bare bones ground hunting

[Slickhead]

anyone have much success without a commercial blind.
Working on my new hunting spot for fall 2017 and trying to decide if I want to use a commercial blind or just "ah natural"

They both have benefits.

Let me know your thoughts

[Barry Winner]

I hunt mostly public with a small stool and a rancho safari long coat ghillie.  I look for natural blind settings like blown down trees that are near travel or feeding areas.  Watch the wind and move if necessary.  Best of luck!

[Slickhead]

movement is my enemy
My hunting spot is in a ravine with elevation on both sides
Ive been picked off in trees three times.

I figured a commercial blind may help hide movement but does hurt my visibility

[Zradix]

Yes.
I might not have the best success every year..
...but the blind sure isn't to blame.

Build yourself a nice natural blind.
Make sure you make or have good cover behind you to break up your outline.

I find it best to make the blind around a tree and lean up against it.
When the deer come in try to be close to the tree...try to blend in with it.

Deer seem to notice if there's a new "stump" in the middle of a natural blind.

I like to build em high enough that I can get low on all 4's and move around under the cover of the blind if needed.
..sometime they sneak up on me..lol

[ksbowman]

I am going to build a round bale blind this year and get it out in Aug. I have some travel areas in open places with no trees that I think this would work great.

[Zradix]

wait....are you talking about no blind at all?

...if so, you really don't want to set up out in the open.
Like was said before....deer seeing you move is bad.
If you're going to try for a no blind at all hunt...at least try to set up where there is something fairly close behind you (from the deer's perspective). It will break up your outline and help quite a bit with hiding your movement.

even setting up on the side of a hill or mound will help..next to a big stump, a deadfall, upturned tree roots, big rock..just something.

[Slickhead]

"wait....are you talking about no blind at all?"

No I meant commercial or natural
I would use some cover for sure

[Zradix]

Have fun!
I find it sooooo much more fun than being cooped up in a pop-up.
...unless it's raining..lol
I can hardly stand hunting in my pop up anymore.

[Shadowhnter]

I think with a commercial blind for whitetail, you really need to brush up the blind to blend, and leaving it out ahead of season helps. Since this is the case, Id rather save the money and make a natural blind, when I feel its necessary.

Hunting the ground with no blind is how I hunt the most. Ive made numerous kills doing this but....Its not the easiest way to score a deer, but who is in to this game because its easy? There are some hurdles to overcome, like learning how to set up and where. In shooting traditional bows, movement upon the draw is also something to learn to deal with if you dont want to be shooting at alerted deer. Setting up effectively has to be learned on your own, by using various cover and lay of the land until you find what works for your deer. Getting the shot, at least for myself,  requires a bit of luck. I opt to wait, and not try to draw unless the deer gives me that opportunity by looking the opposite direction from me, scratches its head with its hind hoof, directs its attention towards another approaching deer, or something of the sort. If that opportunity never arises, I do not try,and I let the deer go on, as I figure that deer was not meant for me anyway.Instead I hope for another to pass by that will oblige me.

[Ground Hunter]

Build a natural blind.  Build a few so you can try to beat the wind.  Take advantage of natural changes in elevation, use the sides of cuts.  Movement is your worst enemy!

[YosemiteSam]

I'll take some camo netting when my son comes with me for turkey hunting since he can't hold still for long.  Last weekend, I constructed a quick natural blind using the plentiful driftwood that was lying along the riverbank.  Boulder piles, ditches, trees, logjams, bushes -- there are so many places to hide, one scarcely needs anything to disappear out here.  Getting comfortable is a little more challenging.

That being said, I have the most luck still hunting & stalking.  Our deer don't pattern well so staying mobile & adaptable works best for me.

[crazynate]

i always use natural cover when making blinds.

[calgarychef]

I have lots of,success on the ground.
 I use ASAT leafy suits, ASAT material (8'x3') in front of me
I dig a hole and sit on the ground with legs in the hole
I play the wind
I avoid sunshine on me like the plague by sitting as far back in the bush as possible

I kill deer  

[FITTER]

Have never hunted anywhere but the ground.... if I get spotted its my fault but Ive whacked coons on the backside with an arrow and put a hand on a doe.... natural ground works for me

[TIM B]

I love my big natural cover blinds.  I've used T-stakes to build a structure and fence wire to lean and attatch stuff to.  Made a few w concrete wire as well and they are great for weaving cedar and stuff to also.  
Tim B

Cedar shrubs with a Huntmore is a good combination.  A cluster of three hardwoods with a strap on seat or a Nifty seat is my other sit still option.  Sit in front, not behind.

[Michael Arnette]

I'm assuming you are after whitetails?
This was the first year I did much hunting on the ground in my Whitetial areas. I shot a nice buck on public land in Oklahoma off the ground wearing a Gilly suit this year, I have no idea how he didn't see me and I attribute rut activity to the success. I also arrowed a big doe in Kansas off the ground as well using the same suit. If you're going to do it I would recommend erecting a small brush blind or some form of breakdown and using a Gilly suit or other very effective camo. Whitetails just have incredibly keen eyesight that is hard to beat.
Another thing that is helpful is to stay away from transitions with your spots, they'll almost always check out their surroundings heavily when they are transitioning between different types of cover.
If you can set up where you can see them coming that helps as well as long as you don't move LOL

It's tough stuff, not for the faint at heart and definitely not my cup of tea...I like fidgeting in a tree

[Michael Arnette]

...one thing I absolutely hate is sitting in a closed blind. I feel like I'm in prison lol. They have their applications but I hate them. I know some others use them and do really well with them so there's that.

There is nothing tough about it when you have faith in the Giant Holy DL, dumb luck.  Last year i set up once between two good trails, on my Lazy Boy tree, it is actually more ergonomic than a real chair, a former four trunk basswood with one trunk gone at a perfect sitting height for my stubby legs.  I was shooting right handed, the trail coming down the hill at a right to left angle would offer a 25 to 30 yard shot and the trail behind me had giant cluster tree that with the three of my LB tree would allow me to turn to take a 25 yard shot.  There was a trail that i was right on, but it had a lot of sticks crossing it, no deer had been on it for some time.  Two does with their fawns angled down the hill.  I figured with free doe scent I should do a series of doe calls.  and here comes the 155 9 pointer, head breaking his way through the trail I was sitting, with absolutely no chance to take a shot to the right, but I tried. Off my seat, half way through a nice spin and the 9 pointer blew out.  I suppose that was better than having it step on me.
   The next day about 200 yards over the ridge, the thermals shifted, so I picked up my stuff and went marching across the slope to catch the main wind direction.  I walked into a smaller buck, it hung around about 25 yards, until I got my tangled equipment sorted out, then it headed up the hill in two bounds, but it made a mistake, he went back to doing his horny young buck thing.  Dumb Luck can fall towards you or away from you.

[monk]

Part of why I hunt traditional is the simplicity.  I make do with what I find. I pay attention to wind, movement, and the joy of being in the wondrous expression of Gods love.