Tree stand VS Ground Blind

[Gthphtm]

I have one and it is easy to set up,not wide enough for bow hunting as said above,not high enough for me, I leave it in one spot on my property.After the 2 nd. year it faded to a redish color,the fiberglass support rods snapped form the weight of the snow.If you intend on moving around and breaking it down,it is not that bad for the price.I myself would buy something taller and wider,if I were to buy another one.

[Pygmy]

I did a lot of hunting out of hang-ons and climbers back when I was younger. Fortunately I managed to avoid a gravity attack, although I had a couple of close calls. Most of my friends who hunt out of treestands have had at least one fall. I am not nearly as strong, limber, and bulletproof as I once was, and my days of hunting from hang-ons and climbers are over.

My favorite treestand was on my Dad's property. I built it with scrap lumber in a maple on a pinch point in a neck between two woodlots. I called it the world's greatest treestand. I killed perhaps 30 deer from that stand, and a couple of my buddies killed a bunch too. After my Dad died in '94, my Mom sold the property.

Nowadays I have a couple of ladder stands I hunt from. I also have many spots where I sit or stand on the ground or on a log or a stump. Often I just lean against a tree. I have two pop up blinds that I use on occasion, but I use them much more for turkey hunting than deer hunting.

[Guns&ReligionCop]

I did a lot of hunting out of hang-ons and climbers back when I was younger. Fortunately I managed to avoid a gravity attack, although I had a couple of close calls. Most of my friends who hunt out of treestands have had at least one fall. I am not nearly as strong, limber, and bulletproof as I once was, and my days of hunting from hang-ons and climbers are over.

My favorite treestand was on my Dad's property. I built it with scrap lumber in a maple on a pinch point in a neck between two woodlots. I called it the world's greatest treestand. I killed perhaps 30 deer from that stand, and a couple of my buddies killed a bunch too. After my Dad died in '94, my Mom sold the property.

Nowadays I have a couple of ladder stands I hunt from. I also have many spots where I sit or stand on the ground or on a log or a stump. Often I just lean against a tree. I have two pop up blinds that I use on occasion, but I use them much more for turkey hunting than deer hunting.

I think that eventually we will all be in that situation but I still have a few years of pretending I'm tarzan aaaaghhhhhh AAGGGGGHHHH!!!

[noodle one]

I'm assuming you guys that are hunting from the ground and not using blinds or stands are also not using a bow!

I guess you missed noodles reply that said if can't kill something from the ground you aren't much of a hunter, maybe I'm wrong but that sounds pretentious to me

I posted my post to let you know that I don't hunt out of a treestand or pop-up blind with my bow and 95% of time I hunt in natural blinds on the ground, the other 5% I use a camo cloth in open woods. Yes I am hunting with a bow and have taken many buck just to let you know that it can be done if you hunt the wind and have done your homework. So much for your assuming.

[erussell]

Actually if you are not employing at least 3 of the 4 afore mentioned stand impliments you are selling your self short. All stands have there time and place and none should be shunned as being better or worse than the others. I have hanging stands out, I have trees cleared out for a climber. I have ground blinds made out of brush in several spots and bring clippers with me to make ground blinds on the fly. Pre rut I like to stalk around to different feeding areas. It just depends on whats going on in the woods. Ive even glassed deer in the distance and got out of the stand and went and stalked and shot them. I would think it would be pretty boring doing the same thing over and over again.

[Doc]

Actually if you are not employing at least 3 of the 4 afore mentioned stand impliments you are selling your self short. All stands have there time and place and none should be shunned as being better or worse than the others. I have hanging stands out, I have trees cleared out for a climber. I have ground blinds made out of brush in several spots and bring clippers with me to make ground blinds on the fly. Pre rut I like to stalk around to different feeding areas. It just depends on whats going on in the woods. Ive even glassed deer in the distance and got out of the stand and went and stalked and shot them. I would think it would be pretty boring doing the same thing over and over again.

I agree. Of course in my situation, I don't have a choice. Treestands could be guaranteed and I still couldn't get up in them .... lol.

