Ground hunting is a blast

Many people will hunt their tree stands and walk to them regardless of wind direction, will sit on them regardless of wind direction, and will stay on them regardless if the thermals in the evening will ruin any chance of them getting a shot.  Those same hunters will believe in all of the scent trickery that is put on the market.  A ground hunter that is free to move can move to match the current conditions and actually have a better opportunity to shoot  a deer that is not aware of his presence.   If you cannot get around the deer's nose you will not get many chances and the one sure way of getting around the deer's nose is to keep him upwind.

[1/4 away]

Had a great afternoon today. I'm sitting between the 3 main beams of a blowdown overlooking a stream crossing. A little after 4pm this afternoon I see 3 deer coming off a hill across the stream heading for the crossing. A few minutes later they are on my side of the stream and I can see through the brush that it's a mature doe and 2 yearlings. I tell myself that if the doe presents me with a shot I'm going to take it. Yearling #1 comes around the top of the blowdown and starts feeding rptowards me about 8 feet away. She eventually walks past me unaware that I was spitting distance away. Yearling #2 comes out around the top of the tree and walks towards me right up against the tree. It was so close that if I extended my bow arm I would have poked it in the side. It moves out about 20 feet from me and realizes that something is there. It does the head bob thing and stomps a couple of times eventually walking off to catch up with the other youngin.  Now for the moment of truth, the big doe which is very dark in color, takes about 3 steps out from around the treetop when she spits something in the blowdown even though I'm wearing my 3D ASAT jacket. She too does the head bob and not being competent satisfied goes back into the brush momentarily. She comes out again and needs to walk about 15 feet into my shooting lane. Again she stops turns around and trots across the stream where she blows a couple of times and skirts behind me to meet up with the 2 little ones. What a rush!!!!

[Keefer]

Fred,
 Today about 8:25 a.m. I am sitting in my Ground blind set up of mossy oak burlap wired tied to a strand of rope with the old ceder directly behind me. This is the same set up I was in Saturday morning when a small buck came strolling by at about 45 yards sometime in the 8:15 to 8:30 time frame.
Well at 8:25 this morning I was hungry so I went digging in "The Man Purse"(Haversack) bag for a peanut crunch bar and as I slowly unwrapped it and packed about 1/2 of that bar in my mouth like a Chipmunk would pack his jaws I slowly looked ahead of me and thought I seen a leg of a deer about 50 yards coming straight towards me.
 As I hurried to chew the wad of peanut chew I was getting prepared for a possible shot as well while sitting in my Huntmore 360.
 I finally swallowed the peanuts and as I did the deer turned towards my left like heading off a by pass where that little buck came out on Saturday.
 This deer was a Buck and looked to be a decent 8 point or possibly even more but he was on a mission and the grunt tube was worthless so I let him move on.
 About 1 hour went by and I decided to go check out that area where these two bucks have been traveling and there is a very slight noticeable trail cut through a thick brier patch but no where to set up unless I use a stand of some sort.
 As I was looking at the ditch this buck crossed I could see a open field next to a road and it may only be a 50 yard section of woods between that ditch and that field but loaded with thick briers.
 I thought I bet he is laying right in here and hanging very low to the ground so I better back out .
 As I turned to back out I hear something rustling and looked to my side and there he was and moving on out to that field.
 When I last saw him from my ground set up he was just crossing that ditch and it may be 50 to 60 yards away. He is bedding back in those briers to my far left as I sit in my ground set up.
 Not sure if he was a cruiser or a local but I am starting to connect the dots on a time frame and a travel route if nothing else.
 Sure is exciting on the ground       .

[1/4 away]

Keefer, sounds like you're having a great time as well my friend. Hopefully we can connect all the dots    

[Keefer]

Fred ,
 I have been trying to do my home work and time is limited but I am thankful to God I can go a few days.

[Friend]

As solely a ground hunter, my approach has most definitely evolved. Today, the approach comes as second nature and the strategy, planning and work involved have become 2nd nature as well as being welcomed. Have passed this season, thus far, on 31 separate solid shot opportunities on bucks with the furthest one being 20 yards. The vast majority have been 14 yards and under including an 18” wide 3 ½ yr old  10 point that stood at 10 yards from  the center shooting window, for  several minutes this past Saturday, totally unaware of my presence.

My competence level on younger bucks is satisfactory while I have taken passes on merely three 3 ½ year old’s. Still need to up my game when getting close to more mature bucks.

