Success from the ground
- Lockdown
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Success from the ground
From the short time I've been following the Beast, I have read a LOT of questions/concerns about hunting on the ground. Personally, I would say 1/3 of my hunts take place from the ground, most often natural blinds. I do hunt out of pop ups and they definitely have their place. However, I think more people need to reap the benefit of hunting from the ground in natural cover! There are TONS of opportunities.
I know from talking to people in person, and also by reading comments from a few Beast members, hunting from the ground is out of some peoples' comfort zone... not that they aren't capable. It can be a very tough way to hunt, and in a lot of cases far more boring due to limited visibility. That said, I'm confident when I say a hunter who doesn't employ ground hunts is going to be missing opportunities if they only settle for trees.
This thread is for all the experienced ground hunting Beasts to give examples (and hopefully plenty of pictures) of their ground set ups Maybe it will give someone the confidence to give it a try this fall. I was going to start things off but the wife is hollering for me If anyone wants to get it going, lets hear your stories and see your set ups! I'm mostly looking for pictures from the hides or of the hides, but certainly an aerial would work or descriptions and pics of kills.
I know from talking to people in person, and also by reading comments from a few Beast members, hunting from the ground is out of some peoples' comfort zone... not that they aren't capable. It can be a very tough way to hunt, and in a lot of cases far more boring due to limited visibility. That said, I'm confident when I say a hunter who doesn't employ ground hunts is going to be missing opportunities if they only settle for trees.
This thread is for all the experienced ground hunting Beasts to give examples (and hopefully plenty of pictures) of their ground set ups Maybe it will give someone the confidence to give it a try this fall. I was going to start things off but the wife is hollering for me If anyone wants to get it going, lets hear your stories and see your set ups! I'm mostly looking for pictures from the hides or of the hides, but certainly an aerial would work or descriptions and pics of kills.
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Re: Success from the ground
Great topic. I have to say the 1/3 of set-ups is pretty close to my proportion of ground based hunts as well.
I don't have time to type up my experiences right now but will add them tomorrow. I have had some good success from the ground and some hard lessons as well.
I don't have time to type up my experiences right now but will add them tomorrow. I have had some good success from the ground and some hard lessons as well.
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Re: Success from the ground
I'm looking forward to learning here. I've got a spot I tried on the ground once that I think could be very productive.
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Re: Success from the ground
I have killed quite a few nice bucks from the ground. Never took a picture of any of the hides though. Most of my ground hunts were Beast style, in and hunt, and never go back to the same spot very often. I have never killed a buck out of a pop up blind, all natural for me.
I will always use an elevated stand as first choice. Ground blinds for me are when an elevated option is not available. I will say with out hesitation my success goes up when I go up.
Here are some of the bucks I killed off the ground with the bow. I have more but couldn't find the pictures.
I will always use an elevated stand as first choice. Ground blinds for me are when an elevated option is not available. I will say with out hesitation my success goes up when I go up.
Here are some of the bucks I killed off the ground with the bow. I have more but couldn't find the pictures.
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: Success from the ground
Those are some dandies Stanley! I agree it is far better to be in a tree. There are lots of advantages. However, at some point every hunter will run into a situation where suitable trees don't exist.
Here's a set up and story that is going to take a while to explain. Bear with me. After hunting the north end (left side) of this grove and seeing nothing, the farmer told me he saw a half dozen deer on the west and south west end in the corn stubble that night. Not having a stand over there, I decided to set up in the doorway of the barn and use my decoy. The next two nights, a few does and a little buck would filter into the corn stubble and feed, followed by a shooter 8 who would step out to the edge of the grove, stop, and stare at the does like a statue for 5 minutes, then when he deemed it dark enough, off he'd go chasing does around in the corn stubble. He was coming out in a spot where he couldn't see my decoy, then the barn blocked his view once he was in the field.
Seeing him do the same thing two nights in a row was very surprising, especially since it was early November. But, I just HAD to try a 3rd time. I got the OK to leave work early, and as I was getting my gear out of my car, low and behold the buck came running between the groves on the landowners driveway. Luckily he stopped long enough for me to snap a pic. SWEET!! Now I KNEW he was right where I wanted him.
