jwilkstn wrote:Those of you who have had success setting up and hunting from the ground, let's hear about your setups.
When using a natural blind, are you constructing it in advance? Are you using an already fallen tree or similar cover? Do you focus more on cover in front of you to hide behind, or background cover to hide your silhouette?
What kind of terrain/cover has this worked for you? In hill country, do you setup above where you expect to see deer?
What about your seat? Foam pad, chair, sling, tree seat? Does it work for bow and gun, or just gun?
I haven't seen a thread on this, and thought it might add to everyone's repertoire...
I make most of my ground blinds in advance, but if I'm busting a move somewhere and need to make one I will. To me going in blind to suspected bedding and killing from a tree is hard enough as it is... trying to get it done from the ground would be tougher yet. In that situation I could see myself with a stand on my back thinking "None of these trees work worth a crap" and reluctantly making something work on the ground rather than pick a tree where I'm slightly out of the game. Or the situation might be "Sweet! Blowdown in the perfect spot. Guess I'll ditch the tree stand idea." and I'll be confident with the set.
Sometimes my ground sets get me excited and I look forward to hunting them... blowdowns are my favorite. Unless you really screw up, have a lack of cover, or a deer gets way too close, they shouldn't pick you out in one. With the tangle of branches and limbs your outline gets broken up nicely, you have a log to sit on quite often, and often you can hang your bow on a limb too (which I prefer over a ground stake bow holder).
However, most of my ground blinds are there out of necessity. I enjoy hunting out of a tree more than being on the ground, but if a ground blind is the advantageous tactic for that spot, that's what I do. I will say it is super nice not having to carry a stand and go through set up/take down.
The beauty of the ground blind is you basically can set up anywhere. Especially on private if you don't have to worry about trimming laws or other people finding it and hunting out of it. I've set up in/on stacks of round bales, standing corn fields, behind trees, in dogwood thickets, in patches of tall grass, cattails, next to logs, and more... There really is no limit to what you can and cant do. You just need to realize that it is way tougher to blend in in some situations vs others. For example, cattails or shatter cane (8' tall hollow yellow cane) is WAY tougher than a blowdown or forest type area. Its harder to blend in with a constant light tan or yellow color and one vegetation type. BUT IT IS DO-ABLE. If you've got a dynamite spot and you've got zero trees and only one option for a ground blind, then try it! If you get busted then ask yourself why and try to fix the problem for next time. In the cattail/shatter cane situation, I would cut some big limbs and haul in to break up my outline. Anything to break things up a bit.
Over the years I've had numerous times where I'll think "Man I don't know if this is going to work! I'll probably get busted" Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. That's how you learn and gain confidence. Its like anything, after you do it a time or two the confidence will come. Ground hunting can be surprisingly easy.
I will say watching one direction is by far easiest if you're looking to build confidence on the ground. Keeping tabs all around you is no easy feat, but sometimes can't be avoided. You can watch pretty close to 180 degrees with eye movement alone, so don't watch by turning your head if you don't have to. When you get into trouble is when footsteps come in behind you and you need to turn and locate it, grab your bow, position for a shot, etc all without being seen. It's a lot to pull off when you're eye to eye. Speaking of that, whoever mentioned not making eye contact is absolutely right. I always block their head with the brim of my cap if they're looking my way, or at a minimum look down at the ground in front of them. Back in the day I decided to mess with a doe who was within 10 yards and looking at me trying to figure me out. I moved my eyes quickly to the left and her head and ears perked right up. 5 seconds later she was gone! All it took was the eye movement...
To answer another question, I think I would prefer to have more cover in the foreground vs background. Reason being, if cover is between you and the deer it will help hide movement. I do think it is situational though.
I don't have much for good advice pertaining to seats. I bring a small tripod chair if I bring anything at all.