Switch from treestand to ground hunting?

[regulat0r]

for the 5 years i have been hunting i have always hunted from a climber treestand. both during gun and bow. i noticed alot of guys, especially old timers, hunt only on the ground. i was always nervous about this due to safety and all other hunters in the woods shooting. i will be hunting saturday on my private land upstate. that plus it being late in the season, i feel there will be less guys in the woods. being on the ground (actually a small camo pop up chair next to a tree) i feel like i have the advantage of being able to sneak around every hour or so. is this a good tactic?

basically im looking for you guys to tell me ground hunting is good and also looking for some tactics on how to do it right the first time. Thanks!

[ATbuckhunter]

Ground hunting is good and the way people hunted for very long time before people started hunting in tree stands. I understand your concern about safety which is now a reason why i don't hunt from the ground anymore. When i was with my grandfather when he hunted(always on the ground) we would generally do very well. If you can build a ground blind in the future, it would help a lot if you want to hunt from the ground.

[arrow nocker]

i hunt stand during bow.Some ground too.I like both during bow.Depends on area,conditions such as wind,and temperature.

During gun i seldom hunt from my climber.I will if it is very noisy to move then i just sit still.Either on the ground or in stand or climber.If it is wet leaves and above 32 degrees then i will move ever so slightly.I will move from tree to tree.I may take an hr to move 100 yards and i may just sit next to a tree that i feel lucky at for a few hours.The key is being very slow and less movement and noise as possible.You can cover some ground on state land and do some serious scouting while hunting too.The key is walk slow and heal toe, heal toe.Got to be quiet.Lean next to a tree and watch 360 degrees,take your time to next tree and slowly keep watch 360*.I have seen lots of deer doing this.Its when you step and make noise,or make movements they see you get busted.

[arrow nocker]

Oh ya.walk into the wind.Bring a wind indicator.And play the ridges.Play the wind with the hills and ridges also.Deer like to bed up on the opposite side of the hill that the wind is blowing.They can smell what is coming over the hill and see what is coming up it.Stalk up to a down wind side of a hill slowly and glass it or eyeball it really good.Might be mr.big sleeping there.

[josephmrtn]

i like ground hunting if i have a good spot (ridges to walk or one of my ground blinds set up ect) but other than that im usually a treestand guy.... (of course ive taken two deer from the ground but have yet to take one from a stand)

[fasteddie]

I am going to try ground hunting this am . The stand I am going to faces blown down cattails where the deer had been sneaking through before they were flattened . The deer my son had seen from the stand in the willow tree came into the field behind him . He couldn't get a decent shot because of all the limbs . The stand had been set up for bow hunting toward the cat tail trails .

[Five Seasons]

a big reason to hunt from a tree is that it can provide more shots than being on the ground and can help with scent and movement. That all being said I think you need a good solid stand/cover and in sometimes decent height for that to matter. I've had success with climbers but have always preferred fixed stands as they can be higher up and your lanes are always trimmed. I've killed some nice deer from the ground but I have never got one stalking. Most dont have the patience for it. I'd be wary of stalking state land as well.

Edited November 30, 2012 by Belo

[G-Man]

I have killed 2 big bucks off the ground, one during gun by tracking it on snowshoes, 140class 8pt. And the second with bow still hunting to a stand. 130 class 10pt. I have shot numerous deer off the ground including a nice 8pt this year. And almost prefer it although i have 37 stands set for bow and gun on my 274 acres. Go slow while still hunting and keep those eyes moving, you will most likely see only part of a deer not the whole thing. It then becomes a stalk to get into range. Practice in the summer stalking woodchucks, with your. 22rifle. If you have access try to stalk deer on land you don't hunt in summer. Practice makes perfect! Over time you will consistently learn where deer will be on the property you hunt and can be more careful and ready on your approach to those areas... i also got my bear off the ground(would of never jumped it out of a tree) try it! You'll like it!

[Dad 6424]

I do most of my hunting from the ground even with my bow have no trouble filling the freezer and I see deer every day. my sons and I make most sitting spots out of the things laying right in the woods along banks and piles of brush also we walk a lot looking over ridges and hollows you would be suprised where a deer can hide right in plainsight be safe have fun and good luck

[HuntOrBeHunted]

Hunt both to increase my chances. hunting the ground is fine play the wind and hope for the best.

GoodLuck.