I needed to set up where the buck would see my decoy. Due to the small size of the bedding area and the fact that the deer are used to hearing small engines at the farm place, I took the landowners 4 wheeler and slowly putzed the SW edge looking for the spot where he was coming out, and then a subsequent ground blind location. I decided to play it safe to make sure I stayed well down wind of the trails he was using.
The plan was to use a tree trunk to cover most of my movement. The decoy, if he came to it, would surely soak up most of his attention. Rule #1 about hunting on the ground - Make sure you can move your feet quietly! It doesn't matter how much cover you have if you can't move quietly. Here's what the actual blind looked like. There's really not much to it. I had 4 or 5 small lanes trimmed so I could shoot to all the trails from strait east to nearly downwind (wind is blowing SE). You can see one small lane to the left of the big trunk. I prefer lots of small lanes vs fewer big lanes, but that depends on the situation.
Below you can see my decoy on the right, and 3 does making their way out of the grove to feed. My decoy is 25 yards, the does are 55-60 yards.
The buck ended up coming out on one of the middle trails. He came out about 45 minutes sooner than the previous two nights, which I credit to the decoy. Rather than stage he ended up coming out into the open to pick a fight. He circled my decoy all bristled up with his ears pinned. I shot him at 15 yards. He broke his main beam off the night before so I don't know what he scores but he dressed 190. Here's a pic of where he was standing, looking back at my ground blind (I was crouching on the left side of the biggest trunk)
I got pretty lucky, but it just goes to show you... if you don't know if something is going to work, TRY IT. That's how you learn. Here are a couple pics of him. He was my biggest bow kill at the time.
Here's a set up and story that is going to take a while to explain. Bear with me. After hunting the north end (left side) of this grove and seeing nothing, the farmer told me he saw a half dozen deer on the west and south west end in the corn stubble that night. Not having a stand over there, I decided to set up in the doorway of the barn and use my decoy. The next two nights, a few does and a little buck would filter into the corn stubble and feed, followed by a shooter 8 who would step out to the edge of the grove, stop, and stare at the does like a statue for 5 minutes, then when he deemed it dark enough, off he'd go chasing does around in the corn stubble. He was coming out in a spot where he couldn't see my decoy, then the barn blocked his view once he was in the field.
Seeing him do the same thing two nights in a row was very surprising, especially since it was early November. But, I just HAD to try a 3rd time. I got the OK to leave work early, and as I was getting my gear out of my car, low and behold the buck came running between the groves on the landowners driveway. Luckily he stopped long enough for me to snap a pic. SWEET!! Now I KNEW he was right where I wanted him.
I needed to set up where the buck would see my decoy. Due to the small size of the bedding area and the fact that the deer are used to hearing small engines at the farm place, I took the landowners 4 wheeler and slowly putzed the SW edge looking for the spot where he was coming out, and then a subsequent ground blind location. I decided to play it safe to make sure I stayed well down wind of the trails he was using.
The plan was to use a tree trunk to cover most of my movement. The decoy, if he came to it, would surely soak up most of his attention. Rule #1 about hunting on the ground - Make sure you can move your feet quietly! It doesn't matter how much cover you have if you can't move quietly. Here's what the actual blind looked like. There's really not much to it. I had 4 or 5 small lanes trimmed so I could shoot to all the trails from strait east to nearly downwind (wind is blowing SE). You can see one small lane to the left of the big trunk. I prefer lots of small lanes vs fewer big lanes, but that depends on the situation.
Below you can see my decoy on the right, and 3 does making their way out of the grove to feed. My decoy is 25 yards, the does are 55-60 yards.
