Post by: TOMANZ on October 18, 2024, 09:52:45 PM
Post by: MCNSC on October 18, 2024, 10:19:53 PM
Post by: Al Dente on October 19, 2024, 07:09:49 AM
I use a homemade ghillie suit when I hunt from the ground, and I always incorporate face paint, especially around my eyes.
Post by: MnFn on October 19, 2024, 07:58:59 AM
One of the deer got a whiff of me. It knew I was there but couldn’t find me. It finally dead a full circle around me and I think figured out where I was and then they moved off.
Post by: NY Yankee on October 19, 2024, 08:41:13 AM
Post by: Bankwalker on October 19, 2024, 10:02:34 AM
Post by: Bankwalker on October 19, 2024, 10:05:21 AM
Post by: Bowsey Wails on October 19, 2024, 12:01:13 PM
Post by: 1Canvas on December 06, 2024, 05:26:36 PM
Have a good pair of small binoculars and scan the brush a lot. Your visibility is limited on the ground so you need to look a lot more for parts of a deer, flicking tail, head going up and down, anything like that. try to sense them before they do you.I started ground hunting a couple of years ago and have a hard time with the limited visibility, it would seem scanning with binoculars would produce too much movement.
Post by: Terry Green on December 06, 2024, 05:42:30 PM
Seriously, there are so many things that you can do to set yourself up for success, and so many things you can do to put the deer where you want them, and even direct them into a trap.
You will feel like a neon sign when you 1st start, but you will grow as a hunter by leaps and bounds just like you did when you gave up the gun.
Post by: toddster on December 06, 2024, 06:19:58 PM
Post by: 1Canvas on December 06, 2024, 07:04:48 PM
Man, I need to do a video or 70 :biglaugh:At my age I don’t have too much time 😂.
Seriously, there are so many things that you can do to set yourself up for success, and so many things you can do to put the deer where you want them, and even direct them into a trap.
You will feel like a neon sign when you 1st start, but you will grow as a hunter by leaps and bounds just like you did when you gave up the gun.
Post by: johnnyk71 on December 06, 2024, 09:08:10 PM
Robert Carter has some YouTube videos about ground hunting. He hunts traditional and knows what he’s talking about.
agree with this. I enjoy his channel.
Post by: BOHO on December 07, 2024, 02:13:39 AM
Post by: frassettor on December 07, 2024, 06:12:01 AM
Man, I need to do a video or 70 :biglaugh:
Seriously, there are so many things that you can do to set yourself up for success, and so many things you can do to put the deer where you want them, and even direct them into a trap.
You will feel like a neon sign when you 1st start, but you will grow as a hunter by leaps and bounds just like you did when you gave up the gun.
Well said
Post by: Roger Norris on December 07, 2024, 11:12:36 AM
I had the awesome privelage of discussing this book for HOURS with Fred in his office.
The best advise I took from this book and our talks....don't set up too close to where you expect to see a deer...still one of my flaws. :biglaugh:
[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Post by: Radford on December 12, 2024, 08:56:38 AM
So much great information in this book.
I had the awesome privelage of discussing this book for HOURS with Fred in his office.
The best advise I took from this book and our talks....don't set up too close to where you expect to see a deer...still one of my flaws. :biglaugh:
I bought this book about ten years ago. Wish I would have gotten it sooner. One of the best hunting books I have.
Post by: johnnyk71 on December 12, 2024, 02:33:40 PM
So much great information in this book.
I had the awesome privelage of discussing this book for HOURS with Fred in his office.
The best advise I took from this book and our talks....don't set up too close to where you expect to see a deer...still one of my flaws. :biglaugh:
is this book out of print? I have both of the Instinctive Shooting books, but need another copy of this one. does Teresa sell it?
edit: answered my own question, haha. https://asbellwool.com/products/stalking-still-hunting
Post by: Terry Green on December 12, 2024, 04:01:21 PM
Post by: Roger Norris on December 13, 2024, 06:35:16 AM
So much great information in this book.
I had the awesome privelage of discussing this book for HOURS with Fred in his office.
The best advise I took from this book and our talks....don't set up too close to where you expect to see a deer...still one of my flaws. :biglaugh:
is this book out of print? I have both of the Instinctive Shooting books, but need another copy of this one. does Teresa sell it?
edit: answered my own question, haha. https://asbellwool.com/products/stalking-still-hunting
It is available on both my website and at Asbell Wool
Post by: Bobaru on December 13, 2024, 01:25:41 PM
Every deer hunter should teach himself/herself how to ground hunt. Example. My stepson just took up hunting, got some good land to hunt, put up a bunch of trail cams. His first report back to me was: "Man, where the deer like to walk has a bunch of brush and no good trees." My answer is: "yup!"
I've tried lots of stuff, but find natural ground cover to be far superior to camo-cloth. But, by all means, experiment.
Never forget the virtue of the sun behind you and a large cover such as a huge tree behind you. I also like broken cover in front.
One experience was at sunset with the sun behind me as well as a huge oak, otherwise I was completely open to a cut bean field. Darn buck walked to 15 yards, put his head down to eat beans and never saw me. I was shocked.