[Suilleabhain]

I have hunted both ways for over 40 years. I prefer the trees, I prefer my wooden triple tree platforms over ladders. Safety, you think the trees are safer until you hear the bumble bees going by over your head. Being in the tree in a good platform allows you to see deer way out, and get set with a good rest on the railings. I just got too cocky and had a fall two years ago so the wife says no more trees. She doesn't know I took my two ladders and set them up low, about 6' up instead of 16'. Not the optimal but better visibility. Triple tree platforms also let me have a propane heater and space for a lot of comfort gear to keep me warm and fed.

[wooly]

I've never killed a deer from a stand with archery gear although I've tried these past 2 years. All my bow kills to this point (about 15) have come from the ground.

I've only shot 2 deer from a stand with my ML the past 2 years. Not putting anyones favorite technique down, but that was 2 of my least memerable hunts. I've lost track of how many I've taken from the ground durring firearms. Actually, I haven't lost track, I just don't wanna sound like I'm bragging,lol

I doubt I'll be spending much time hanging off the side of a tree anymore.

[tughillhunter]

i do both, bt my ground hunt is from a blind, just to reduce being winded.

[koot]

forget the chair, hide in a blow down, safer, keeps you out of site and may provide a gun rest. Believe this or not people, don't eat meat for a month before the season, descent your apparel and deer pay absolutely no attention to your scent, i mean it just doesn't even get them curious enough to glance at what they're smelling, i don't care how big a sweat i worked up getting to my stand. You heard it here first unless you spent time in Nam and were familiar with the devices that could tell if a trail was used by US forces or VC because VC have little or no access to meat. Hey if a device can tell a carnivore from a non, you KNOW a deer's nose can.

[Elmo]

forget the chair, hide in a blow down, safer, keeps you out of site and may provide a gun rest. Believe this or not people, don't eat meat for a month before the season, descent your apparel and deer pay absolutely no attention to your scent, i mean it just doesn't even get them curious enough to glance at what they're smelling, i don't care how big a sweat i worked up getting to my stand. You heard it here first unless you spent time in Nam and were familiar with the devices that could tell if a trail was used by US forces or VC because VC have little or no access to meat. Hey if a device can tell a carnivore from a non, you KNOW a deer's nose can.

Dude...if I don't eat meat, I'd die within the first 36 hours. Forget a whole month.

[PREDATE]

forget the chair, hide in a blow down, safer, keeps you out of site and may provide a gun rest. Believe this or not people, don't eat meat for a month before the season, descent your apparel and deer pay absolutely no attention to your scent, i mean it just doesn't even get them curious enough to glance at what they're smelling, i don't care how big a sweat i worked up getting to my stand. You heard it here first unless you spent time in Nam and were familiar with the devices that could tell if a trail was used by US forces or VC because VC have little or no access to meat. Hey if a device can tell a carnivore from a non, you KNOW a deer's nose can.

I'v heard that before(first), but my diet requires animal protien. I work construction and don't get much satisfaction from a pile of veggies!LOL Actually, we always eat some venison from our first deer right away and has always brought luck and it's sort of a tribute to the deer.

Someone mentioned patience, that's exactly it. Ground stalking can be one of the most productive tactics. Choose the times right, like just before or after a rain. Before a rain means that any scent you leave in or near their bedding areas will soon be washed away. After a rain, the ground cover will be soft and allow you to be almost silent.

An early season stalk at mid day when alot of deer are bedded down is a great for scouting too and if they're most likely bedded down, why wouldn't you seek them out?

Edited February 22, 2013 by PREDATE

[mac]

love being on the ground and the challenges that go along with it. tucked in man made blind of limbs, shrubbery, sided up next a stone wall. playing the wind and moving at snails pace to get the bow into position. and being at the same height as the animal vs. looking down from a stand which I also like but being successful from the ground is my preference

[dirt_a_KISS]

I always hunt from the ground during deer season. I feel like your able to do more thing on the ground such as if your not seeing anything you can just get and stalk a little. On the otherhand you have to be realy still, and.blend in well.

[josephmrtn]

Dude...if I don't eat meat, I'd die within the first 36 hours. Forget a whole month.

