How many of you guys do it? I have some state land I am hunting and I sit as concealed as I can and hunt. It is about the only option I have and it is always better to be in the woods after school. But I was curious how you guys do it from te ground Cole
Keep the wind in your favor at all times! A blind might not be a bad idea if you have one if not make some type ghillie suit(more mobility)! Seen that work for some folks...if you have some luck Im betting it will be pretty intense on ground level with those giant whitetails! Good luck
I most often hunt from the ground on public land. Camo/cover, wind and scent control, terrain/topography, scouting, and patterning the deer (and for that matter any other hunters on the parcel) are all important.
Just curious why it's the only option you have. If I was going to hunt from the ground I'd put together a natural blind. IMO your much better off in a tree. A buddie of mine hunted his first few years from the ground. He would see deer but he never got a shot. The year he started useing a stand he started taking deer. He said if he would have been in a tree he would have shot more deer. For short sits get a cheap hang on and just leave it in. IMO the sooner you get off the ground the sooner you'll shoot a deer. Don't want to derail the thread and start a debate. I just think your going to drastically increase your odds by getting off the ground. Good luck.
I am working on getting a climber but money is tough to come but for a high schooler. All of the family'a hang ons and two ladder stands are in use at our normal hunting property south of where we actually live. We get down there a couple weekends each season and I wanted to hunt closer to home so I set up a natural blind with my dad. I realize it's not the best choice, but it's what I have to deal with right now and for me it's a lot better sitting in the woods than in the house
I find myself doing it more lately. I'm pretty sweaty after packing my climber in so if its going to be a long walk I would just assume sit on the ground. I have a ghillie suit that's not nearly as heavy as my stands. I also use natural cover. I just found a blowdown from this summer that's still holding dead leaves. It's in a good spot so next time I hunt there Ill take my hand saw and cut out the middle so I can sit in the canopy like a big blind. Buy a pack of cheap zip ties. With these and a pruner/saw you can whip up a ground blind pretty fast.
Make sure that you have a comfortable lightweight seat. Otherwise you will be fidgeting around and that is a big no-no on the ground. Deer will pick you off really fast doing this at ground level, and usually they are on top of you before you know it when hunting from the ground. So just make yourself as comfortable as possible and you will increase your odds.
I have been only hunting from the ground for the past two years. I have a ghillie suit and find that I can often conceal myself better than from a treestand. The nice thing about hunting from the ground is that if you have the right setup, the first chance a deer will get to see you and bust you is when it is in your shooting lane. I have also found that the wind will not carry your scent as far on the ground, but it is very easy for deer in the immediate vicinity to smell you if the wind is wrong. It is important to have a comfortable seat because deer will see you if you move even the slightest amount while shifting your weight. Always look for the best terrain funnel and don't clear too many shooting lanes. I have found that the key is having the most cover possible surrounding you with one good shooting lane. I often use scent attractants to draw the deer those extra few yards to line them up for a perfect shot. Lay-downs make great cover because they do an excellent job of breaking up your outline. I have had many deer within 15 yards of me both last year and this year including a 150 class ten point at 5 yards (unfortunately he never offered me the right shot). If you hunt smart nothing beats having eye to eye encounters with deer. Good luck! Brendan
i Live in northern michigan too and i find my self hunting on the ground quite a bit durning the year it helps to see whats going on in a area with out having to put up a stand but be sure to take your time when you get in a spot to look for anyting in your way that might mess up a shot i just messed up on the biggest 6pt i have ever seen last week do to not removing a twig behind me that i bumped on my draw. also if u can get into a area with a lot of back cover so they cant silloette you it really does make all the difference in the world. Good luck
Hunting on ground I hunt in here in Kentucky and have hunted on the ground my whole life. ( I have a nasty fear of heights). It is the greatest most extreme way of hunting to me. getting within a few yards of deer and them not knowing what hit them is the ultimate rush! I agree with most everyone here in that making sure the wind is right, keep scent down and good cover. Movement must be slow and methodical even in a blind. Don't believe all the talking and moving around in a blind like you see on TV. If you can get a blind great, if not make one. Cheap camo netting goes a LOOOng way! Easy to do and you can pack it with you. Not real big on gilly suits as they don't breath real well and you can get very uncomfortable plus can be expensive to buy and maintain. If you have the time to make one though, Great! I don't buy the latest greatest camo clothing, I have used my old military camo BDU's for years. anything to just break up your outline. A lot of manufactures try to sell us camo stuff that looks great on you but you don't need. deer don't care about your $60 shirt camo qualities. Deer care about staying alive... and finally Be quiet, be quiet and did i mention be quiet!
