I keep having this vision of standing or sitting with my back facing some large tree roots and arrowing a deer. I really believe I can pull it off. I am starting to think I am going to give it an honest effort either this December of next year. So have any of you ever used this tactic to kill a deer from the ground? I think it would be awesome.
That would be cool, i've hunted out of a few root wads before, tucked down in the hole and the roots behind me, great cover. Dont think I ever shot one out of those spots though but great place to tuck in and rattle.. thats what I did anyway in those spots. Killed some good ones off the ground though in man made natural blinds.
I've got a spot where I want to hide, tucked down in the creek bed and arrow one. I may give it a go, later in the season. I've hunted off the ground several times, now (with a bow....and every time with a firearm). I've never felt more visible in the woods, than I do with my bow in my hand....on the ground. I've come to full draw @ 15yds.. But, a limb blocked an attempt. With a little prep, I could easily see all my hunting heading in this direction, too (and my turkey hunting). Let us know how it goes. My bet is you realize the feeling I've had in short order....lol. Good luck.
Brett, I've killed as many from the ground as I have from a treestand. The thing that becomes a MAJOR factor is matching your camo up with the surroundings. I've killed them while wearing Realtree Hardwoods Grey, and while wearing Ultimate Camo in the last few years. I set up to the side of a tree where the deer will walk by me and be slightly quartered away most of the time, you WILL get busted more often this way, but it also makes for an EXCITING way to hunt, and you're MUCH more mobile with more options. I have one piece of land that I almost exclusively hunt from the ground because it's so hilly, and I can set up on a finger ridge and have good views for 3 different directions, but I still generally try to be on the opposite side of a tree angled a little to where the deer will come in from. One particular spot I've killed 3 deer in the last 4 years leaning against the same tree, and they've rarely ever seen me. One doe walked by me at 8yds, stopped looked at me, then after looking me up and down, she finally decided that I was merely a part of the woods and no threat, and proceeded to continue down the path she was on and hang a left and walk right in front of me at 11yds. As her head went behind some thicker brush and a tree, I drew my bow, and remained very still, she took two steps, and THWACK, that was it, a short 8-10 seconds later she crashes for the last time in the woods. If you have a couple places to try it, don't hold back, it's a BLAST.... I've also killed on out of a deadfall, in which I got inside and trimmed some branches, positiioned them so I'd have multiple shooting lanes, and was a nice fat doe came strolling by at about 18yds, she got HAMMERED by a Wasp Jak-Hammer. I have one particular spot right now that I'm considering trying the deadfall option as the 170" buck the other day was within 20yds of it, and had I been sitting in it rather than up in a treestand, I believe I could have arrowed him. Also it's right near a very busy creek crossing area in a very good funnel that I've killed many deer in over the last several years, including my big buck that I have on the wall. I always wear a facemask, and I always pay attention to the wind when using these tactics, from a treestand I do not play the wind nearly as much as I have killed more than a few deer including the big buck on my wall coming in from the downwind side, but from the ground, I do weigh that option much more heavily.
I did it for my very first deer with a bow back 6 years ago. I shot a doe that was in a pasture with the sun in her face. I was under a low hanging oak with my back against the trunk in pretty deep shade. She and another doe were eating acorns. she decected motion when I drew but because of the sun she couldn't really make me out. I shot her at 7 yards. Pure dumb luck!
When I first started hunting as a kid we always hunted from the ground with our recurve. In flannel lined jeans and a lined flannel hoodie. I would always pick a spot where there was downed timber and high grass next to a trail or 2. Sit down and look right into the wind. The biggest thing to me was to be quiet and still. I killed most of my deer between 5 and 15 feet. I shot one doe so close when she bucked she kicked my brace hand. Sometimes I really believe hunting from the ground and using your natural surrounding is more chanllenging and effective. I have always hunted in Illinois and ground hunting has really been lost to tree stands and ground blinds. But last year I tried my old tactics and shot a nice doe that was about 7 years old. If you try it I wish you the best of luck and hope it may spark more people to try it. It is truly a much better challenge.
When I was kid, my parents wouldn't let me hunt by myself out of a treestand. The only way for me to get out and hunt then, was on the ground. I once killed a doe gun hunting at 10 yards, while I leaned my back against the roots of large blown over white oak. I killed another with a bow, while sitting in the limbs of a different blowover. My favorite "ground blind" was in a small finger that ran out of a field edge. In this finger were numerous hedge apple trees, where the limbs were 4-5 feet off the ground, On the edge of the field were some small bushes. I would get tucked back in there and cut 2 shooting lanes through the small bushes. For about a 6 year stretch, I killed many does, and missed a giant 12 pointer, out of this spot. Get creative. If you have a spot where a treestand isn't an option, look around and try to figure how you can use the cover that is given to you.
I've sat in the middle of small weed patches or against a tree before and had some luck, but never released an arrow- had deer in range but didn't see anything I wanted to shoot. I may try it again this year though... it's sounding pretty fun.
I used to once hunt exclusively from the ground like others on here... I think it probably wasn't until last season when I finally surpassed my ground shot deer versus tree shot deer. But.. the lack of cartilage in my right knee keeps me off the ground these days.. With good cover behind you.. you can pull this off Brett.
Thanks guys, I enjoyed the stories and the comments. They make me want to do it. In fact, I am going to do it and I will kill a deer using this method. I have a perfect spot in mind that I am going to try it out in the next couple of weeks. KILL>
There's something primitive about huntin from the ground in a natural blind. I've cut a "hole" in cedar trees before and hunted with my back to the trunk, even came to full draw on one but couldn't quite make it work. Good luck and have fun.
Brett, I'm actually going to start hunting from the ground more too. Since I rarely leave my stands in the woods; it becomes a pain in the butt setting up/taking down a stand each time I hunt. It sure is nice just being able to walk into the woods from my truck and start hunting. I even went to Gander Mtn today and bought one of those bucket swivel seat thingys. :D
I'm going old school and I like it. The bucket and I are going out in the morning to kill a big one! KILL!!!!
I've taken several from the ground (bucks and does) Not exactly from a fallen tree/root ball. I have set up beside large diameter trees, log piles, overgrown fence row and from under a bush with low hanging limbs. I think one of the keys to getting a shot on the ground is to draw your bow extra early and hold it back and wait for the shot. Your movement is so critical and close range on the ground. You really need to get your bow drawn and wait. I find myself watching it through the sites. waiting for proper angle and range then let it fly. I seem to get a little something extra out of getting a deer from the ground. I feel more earthy/down to earth if anyone can understand what I mean. Hard to explain. More like a one on one experience. The buck in my avatar was taken from the ground this year. 12yd shot. I was set up by a large beech tree.
