When hunting with a ghillie suit...

[statedriller]

Do you mainly stand or sit?  If you sit, on what?  And I've read a lot of threads on the topic, and most say to break up your outline by having something behind you.  Which would be better?  A big tree trunk or a brushpile?  I don't want to screw up and educate my local deer too early.  Thanks

[tim roberts]

Anything in the back ground will help you blend in with a Gillie  suite on, and you don't have to be right up and close to it.  You can be off of it 10-12 feet or so and it will still help to break up your outline.  This allows you to move around a bit to use the wind and other things to your advanatge!
Thanks,

[ChuckC]

They tend to catch on sticks and especially any stickers, so walking / stalking, is a bit toucky. .  but it can be done.  I find a spot that has some back ground and I like to arrange some side or front. .  but. . . not enough to actually hide me,  just stuff there to make me look like I belong there.  I like fallen tree tops with dried, sparse leaves.  I may cut some from the other side and arrange them onto some of the branches nearer me, again, not thick to hide, but just to be there around me.

ChuckC

[Charlie Lamb]

   

[Overspined]

Perfect example Charlie. I do the same and carve a spot out of the brush.  You still have to stay out of view.

My wife keeps her poncho in the bag until her Huntmor is setup, usually tucked up into a cedar clump with nothing in front of her.  One word of warning don't say anything to passing hunters on public or busy private land.  The screaming, panicked outcries  and pants wetting scares the deer away.

[LKH]

I used one in NM this January.  First time ever and was amazed at what I could do.  I used my longbow like a cane and with the "third leg" effect I could move so slow you couldn't see me moving.  I went across open ground until within 20 yards of two bedded does.

I had ten more to go to get within 25 of the big buck when they heard me.  Anyone who has hunted the desert just above the Mexican border knows how crumbly the ground is.  

Even then, they got up, looked past me for ten minutes and bedded down. I made it a couple more yards when they busted for good.

Great fun and I'm doing it again.

[centaur]

I used one of Big Jim's 'bush in a bag' on antelope a few days ago, and I had 3 fawns and a doe at 10 yards, completely clueless that if they were mature bucks they would be in trouble. I was sitting next to a cottonwood. I'm going to give it a try on some whitetails in the next few days, and then on elk when the rut starts.

[wihill]

I'd be sitting next to one of those three pine trees just on the top of that blind ridge by the stream where I sailed one into the dirt (did you trim that tree yet?!)

Yup.  That's where I'll be.      

Don't know where YOU plan on sitting come October....     :p

[PeteA]

I'll be using a homemade ghillie poncho this season. Shooting sitting or kneeling. You really want to keep a low profile. This will  help to break up the human silo and give you a bushy profile. I seat up in, near or around some natural cover, a blow down or a like. I have also built a few quick bush piles to sit behind. I think a big tree at my back.  I use a Waldrop PAC seat. One of the best seats on the market! Practice shooting sitting and kneeling with you Ghillie in watch for string clearance.

[1screagle]

I can't wait for the hunt this year because I made my own ghillie and feel so good about it. I took material from the Rancho Safari blind and cut patches from it and sewed it strategically to a one piece camo suit. I had enough material left to have 2 pieces about 2'x 4' to use for back drop or frontal blind. Now I can roll it all up into a nice small package including a 3 legged chair, throw it over my shoulder till I get where I'm going or use it to still hunt. It is large enough to dress underneath according to weather and doesn't have the weight or bulk of the Rancho suit. I also made my own Boonie to match. I believe this may be the best ghillie for bow hunters I've seen yet. I also took a military ALICE backpack and used the same material to add better camo to it as well. I'm gonna dedicate this year to giving ground hunting a serious effort. When using my tree stand I believe it will work well too but I've always had this desire to be eye to eye with the game.

[DeerSpotter]

Just prepare yourself to have a lot of fun in it. I have the Rancho safari ghillie suit that I use. I'm sure glad I didn't sell it. I have had a deer 1 foot from the back of my head Smelling me. I knew that he was there. He comes up and walk up straight up behind me. I was sitting in the middle of two trees in a double bull chair.

he finished walking up to me leans over to me and sniffed the back of my head . I jumped a foot he jumped more. and I must laugh so hard  for 1/2 hour after I watched him dart off into the woods. best hunting day that year.

just have something behind you and long side you so that it breaks you up. don't put the horizon behind you. Just some kind of tree or bush will do. the most of all use the wind.

Carl

[statedriller]

Thanks for the info.  I didn't know if I should pack a chair or sit on the ground.  I guess it kinda depends on the cover huh...  I've got a Ranch Safari shaggie long coat with the head cover and we have the perfect brushpile in the perfect spot.  At least I hope.  Thanks again for the info.