Huntin from the ground with the bow

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PredatorTC
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Huntin from the ground with the bow

Unread postby PredatorTC » Sat Apr 17, 2010 12:28 am

I would like to hear everyone's experiences of hunting from the ground with the bow whether it was a success or not. I have had two close calls getting nice buck this way but they both busted me. Im hoping i can listen to what you all have to say and learn this way rather than learning the hard way.

My two experiences;

I was set up in the morning over an ATV Trail. I was hiding behind a big oak. I expected the deer to come from the east but then a doe came from the west. I could have shot her. Then i made my mistake. I hit the grunt call and i could hear something running at me. Well my body was in the wide open as he stood there at 20 yards doing the head-bob looking at me. Because he was ruttin, he gave up and made a loop around me. I got the bow back and had it settled on his shoulder but he was quartering forward a bit yet. While working a scrape, he looked up at me and i was froze. One look at me and he was gone. Had i been in a tree i would have probably got the shot off.

Second story:

There were no trees around so i set up in a corn row that i knew a buck was walking past. He came in like clockwork. I started to draw my bow and i noticed my drop away rest was not coming up. All of a sudden the rest shot up and kicked the arrow off the rest. The buck was at about 20 yards took one look at me and bolted. It would have been another cake shot.

SO lets hear your stories

Thanks, Joe


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Sam Ubl
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Re: Huntin from the ground with the bow

Unread postby Sam Ubl » Sat Apr 17, 2010 1:04 am

Predator, I will divulge my two worst stories because they include the two biggest deer I have ever shot.

First one was in 2003 on public land near Holy Hill, in wisconsin. I had a good lead to hunt a ridge face where my good friend had scouted. Not far from the parking lot, my wife, who I invited for the morning, and I walked along the firelane at the bottom of the ridge. The Eastern horizon cast two sillohuettes above us - a pair of does. We stopped and they bolted over the other side of the ridge. I knew above the ridge was supposed to be a shrub pine bedding area with tall grass, so I assumed these does had come to eat the acorns before taking a nap.

We went a little further and headed up the ridge, where we both picked a tree about 10 yards apart facing down the ridge - we expected the deer to come from our backs. 10 minutes into the sit, being just after 7 am, I rattled and pawed the ground and raked the branches on the ground beside me.

I looked at Christie who was to my right and noticed she was mocking me with silent laughter - she had never seen/heard someone rattle before. That all ended when not a minute went by before footsteps came from behind me. We were about 20 yards down the face of the ridge, and this big ol' 12 crested the top, looked around, then headed right to me - RIGHT TO ME! I drew my bow from behind the solid oak, and then slowly peered around the tree to catch him broadside at 10 yards. How I shot him in the liver I'll never understand.

He dropped to his knees, then picked himself up and bounded towards Christie, who in the excitement, turned and stood up - the deer stopped locking his eyes on her. I was knocking another arrow at this time while they stared at eachother. . . And that's the second part I'll never forgive myself for. I raised the bow and shot without taking careful aim - I felt rushed. The arrow shaved his neck, leaving hair and nothing more.

Long story short, he crossed the road not far (100 yards) over the top of the hill into private property. My dad and good friend, James, showed up and we asked permission to access. The landowner asked, "Buck or Doe", and in my excitement I explained, "BIG buck!". He said with the gun season a couple weeks off, he didn't want anyone walking around on his land :(

2 weeks later after opening weekend of gun season, here he was bragging with pictures of the 156" 12 pt. on Lake Link, he saw laying 30 yards from his stand on opening day - Holy Hill in the backdrop, just as it was where the deer ran. I contacted him via Lake-Link PM and he wouldn't respond. I made a point to call him out on line, too, but never changed anything. I still think about driving over there one day and muscling up and saying, look here, I'm ready to take my deer home... I think I'm a little bigger than he nowadays.



2nd Deer -

The giant I shot this year, I lost also, and I wrote a long story with details posted to this site somewhere. . . I'll have to find it and attach the link.
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Re: Huntin from the ground with the bow

Unread postby Zap » Sat Apr 17, 2010 1:08 am

I have done it successfully.

The thing I keep in mind is:

From the moment I see the deer or when it is fairly close
(generally inside 75) I do not move at all.
When the moment is right I draw and shoot.
Last season I had over a dozen deer all around me, while kneeling behind some tree's in the snow. They ran across a field to the small woodlot that I was still hunting. Managed to shoot one. Shot, nocked another, could have shot again. But did not want to burn an either sex tag. Both mature does, both inside 20.

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PredatorTC
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Re: Huntin from the ground with the bow

Unread postby PredatorTC » Sat Apr 17, 2010 3:35 am

Dang sam!!! Dont that just tick you off when other people take pride in your work.

Thanks for sharing!
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Re: Huntin from the ground with the bow

Unread postby Sam Ubl » Sat Apr 17, 2010 6:15 am

Well Predator, it does, but I have to add that my "work" wasn't efficient, otherwise that deer wouldn't have gone so far. I'll never know how I shot a 1.5' back at 10 yards - I'll never forgive myself either.

