Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

[VTbowman]

Just wondering who bowhunts this way?

On the ground and NOT in a pop-up blind.

Natural material blinds are acceptable, blow downs, cedars, or pine clumps, but not enclosed.

Just wondering your techniques and success rate?

I will be bowhunting primarily from the ground with a long bow or recurve that aint much shorter. Hense no pop-up blinds.

I have a few spots already picked out I could possibly construct some natural material blinds but I plan to do some spot-n-stocks too. Especially in the rain since that seems to draw deer out into my green fields like crazy. Lucky for me all the ditching around and in the fields are pretty over grown so I do do spot-n-stocks fairly easily.

If there is such a thing as an easy spot-n-stock. LOL

[VTbowman]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

I have a gilley suit I plan to use unless its raining. Then just rain gear under it. LOL

Can I be the second guy to get all 3 in one season?

Does using trad equipment put me in a differnet class?

LOL

(OK I am leaving myself open to slams on that last comment. Go ahead JB>>> LOL)

[PAbowhunter4life]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

There are a couple spots I hunt thar are SWEET SPOTS, but there isn;t a tree within 100 yards that would hold a stand. One spot I got a cut log and made alittle seat back in a pine tree that is surrounded by some prim rose, makes a nice natural blind. Another spot has a big dead oak that fell that I put a log in the tops of it's branches and made another blind. I have deer pass by me on a regular basis in these spots, some are literally close enough to punch. In fact, the HUGE buck I never found last year was shot from the first set up I mentioned. Don't worry, I saw him chasing does a week later, so all is well, until we meet again this fall.

At any rate, hunting from the ground, even without an expensive blind, can be and has been a very successful method for years.

[VTbowman]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

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At any rate, hunting from the ground, even without an expensive blind, can be and has been a very successful method for years.

[/ QUOTE ]

Aint that the truth.

Like 10,000 years to be exact. LOL

[Guest grunter]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

I hunted that way for 15 years. Took over 10 deer from the ground. I also hunted from trees using only the branches as my stand (wouldn't recommend that now though). I still hunt from the ground during the rut - usaully mid-day when bucks are moving on the ridges.

[CDubWSR]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

i hunt from the ground alot with my bow. there seems to be a problem with finding a decent tree anywhere near where i want to hunt on my property, mostly b/c they are all crooked and knotty post oaks.

I have one set up that is cut into a cedar tree and the trimmed branches are stacked in the front for a little extra help hiding.

i also make alot of ground blinds by cutting down young cedar trees of the 4 to 6 foot variety and stacking them around 3 trees that form a triangle. that makes a very nice blind.

one of the most effective ground set ups i have used is at my friends farm. i found an area that has a old road that the deer and hogs use and is crossed by three different trails that are solid dirt. there is a creek that runs parallel to the old road, and there is a tree that blew over and fell across the creek. i use to creek to silently and scent freely enter the area and put my pad on the main trunk of the fallen tree and sit there and put my feet on another branch that is lower. it is very comfortable and it gives plenty of concealment. i have shot meat hogs from that tree and had a very close encounter with a nice 10 point that came out onto the road from one of the trails, fed in small circle behind some branches, and fed off down the road the wrong way.

[Hillbilly]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

I like to make my own blinds from branches of cedar trees. I usually look for some thick brush. Ilike to get between feeding and bedding areas. I dislike blinds that are enclosed because you can't see what might be behind you without unzipping a window. I rather be able to slowly turn without having to get up and fiddle with a zipper.

[PAbowhunter4life]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

LOL, amen to that brother. I can only imagine what the Native Americans would think of hunter shiding in a tent to shoot animals

[ilhnter]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

I use to hunt this way, but had no success. I killed one deer off the ground with no blind at all. I was standing behind a big oak tree and i would stand on the backside all moring and i killed my first deer by bow this way on public ground. Then when i moved to private property hunting off the ground was difficult. I saw very few deer. Then one year i put up 2 stands and saw all kinds of deer and filled my 2 tags. So i don't know if the deer were seeing me on the ground, or what but i have had very little luck hunting off ground with a bow.

Good luck this fall all!!

[Hillbilly]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

ilhnter. The farther you go up the better your scent won't be detected. Not saying it won't be detected, but it'll increase the chances of seeing more deer, than being on the ground.

[ruttinbuc]

Re: Bow hunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

5 of the last 6 doe I killed were from the ground. All were to fill the earn a buck requirement of my state. I have killed four bucks from the ground. Every situation calls for different tactics. Some of my best experiences are those where I played against the odds and the rules of the status quo.