[Guns&ReligionCop]

Actually if you are not employing at least 3 of the 4 afore mentioned stand impliments you are selling your self short. All stands have there time and place and none should be shunned as being better or worse than the others. I have hanging stands out, I have trees cleared out for a climber. I have ground blinds made out of brush in several spots and bring clippers with me to make ground blinds on the fly. Pre rut I like to stalk around to different feeding areas. It just depends on whats going on in the woods. Ive even glassed deer in the distance and got out of the stand and went and stalked and shot them. I would think it would be pretty boring doing the same thing over and over again.

Totally agree,

[airedale]

 To each their own. Sitting in a tree stand is about the most boring thing I can think of. I do not use any kind of blind for the most part, I am a ground dweller and will break up my silhouette using camo and natural surroundings. I like the ability to reposition and move. I do not sit for long, once I glass an area I will move on quietly to the next spot. When I was young I did a lot of tracking and killed quite a few that way. In my mind it is my idea of what hunting is.

Al

Edited October 29 by airedale

[Doc]

5 hours ago, airedale said:

 To each their own. Sitting in a tree stand is about the most boring thing I can think of. I do not use any kind of blind for the most part, I am a ground dweller and will break up my silhouette using camo and natural surroundings. I like the ability to reposition and move. I do not sit for long, once I glass an area I will move on quietly to the next spot. When I was young I did a lot of tracking and killed quite a few that way. In my mind it is my idea of what hunting is.

Al

Yeah, I came down out of the trees quite a few years ago. Yes, I recognize that I have handicapped myself by doing that, but a severe case of "fear of heights" left me with no choice. But in the process, I found an added level of excitement through dealing with deer on their own level.....Eyeball to eyeball. I know that there is no room for error. There is an extreme nervous and exciting feeling of vulnerability on my part because I am left at the mercy of all the deer's superior senses. yes, i no longer expect to get my archery deer every year. I have put myself at an extreme disadvantage. But I have to say when that deer (any deer) approaches me, I immediately go into a fit of trembling, the likes of which I never experienced while I was up in the trees. I know that I cannot get away with anything......Absolutely nothing!

I have not mastered the art of still-hunting with a bow yet. I do construct ground stands. So, I still have a long way to go to hone that ultimate way of ground hunting. However, still hunting with a gun is my "go-to" method of gun-hunting.

[airedale]

32 minutes ago, Doc said:

I have not mastered the art of still-hunting with a bow yet.

And that is why I stink when it comes to bow hunting Deer, sneaking up within 25 yards using a recurve bow without being detected is above my pay scale. LOL!

Al

[Doc]

15 hours ago, airedale said:

And that is why I stink when it comes to bow hunting Deer, sneaking up within 25 yards using a recurve bow without being detected is above my pay scale. LOL!

Al

Yeah, but when you do connect, the feeling of accomplishment is overwhelming. There is no need to count points or measure up score when all the rest of the hunt is done with some of the most stringent handicaps imaginable. Some of the most intense deer hunts have been from the ground with a few does and their fawns checking me out. One set of eyes will get the old ticker beating, but when you are trying to overcome multiple noses and eyes and ears from the ground, you start to learn about real challenge.

[airedale]

4 hours ago, Doc said:

the feeling of accomplishment is overwhelming

You got that right Doc, but they have been few and far between.

Al

[steve863]

 

I used to hunt from tree stands but as I got older it became more apparent how unsafe it is.  No deer is worth it.  I know I've missed seeing deer hunting from the ground but so be it.  At least I know I won't be another statistic like in the link below.

 

https://www.syracuse.com/state/2024/11/buffalo-mayors-brother-killed-in-hunting-accident.html

[landtracdeerhunter]

I had to look back at what I  said 12.years ago. Funny, no reply. 

I have always been one to mix it up with ground sits and tree stands through the years. Heights never bothered me, as I use to climb silos in my younger days.  As I've aged, I leaned more towards natural ground blinds. The grand children come over and like to make them.  They like doing the work and enjoy sitting behind them with me. It's great practical experience for them and teach them a skill they can use in their future hunting events. We also have  natural tree blow downs, that really pays off sometimes.