Now, the giant I lost this last year, well, the shot was a little high, but lined up perfectly. I think in that situation, being elevated would have given me the upper hand in that a downward angle may have take a lung out instead of the flat trajectory from shooting at eye level...Ran out of blood on that one :(
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Re: Huntin from the ground with the bow

Unread postby NatureBoy » Sat Apr 17, 2010 7:45 am

Last year I shot a big tom from behind a bolder. He came up on me by surprise and wasn't able to draw, just stayed hunched behind the the rock. He came over and checked me out. I could've probably reached out and rung his neck. After a few seconds he moved off. After he backed off a bit I swung around, drew and shot. It was a bad hit and I watched him fly off with the arrow. The previous year I successfully shot and recovered a doe from the ground. It was a 10 yard broadside shot. I'm trying ghillie suit and ground blinds this year. Just made my first ground blind this morning. I will use it for both deer and turkey. Had toms gobbling around me while I was making it. Can't believe we have to wait two weeks more for opener here!
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Re: Huntin from the ground with the bow

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Sat Apr 17, 2010 10:19 am

I have shot (3) deer from the ground....all during the second bow season with snow on the ground. Dressed in snow camo it is simply amazing how close deer will walk by you...some look but it seems like they look right "thru" you. Almost seems unfair.

Had an instance tracking a small buck my wife shot in mid November, ran from the public we were on to private...about the only private land around for a few miles. Anyway asked permission the next day but couldn't bring my bow for back up. Trailed her deer for a good 300-400 yards into this guys land (he owns a section) and ran into great buck sign... anyway I'm on one knee looking down a trail looking for blood and up runs a real nice buck....comes within 15 yards and stops, looks at me and looks at his back trail. Still on one knee I pretend to draw my imaginary bow and settle the pin, bucks looks back at me for a solid 10 seconds before turning direction and trotting off. Just my luck.

Got a good look at him and quite sure he is the 8 I shot New Years day the first year second season was extended past December 31st. (new stand was within 50 yards of the property line)
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Re: Huntin from the ground with the bow

Unread postby Swampthing » Sat Apr 17, 2010 3:53 pm

I got onto a large 10 point 2 years ago.I spotted him the 1st nite coming out of private woods from a stand and feeding to a small patch of beans leftover.I was about 100 yards away in the stand.I decided I needed to set-up in the cats. There was,nt a tree anywhere,so I bought a 3 legged stool and a white sheet.I bought some fake grass at the Hunting Store and sewed them onto the sheet. I went out 2 days later an hour earlier to set-up. We had about 2 feet of snow that year ,so it took a while to crosss the field.I got to the spot starting clearing the snow away to set-up my stool .I looked up and he was running across the field to me .I dove into the snow.And he ran up to within 10 yards of me. I could,nt move and eventually i tried to reach for the bow but he busted.I got on him 2 more times from that spot .The second time he fed to 30 yards and my release froze up ! And the third and last time my sheet froze to the ground and I could,nt get to full draw
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Re: Huntin from the ground with the bow

Unread postby CatfishJack » Mon Apr 19, 2010 11:14 am

I have shot deer from the ground with my bow. I hunt from the ground when there are no suitable trees. Remember to have a lane to first see the deer, then cover as it walks and you can draw, and then be at full draw when it comes into your next lane. I do this and they still seem to see me, but its too late if i'm at full draw. Very effective if used correctly. I agree that in snow camo you get away with more.
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Re: Huntin from the ground with the bow

Unread postby dan » Mon Apr 19, 2010 12:45 pm

I have shot a few off the ground... You get busted a lot more than from a tree. I do not draw when the deer is in cover. I only draw my bow when a shot is presented. Even if they bust you they tend to take a second to register the danger before running. You can still take the shot. But if they stop or turn while behind cover your stuck at full draw. And if they catch the movement and you can't shoot your screwed...
The only exception for me is if the shot opportunity window is to small to draw and aim before the buck gets past, then I try to draw prior to the buck stepping into the opening.
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Re: Huntin from the ground with the bow

Unread postby Osprey » Mon Apr 19, 2010 1:06 pm

Most of the whitetails I've killed have been off the ground. A few have been from blinds, but most I was just tucked in tall grasses or brush and small pines. Number one thing is to have cover behind you to break up your outline and then stay still until the deer isn't looking your way. The other great trick is to use a decoy to draw the deer's attention away from you and focus on something else. I shot my best buck, a 161" ten point, at 12 yards while sitting on a 5 gallon bucket backed into a myrtle bush.

I love 'em at eye level, but I'll admit it's partly because I hate heights. I think sometimes it's actually easier to kill them off the ground, seems like so many deer have learned to look up for trouble into the trees, or maybe I'm just hunting pressured areas.
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Re: Huntin from the ground with the bow

Unread postby chad » Mon Apr 19, 2010 2:18 pm

I've only shot one off the ground and was able to get drawn back before it even came into view, I saw it come through the brush and drew just before it came out in the open as soon as it came out It stopped 20 yds. broadside, stared at me and gave me plenty of time to make a shot, perfect shot dropped within 10 yds.
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Re: Huntin from the ground with the bow

Unread postby PredatorTC » Mon Apr 19, 2010 2:24 pm

Im Learning!! 8-) Thanks for the replies!


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