One of our active fellow Trad Gang members has been working in earnest the past six years to secure his first harvest. I guided him today in one of my ground sets and he struck gold. He had been actively stand hunting prior to today’s hunt.

Stand hunting has an extreme advantage in most situations, yet upping your ground game can significantly reduce that gap and possesses its own advantages as well.

[Yohon]

I say I want to hunt on the ground more and still sway in them tree's.....great, inspirational thread.....Friend, you need to start your own thread on your technique.

Keefer....good to hear your gettin after them, best time of the year to make it happen and I'm pullin for ya buddy    

[CRM_95]

I had a pretty good afternoon on the ground today. I left home planning to hunt a treestand, but forgot my harness. I won't hunt without it in a tree, so I found a place along an old logging road that the deer travel in the same area and set up on a folding stool in a brushtop. About 5:00 p.m. I had a spike come trotting by close...really close. He was only about 8-10 feet away when I tried to get drawn on him. When I tried to draw he either heard me or caught some movement, but either way he turned inside out and was gone!! That was the closest I've ever been to a deer on the ground though and my first opportunity to draw on a whitetail with a trad bow so I was excited anyway!! I think my heart rate is still elevated. Can't wait to try again next weekend.

[1/4 away]

Friend, I agree with Yohon. I would love to hear more about your ground hunting strategy .

[matt steed]

Friend; please share your techniques. Please !!!

I have tried for years and years to kill a deer on the ground with my bow. No luck yet.

[Keefer]

O.K. Fred I'll finish where I left off on the text a little time ago.
 This morning I tried to come up with some sort of idea/plan on how to bring the deer a little closer to my ground set up since there isn't many good blow downs in this woods except near a bedding area that I really don't want to disturb.
 I gathered a roll of 20 pound fishing line and a white rag and headed to my hunting spot.
  I got out and had a good 1/2 hour to set up before day light and had this plan to try and get any roaming deer to come check out the white rag hanging over a branch.
 Well as I grabbed the white rag I smelled it to make sure it didn't have any odor that would spook the deer but it smelled like car wax and that plan was about to come to a halt.
 Then I remembered I had a roll of white paper towels in my truck so I gathered several and looped the 20 pound fishing line tight around the paper towels and headed out.
 As I hung some wicks around the area near the paper towels I started to unwind some line to my set up about 20 yards from the branch and I started to get the line tangled in briers and such. After getting the line unwrapped from my knee boots and back to my set up I tested it and was able to make it flicker like a deer tail.
 Well don't laugh yet cause I used to have deer come very close flashing my white T shirt as the sun set and I could reach out and touch them as they came to check out the flicker.
 Anyway I only have a few mornings left to hunt before heading back to work and I'm desperate to close the deal on trying to coax a deer to me for a shot.
 I have had deer stay 50 yards and just cruising by and wanted one to stroll over so I could get a shot.
 Well as I witnessed two different bucks cruise by since last Monday and a few does as well and always seem to be around 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. each time.
 Well this morning I was worried cause nothing and it was now 8:35 so I decided to do a bawl and a few soft grunts and a little tail flicker with the line.
 I then hear what sounded like feet coming out of water and then something cought my eye to my left and there it was.
 I thought it was a Big buck but it was a nice big Doe and she was heading to a grass lot and as she almost headed out of the woods I flickered the towels and she stopped and looked that direction.
 I thought Good here's my chance and as she started to move for a closer look at the flicker I heard something and saw the body of another deer.
 At first I thought it was another doe but then I saw bone and it was Nice.
 It appeared to be a Big wide rack 8 to 10 point buck with nice long tines and he started towards the doe.
 The doe then moved quickly towards the field again so I pulled the line and both she and the buck looked over at the rag and she started to come over again but the buck went nose to the ground tail gating her so she decided to get to the field line and headed out with the buck.
 I decided to give the rag one last pull and they both stopped again and again the buck went nose to the ground towards the doe and they moved out.
 At this time I Yanked the line one last time and the branch broke and the rag hit the ground.
 I thanked God for the excitement and stayed until 11:00 and then packed on out.
 What an exciting morning and I know most wouldn't do what I did but I have made a few deer curious to investigate this before.
 This is the forth buck I have seen in the 7 mornings I have hunted there.

[1/4 away]

Keefer, Well that certainly was very innovative of you. Kinda like decoying but without a decoy. I never thought of doing something like that before but I'm gonna have to stock it away for future reference. I'm assuming you were in a thicket and not open hard woods. You definitely get an "A" for effort!