[airedale]

My Dad when speaking about tree stand safety, "it is not the fall that will kill you, it is the sudden stop at the end"

Al

Edited November 8 by airedale

[steve863]

I find it amazing how many deer hunters there are who have never even hunted from the ground.  They think tree stands are the only way to hunt them.  To each their own I guess.  Many tree stand hunters will tell you that if you follow safety rules you'll be fine and never have a fall.  I've always been of the frame of mind that if you hunt long enough you'll surely have at least a close call or two.  Hopefully it will only be a close call and nothing worse.  At this stage of my life I'll keep my feet on the ground.  I can still fall on my face if I trip over something but it won't be nearly as bad as falling from a tree.

[airedale]

2 hours ago, steve863 said:

I find it amazing how many deer hunters there are who have never even hunted from the ground.  They think tree stands are the only way to hunt them. 

I have had zero problem taking Deer while on the ground, in all the years I have hunted I have only taken two Deer from an elevated stand. Ther first one was out of a tree I just climbed up in and the second was out of a ladder stand.

Al

[fasteddie]

When I 1st started hunting in 1965 , I don't think anyone hunted from any tree stand . It was gun hunting and you found a spot by a big wide tree trunk and sat there for safety . We hunted on Gibsonville Road near Pine Tavern . It would be pitch black out and you would haer shots from the "Perry Boys" (as my FIL called them ) . I don't remember when people started using Ladder stands , climbers , etc ..

[Doc]

An observation regarding age vs. still hunting:

Nearly 81, and my favorite way of gun hunting is still-hunting after opening day. That has it's positives and it's negatives. The old circulatory system likes the idea of walking to keep warmer on some of those bitter cold days. However, my stamina isn't what it used to be. Also it seems that as the years advance, I am losing my "sneak". I don't walk as smoothly and light on my feet as I used to. That causes a few more noisy steps that break branches underfoot or shuffle through the leaves a little louder than I would really like. The old eyes are probably not what they used to be, but my long distance vision is still good. That is super important in still-hunting. My hearing aids do improve the ability to hear deer coming (maybe even better than I used to). Some more of the good news is that age has naturally slowed my pace to the proper speed of successful still-hunting. 

So there are some pluses and minuses relating to this style of ground-hunting at an advanced age. There are some trade-offs regarding my decision to come down out of the trees years ago, but I still enjoy the challenges of sneaking around the woods trying to best the super-senses of the critters on their own terms. 

Just being able to get up that old "killer" hill behind the house is quite a challenge, but there is a lot of satisfaction in still being able to do it. Age has taken away some abilities, but has given a few satisfactions back as I succeed in fighting back against time.

[Northcountryman]

On 10/11/2012 at 5:32 PM, noodle one said:

I posted my post to let you know that I don't hunt out of a treestand or pop-up blind with my bow and 95% of time I hunt in natural blinds on the ground, the other 5% I use a camo cloth in open woods. Yes I am hunting with a bow and have taken many buck just to let you know that it can be done if you hunt the wind and have done your homework. So much for your assuming.

Camo cloth? whats that? 

For me, Im nearly 100% a climber Hunter these days; the other 5% I either use my little portable ground blind or try a little still hunting.

[GreeneHunter]

Did ground hunting for a good 20 years , now I don't really hunt I just sit in my Ladder stand and wait !  Seems to work for me !

[First-light]

My Nephew and his buddy put up a ground blind by a food plot. My Brother in law loves them so I gave it a try. Just didn't work for me. I could stand up but really not stretch like I like too. Felt too confined. When the time comes when I can't go up a tree I think I would rather hunt out of a stand I build 4 feet off the ground. 

[Steve D]

Never really used a blind. I have always hunted bow season with a stand never from the ground.

Gun season I mostly hunted from the ground with a occasional sit in a tree stand.

A lot has to do with temperatures and freezing in a tree stand during gun season is not my idea of a good time.

[suburbanfarmer]

Bow season in the stand but gun season i move around depending on where the deer run.
Shot more from ground than from tree stand