Me too!!!!! i LIVE on meat and dairy products... as well as the grains and sugar and greens LOL

[BizCT]

for the 5 years i have been hunting i have always hunted from a climber treestand. both during gun and bow. i noticed alot of guys, especially old timers, hunt only on the ground. i was always nervous about this due to safety and all other hunters in the woods shooting. i will be hunting saturday on my private land upstate. that plus it being late in the season, i feel there will be less guys in the woods. being on the ground (actually a small camo pop up chair next to a tree) i feel like i have the advantage of being able to sneak around every hour or so. is this a good tactic?

basically im looking for you guys to tell me ground hunting is good and also looking for some tactics on how to do it right the first time. Thanks!

It's the only way my dad and I have hunted deer. Him 40+ years, me 12+ years. Sit on the ground against a big tree or rock wall. We wear orange. We sit dark till about 10-11am then still hunt around very slowly, then sit 2pm-dark. Over 30 bucks combined doing this.

Many of our deer are shot when we spot a deer and can move 5-10yards into a better position for a shot.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

Edited February 22, 2013 by Biz-R-OWorld

[sits in trees]

alot of hunters are going to ground blinds. cover your movement, keeps you outta the wind and easy...

[BizCT]

alot of hunters are going to ground blinds. cover your movement, keeps you outta the wind and easy...

Do u use them? If so, which one? I feel like they would be restricting. Can you shoot 360 degrees? Thx.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

[crappyice]

By is a fully camoed ground blind safe with other hunters in the woods?

[PREDATE]

By is a fully camoed ground blind safe with other hunters in the woods?

A few strip of surveyors tape around the blind couldn't hurt!

When I sit during gun season I always hang my vest up off the ground so that it' more visible.

[Doc]

for the 5 years i have been hunting i have always hunted from a climber treestand. both during gun and bow. i noticed alot of guys, especially old timers, hunt only on the ground. i was always nervous about this due to safety and all other hunters in the woods shooting. i will be hunting saturday on my private land upstate. that plus it being late in the season, i feel there will be less guys in the woods. being on the ground (actually a small camo pop up chair next to a tree) i feel like i have the advantage of being able to sneak around every hour or so. is this a good tactic?

basically im looking for you guys to tell me ground hunting is good and also looking for some tactics on how to do it right the first time. Thanks!

I came out of the trees quite a few years ago. It was from a developing "fear of heights" thing. I will say this, I believe that hunting from a treestand puts the hunter at a distinct advantage. It definitely is not fool-proof, but it is hard to argue with the advantages of less scent detection, and being out of the direct line of sight of the prey. There is also an advantage (usually) of having a greater visibility from an elevated position. None of these advantages are guaranteed or perfect, but in general they are significant.

Now the good news for a "ground-stander". The excitement level is un-paralleled. You just can't beat the excitement of watching a deer close the distance, step by step while you are right there going eyeball to eyeball with him knowing tha teven the slightest movement if not done super carefully could be picked off by him. I have had deer within touching distance. It really will give your heart a work-out. Oh sure, back in my tree climbing days, I had some deer walk straight under my stand and so I was within 10 feet of them, but on the ground, I have had several situations where I literally could have reached out and touched them.

I also feel that on those bitter cold days, it is nice not to be hanging off a tree, exposed completely to the wind. My ground-stands are generally a solid wall of local debris that forms a great wind-break.

From a safety stand-point, there is no question that the ground is pretty difficult to fall out of. Are you any safer from getting shot by somebody if you are up a tree? ....... probably not. If the ground is flat as a pancake, there might be a slight advantage, but most of the time you never know whether you are actually above or below somebody that is shooting in your direction even when you are up in a tree. At least on the ground, I generally have a pretty solid wall of debris and usually a big old tree trunk to stop slugs or bullets from one or two directions. actually there's probably not much of any significant difference.

As far as the portable pop-up ground blinds, I have just started to use them in the past couple of years. Safety-wise, I have used strips of blaze orange fabric that is held securely to the outside of the blind by velcro when I am using it during any firearms season. It just helps other hunters know that there is a stand there and hopefully tips them off that it's not a safe direction to be shooting. The advantages of these kinds of blinds are the absolute removal of your movement. Also from a comfort standpoint, they do keep you out of the wind and other elements. There also are some limited potential scent capturing benefits. Disadvantages: they will be noticed by the deer unless they are well brushed in and preferably seasoned for a couple weeks. Also, if you are trying to use them on public land, it is really necessary to take them down whenever you leave. That can be a pain, and also defeats any attempts to let them become an accepted part of the deer's habitat.

Yeah, there is a lot that could be written about ground-standing, but this reply is already turning into a book .... lol. So, I'll snip it off right here and let others chime in.