Are you in or out of the trees?

[Doc]

I expect that an overwhelming majority hunt mainly from treestands, but I just thought it would be intersting to see how the percentages break down among our members.

Actually, I just wanted to try out the "poll" feature.....lol.

Doc

[Doewhacker]

A little of everything, stands, ground and still hunting. Depends on the area and day.

[burmjohn]

Mainly treestands with a little walking / stalking if its dead / raining.

[Fantail]

Had to change my vote from combo to mainly treestands; being in the Bow Hunting section. 

[WNYBuckHunter]

I do a bit of both. Mostly treestands for bow season, but Ive been known to sit in a ground blind or two, especially if I feel I need to adjust my position on the fly.

[fasteddie]

During archery season I hunt almost exclusively from treestands . When gun season rolls around , I will use blinds .

[deerinsight]

It’s great to see that most hunting is done in a still position mostly tree stands or ground blinds. This reduces the pressure on the deer.

[WNYBuckHunter]

It’s great to see that most hunting is done in a still position mostly tree stands or ground blinds. This reduces the pressure on the deer.

Actually it puts no less pressure on the deer if the hunter is sloppy and doesnt be careful about entering and exiting the stand location, as well as playing the wind and hunting a stand only during the right wind direction for it. As soon as you step foot in the deer woods, you are pressuring them.

[SteveMcD]

Hunted from trees when I was much younger. I prefer to be on the ground anymore. Mostly build natural ground blinds and have several locations based upon weather, wind and other conditions. I have also been successful still hunting as well.

[Doc]

Steve-

Way back in the olden days when I first got into bowhunting, traditional equipment was pretty much the rule of the day. Since the advent of the compound, I have not been able to regain the discipline and dedication required to go back to traditional equipment for any sustained period of time. However, as far as I am concerned, your style of bowhunting is about as pure a form of archery as there is. While my successes in the old days of traditional bowhunting were quite rare, I must admit that they were the ones that I treasure most. I guess I am not surprised to hear that any traditional bowhunter hunts from the ground. Somehow that just seems to be a whole lot more appropriate in terms of completing the traditional bowhunting experience.

Doc

[SteveMcD]

Yes, it is just a matter of preference. I started hunting in 1970. I used a Ben Pearson Model 304 take down longbow. My friends who I hunted with all used longbows as well. When the compound arrived on the scene, not one of us crossed over. It is a bit tougher hunting only in the aspect that it is harder and takes more patience of knowing when to draw your bow on the wary whitetail. All things being equal I think all bowhunters just make good hunters.

[RTF]

This will be the first year I plan on bow hunting exclusively from a ground blind. I made a promise to myself to do it. Never done it before with a bow. this ought to be interesting.

[skyzmine]

i enjoy hunting from a stand but have sat/stood on a hill also.

but there is nothing like stalking a deer around a corn field in the pooring rain.

[erussell]

I hunt mainly out of a stand but have killed and missed the majority of my deer stalking through the woods or just standing behind a tree in the woods mainly during the rut when they are not paying attention.

[growalot]

I have about 30 stands...but the older I get the more ground blinds I build...up to 12 blinds now....usually I have one or two blinds on the way to stand sights...just incase I spot deer between the two  I can sneak in and sit...stand sites are set up in groups...100 -300ft apart to play the wind in certain areas

[RTF]

growalot, do you build your blinds out natural material or do you carry in the wood ?

[growalot]

my ground blinds save a couple are all natural...but to give you an Idea of how big...MrB . saw one I built near the house and said that's some log cabin you have there ....I make them in a  G shape to make sure I have easy access yet can be seen ..one is just very long...here's pics of a couple of older ones...with boat seats and all the newer ones have the lawn chairs...then I have a commercial chair blind and a dog house pop up

[RTF]

Interesting growalot.

[wooly]

All natural blinds here. I've never killed a deer from a tree. I have about 10 of these scattered throughout the woods.

Started a new one this year with some creek rocks and clay from a runoff on the side of a ravine. This one should be waterproof and bulletproof by this seasons start.

[Doc]

A bullet proof rock bunker ....... I could use one of those for gun season over here ....... lol.

Doc

[wooly]

Yeah- the downside is, it's not nearly as mobile as a pop up,lol.

[burmjohn]

LOL... Thats nice though...

[Doc]

By the way, thanks to those that have posted pictures of their groundstands. We never do get a chance to see all the different approaches and constructions. Next chance I get, I will take some pictures of some of mine.

My stands are not quite as complex as some of the ones pictured here. Generally speaking. I try to find a large tree, clump of trees, or some major "blowdown" as the framework, and then just pull up dead logs to construct a wall (taller than head high) that I can stand behind. The trail that I am watching is 20 yards or less on the other side of the wall. As a rule I sit in a position where I can see up and down the trail, and as soon as I see the first flicker of brown , I am out of my seat and in tight against the wall, getting ready to draw my bow, and then waiting with bow drawn for the deer to pop out the other side of the wall. The system works well except for when the deer comes from a direction that is unexpected. With bucks that happens quite often......lol. Another difficulty arises when I am standing there with bow at full draw and the deer gets side-tracked with some browse or an acorn or something, or just stops for a minute looking around. It's amazing how heavy that draw weight can get and how fast the arms start shaking. The ugly part is that as soon as you give up and collapse the draw, that is when he starts moving again and zips right across the shooting lane. But then that's what makes all that stuff so exciting.

Anyway, thanks again to all that posted groundstand pictures. I'd like to see more of them.

Doc

[wooly]

Oh... I've got some more. ;D

Tomorrows hike I'll swing by and snap a few more shots for ya.

The landscape has changed so much since some of them were built that I hardly ever get to some anymore. With that change came a big shift in deer movement leaving the blinds useless where they are now. :'(

No regrets in the effort put into them....they will come around again in time.

[sweet old bill]

at 68 years young I now hunt only from the ground. I fell about 12 feet, 14 years ago and broke my right leg in 9 places, the knee in 3 pieces and thru out my shoulder. SO my days of being with the birds is now over. I love the ground blind made of natural material as I can use a full size green plastic chair (walmart)Makes the time go by in comfort. BUt the % of deer taken from the groun d is almost 50% less than in a tree stand. But when you get one it is eye ball to eye ball..