Your advice ground hunters

[wapitishooter]

So Ive decided I want to finish out season hunting off the ground. I bought a tree seat and its comfortable and quiet, so what is the most important aspect of ground hunting other than playing the wind? any advice appreciated.

[J. Holden]

I'm no experienced ground hunter, at all.  I've only had two close encounters at deer and one was ended with a poor shot.  But, I learned from both encounters so I'll share what I've got.  My take away from my first encounter is to make sure you've got ample back ground cover.  I used to think cover in front seemed more logical.  The back cover breaks up your outline, helps to hide movement.  My first encounter on the ground was with a buck I grunted in.  So he was looking and attentive.  However I was also up against a tree that was just shy of shoulder width.  I moved to try and get a shot opportunity and he picked up on the movement.

My second mistake was on a doe two seasons ago.  I had moved on whim to a different spot than I had originally prepared.  I made the move so I kept the wind in my favor.  So far so good.  She was feeding around about 10 yards away.  After a few stare-downs she moved in the direction I needed.  However I didn't have this spot cleared out and failed to see how close my limb tip was to the tree next to me.  I hot the tree with my bottom limb tip as I released the string.  This caused my arrow to impact for a non-lethal hit.

I hope others chime in.  As much as I enjoy a "birds-eye view" of a tree stand and the perspective it offers there's nothing quite like a close ground encounter.  Best of luck to you!

-Jeremy

[Bobaru]

Jeremy is 100% correct about cover from behind.  It's almost erie how a deer cannot see you in plane sight.  I also like cover in front.  I like to have trees in front to break up my outline.  I like trees in front to hide movement that are required to get ready for the shot.

My favorite ground hunt is to cut a whole in the center of a patch of goldenrod, then cut shooting lanes.  That gives me cover in back and in front.  The shooting lane should have cover for about 3 + feet off the ground as the arrow leaves at approximately eye level.

I once stalked a buck on his bed.  It was raining at the time and the rain covered all my noise.  After I spotted his antlers, I was afraid to move so that I would not be skylined.  And I was skylined.  But, when the rain stopped and he stood up, he completely discounted my presence as I moved to draw the bow.  To this day, I believe he felt secure in his bedding area and didn't comprehend the danger, because he clearly saw me move - and yet began to stretch.  That's when I shot him.

There are other ways to hide yourself.  G. Fred Asbell has a great book called:  "Stalking & Still-Hunting: The Ground Hunter's Bible."  That's for starters. 

This coming year, I have already bought a "muck seat" to sit in cattails in order to hunt as I do with the goldenrod.

Have fun!!

[Trenton G.]

As mentioned, definitely some type of background if you can find one. Break up your silhouette.
Also, something I've started doing in recent years is I hunt standing up as opposed to sitting down. I find a big tree that I can stand in front of (or behind) and clear all the leaves and debris away from the base. This allows me if need be to be able to move around the tree quietly, whether to keep a deer in sight or to keep the tree between me and the deer. My other reason for doing this is when you stand in the woods and look out through it, what catches your eye more? A tree or a stump? The stump, because it looks more out of place. When you are sitting, you look more like a stump, and when standing, with the correct back drop, you look more like a tree trunk. I switched to this a few years back and the number of deer that have picked me off has declined significantly. I've had deer walk 5 yards past me without ever even looking. Had I been sitting, I definitely would have been busted.

[Bobaru]

Wow, I never though of that - the effect of standing versus sitting.

Back in 1966 I was standing as described when a doe walked right up to me.  She froze at 1 1/2 yards away when she couldn't figure out what my boots were.

I think your right about that.

[achigan]

Noise. The buck I took this year was at 4 yards. At that distance anything will be heard. I wore a kuiu  soft shell jacket and cotton pants, sitting still. Wool of course is quiet also.

[SlowBowKing]

Also not super-experienced, but have found that I love hunting in the ground!

I agree with everything that’s been said so far. I’ll add that whether you’re set up on a good trail or over a feeding site/mineral lick/water source, you have to consider where the deer will be facing/looking since you’re at eye level. If you’re 20 feet up in a tree, it’s not so much a concern, but on the ground it definitely is. If they’re even vaguely looking your direction and you move on the ground, you’re probably busted.

[Captain*Kirk]

I try to position my seat behind a big tree trunk, if it's a twin trunk, all the better. Deer can't see you from behind it and if you keep your silhouette against the trunk, don't seem to see you unless skylined. The trunk masks your movement when drawing the bow. I had a little 4 pointer approach me two years ago upwind. He got within 10 feet and stopped. He knew something was up but couldn't pin it down. We stared at each other for a good five minutes before  I couldn't stand it any more and drew my bow, at that he turned tail and beat feet.

[Keefer]

I love ground hunting and I always look for a blow down with a decent size root ball and “If” I can use it to my advantage I get behind the trunk against the root ball just so I can get a broadside shot on deer as they pass by.
 I also try to see if there are any white oaks that have a good acorn drop or a nearby bedding area where dear may pass by the root ball to a crop field.
  I always shower with unscented soap , spray my cloths with a dirt scent cover up spray,keep hunting cloths in a Rubbermaid tub with lid on it.
 Inside the tub I put natural bay leaves in the tub ,layer a few paper towels across that and also put those earth scent wafers in that tub. My cloths smell like the ground or earth like when you move wet leaves from where You sit in woods.
  Make sure your back is covered as others mentioned as well.Try your best to use your eyes before you move your body and scan as far as you can see . When I see a deer approach I have my bow across my lap and raise bow when deer are busy moving very slowly to get ready for the shot if one is presented to me.
   I also use a seat called the Huntmore 360 which I can turn ever so slowly to position myself for a shot.
   I also use a camo burlap material that I can put in front of me on tomato stakes and zip tie the material to the stakes and use some limbs and natural sticks and twigs to brush in around me. I leave a doorway in the back to climb in and if I have enough burlap material I close myself in and make my “Hog Pen” as I call it just so I can shoot over it while sitting .

