Tree hunting or ground hunting?

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adrenalin
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Tree hunting or ground hunting?

Unread postby adrenalin » Sat Sep 22, 2012 11:23 pm

Last night I couldn't help but think to myself "Why am I climbing up this tree where my visibility is way worse than on the ground?" I was hunting the edge of any island with bushes and small popples. So once you climb up a tree you are above most of the leaves and brush. Is there a way to setup on the ground close to bedding in thick stuff and not make noise whenever you move? When you have to move to take a shot it's pretty hard when your standing in marsh grass. Any ideas??


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Spysar
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Re: Tree hunting or ground hunting?

Unread postby Spysar » Sat Sep 22, 2012 11:53 pm

Use a stand, but only put it 4 or 6 feet off the ground...
A buck will see you three times, and hear you twice, but he's only gonna smell you once.
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Re: Tree hunting or ground hunting?

Unread postby walleyeralph » Sun Sep 23, 2012 1:31 am

U can try this, back yourself right smack in the middle of that bush. depending on the height of the bush and if the leaves are still on it u can stand up with your head up near the top so u can c them coming.But the wind has 2 be right.it sure is a great feeling if u can get close 2 the deer on the ground and wackem up close as some times they just about run u over when they get out of dodge. Ralph.
adrenalin
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Re: Tree hunting or ground hunting?

Unread postby adrenalin » Sun Sep 23, 2012 1:44 am

Spysar wrote:Use a stand, but only put it 4 or 6 feet off the ground...

I do this all the time, but even last night one stick then stand was already too high.
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Re: Tree hunting or ground hunting?

Unread postby Stanley » Sun Sep 23, 2012 2:48 am

Hunting on the ground means you can't see very far and tell when deer are coming. So your visibility as a hunter is way worse. Clears shots are way harder to come by on the ground. If you are sticking out like a lollipop up in a tree that is not good either. Some back ground brush lock tied into the set may be in order.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Tree hunting or ground hunting?

Unread postby dan » Sun Sep 23, 2012 3:42 am

Stanley wrote:Hunting on the ground means you can't see very far and tell when deer are coming. So your visibility as a hunter is way worse. Clears shots are way harder to come by on the ground. If you are sticking out like a lollipop up in a tree that is not good either. Some back ground brush lock tied into the set may be in order.


Stan,
Adrenalin and I hunt the same areas, you actually do have greater visibility and more clear shots from the ground on these marsh islands in a lot of cases... I have pondered the same thing as him.
We can't cut shooting lanes, and even if we did/could, there is no guarantee thats where the sign will be when we come back to hunt.

I do sometimes hunt off the ground in these situations, but its really tough to kill mature bucks off the ground on public pressured land... They seem to be really in tune with every movement and sound at ground level, and there never seems to be the perfect set up... The best I have done is to find one of those really thick green ceder tree bushes and get the stand hooked up a few feet off the ground and sit in the middle of the bush with just enough room to draw and shoot.
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Swampthing
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Re: Tree hunting or ground hunting?

Unread postby Swampthing » Sat Oct 13, 2012 4:07 pm

I stumbled across this post tonite and it was precisely what I encountered last week out in the marsh. I had a decent 8 point ( 2 1/2 year old ) come in I first noticed him at 45 yards but vanished in the underbrush until he came under me at 5 yards. I went home and pondered the whole idea if I coulda killed him from the ground. I think it's a horse a piece what you gain going up in stealthiness you lose in visibility. What you gain going down you loose in stealthiness.

Here is my tree ( a dead tree that bark had to be removed from to set stand )
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Here is the view from stand , good cover in front of my set ,blocking my ascent into tree.
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Another view towards bedding ( middle of pic is where I first got visual of buck).
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This is a view right under me to my right . The strip in which he approached me it's only about 20 yards wide. He was just about in line with the taller lone tree. You can see the thick underbrush.
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Here are 2 views of the low canopy that restricts visibility from up in stand
Image
Image
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Dewey
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Re: Tree hunting or ground hunting?

Unread postby Dewey » Sat Oct 13, 2012 4:20 pm

I also have a bunch of spots that I want to hunt but no decent trees are available.

Did some searching and found just what I need for hunting on the ground in wet areas or cattails. This Marsh Seat is just the ticket and looks very easy to carry. http://www.cabelas.com/product/Avery174 ... l+Products

I know hunting on the ground can be a challenge but it seems many of the bigger bucks I see purposely avoid areas where there are trees. Getting into the cattails where they travel on their level seems like the only option for getting a shot.

Ordered one and will be testing it out very soon. 8-)

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Swampthing
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Re: Tree hunting or ground hunting?

Unread postby Swampthing » Sat Oct 13, 2012 10:18 pm

Thats a neat little seat can't wait for review Dewey

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Swampthing
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Re: Tree hunting or ground hunting?

Unread postby Swampthing » Sat Oct 13, 2012 10:21 pm

Thats a neat little seat can't wait for review Dewey

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Re: Tree hunting or ground hunting?

Unread postby dirt nap giver » Sat Oct 13, 2012 10:37 pm

A couple years ago I had the same issue. I found a chair called the huntmore. Was really sceptical at first and didn't order it. Then had another encounter where the chair would have worked, so I went home and ordered one. $200 was a huge negative for me. But I have had this in my bag of tricks for the last 2 years now and love it. Packs in great, sets up quietly and best of all it's good on my back as well as "my boys". So last year I went out and bought some grass matting from gander mountain and started packing that in with me. Let me tell ya, this works so well, I now value this set up as much as I do all my lone wolf stands.
If anything ever breaks on it all you do is replace the part, not the whe chair. This thing is built to last. I will post a pic of the bucks I took last year While hunting out of it. You won't be sorry

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Re: Tree hunting or ground hunting?

Unread postby dirt nap giver » Sat Oct 13, 2012 10:45 pm

I am gonna have to do it from my computer tonite. Smart phone is smarter than me in this area

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GRUD
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Re: Tree hunting or ground hunting?

Unread postby GRUD » Sun Oct 14, 2012 12:37 am

I hunt a similar sounding area and I have had good success using the Double Bull T2 blind. It can be set up quietly and easily hidden. The times I have hunted out of it the deer either dont notice it or come within 10yds and stop and take a glance at it and get shot. I have shoot through mesh on all windows and it does limit your view to the rear but absolutely helps you to draw undetected. They are only like $160 on Natchess website.

Indiana legalized crossbow this year and it adds a whole new dimension to these "ground" spots. No need for the blind because you dont need to draw a bow. Some guys hate crossbows but I think they have their place in situations like this. But they are horrible to use in a stand and noisy clumbsy and heavy.

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Uncle Lou
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Re: Tree hunting or ground hunting?

Unread postby Uncle Lou » Sun Oct 14, 2012 2:28 am

I was in the marsh yesterday and climbed up a little cluster of maples on a peninsula to get a view of the trees in front of me (not directly, but a ways off
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coming out of there yesterday I started thinking of Dan's wood ladder.

Although about 3/4 of a mile away and much earlier I watched a good buck settle into his bed. Trying to figure out how to get on that one. May have to stalk up and take my chances, as I don't think I can get in a tree on him either.

I didn't look at the seat height, but I don't see how sitting down in 6 foot cattails will help.
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Re: Tree hunting or ground hunting?

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Sun Oct 14, 2012 2:41 am

Anyone ever use a ghillie suit????
The cave you fear hides the treasure you seek!!!


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