/wind direction ect....And the deer just dont seem to see you as easily. So I would get a stand. Great choice on the bow.
Welcome to the site an Congrats on the new bow.! If you do decide to hunt from the ground like ybohunt said you need some break up cover. Look at a mobile setup like the Lone Wolf Alpha II and some climbing sticks. I think this will give you more options.
Welcome to the site. You can definitely kill deer while on the ground. Of course it presents its own challenges but it can be a blast. Like anything else, the more you do it the better you will get. Putting the wind in your favor will be the biggest factor on the ground. Concealment and movement are right behind hunting the wind. You'll learn to set up so you are comfortable so you are not fidgeting and moving around. Also, make sure you have something to sit on. Sitting on the ground sounds good at times but drawing your bow from there can really be difficult especially after you've been sitting awhile. Don't rule out spot and stalk hunting. While extremely difficult on whitetails it can be done; and it can be killer on muleys, antelope, elk, moose and plenty of other big game. I look forward to hearing some of your stories of success and frustration. :D
Killed my biggest bow buck on the ground few years ago. If you cant get in a tree I'd use a blind but you have to brush it really good. I prefer lock on because I like getting up in high but I like also setting up in and blind relaxing also lol
Hunting on the ground takes the game to a higher level! Little things that you can get away with in trees will not go unnoticed on the ground. On years that I get a deer in the freezer early, I switch over to hunting from the ground for added excitement and it never fails to be enjoyable.
Thanks everyone for your responses. I think I might do some long sits as Fall approaches and see what happens but will most likely have a tree stand on call!
Try it all and soon enough you'll do what feels the most comfortable to you, or perhaps you'll do what gives you the biggest adrenalin rush!!!!!!!
I spend about half of my time hunting from natural ground blinds. This season I shot a doe at 20 yards while her 2 doe buddies were close enough to poke with an arrow. It gets exciting!
Welcome to the site and sport. My first deer with a bow was on the ground. I cut out a hole in a bush, put a chair in it, and shot a deer that afternoon. You may could call that beginners luck though. Anyways, I love hunting from the ground and it's a great way to harvest deer. However, I like being in a tree stand more. It gives you a lot of more advantages than being on the ground. I say do whatever you are comfortable with. If you are going to hunt on the ground, make sure to practice shooting from that position. Good luck
If you're going to hunt from the ground, particularly if you're not in a blind, you must really pay attention to the wind and control your scent as much as possible.
My $0.02 is don't make it harder for yourself by trying to learn how slowly you need to move and when you can move by hunting on the ground. Do yourself a favor and get a decent climber or hang on. Doesn't have to be a lone wolf. All my hang on's are in the $50-70 range and work just fine. Tip #2 scout more then you hunt. Hunting just to hunt isn't going to help you at all. I cherry pick days in October and November based off the weather and wind to take vacation days. If the wind isn't good for the spot I want to hunt I don't hunt it. I don't care if its the middle of the rut or the buck has been there everyday during day light for the last week. Tip #3 find your own hunting style that works best for you and the area you hunt. I hunt an area that has very sandy soil, lots of pines and brush and TONS of public land for miles in all directions. There is access all over the place so its impossible to get away from roads. Some of the best spots are actually close to the roads. Between learning the are over the last several seasons and talking with people that have hunted the area longer than I have I came up with a method that works for me. I suggest doing the same because what you read in all the books and magazines isn't always helpful for your area.