[Friend]

For those requesting some examples of my own personal ground setups:

Am no ground hunting extraordinaire….just passionate and have the luxury to freely prepare fueled by a ever burning desire, the gift to hunt a hi quality deer herd and roll the dice quite often.

Attempt to setup downwind of no less than three heavily used trails and two secondary trails. Has proven imperative that I work diligently to
divert trails January thru March that I may have up to five trail possibilities to permit shots from 8 to 15 yards.…doing your homework early has proven to pay big dividends.

Utilize multiple groundset  types:

My most simplistic setup --Popups….account for 1/3rd of my 9 setups…

...Back blind into natural back drop
   
...Lay cedars trees around popup base…have often covered  top with pin oaks
               
...Drive six 5’ rebarr rods into ground around blind perimeter and zip tie attach approx. 8 ft cedars to obscure roof….don’t want cedar wt      on blind and alleviates blind collapse and/or damage and permits blind rotation if required

...Cut shooting ports thru cedars from outside….use shoot thru mesh…the deer’s attention are drawn to black holes...limit ports to just over 120 degree.… the more ports  and diverse shot angle opportunities have cost me far more than they have ever assisted me…blind positioning is paramount...

Ground is meticulously freed of debree each and every hunt

Often setup in wet ground areas...utilize large plastic re-enforced plastic pallet covered with a stall mat.

Dress inside the blind… apply scent eliminator more effectively while in the blind.

***The objective is to have the deer remain totally at ease at all times when even just a couple of yards from the blind.

Note: Sanitation saves me disposed-of artificial Christmas trees throughout the year.…my buds loved to harass me until seeing the extreme effectiveness and durability… have been getting tired of cutting 100’s of cedars and hauling them to the farm.…also, don’t have to cut the artificial Christmas tree ports…just bend them
to clear…they are less effective if I activate the lights over course my buds threaten to activate them while I am hunting.

A 2nd and personally favored method:
Also frequently and successfully utilize 10” rebar set in a radius and supported by wiring between the rebar to permit cover application….tops bent first to accommodate cover and roof if desired…inside is wrapped with camo cordura outer with black back inner.…..shooting ports may be meshed by utilizing Gorilla tape…. A very successful setup.

There are many paths up the mountain.

[ChuckC]

I tend to hunt lowlands ( just because that is what I have near me in terms of public ground).  Actually, only half true... there is upland, but that is where the trees are and most of the other hunters.  I tend to go where there are no trees suitable for stands.  Nobody else there EVER!
CHuckC

[Lowrider]

Fred I hunted in Arkansas this afternoon. I set up in a thicket on my millennium stool. At 4:45 I had a 3 point walk in and bedded 15 yards from me in some ground cover. I could see his eye thru the brush between us. I have never heard a snort wheeze from a deer in the wild but I swear he did a  low sounding snort wheeze (not loud). About 5 minutes later he made a low grunt and then jumped to his feet and started looking around. I looked at my thermacell and could see the smoke was blowing past me going his way. He got nervous and just walked away opposite of me. At 5:20 as I as standing up to start packing up a big fluffy coyote trotte down the trail 20 yards away. No bow in my hand. It is exciting.

[RockyJr]

Great thread...very inspiring. Thanks to all for sharing your experience.

[1/4 away]

Yesterday afternoon I got to my spot and settled in after making a little bit of a racket adding some brush to one side of my set-up. Just as I sat down I looked to my right and there about 30 yards away standing by a stone wall was a 5 point. I have no idea where he came from or why he hung around with the noise I made. I guess he was trying to figure out what I was but my ASAT leafy jacket did its job. After a few minutes of looking my way he starts feeding towards me and I'm thinking to myself that I'm going to get a shot. He comes a few yards closer and stops still about 20 yards or so away behind some brush. Next thing I know he turns right and walks off angling away from me offering me no shot. So close and yet so far....     LOL

The other night, using a single tree as a back rest and a handy cedar that was next to it for cover, I called in a nice doe she had her fawns and two yearlings with her.   A fairly nice 2&1/2 year 6 pointer came in as well.  Not bad, I had a nice gathering in front of me, but there was another buck that rubbing antlers on brush and acting manly, down the hill. That had to be 'the' deer, right?  Wrong, three points one side and an odd forky thing on the other, about the same size body as the doe.  I knew I should have shot one of them, didn't feel like it.  I may regret that later when winter comes.  I should have shot the nice eight pointer opening day, but that would have cost me all of this beneficial exercise.    I think it is okay to not shoot every deer that comes your way when hunting on the ground or in a tree.