The buck ended up coming out on one of the middle trails. He came out about 45 minutes sooner than the previous two nights, which I credit to the decoy. Rather than stage he ended up coming out into the open to pick a fight. He circled my decoy all bristled up with his ears pinned. I shot him at 15 yards. He broke his main beam off the night before so I don't know what he scores but he dressed 190. Here's a pic of where he was standing, looking back at my ground blind (I was crouching on the left side of the biggest trunk)
I got pretty lucky, but it just goes to show you... if you don't know if something is going to work, TRY IT. That's how you learn. Here are a couple pics of him. He was my biggest bow kill at the time.
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Re: Success from the ground
I started building natural ground blinds in the woods about the same time I started bow hunting when I was about 14 years old. They ended up being thick walls of sticks with small holes to shoot out of and took a lot of time to build. Since then I have become a lot more efficient at hunting from the ground and constructing natural blinds where needed.
To decide if hunting from the ground in a location makes sense, I find it helps to look at strengths and weaknesses of hunting from the ground and apply that to the spot you are looking at.
Primary benefits of a ground based setup include the following:
- Time required for setup. No matter how you look at it slipping in and sitting down on the ground is quicker than hunting from an elevated stand even if it is pre-hung, not to mention easier than packing in any stand or climbing equipment. No safety harness or pull up rope needed either.
- Noise of setup. Sitting down on the ground, on a log, or even on a decent portable seat is quieter than climbing a tree, period.
- Depending on location, hunting at ground level can actually provide better visibility and more open shooting. In many locations hunting from ground level lets you see from a deer’s elevation, beneath brushy understory which often is the thickest above 4-5 feet…meaning less (or no) trimming needed. This is very helpful in areas trimming is prohibited.
- You can hunt locations where a tree stand cannot be put. Many great spots do not have trees large enough to hang a stand in. I personally am a pretty large person and if I am up in an 8-inch tree it will sway at every little move I make…not to mention I will stick out like a Great Dane at a wiener dog convention.
Some locations where hunting from the ground doesn’t work very well include:
- Hunting down low in a valley or on a steep side hill. Hunting at low elevations often requires you to get as high as possible for consistent wind and thermal currents and sometimes allows you to keep your scent above a deer on the downwind side of you if you get high enough. Just like any stand site – you need to know exactly where your scent should go.
- Where tall grass, swamp, or nearby elevation changes requires an elevated position to see. You have to be able to see. Having deer appear already within bow range is bad news! My rule of thumb is I want to see a buck from at least 50 yards away.
- A location you plan on hunting numerous times in a season. I try to avoid this but for those that do, I think deer will notice your scent from sitting on the ground and over time bust you more often on follow up hunts.
- Do not pick a location where you will be silhouetted against the sky from where deer will be. Deer can pick up movement more easily in those circumstances.
- Large numbers of deer at close range is bad news if you are on the ground because you will be unable to twitch a muscle. Generally if you are after mature bucks this isn’t a really big deal because they are solitary critters.
When hunting from the ground you can go in and just sit down next to a log, a boulder, a blow down, a thick bush, even a couple trees close together to break up your outline, or as I like to do, “prep” a spot in the spring to leave less to chance.
I should note that I use a ghillie suit for bow hunting turkeys but not deer. I just have not found a need for a ghillie suit for deer…their eyesight is not that good if you remain still. A ghillie would let you hunt more exposed areas.
If you are building a natural blind the most important thing I can offer is don’t overdo the blind construction. I think everyone builds their first few natural blinds far too thick, and far too tightly…and take far too long to do it. When bow hunting, you need plenty of space to move and draw, and you don’t want to have to look for a hole to shoot through in your blind. This is one of the reasons I HATE hunting from popup blinds, they box you in.
Literally, my "blinds" are just a few logs leaned up against each other, with a rock or log to sit on and a tree or something to lean back against. You just don't need much. It takes me 5 MINUTES MAX to do this, less time than it takes to climb and prep a tree. You need lots of room to draw and move a bow.
Here are a couple pictures of ground set-ups I have done in the past. There are some more in the hunting journal I started this year.
I sit center of photo in those leaned-up limbs. Buck bedding area is off to the left...I can slip in undetected without alerting deer within 100 yards of me.