[76Aggie]

The above mentioned front and back cover is essential.  A comfortable stool is essential for me.  You may want to try a ghille suit as well.  You may have to do some substantial trimming on it to shoot a stickbow from but it can clearly be done.

[Captain*Kirk]

I might also add, if you anticipate a possible sitting shot, a shorter bow comes in handy. This year I switched from my Grizzly (58") to my Kodiak Mag (52") and it made a huge difference while sitting...no bottom limb hitting the ground or dragging in the long grass... No difference while standing up though.

[TooManyHobbies]

Clear ground of debris. Draw bow in every direction that you anticipate an animal to come from to make sure no branches are in the way. Face mask and gloves are a must. I like being under pine or hemlock boughs, again with clearance. I will also sit a few feet away from trunk, but situation dictates. Trees five to ten yards in front for blocking as you draw. Good breakup camo or ghillie. Minimal movement.

[Friend]

Am no ground hunting extraordinaire….just passionate and have the luxury to freely prepare… am fueled by an ever burning desire, the gift to hunt a hi quality deer herd and roll the dice quite often. My early years of ground hunting were quite poor. I may have been afforded a half a dozen shot opportunities at any deer in 25 hunts. The strategizing, prep and implementation have drastically evolved. As to date this season, I have been fortunate to have passed on 44 solid separate shot opportunities on bucks in 78 hunts.

Firmly believe that the best ground hunting starts with ground prep and is completed from January thru March
My goal is to have three downwind main trails sharing the same destination with the furthest being 18 yards.

-Identify a downwind major trail and determine the destination

-Locate two more major trails that virtually parallel the 1st main trail and verify that all three share the same destination. Note the furthest trail may be 60 yards from the first trail

-Determine route for moving two of the trails such that the terrain travel is easy and natural and that there will be three separate major trails passing the intended setup.

-Taking my time, I hinge cut and heavily block the previous trails…I often may perform the hinge cutting and blocking over a few trips….it is easy to get carried away and end up doing more damage than good.

-Cut an approximate three-foot-wide trail that follows natural deer walking terrain preference such that there will be three separate major trails running downwind of the intended setup…the furthest trail will be 18 yards from the blind. Extend the two trails such they reach the original destination,

-Often block trails behind me or reroute to reduce possibility of being winded.

-My setups permit possibly 160 degrees of shooting range. Having wide options of shooting range have caused me far more issues than they have ever helped me. Positioning the deer where I ideally want them, has paid substantially higher dividends.

[Sam McMichael]

I agree with the notion that back cover is as important as front cover. Hunt the wind faithfully, and remember wind currents at ground level are often different than the breeze in the trees. A comfortable seat is crucial for me so that I can sit still. That is my greatest problem. I have only killed one deer from the ground but have had a bunch of close encounters. I let a few pass, but I spooked a lot more.

[rraming]

Just stand with your back against a large tree and don't move, that's it!

Don't move!

[madmaxthc]

Great advice from everyone.

My two cents: No eye contact! If the deer is staring at you, look at the ground in front of them, and don't move your eyes! Use your secondary vision to monitor the deer.
I find that our eyes, especially if you're moving them, break the spell and make you out. They'll  change you from being part of the background to a living being.

Also: when in the woods, close one eye and look around you. Find parts where there are several branches and bushes at different distances. Understand what patterns seem to mess up more with your three-dimensional perception (with one eye closed; do not look at it with both eyes first); those patterns will mess up the deer vision in the same way.
Deer have eyes on the side of their head: that means their field of vision is very wide, but the downside (for them) is that  they will often be looking at you with one eye, therefore with poor depth perception.

Hope it helps
Max

[Keefer]

  Now something else I like about root balls or hunting near them is when you are scouting and find a few downed trees look at the side of the root ball that was attached to the ground .
  If its a dry area you hunt and don't get much rain check those root balls and see if there is water in a puddle and tracks around them. Deer will funnel to those to get a drink.
  I also had one farm I hunted that the root ball was so big I sat inside and it covered me like an umbrella and I had several bucks walk by and got a shot on a 7 point and missed him first shot.
  He didn't even see me and circled back but next shot I double lunged him and put my tag on him.
 He had no idea I was in that root ball as it gave me the best back cover and left to right cover.
  Being dark inside I guess he couldn't  see me sitting in my huntmore 360 chair. 

[Keefer]

  This buck was taken at 12 yards while I sat in my huntmore behind a root ball and had some back cover and camo burlap material brushed in basically boxing me in.
 

[wapitishooter]

Thanks guys for all the tips! Im hunting with 64in longbow so limb clearance is a must. also using face mask, guess I never realized the importance. Also standing against tree and clearing all around base greattip. Not sure if I can stand still that long but will try this out. Hoping to get last tag filled on ground ,seems like quite the challenge!

[degabe]

My Dad always hunted standing up said you can't shoot well when sitting. You could see where he had been because the first thing he did was clear everything away from where he was standing.