questions for you ground hunters? HOLY COW WAS I CLOSE TONIGHT, UPDATE!!

[adkmountainken]

i hunted on the ground for the first time and a long while tonight and had a small fawn walk right up to me twice! the little guy bleated with every other step, it was great to watch and gave me confidence on the ground
 ok now questions. i was sitting on a small chair and was wondering for those of you that use chairs do you shoot while sitting or when you see deer to you kneel to shoot? there is NO WAY i could stay on my knees for 5 hours so what do you do if you do not use a seat? how do you pick your set up? i sat by 2 well used trails leading to apple trees and i sat tight to a big apple tree with brush shelding me on one side which gave me a close shot oportunity. do you hold your bow the whole time? any other info or tips would help me greatly. i am/was a die hard tree stand hunter but i have a few spots that require me to be on the ground as there are no good trees. with a night like i had tonight i feel very confident and would like to try ground hunting a little more.

[Hook]

I just shoot from the chair. I use a folding campstool that has a back on it. I practice shooting that way in the backyard. I always hold the bow on my lap the whole time I am hunting from the ground.I use a small pair of rachet pruners to cut myself a set back next to a tree. The cover behind you is much more important than the cover in front. Usually sit 10-15 yards off a trail or if I am lucky that day two intersecting trails. I am glad you have decided to give the ground a try. Just wait till you kill your first deer from the ground. It is like no other style of hunting. If you get the chance read G Fred Asbell's book "Stalking and still hunting the ground hunters Bible' an excellent read. good luck keep us posted on how it's going.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Shot from your chair. Less movement that way. You can also make a tree seat (plywood 12X12 and 5/8" rope) dead falls, stumps & rocks all make nice seats, too.

[adkmountainken]

i admit it was a ruch. it was only a fawn but when it turned at 5 yards i drew, anchored and in my mind sent an arrow through a monster 10 point!

[vermonster13]

I practice from the chair. I have a backed three legged chair that works well. I keep the bow in my lap most of the time. I try to have thick back cover, overhanging cover and some mid height cover to shoot over in front of me. If I get a chance I'll take some pics of some of my blinds for you Ken.

[adkmountainken]

would love to see pic's, thanks VM.
 now a question on chairs. i was using a 3 legged, small camping chair. the ground was pretty wet and the legs sunk in a lot, i had to adjust it a few times and i did not like making all hat movement. is there a cahir built with better bottoms on the legs to stand up to soft ground?

[vermonster13]

Take a couple of pieces of wood, slate, marble, whatever and throw them in your pack to put under the chair legs. Instant solid ground. I had similar problem and took some old slate shingles and put pieces in my blind for under the legs.

[JAG]

I use a ground blind, with a backed camp stool.  Keep bow in lap. (must have practiced the movement needed to shoot)  Last weekend just sat on a coleman type folding chair, arms and all.  Set up was thick brush behind, and saplings on either side, facing a food plot.  Had a doe come into shooting range, and then turn around and leave.  It may have been that we walked across the plot when my brother-in-law was showing me the area.  1/2 hr later had another come in behind, just too thick to take a shot. (wasn't planning on one from that direction)
Anyhow work on it, its FUN!  Like VM said, tote some small pieces to set on.  I had to use a folding chair off the poorch, 'cause I went un prepared!  Thought I would be hunting out of a stand.  Be able to adapt!
Johnny/JAG

[bowmac]

I use the Nifty seat it comes in two height choices yet its small enough to strap on my belt. The taller one is the easiest setting but I prefer the shorter one. I shoot sitting or most often it allows me to go down on one knee for the shot. In wet ground I use a plastic lid off of a 5 gallon bucket with a hole in the middle for the leg. It holds my weight just fine. Didn't think I would like them at first but am quite attached to it now.

[TradPaul]

I dont use a chair anymore. Just because i find that i move with the wind which in my area changes direction too often. So i will stand or sit at the base of a tree or in a blowdown. This offers me the ability to either shoot standing or sitting...as the deer find me. Either way though, i set up each spot before i start my hunt, so that i can switch at will and be comfortable right when i get to it. Happy hunting.


P.

[Shawn Leonard]

I use my climber seat if at all possible, last night I set up where there was only a few real small trees and some sumac, I ended up putting the seat around a little cluster of sumac(3-4 trees) it worked perfect. depending on the shot angle, anything to my left of 11 o'clock I would shoot sitting, if it was straight out front or anything past one o'clock I would of kneeled. I have never been one to hunt from the ground, but due to a little medical problem I am ground hunting a lot more and liking it! Shawn

[ArrowAtomik]

With a longbow I think practicing seated with alot of cant may be best for the ground.

I played with a fawn a few years back while walking down a path with my compound.  I bleated to it and it bleated back and came to me like a dog.  If I made eye contact it would freeze, but if I looked away it would continue towards me.  Like a robot, I could make her stop or go just by shifting my eyes.  After awhile I had her in petting distance before she finally huffed, circled me, and watched from further off.

I like eating fawns, but not the playful friendly ones so much    

[TNstickn]

Got this one from BP. Works pretty good, cost 15.00, came with a shoulder strap. Been thinkin about the one with adjustable legs for uneven terrain. It has no back,but does have a swivel round seat. It does cost 60.00 though... not so sure I need it all that bad  :rolleyes:

[adeeden]

I hunt from the ground occasionaly, the seat Dean Torges came up with works very well and is very comfortable if you add a layer of carpet to the top for padding. Here is a link to it.  http://www.bowyersedge.com/treeseat.html

I also carry a set of small hand prunners with me (all the time when hunting) you can set this seat pretty much anywhere and with a couple snips make a very quick little brush blind. I like to snip small branches with the leaves on them and stick them in the ground in front of my set up. I can set the seat and make a quick blind in under 5 minutes and not make a sound doing it.

I prefer to hold my bow whether on the ground or in a stand!

[woodchucker]

I use a 5 gallon bucket,and shoot sitting down Brother.....  

(kinda like sitting on a "portable" stump)

Get yourself a few buckets,rough them up with some 100 grit sand paper,and hit them with some camo paint. Let them air out for a few days and your in business.I have a bunch of them out all year round up to my Dad's.....I have to anchor them to a tree with a 10 foot piece of rope or chain though(loosely)the wind up there gets up around 50mph sometimes over the winter.It helps to keep them around for next year!!!!!

[Brian Krebs]

Woodchucker- man I hope people put the open side down ... I spent an afternoon looked like a turtle before the firemen could pull it off me.

[Friends call me Pac]

I kneel on 1 knee until I have to stand up but I think a stool of some kind would be way better.  Just haven't gotten one yet.

[Jerry Jeffer]

Some times I shoot sitting, some times kneeling. I use the Torges seat and sit very low. This way, if I have to get on my knees from the seat, it is a very slight move forward. I usually sit so deer will have to pass me . This way I get a 1/4 or broadside shot and since they have passed me, less likely for them to bust me when I draw. Here is how I sit.
 

[adkmountainken]

the pictures help me a lot, thank you very much. just spent a couple hours shooting from a sitting position and i feel very confident out to 15 yards. i'm setting up for a 5 - 7 yard shot where 2 trais connet. going to sit on the ground again tonight. thanks for all the advice!

[Herdbull]

It does take some getting used, especially the loss in visibility compared to a tree stand. I like to film while I hunt, and the loss in preparation time is a tough sacrifice in thick cover. But like you stated, the reward is great when you are on their level. I use the folding three-legged stool made by double-bull. Mike