One of my state land spots is bordered by a creek with steep banks that the deer often travel. I've been considering sitting in the creek bank in a blow down but I don't think it's a good idea because its so close to the property line.
hunting from the ground takes the most skill when hunting with a bow. step one is scent.. never hunt the wrong wind your wasting your time. always keep 100% scent free use scent killers on everything and i mean everything. 2. stay concealed. This can be as simple as putting some brush around a tree you plan on sitting at, or getting inside of an old deadfall. once you found your spot kick all the leaves and brush away so if you have to move you dont make a sound. always keep your face painted or covered and when deer are looking at you squint your eyes. if they cant see the whites of your eyes they wont be able to see you blink which in close quarters can give it away. 3. Wait to move until they are looking the other way. most of the deer i shot i had to wait until they pass me before i can draw and get a quartering away shot or else they would bust me on the draw. 4. Stand during high deer movement hours.. i always try to stand the first and last 1.5 hours of light because this is when i see most of my deer. this takes the movement in standing out of the equation so all you have to do is draw and shoot. or you can practice sitting down from your chair or bucket.
All great advice. A friend loaned me his HIPS bow mount blind that I'll be trying out this weekend (as long as the wind its too strong).
it can be done, I had a great ground position and have had deer at 8 yards. MOVE SLOWLY AND BE PREPARED FOR THE SHOT. the less movement the better.
Great INFO I think great info from everyone. I ground hunt all the time and find the challenge amazing..When a shooter does arrive it is your reward for the hard work for staying concealed and unnoticed.
i do agree that it is better to get off of the ground, but i have taken several deer from the ground, just remember the wind. and slow movments at all times
im am trying to hunt from the ground this year. i set up my blind and brushed it in well. i have never shot a deer from the ground, all of the deer i shot were from a tree. i think hunting from the ground is tough because you cant see the deer coming in as well but i am up for the challenge. i think if you play the wind right, brush in your blind, good camo and scent control you will have some cool encounters sooner or later.
I had success with my first hunt with a bow and from the ground this year on public land. Know your area and if you can i suggest covering yourself head to toe, I wore a head mask the whole time and just sat against a tree. My only problem is I was not ready to take the shot when he came within 15 yards. Next time I am thinking of a stool of some sort or even a cheap stand you can mount to the bottom of a tree to sit on. break up your silhouette, maybe I just got lucky but I knew the area pretty well and played the wind.
i hunt from the ground and have seen more deer on the ground than i have in a tree. key to success here is have a good camo pattern, dont make any noise once seated, and do not move unless its to draw your bow back. doing this ive had deer so close to me i could smell their glands, alot more thrilling than in a tree
I hunt public land in IL and we leave our stands up thru the whole season. I use an old stand that I don't really care about in case someone decides they need it more than I do. There are stands all thru the woods that are there til season ends. Just in case you're wondering, I did talk the forest ranger because I thought they couldn't be left overnite, too. I believe each park has it's own set of rules.