To those who ask why ground hunting is pretty much his only option, many states have very restrictive rules when it comes to tree stands on public land. Illinois, for one, mandates no leaving of tree stands on public land over night. Packing a stand in (and out) every time you hunt can really eat into your hunting time and energy. I prefer to hunt from a tree in most situations, but sometimes the deer go where treestands just don't make much sense. Plenty of areas where I hunt are such that being up in a tree actually decreases visibility (such as cedar swamps.) Pop-up blinds are a godsend for areas like that. If possible, set them up at least a few days before you plan on using them, and/or spray them down with scent killer. If you're worried about thieves (and you should be on public land) then take a long cable lock with you and thread it thru the pop ups windows and around a tree. Another tried and true method of ground hunting which I like is to still hunt, especially on breezy days and/or after a rain. Never actually stuck a deer with an arrow after a still hunt or stalk, but I have gotten close enough to (ended up being a button which I passed on) and my first buck ever was with a slug gun at 35yds while still hunting. It's a totally amped sensation to try to come to full draw on a deer less than 20yds away at ground level, with no real cover.
If you are looking for a good little read on ground hunting I came across a blog by Marc anthony, he does all his hunting from the ground and it gave some helpful tips to try and help with hunting from the ground in a Ghillie Suit, I think his blogsite is nontypicalhunter.com or something like that. It had some helpful advice, I am just finishing up a home built Ghillie myself and gave it a quick read, going to try it out and see how I do, good luck brother! Hope this was helpful!!
Thanks for all the helpful information! I was busted twice by does last night from situating to try to get a shot but two bucks go through with out noticing me also without giving a shot. It was much more intense than from a tree stand. Cole
Hunting from the ground can be tough, but can also be rewarding. You'll be eye-level with your target so cover/camo and scent control are paramount. I like to setup somewhere where I can have cover behind me. Sometimes I'll use a turkey blind to help hide small movements - it's also easy shoot over while kneeling. The main downside I notice while ground hunting is that you aren't as likely to see them coming from a ways off like you would if you were in a stand. The upside is that you'll be less likely to be picked off if there's sufficient ground cover such as low brush. You can easily disappear behind a bush or brushpile and get ready, draw, etc.
I just set up a new pop-up ground blind on the outside of one of our wheat fields this past weekend. Going to let it sit there all week and then go sit in it this weekend, hopefully. Got the pop-up for 99$ at Academy, and it is a great blind. Click on "pop-up." I attached the link of the one I bought. Great deal in my opinion.
the only problem with hunting from the ground is visiblity. Your restricted on sight as from a stand you can see more. other than that you'll be fine on the ground, but don't move a lot. make sure you remove all of the leaf's and twigs from the floor so that you don't step on them. I'v had several shooting ops while hunting on the ground with out a blind.
I've killed most of my deer from the ground. Play the wind, have something to hide behind and don't move much. About the only advice I can give you.
The experiences i have had from the ground is its not whats in front of you but the back drop behind you. Always make sure you have a good back drop and you will be fine. I have killed many deer from ground bucks and doe's.Always use the wind to your favor and do a good job scouting you should be fine. Alot of times i prefer hunting from the ground. I also like to make my blind i thinks it blends in better,its all about concealment. If you do buy a blind make sure you brush it in good.
I don't do it very often but when I do, I use a piece of old Army camo netting for a blind. Hang it off whatever you can with a bungee cord or two and you are golden. Deffinitely pay attention to the wind though.