Here's a tip!......... PLAY THE WIND!

[Chrud]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

Its fun and challenging to hunt from a brush blind. Last year I just stood next to a couple of real small pine trees. I kept the wind in my face and had four deer walk within 30 yards and had no idea I was there.

[VtBowhunter]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

I've done this several times and even taken a couple deer from the ground.

It can be extremely difficult but when you get one it's that much more rewarding.

[Tominator]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

[ QUOTE ]

Natural material blinds are acceptable, blow downs, cedars, or pine clumps, but not enclosed.

Just wondering your techniques and success rate?

[/ QUOTE ]

In the last 3 or 4 years I've stalked at least one deer in each of those years. In those 3 to 4 years, I can remember getting within bow range twice, and shotgun range once. Two other deer were in my neighbor's open field and I couldn't get close enough for a bow shot. In one of those situations, there were 4 other bucks in that field, and I got close enough to two of them, but passed shots hoping for the big boy. My success rate on stalking would be around 50% I'd say.

The one time I'll remember forever was stalking in my neighbor's corn on a really windy day. I got within 30 yards of a decent 8ptr, but decided to pass the shot.

Last year I got to within 70 yards of a spike and a doe in my field during shotgun season, but decided not to shoot.

In my experiences, the adrenaline rush of being on the ground, face to face with the deer is more intense than ambushing them from a tree stand. I'm not bashing stand hunting as I do that 99% of the time, but getting on the ground is a different experience for sure.

[buckee]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

I bow-hunt on the ground just as much as from a tree-stand, with great success.

Ground blind

This is a little spot I love to set up in. Very successful here.

A view looking out from same spot

[Guest DaveGP]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

this past season i was hunting on the ground a few times and i had a shot at a nice drop tine deer but that was with shotgun... as far as bow yes also... i shot at a buck but under estimated the distance...deer never knew i was there.

dave

[too_pointer]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

This post is good timing, as I just thought a few days ago I'd better get out and do some brushing in the areas I want to hunt. I used to always hunt out of trees, haven't for around 6 years now. You guys are right though, hunting from the ground is much more difficult than the trees

too_

[ruttinbuc]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

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You guys are right though, hunting from the ground is much more difficult than the trees

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It can only be as difficult as you make it too_pointer. Knowing your hunting area and the deer in it is key to being successful on the ground. There are more considerations to scent, noise and movement, but it can really pay off if you SWEAT the details and that dreaded wind..

The obvious advantage to tree stand bow hunting is being above their sight level and hopefully their nose. Of course you have a better view of approaching deer, but if you have the right set up you will have that covered as well.

I have a clump of trees simular to Buckee's hidey hole where I have killed 3 of my doe and one of the bucks. It sits above a rolling hay field that the deer always show up in. I can't begin to tell you of the countless encounters and shows that they put on from this spot. Then there are other spots where I have to rely on my ears and my sense of smell to know they are coming. Hopefully they walk through my shooting lane.

[Rhino]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

That's just about all I do when I bowhunt from the ground VTB. I've been doing it for many years, even before pop up blinds were around. I keep a roll of electrical tape in my pack to attach limbs I cut to other existing growth to add cover to a natural ground blind setup. I've had a lot of success hunting from natural ground blinds in the past. I bagged 2 does out of this one last October and had several different rack bucks within 20 yards of it that I passed on. One afternoon I had 2 does pass within a few feet of me in this blind. Not a single deer busted me. If you look close you can see part of my bow hanging on small tree inside a hole I left to shoot through. I took this picture a week after I prepared this blind. The leaves on all of the limbs I cut and used to add cover had turned brown.

Here's a view from the outside.

Here's a view from the inside.

[archerjg]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

That is 99% of the hunting that I do.

Archerjg

[ruttinbuc]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

Real nice setup you got there Rhino! Ain't this stuff great.

[Rhino]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

[ QUOTE ]

Real nice setup you got there Rhino! Ain't this stuff great.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep show is!

[preacherman]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

I have hunted from a pop up ground blind, but never just straight from the ground

[Guest tyshe17]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

I have done it a time or 2 when 2 weeks before the opener my go to oak ridge was timbered...I hunting in the tops of the old tress and had deer close REAL close...I will second the comments on watching wind and entrance routes

[Guest wisbowhntr]

Re: Bowhunting on the ground and NOT in a blind?

VT I hunt from the ground on days that I dont get out fast enuff to put up a treestand . I like hunting this way at times . Last year I did lots of hunting from the ground . Saw lots of deer but just wasn't at the right spot at the right time .