I sit against that big white oak center-right in the photo. Buck bedding area is off to the left...once again deer might be bedded within 100 yards of me. The hill drops off almost to a cliff behind my setup which keeps everything in front of me.
Here are a couple bucks I shot with a bow off the ground.
I should mention almost all of the deer I have shot with a gun were off the ground...I rarely find need to climb up in a tree with a gun just because gun hunting distances are further so I have much less worry of deer spotting me.
I shot this deer at 12 yards from a rough blind like those shown above. This taught me you have to be careful calling from a blind, I snort wheezed this buck in and he was coming on a string...I drew early enough so he did not see me but the shot was difficult. It could have ended differently.
I shot this buck from a clump of sumac I sat down in over a pond when it was hot and dry. The closest hunt-able tree was 60+ yards away. It worked perfect.
I shot this buck from another rough blind, just a couple logs leaned up against a tree about 100 yards from where he was bedding. Another lesson - bucks can look bigger when you are at close range at ground level with them...was some ground shrinkage from what I thought when I shot. I made a poor shot on him and didn't recover him till the next day (hence the blue jeans).
A key observation from these examples is that full concealment is not a goal for me. For whitetails, a mobile hunter only needs to avoid movement and break up their outline if they only plan on sitting in a spot once or twice in a season. A hunter also needs plenty of room inside the blind to move around easily – I like a 6’-8’ wide clear area inside so I can move my bow and arrow around quickly and easily. I have often had deer pass just a few feet away from me in blinds such as these without detecting me, and my camo of choice is just old army BDUs. A ground hunter should avoid being silhouetted on a horizon, and have just enough large objects around to avoid standing out, and of course a ground hunter cannot be a swivel head.
The example blinds took maybe 5 minutes to construct. Little to no trimming of branches was required – something almost always needed when hanging a stand. Best of all, these blinds look natural enough that almost every other hunter in the woods will walk right by them. Hunters keep an eye out for tree stands and pop up blinds but these, particularly after being left alone all summer, will be virtually undetectable.
To decide if hunting from the ground in a location makes sense, I find it helps to look at strengths and weaknesses of hunting from the ground and apply that to the spot you are looking at.
Primary benefits of a ground based setup include the following:
- Time required for setup. No matter how you look at it slipping in and sitting down on the ground is quicker than hunting from an elevated stand even if it is pre-hung, not to mention easier than packing in any stand or climbing equipment. No safety harness or pull up rope needed either.
- Noise of setup. Sitting down on the ground, on a log, or even on a decent portable seat is quieter than climbing a tree, period.
- Depending on location, hunting at ground level can actually provide better visibility and more open shooting. In many locations hunting from ground level lets you see from a deer’s elevation, beneath brushy understory which often is the thickest above 4-5 feet…meaning less (or no) trimming needed. This is very helpful in areas trimming is prohibited.
- You can hunt locations where a tree stand cannot be put. Many great spots do not have trees large enough to hang a stand in. I personally am a pretty large person and if I am up in an 8-inch tree it will sway at every little move I make…not to mention I will stick out like a Great Dane at a wiener dog convention.
Some locations where hunting from the ground doesn’t work very well include:
- Hunting down low in a valley or on a steep side hill. Hunting at low elevations often requires you to get as high as possible for consistent wind and thermal currents and sometimes allows you to keep your scent above a deer on the downwind side of you if you get high enough. Just like any stand site – you need to know exactly where your scent should go.
- Where tall grass, swamp, or nearby elevation changes requires an elevated position to see. You have to be able to see. Having deer appear already within bow range is bad news! My rule of thumb is I want to see a buck from at least 50 yards away.
- A location you plan on hunting numerous times in a season. I try to avoid this but for those that do, I think deer will notice your scent from sitting on the ground and over time bust you more often on follow up hunts.
- Do not pick a location where you will be silhouetted against the sky from where deer will be. Deer can pick up movement more easily in those circumstances.
- Large numbers of deer at close range is bad news if you are on the ground because you will be unable to twitch a muscle. Generally if you are after mature bucks this isn’t a really big deal because they are solitary critters.