Another favorite is cutting a hole in the center of a patch of goldenrod, with a shooting lane. Works great, but even there, you have to be perfectly still. This method can be used with cattails and other such brush to great effect. But, I've found that piling up stuff and shooting over the top is not quite as good because it may tend to draw their attention: doesn't work it he's decided to stare you down at 8 yards (but it's still fun).
Post by: Tomas Stieber on December 14, 2024, 12:05:39 AM
Post by: TGbow on February 09, 2025, 11:41:10 AM
For 49 years I've hunted mostly on the ground, probably 95%.
Where I hunt the majority of the time I have a bigger shooting area/radius from the ground due to the thick canopy in most places I hunt.
When we started the Baker treestand was the only marketed climber on the market ...that ai can remember.
It seems the majority of the time I can hide better on the ground, there are exceptions though.
Pulling the shot off is a little harder from the ground but it's really not some mystical challenge as some in our modern world seem to think it is.
I hunt mostly from natural ground blinds. When I find a " hot spot", I will construct a blind that I use over n over at different times.
Hunting on the ground is real versatile for me since I hunt public land.
Post by: johnnyk71 on February 10, 2025, 02:37:57 PM
So much great information in this book.
I had the awesome privelage of discussing this book for HOURS with Fred in his office.
The best advise I took from this book and our talks....don't set up too close to where you expect to see a deer...still one of my flaws. :biglaugh:
this is absolutely the truth. I matched wits with a smart old doe for over a month this year, and she beat me. tried to kill her in her bedroom, and she outsmarted me every time. spooky ol' gal. I'd move, she'd move. she was within 10 yards of me more than once. I'm so conditioned to trad distances that I just didn't give myself that little extra room that could have fooled her into relaxing.
Post by: JD Covey on March 01, 2025, 12:47:19 PM
I’ve tried it both ways, cover in the front and cover behind. Back cover seems to be the ticket. I still try to have adequate cover in the front, but pay more attention to what is behind me. I wear leafy on the top and try to have my natural blind material low enough to shoot over but enough to cover my legs, Waldrop packseat and some movement.
Post by: Longrifleman on March 01, 2025, 08:22:26 PM
Why?
Because the less comfortable that you are, the less ability you will have to be COMPLETELY STILL. This only gets worse with age. :laughing:
Being completely still, combined with setting up downwind of where the deer will come from is essential. Without those 2 ingredients, you're just having a nice sit in the woods.
Post by: LookMomNoSights on March 03, 2025, 12:52:57 PM
Whatever seats you plan on sitting on, test them for creeks and squeaks. If you can, incorporate teflon washers with the fasteners. Graphite works great. So does olive oil or spray PAM, the non butter flavored. A quick spray and wipe the excess away. It'll last for a few sits. Maybe less if it gets rained on.
If you have good back cover, you almost don't need anything in the front, but something just knee high is usually perfect.
Do something to make you hands and face blend ..... charcoal, make-up, mask, gloves, whatever you like best and can make work. The cheap Allen mesh gloves you can find at the big W and most sporting goods stores work great and you wont mind cutting off the finger tips or even the palm area on the bow hand as I do. This is not for warmth. It is for concealment.
Do not set up right on the runs. Too close has never been good for me and can ruin that spot.
Have multiple sets (a back up set) prepped ahead of time and ready to go, to deal with changing winds.
Do a very thorough job of cleaning the ground to eliminate foot noise if/WHEN you have to adjust to approaching game.
Also clean a spot to rest a pack or the like on the ground, so when you go to grab something from inside of it (like a snack), you will not be disturbing this item on a bed of crunchy leaves or twigs.
Have a second arrow out of the quiver and positioned for a fast, noiseless, economy of motion grab.....this is clutch if your first one is miss.
Use a Thermacell for bugs!!!!! These do make a faint noise, be aware of that. As far as a smell for the deer, I have not experience them reacting as of yet, though the wind is most likely help with that ..........
Make sure your bow limbs are not going to contact anything when you let one loose. (overhead branches you kept to aid in cover!)
If you plan on walking after them or into them, prepare to downshift big time with regard to your rate of movement. If you told me that it took you an hour to cover 30 yards in a piece of timber or around thick stuff, Id say where was the fire ...... there's no limit to how slow you can go, it'll be about how much time you have to invest in that outing. Really use your eyes each time you think about advancing. Countless times while moving painfully slowly through areas I know deer frequent, they will often find you and come to you it seems, if you have the wind and they have not detected you or witness your movement. You will be motionless. They most likely will be moving or at least moved enough to tip their hand to you! You might be able to make a shot happen.
Did I mention shoot alot from a seated position???? :campfire:
Post by: Mike Bolin on March 03, 2025, 04:59:37 PM
Post by: Roger Norris on March 04, 2025, 12:09:23 PM
Thanks!!
Post by: LookMomNoSights on March 04, 2025, 12:48:17 PM
I assume it was driven from this thread.....we have sold 5 copies of Stalking and Stillhunting this week :biglaugh:
Thanks!!
Awesome! This book is absolutely a "Must Have" Thanks for offering it Roger :clapper: