Picking the brains of you ground hunters.

[waknstak IL]

I hunt public land with lots of pressure. Ghillie suits are remarkable. You need to take the time to trim them up so they don't catch your string.I have a shaggie longcoat and use it hunting in crp fields and crop fields. Anywhere I can find a clump of something left standing to sit in or by they seem to do the job. They are great for late season when the deer are avoiding the trees and those places where there just isn't a place to put a stand.

[broketooth]

ive been doing some ground blind hunting this yr.  ive been using a keyes still hunter pack with an integrated seat it works great, has lots of storage for all the stuff you want to carry along, even though i have not used it to its fullest potential. here is a veiw 20 yrds from the natural blind beleive it or not im actually sitting on the keyes stillhunter pack. here is a veiw inside the blind

[Jerry Jeffer]

I hide in plain sight most of the time. Here is winter bow last year. the trail is toward the camera about 15 yards.

 

[Bill Carlsen]

Broketooth....love the looks of that Keyes pack.

[broketooth]

bill, there is a product review thread that i did also. rv

[njloco]

This was from a different post but some of it applies, especially the last paragraph.

I use to use climbers, but I find in this area that it's not necessary to go very high up, so I now use two sets of Lone Wolf sticks, and a very light weight easy to hang fixed stand. This set up gets me up about 10-12 feet just above the bottom canopy. I naturally try and get close to other smaller tress that still have leaves. With this set up one can really tuck themselves away from very good eyes. Don't forget, the higher up you go the more the angle is for the shot.

Once all the leaves have fallen off I just use fake Christmas tress that have been put by the trash, deer don't know that an oak tree is not supposed to have pine tree limbs, come to think of it, most people wouldn't notice that either.

A couple off years ago, I had a pretty good size buck come up the tree, like a dog to try and figure out what I was. He never did, and eventually just wondered off, this really surprised me !

While hunting I don't usually go up in a tree, but since this set up is so light weight , I spot and stalk with it on and can remove it very quickly, if I find a good ambush spot, with a good tree, I go up and wait, I also carry a light weight seat that I can set up in seconds. In this situation I would just put all the other stuff down and out of sight, seems to work pretty good for me.

Hope this helps.

[katie]

I love hunting the ground. I am in no way an expert. My advice is practice shooting from all different positions. You will look like a goof to the neighbor but it will help in the field.
I like my LaClair Longhunter shirt on the ground. It is long so it keeps your seat dry. I have had no issue getting busted in plain grey. Took my biggest buck in that shirt sitting on the groung in a blowdown. Had a bobcat at 10 feet two nights ago. I was leaning against a tree. He looked right at me and walked on. Very cool!

[30coupe]

Originally posted by Jerry Jeffer:
I hide in plain sight most of the time. Here is winter bow last year. the trail is toward the camera about 15 yards.

 

Jerry, is that one of Dean Torges' tree seats you are using? I made one of those, but haven't tried it yet.

[oldbohntr]

I just finished a my first hunt with the Waldrop seat. Very handy and comfortable in most any situation.  I mounted the top pack from my Nimrod system to the back of the frame and it's just great for the job.  When spot-and-stalk hunting, I like to sit for a while in good looking areas, and looking for the right tree stump, log, or natural blind on the downwind side of the trail takes time and movement. With this seat,you're sitting quiet in seconds.  Nothing's perfect, but I like this seat a lot.  I didn't get a shot on this winter elk hunt in the snow, but I sure think a ghillie suit or bush-n-a-bag, and a Waldrop seat is a good way to go

[30coupe]

Originally posted by katie:
I love hunting the ground. I am in no way an expert. My advice is practice shooting from all different positions. You will look like a goof to the neighbor but it will help in the field.
I like my LaClair Longhunter shirt on the ground. It is long so it keeps your seat dry. I have had no issue getting busted in plain grey. Took my biggest buck in that shirt sitting on the groung in a blowdown. Had a bobcat at 10 feet two nights ago. I was leaning against a tree. He looked right at me and walked on. Very cool!

Katie,

Wool seems to work about like fur when it comes to hiding. I have noticed that deer are mostly one color, but those buggers sure can hide with very little cover once they decide to freeze. I have had lots of deer, squirrels, birds, etc. look me over and continue feeding while I was wearing my brown and grey plaid wool jacket. The same reaction happens with Cabela's Wooltimate stuff. I have the High Plains version (tans and greys). I also have some old, cheap wool "camo" bibs and jacket that are mostly just dark brown with a few lighter splotches. It gets the same reaction. I think wool lacks reflective qualities that synthetic fibers have, so it blends in much like animal hair. Couple that with a deer's poor daytime vision and minimal color vision and hiding in the open is easier as long as you don't move.

I was mushroom hunting one spring. It was a nice warm day, so I had on a white tee shirt and blue jeans (my standard outfit back in the 60's and 70's). I was moving slowly, prodding the grass with a walking stick, when a doe and two fawns stood up from their bed in some gooseberry bushes. They were all of 10 feet from me, so the wind must have been in my face...don't pay much attention to it when mushroom hunting. When they stood up, I froze. We had about a five minute staredown. Finally she decided something just didn't work, so she walked away with the fawns in tow. She never spooked or blew, just walked away, stopping to look back every few yards. I didn't move until she was out of sight, so she stayed calm the whole time. Hmmm, no camo, no scent control...no movement.

I've kind of forced myself onto the ground this year by failing to connect during the first season. There won't be any deer in the timber I usually hunt once shotgun season starts, so I'll probably end up hunting some public ground closer to home. I don't want to hang stands there and risk making a donation to some thief, so it will be ground or nothing for the late season.

BTW: Did you fill your tag, Katie?

Oh, and the neighbors are kind of getting used to me by now so the most I get is:      when they see    

[Bjorn]

I'm always on the ground and generally either trying to spot or stalking. Everyone has posted great pointers. I will add a little.
Avoid looking at your prey and don't walk at them. Peripheral vision and angle your way to them appearing to look away. Be prepared to close the last 50 yards in your socks-the difference is huge; but don't forget where you put your boots! LOL Speaking from experience here.
Also make your final approach with your bow up in front and fingers on the string then all you have to do is come to full draw and release; done with minimal movement. I came to full draw on a cow Elk at 8 feet this fall. She had spotted me but I made almost no movement drawing back my bow the shot went right through her heart-she never moved till the arrow struck.

[mcgroundstalker]

I dig this stalking and still hunting stuff! Been at it, with trad gear for about eight years and haven't put a deer down yet.   :(   But I've had more "almosts" then you can shake a stick at!

Hunting the same general area (with non-bows too) for over 35 years. Kinda know when to stay inside and watch TV. Hunting during a light rain or snow fall has given me the most action. Moving head-to-head along a deer trail is how I like it best... Sometimes off to one side is even better. Windy days help to confuse a deers ability to pick you out, sometimes.

Once the firearms season starts it's another ball game. On a clear, still day getting within 100 yards of a whitetail is really tough. Heavy cover is the key, if you can get inside it quietly.... I always carry pruners with me. Helps gettin' through a thicket and such.

Best Of Luck!

... mike ...

[guspup]

Still hunting in rain, fog, or snow is an often a rewarding experience.
Soft sole footwear that helps you feel the ground is good.
Leafy suits help and they are very lightweight.
Travel light to avoid overheating.
A camelback is a great idea, because you can get thirsty with all that hiking.
Walk very slowly, a few steps at a time, and stop often to soak in your surroundings. It's amazing what you will see, and how many critters won't pay you any mind.

[30coupe]

Originally posted by Bjorn:
 Be prepared to close the last 50 yards in your socks-the difference is huge; but don't forget where you put your boots! LOL Speaking from experience here.  

Thanks, but this is Iowa, not California. If I stalked for 50 yards in my socks at this time of year, I'd have to go back and look for where I left my toes!      

Early season, this might work though.

[Red Tailed Hawk]

Originally posted by Jerry Jeffer:
Biggest thing is try not to have deer approach right toward you. keep your hand on your bow at all times. don't move until you have to except for scanning your area. I hunt simple, don't need a lot of stuff or a big crazy blind.

 

 

Very good advice  

[Jerry Jeffer]

Yes, I use a version of torges seat made from a lone wolf climbing seat. I quit tree stands, so thought of a new use for it. Not as heavy to carry as plywood.

[Shortlongbow]

A few points I keep in mind.

 When still hunting, pick your path as you go to avoid limbs and briars. Look ahead and plan your route to avoid noisy obstacles. Don't step on anything you can step over. When you stop to look and listen make sure you can raise and draw your bow with no obstructions. Take another step or two if you must to allow drawing. It does you no good to be concealed if you can't shoot. If you find a natural blind, blowdown or whatever and decide to sit a while, go ahead and clear the leaves and limbs so you can move and shoot quietly. Make the noise and get it over with before you settle in. Try not to carry a lot of stuff around. I try to limit myself to a small fanny pack. It's good to stay on your feet whenever you can. If you need to sit and rest a while, pick a fallen log or stump instead of carrying a stool around. I know some people use various chairs and such and that's fine. I don't want to lug it around. Its much easier for me to shoot standing or kneeling than sitting. If you are sitting and see game approaching, stand up and position yourself for a shot at the earliest opportunity if time and cover allows it. Keep your eyes and ears open and remember that new areas come into view with each step. An animal may come into view or see you so look carefully all around. Go slow .........