When hunting from the ground you can go in and just sit down next to a log, a boulder, a blow down, a thick bush, even a couple trees close together to break up your outline, or as I like to do, “prep” a spot in the spring to leave less to chance.
I should note that I use a ghillie suit for bow hunting turkeys but not deer. I just have not found a need for a ghillie suit for deer…their eyesight is not that good if you remain still. A ghillie would let you hunt more exposed areas.
If you are building a natural blind the most important thing I can offer is don’t overdo the blind construction. I think everyone builds their first few natural blinds far too thick, and far too tightly…and take far too long to do it. When bow hunting, you need plenty of space to move and draw, and you don’t want to have to look for a hole to shoot through in your blind. This is one of the reasons I HATE hunting from popup blinds, they box you in.
Literally, my "blinds" are just a few logs leaned up against each other, with a rock or log to sit on and a tree or something to lean back against. You just don't need much. It takes me 5 MINUTES MAX to do this, less time than it takes to climb and prep a tree. You need lots of room to draw and move a bow.
Here are a couple pictures of ground set-ups I have done in the past. There are some more in the hunting journal I started this year.
I sit center of photo in those leaned-up limbs. Buck bedding area is off to the left...I can slip in undetected without alerting deer within 100 yards of me.
I sit against that big white oak center-right in the photo. Buck bedding area is off to the left...once again deer might be bedded within 100 yards of me. The hill drops off almost to a cliff behind my setup which keeps everything in front of me.
Here are a couple bucks I shot with a bow off the ground.
I should mention almost all of the deer I have shot with a gun were off the ground...I rarely find need to climb up in a tree with a gun just because gun hunting distances are further so I have much less worry of deer spotting me.
I shot this deer at 12 yards from a rough blind like those shown above. This taught me you have to be careful calling from a blind, I snort wheezed this buck in and he was coming on a string...I drew early enough so he did not see me but the shot was difficult. It could have ended differently.
I shot this buck from a clump of sumac I sat down in over a pond when it was hot and dry. The closest hunt-able tree was 60+ yards away. It worked perfect.
I shot this buck from another rough blind, just a couple logs leaned up against a tree about 100 yards from where he was bedding. Another lesson - bucks can look bigger when you are at close range at ground level with them...was some ground shrinkage from what I thought when I shot. I made a poor shot on him and didn't recover him till the next day (hence the blue jeans).
A key observation from these examples is that full concealment is not a goal for me. For whitetails, a mobile hunter only needs to avoid movement and break up their outline if they only plan on sitting in a spot once or twice in a season. A hunter also needs plenty of room inside the blind to move around easily – I like a 6’-8’ wide clear area inside so I can move my bow and arrow around quickly and easily. I have often had deer pass just a few feet away from me in blinds such as these without detecting me, and my camo of choice is just old army BDUs. A ground hunter should avoid being silhouetted on a horizon, and have just enough large objects around to avoid standing out, and of course a ground hunter cannot be a swivel head.
The example blinds took maybe 5 minutes to construct. Little to no trimming of branches was required – something almost always needed when hanging a stand. Best of all, these blinds look natural enough that almost every other hunter in the woods will walk right by them. Hunters keep an eye out for tree stands and pop up blinds but these, particularly after being left alone all summer, will be virtually undetectable.
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Re: Success from the ground
"Beast style" hunting and hunting from the ground kind of go hand in hand in a way because a lot of the over looked spots seem to be overlooked because of lack of a tree to get in. This is a good topic.
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Re: Success from the ground
Great info guy's. Thanx. Because of my disability I've lost strength in my upper body and climbing trees is tough. This info is just what I needed cause I'm planning on sitting on the ground when ever possible.
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Re: Success from the ground
Stan, those are some impressive deer. Lockdown, that was a cool story. Joe, great tips. Thanks guys.
I bowhunt, but I don't consider myself a bowhunter. I'm still in the any kill is a success stage. I want too just walk a transition with my 30/30 and just set up wherever I see sign. The problem in Florida is finding a spot you can see more than 10 yards. This is something I want in my bag of tricks.
