Hunting from stand or on the ground?

[Bisch]

Treestand, tripod, enclosed ground blind, natural ground blind; whatever I feel gives me the best chance to get the critter I’m after!!!!!

Most of my permanent setups are enclosed ground blinds these days.

Bisch


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Captain*Kirk]

For those of you using pop-up blinds (I use natural blinds) do you find them to be confining to the point where you might be missing seeing or hearing deer?

[GCook]

For those of you using pop-up blinds (I use natural blinds) do you find them to be confining to the point where you might be missing seeing or hearing deer?

Sometimes.  But I also find the to be very concealing and a great wind break.  A comfortable sit for a few hours at a time out of the weather. 

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[Doublegun]

For those of you using pop-up blinds (I use natural blinds) do you find them to be confining to the point where you might be missing seeing or hearing deer?

I have used them for firearm season and I don’t like them. They are very effective for keeping me dry and out of the wind but I don’t like how they limit my view and my ability to hear some sounds. I also find myself moving around more than I should in order to get a better view out of the windows. I normally hunt out of a “C” shaped blind built against a tree trunk built made of brush and limbs. I have found that set up let’s me see deer before they see me and I can draw and be ready when they walk into the gap in the “C”. 

[Captain*Kirk]

I normally hunt out of a “C” shaped blind built against a tree trunk built made of brush and limbs. I have found that set up let’s me see deer before they see me and I can draw and be ready when they walk into the gap in the “C”.

Ditto...

[trad_bowhunter1965]

I use both blind and treestand and spot and stalk.

[stickandstring]

I love the view from my stands. Although, given the right terrain, it really is fun to still hunt.

[Wudstix]

Still hunting is a blast and can become standing still hunting if the right spot is found.        

[Tajue17]

I hunt from the ground and the tree,,, I'm 10' max usually in a tree many times I'm only 6' off the ground...   I go in with only two LW ladder sticks to give you an idea but try the tree low to the ground its pretty cool it gets you some better shot angles that are just above the bushes but it feels like shooting from the ground to me,,, you need to find a tree that's nestled into a young pine or better just behind one then trim off a branch or two to shoot thru or something else because the deer will see you like on the ground your background is super important for it to work. ....  I have friends that go up to 20' in a tree that's just crazy.. 

[Wudstix]

Most of where I hunt you have to bring out whatever you hunt with everyday.  Don't have any portable stands, so I am a natural blind kinda guy.  Just carry a stool, maybe.  Going to ghillie suit next year.

[Doublegun]

Most of where I hunt you have to bring out whatever you hunt with everyday.  Don't have any portable stands, so I am a natural blind kinda guy.  Just carry a stool, maybe.  Going to ghillie suit next year.

I picked up a small 3-legged stool that collapses easily. I can secure it to the side of my back pack and never know it’s there.

I’m liking the idea of a ladder stand cut down to fit the cover and I have a couple of places where that type of set up would work well.

[Altiman94]

I have had a really slow bow season here in Iowa.  I prefer to be up in a tree but am going to work to find areas away from timber stands that hold hunters in trees.  I am mostly on public land so hoping I can find more deer and less people.

[Possum Head]

Tree stand

[Soonerlongbow]

Here we can leave them up till the end of the season but there’s too many thieves. And it’s basically first come to the stand other people are able to use your stands.

This is hilarious 😂 ? Well that will ended very bad

It has!     It’s your property and can kick out anyone that’s in it. Or do like a coworker did and just unlock the chain around the stick and start taking them down.

There’s a similar thing with semipermanent waterfowl blinds. There’s a lottery to place them. Have to have a tag marking the owner, and if they aren’t using it then it’s available for use by others. Bit more complicated than that for the duck blind involving dates and times and such but that’s the idea.

[hickstick]

I hunt from the ground and the tr8ee,,, I'm 10' max usually in a tree many times I'm only 6' off the ground...   I go in with only two LW ladder sticks to give you an idea but try the tree low to the ground its pretty cool it gets you some better shot angles that are just above the bushes but it feels like shooting from the ground to me,,, you need to find a tree that's nestled into a young pine or better just behind one then trim off a branch or two to shoot thru or something else because the deer will see you like on the ground your background is super important for it to work. ....  I have friends that go up to 20' in a tree that's just crazy..

I'm one of Ted's crazy friends that's normally 20 feet up, lol.  Last Friday,  Ted, I did the same as you...2 sticks up just above a white pine off my left hip...had a doe and 2 fawns 10 steps from my tree for 45 min feeding.  I think having the 'back cover' helps. (I was close to a field edge and didn't want to get skylined)

[gregg dudley]

These conversations always reveal provincial differences and personal biases.  I assume that we are talking about whitetails here.  I also assume that we are primarily talking about Eastern bowhunting.  The big time deer killers that I know rotate stand sites regularly and hunt primarily from elevated stands.  They do not force a situation that isn't high percentage and they will occasionally hunt from the ground if it seems like the best likelihood of success.

I don't consider myself in their league, but I've played this game for 35 years and know that I have been busted significantly more at the ground level than I have in a treestand.  I try not to educate deer in areas that I hunt regularly so I prefer that non-target deer pass below me blissfully unaware.  The only time that I consider hunting from the ground as an equal option to stand hunting is if I have access to lots of places to hunt, I'm planning to shoot the first deer that comes along, the deer density is through the roof,  and I do not intend to hunt the specific area again any time soon. 


 

[lablover]

Both depending on the spot but prefer on the ground.

[doubleo]

After reading all these posts. I cant believe how many of you guys hunt from the ground. Here in Wis. just about everybody I know hunt from tree stands for whitetails during bow season. I have hunted from the ground occasionally with no success. I hunt highly pressured public hunting grounds and have to put my stand up and take it down the same day. Sooner or later im going to have to hunt from the ground cause im not getting any younger.

[Stump73]

Depends on the terrain, the situation and where I hunt.

[Huntschool]

At my age and physical condition I am staying close to or on the ground.  Just a few years ago I would go as high as 12 feet but that is no longer safe for me.

Now I mostly sit a ground blind using natural cover and a stool.

I like spot and stalk, but again due to physical condition, I cant walk much without a break which works well for this type of hunting save for coming back out. I don't do well with hills any more....  Getting old and infirm sucks.....