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ground bowhunting

rjv140rjv140 Member Posts: 150 ✭✭✭
edited October 2006 in Bow Hunting and Target Archery
i just got a used bow and i was thinking about going bow hunting this year the only thing is that i do not have a tree stand from the sound of it the majority of people use tree stands inorder to help avoid deers attention. is it really necessary to have a tree stand or am i wasteing my time by going out with out a tree stand. please give me some pointers
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Comments

  • surekillsurekill Member Posts: 1,926 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    A tree stand is for an advanage point where the deer dont see/smell you as easy if your on the ground. I have taken deer both ways I prefer tree stands over ground blinds. But its really up to you [;)]

    GET~R~DONE!
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  • shoff14shoff14 Member Posts: 11,994 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Some people use blinds and have success with them. I have had gotten deer close to me by sitting in fence rows with brush. I prefer a tree stand though. You get more action in the sense that you can see a lot more up in the air then you can on the ground. Tree stands give you more open shots with a bow. Now with a gun, I prefer to get o nthe ground most of the time.
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  • danski26danski26 Member Posts: 284 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I hunt 60% of the time with a bow on the ground. IT IS A RUSH!!!! Get all camo, from head to toe. Watch your sent, Maybe cover-up or at least some sent eliminator and have at it. The last deer i shot with a bow was a 5 pointer at 13 yard from a ground blind! Last year still hunting, I had a Bear walk up to me only 15 yard away!

    Watch the wind. Have portable ground set ups or many permanant one so you can pick and choose wich one will work best for you given your condition. Also Don't rule out still hunting and tracking with the bow. It has to be the most rewarding hunting there is.

    If I was 12 YO again and just starting hunting i would never sit in a tree stand again. Now there are days that i am just lazy and want to sit all day.

    ALSO....Noise is your enemy! Wool, Fleece or soft cotton is all that i have found that is quiet enough. Tape anything that can bang together when your walking, turning, drawing...ect

    0311 semper fi
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  • buckeyboybuckeyboy Member Posts: 5,833
    edited November -1
    Nothing wrong from hunting on the ground. You can make natural blinds with brush ect like any thing else use the wind to your favor. I have killed several deer still hunting on the ground with a bow. The only thing I do not like is line of sight is very limited depending on where your hunting. You can buy fixed position stands for like $39 bucks .I would mix it up if I were you.[;)] best of luck,[:)]
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  • hsracer201hsracer201 Member Posts: 966 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    i took my first whitetail with a bow from the ground. without a ground blind. i just leaned against a tree and got lucky. a treestand, imo, gives a number of advantages, altho they are not a "must-have". a friend of mine just bought a climber from Dick's for $119. it can be viewed as a small investment into your hunting success.
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  • bang250bang250 Member Posts: 8,021
    edited November -1
    I took one off the ground last season sittin on a camo bucket, but I prefer the tree. You can see so much more.



    If huntin' is a sport, then your lookin at an athlete- T-shirt

    Gun bans have never accomplished anything, other than to create a safe working environment for criminals.
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  • NJDeerfanatic99NJDeerfanatic99 Member Posts: 1 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I also hunt from the ground. I guess it is just tradition I hunted with my grandfather all my life and we just never got into treestands. I am almost embarrased to say I have yet to harvest my first deer with a bow. Does anyone have any suggestions as to why I am not seeing deer in close enough range? I am pretty vigilant about scent and sound and believe the spots I am using are good with pleanty of sign.
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  • dakotashooter2dakotashooter2 Member Posts: 6,186
    edited November -1
    The last several years I have hunted exclusively from the ground. Not in a blind either. Strictly stillhunting. The key is sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow movement and using your eyes and ears. I generally work trails into the wind and rarely go a day without being in range of deer. It should be noted that I wear very little camo. Green/gray wool pants and a worn camo coat. The biggest problem I have is deer coming in behind me. Deer often "see" me but as long as I remain still and patient most continue feeding move on without alarm. It can be hard work though.Individual steps can take from 15-30 seconds each with long pauses in between. It takes nerves of steel and patience to have a deer stare you down for 5-10 minutes before resuming feeding. Getting close does not seem to be as big a problem as actually getting a shot. Deer are often so close that the movement needed to make a shot will * them. Especially if you are dealing with more than one. A few weeks ago I had 9 deer milling around within 10 -15 yards(I had stopped by a tree)for 20 minutes or so before they all wandered off never knowing I was there. Part of my personal strategy is that any time I * a deer I sit down for at least 30-40 minutes to let the area calm down. And do not snap your head around to determine what every sound is. Use your ears. After a bit of experience they will tell you what is going on.You know you are moving slow enough when the squirrels don't bother chattering at you and the field mice are running across your boots. It tends to keep your mind sharper than sitting in a tree or blind. It is amazing how "tuned in" you can get. Deer can also be curious. This year I had a young 4x4 buck spot my outline from about 125 yards across a meadow. He worked his way to within 35 yards to look at me before drifting off(unalarmed)into the trees.


    quote:You get more action in the sense that you can see a lot more up in the air then you can on the ground.
    Not always true. I have areas were treestand visibility may be 40 yards where ground visibility may be over 100.
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  • A.GunA.Gun Member Posts: 1,326 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Get a good cheap ground blind, maybe an ameristep one...they're comfy and roomy. Get a nice camo chair and have a field day. I don't prefer a blind with black interior for deer hunting, I think it spooks them with the black, a type of shadow...but never the less I have seen many deer hunting from the ground. 75 % luck :)
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