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I bowhunt, but I don't consider myself a bowhunter. I'm still in the any kill is a success stage. I want too just walk a transition with my 30/30 and just set up wherever I see sign. The problem in Florida is finding a spot you can see more than 10 yards. This is something I want in my bag of tricks.
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- Stanley
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Re: Success from the ground
Yeah if climbing trees is not an option ground hunting can be a very effective method. In my opinion going in blind, ground hunting is a great option.
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: Success from the ground
These stories are great. Ground hunting is very exciting and should be an option for everyone. I like how joeRE gave the advantages/disadvantages.
My past is 85% ground hunting with a mix of gun/bow . Anyone using a crossbow should be able to make it happen easily. I might end up with one someday but no hurry.
The 6-7 foot circle, quiet footing and seeing them early are all very important to ground hunting. and it can be a five minute prep if needed materials are nearby. I have drove a large branch in the ground in front so other branches can lay against it. Or zip tie a camo cloth to the branch at a decent height. If you are bringing something to sit on, check so the bow/arrow will clear the blind to the expected shot. I have built too high which would require shifting up for a shot.
Since getting a portable set I wont be on the ground as much but either way the BUCKS will be!
My past is 85% ground hunting with a mix of gun/bow . Anyone using a crossbow should be able to make it happen easily. I might end up with one someday but no hurry.
The 6-7 foot circle, quiet footing and seeing them early are all very important to ground hunting. and it can be a five minute prep if needed materials are nearby. I have drove a large branch in the ground in front so other branches can lay against it. Or zip tie a camo cloth to the branch at a decent height. If you are bringing something to sit on, check so the bow/arrow will clear the blind to the expected shot. I have built too high which would require shifting up for a shot.
Since getting a portable set I wont be on the ground as much but either way the BUCKS will be!
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Re: Success from the ground
I have had some very exciting ground hunts in recent years so I am a believer that success can be had. The more I give it a chance the more I am finding older bucks avoid trees that can hold a stand especially in marsh habitat. It opened up so many more spots for me that I honestly never would have even thought about hunting before. The first year I gave this a chance I was amazed how many nice bucks I saw but got picked off a few times before I could get a shot off. Been experimenting with a ghillie suit and think that has been the answer to very close encounters. Had some deer within 20 ft and they never knew I was there. Much more exciting than stand hunting and hoping this coming season is the one I can finally kill a mature buck from the ground.
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Re: Success from the ground
I think if I had to give one ultimate tip; the back ground in the blind is just as important as the front cover. I always use a bow holder that holds the bow ready for quick grab and draw. Movement is a huge deal buster on the ground. If your going from trees to the ground it takes some adjustment to be effective. Going from the ground into the trees is a piece of cake.
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: Success from the ground
Stanley wrote:I think if I had to give one ultimate tip; the back ground in the blind is just as important as the front cover. I always use a bow holder that holds the bow ready for quick grab and draw. Movement is a huge deal buster on the ground. If your going from trees to the ground it takes some adjustment to be effective. Going from the ground into the trees is a piece of cake.
Good point. I have a bow holder that sticks in the ground. Much less movement if your bow is already vertical and ready to draw. Hard to hold a bow still for hours at a time so the bow holder works great.
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Re: Success from the ground
Dewey wrote:Stanley wrote:I think if I had to give one ultimate tip; the back ground in the blind is just as important as the front cover. I always use a bow holder that holds the bow ready for quick grab and draw. Movement is a huge deal buster on the ground. If your going from trees to the ground it takes some adjustment to be effective. Going from the ground into the trees is a piece of cake.
Good point. I have a bow holder that sticks in the ground. Much less movement if your bow is already vertical and ready to draw. Hard to hold a bow still for hours at a time so the bow holder works great.
Agreed. Something to hold your bow upright right in front of you is a big help.
I always like to have my back against a tree, stump, or rock, deer pick off a new lump out in the open or even in brush really well but if you are next to something big that has been there all the time they are way less likely to spot you.
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