Anyone do it ? Im not talking blinds or anything like that nor stalking just be in the same general area where you would climb and be very still and wait? Any tips, suggestions, dangers?
I do it all the time. Sometimes I have a short time to hunt so hanging the stand is cumbersome and with as hot as it's been I don't want to sweat like crazy. I will take a small turkey blind chair from ameristep. Sit on the ground between a few trees. Take some clippers and cut some small branches with leaves and make some cover. I've done this several times. Shot some great bucks and been busted by some great bucks. Obvious dangers include being seen or smelled more easily. Advantages would be you make less noise getting in and out imo if you don't have a stand pre-hung. It can be very exciting but it's very easy to get busted moving or drawing your bow especially if there are multiple deer around you. I'd suggest a ghille suit or something.
I just shot my moose by just walking in a area and sitting on the ground. I picked a pretty good spot with lot's of shooting lanes, only problem is that it is tough to find a place to sit where you have good coverage for yourself while still giving yourself good shooting lanes that aren't within 10 yards from where you sit. Before my moose came in, I had a nice 4 point buck come in at 30 yards and walked around me and behind me at 20 and just hunt out there. I had a big spruce tree behind me and with all the dead leaves on the ground I had no hope in getting a shot at him. Where if I was in a stand I probably would have had a couple spots to take a shot. On the other note, when my moose came in, I stood up thinking it was going to be a human coming in, when I saw it was a moose I drew back and waited. He walked into 8 yards from me, walking straight at me before he noticed me. It was a very exciting hunt having a moose stare you down, and having to look up at him that close. I think you will miss out on a few opportunities by hunting off of the ground, but it is a easy way to get in areas and set up and it can make for some exciting times. Just be sure to give yourself a good back drop to cover your movements a little bit.
I got busted by a solid 6 pointer 2 weeks ago who simply looked at me for 2 minutes and walked while in a ground blind. I am new to archery hunting as well as hunting out of a ground blinds. Are there any tips I should know about this style of hunting? I am used to sitting way high up in a year-round fixed stand with a rifle.
Gonna give it a go tomorrow morning gonna find some brush and a thick tree to lean against and see what happens.
I have a friend that only hunts this way. He says just because he doesn't like heights. He too has been busted many times but he did shoot a 172 a few years ago at 10 yards on the ground. His setup on that hunt made me make a mental note. He was standing under a big oak and had cleared a 3 foot circle at the base of the tree. This tree was just off of the top of a dry creek bed that the deer were using. Close enough he could peek down in it but far enough above it that deer could walk right by him and not see him. The buck was tending a doe and when they were right under him he mouth grunted. The buck climbed the bank to investigate and my friend was standing there already at full draw. Now of course things don't always work out perfect like that but the reason I remember that was because he used the terrain perfect for that setup. So as with any other setup right place at the right time! Good luck with it.
The hardest part would be locating a spot and then the draw back when the deer is in front of you. Eitherway its my first time hunting this area and its a heavly woody area with fire trails all around lots of thick stuff plus open woods around a reservoir with numerous creeks aswell. I found a trail from a bedding area that goes to water so im thinking about sitting up there in the am and seein what happens! Ill be around this area 39.621921, -76.724503
where in md are you hunting?itried the sitting the other evening on the edge of a bean field.i saw one but it was to far out for a shot.i had one literly walk within 5 feet of me last year.all i could do is watch because i could not make any movement.
I have had success hunting this way and really enjoy it. Here are a few tips. Make sure all the leaves and sticks are removed from the ground so you don't make a sound when moving. Be sure to draw early because any movement gives you away when they are close. Things happen alot faster on the ground due to lack of visibility so always be ready to act fast.
For those of you that do ground hunt, do you build a simple blind with brush or maybe bring your own camo netting and string it up to help hide your draw activity? Or do you just find a good tree with a fork or two and lean up against it? My dad used to be able to do that and take a deer every year -- he'd just walk into the woods, find a tree to lean against and always seemed to get a deer. But then again, my dad was Superman.
I went and forked out the money to get one of the Primos ground blinds from Bass Pro. Not sure if it was worth the investment since I haven't harvested one deer out of it yet
Last one, I am new to bow hunting this year. I live in Missouri and ground hunt quite a bit. I do tend spend alot on scent blockers. The other morning i was was out and found a spot and just stopped. I cleared the leaves and brush out from under my feet so i did not make any noise. I stood for about and hour and started hearing movement behind me. Within 5 minutes i went to turn around and a small buck was about three feet away. He noticed me but just walked off. He came around me and stayed about 8 ft distance never really seemed to be spooked. I dont know maybe he just had a death wish. I had several good shots but i had no intent to shoot him. One the restrictions here and two i was just amazed,lol.
