ground hunting

[twitchstick]

I've hunted from the ground 99% of the time. I have only killed one from the air and it was a bear.
I like to stillhunt and spot and stalk but ground blinds/ambush locations are quite effective. Movement is the thing that gets me busted more often than not. Learning to draw at the right time is very important. When stillhunting go as slow as possible and glass alot. Did I mention "Go as slow as possible"! Glass more than you think and go slower than what you think "is slow". Good luck!

[Bjorn]

Spot and stalk is da bomb!

[Montanawidower]

Elk on the ground, antelope on the ground, Whitetails.... I love to make like a hawk and watch from a tree.  I love the vantage and I actually like heights.  I think some people just like to climb trees.

[SGourley]

Always ground here also. Feels more rewarding.... plus with all the hunting pressure around here hiking in 3+ miles with a treestand is a lot of extra work

[swifty99]

I've always hunted on the ground. Walk a little and glass a lot.

[Renaissance Man]

Spent the majority of time on the ground, have taken a lot of deer, turkeys, elk and small game from the ground.
I also love a tree stand and have used all diffrent kinds for almost 40 years.
Each has its merits and pitfalls. Also different terrains and cover make one or the other better, some areas are just to thick for the ground.
One of my favorite things for decades has been to keep 6-10 tree steps in my pack and still hunt/ scout early season and use my Tree Sling which i wear all the time (as a drag, safety strap, tree stand) if i find a very promising location with a good tree set up I can use it right then or there or set up steps and come back to it later.
I also have a climber which is nice and I use it and some hanging stands. I also like to set up natural blinds, nothing fancy just a spot where my background is good and I can set up or use a couple of dead tree limbs etc.
The other thing i do is where the ghillie leafy type suit which is great.
Mix it up, use whats best for your terrain and how you feel that day.

[dan d]

Switched to ground hunting last season, I'm getting to old to fall out of trees. Fell out of one 20 years ago climbing in my stand, my broken ankle healed pretty quick, but now I have house payments to make and bills to pay, don't need time off work from falling out of a tree. I did start using a safety harness, but it was a pain using it to climb and I didn't use it until I was in the stand, most people fall ( including myself) climbing the tree. I actually liked the freedom I had being on the ground, I took my deer by being able to move to the edge of a field and took my doe in a hayfield, she was 15 yards from the woodline. If I was in a tree I would not have been able to climb down and sneak up on her eating in the hayfield.

[BOWMARKS]

Been on the ground for about seven years now,not by choice but found that it works.I am disabled and stuck in a wheelchair so I do my hunting on an ATV with the right brush and camo around me I have deer around me every year not that I have had much luck only once but it does work.And I still get to enjoy my favorite time in the woods!!!

I have never shot a deer out of a tree stand.  i have taken a half dozen deer because of one. i tend to get deer while I am sneaking in and out from the stand.  Last year mine were stolen off public property.   Now I can can go back to hating everyone that thinks those things are a 'no trespassing sign'.  If it were up to me they would not be allowed on public hunting areas on more than a daily basis, like decoys for ducks.  When one is stuck to using a tree stand they tend to hunt it no matter what direction the wind is blowing.  When one is not tied to a given spot, one can hunt to the conditions of the day.  I am also in favor of a leave no trace hunting ethic, much like that of wilderness canoeist.  Leave nothing but the foot prints.  It is also easier for someone with a lighter setup to get complete penetration.  However, timing of the shot is more critical to the ground hunter.  Those ten second long shots that a compound hunter uses will equate to numerous missed opportunities that would be just par for the course shots for a smooth longbow shooter.

[djanko]

Been on the ground the last 4 years,enjoy it!!! Safe and you can set up so much easier...use pop up ground blinds and natural blinds.  I let my son and his friends go up 20 ft plus and get the same results??

[guspup]

I like treestands, and I don't mind heights, but I find it easier and more accurate to shoot from the ground with a longbow.

[illianabowhntr67]

It works.I've had deer within 5-6 yds.Still haven't connected yet.I have also been busted several times due to me not stayin still.