Bow hunting from the ground?

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BACKSTRAPALIEN
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Bow hunting from the ground?

Unread postby BACKSTRAPALIEN » Sun Nov 11, 2018 2:51 am

Who has tried being truly mobile and still hunting with the bow? Anyone have success? I have a friend who's killed quite a few over the years in this way. His successes have been during the rut and as recent as 3 days ago.
I've been doing a lot more ground hunting this season, largely because I'm spending time in a new area that I dont know very well. I figured I will gain the most knowledge for the future by covering as much ground as possible this year.
I shot a doe in early Oct and a nice 3yr old 8point on Oct 26th, both from the ground. Yesterday I was sneaking through some blow downs at noon and bumped a big 10 bedded up w a doe. I followed them a short way and sat to see if they would circle back. They did. I got back to within 60yds but they slipped away. As I'm contemplating my next move a nice wide 8 cruised right up behind me. I was at full draw but he stuck his nose right in my boots which I had removed and left behind a tree 20yds away to try and close the gap on the 10pt. He exploded so hard he seemed to take flight. It was super exciting and I learned a ton. I would not have found that place, which was shredded with rubs both fresh and from many, many years passed, if I had sat on the first good trail I crossed.
If I had my stand with me and set up near where I bumped them I could have likely shot that 8point. :think:
I'm beginning to truly understand how hunting is done with your feet and your eyes and the stand is just a tool to help you get the shot off. I think if someone wanted to speed the learning curve they could leave the stand behind. I know I learn way less in a tree than I do on the ground.


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Re: Bow hunting from the ground?

Unread postby mauser06 » Sun Nov 11, 2018 4:37 am

I spent 3 days doing it the week of Halloween. I was bear hunting but ultimately could have killed bucks every day.


Image


Image

I had the drop on him 2 different times. For the area, he's on the higher end of antler class. He was with a doe and had I wanted to arrow him, I think I could have.

This time of year I absolutely think it's a viable tactic with a bow. Especially during the wet/windy days when you have noise coverage.


I'm no still hunting expert but I'm learning and getting better each time. You can cover more ground...and I use it to hunt/scout new areas marking sign and such on the GPS as I go. Beauty of it is if you get to smoking hot sign, you can find a spot to sit.

I did a day with the stand on my back. I wanted to stand hunt but the spot didn't look like i hoped once I got back in there so I kept on sneaking. I covered about 3 miles that day over 5-6 hours...with my straps and waist belt, it really wasn't horrible..but you have the stand to make extra noise, bigger outline, harder to shoot etc.

If you're truly still hunting go slower than you think you need to. That's what I'm learning. Instinct is you scan an area and "there's no deer there" and you wanna walk through that area fairly quickly since it appears deerless. With every step, your view changes. Last week, I spent more time scanning and stationary than I have in the past and was definitely more successful. I could have gotten an arrow into atleast 5 bucks and several doe. Not bad IMO. And the Intel on my GPS is priceless. That big buck I have 2 of his beds marked as well as his scrape.
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greenhorndave
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Re: Bow hunting from the ground?

Unread postby greenhorndave » Sun Nov 11, 2018 6:57 am

BACKSTRAPALIEN wrote:I'm beginning to truly understand how hunting is done with your feet and your eyes and the stand is just a tool to help you get the shot off. I think if someone wanted to speed the learning curve they could leave the stand behind. I know I learn way less in a tree than I do on the ground.


This is where my head’s at too, only exception being what you can learn from an observation sit in a tree. Can see so much more.

But I’m in agreement with your overall point being new to the ways of the Beas myself. I specifically did not take a stand with me when hunting near a scrape yesterday. One, I had a huge risk of getting silouetted in a lone tree and two, I thought there might be more activity elsewhere on the property. I was able to cover three areas in a relatively short time much quicker that I would have if I had been setting up and tearing down a stand. Unfortunately, the private I was on is more of a transit property when beans are in the fields around the lone thick spots, but I’ve learned that by moving around and not clinging to the permanent stands that some guys use on the property.

So I will go out on foot tomorrow in new area and/or swamp with a focus on learning.
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The Silence
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Re: Bow hunting from the ground?

Unread postby The Silence » Sun Nov 11, 2018 11:25 am

In the past I've hunted primarily pre-hung stands in areas that traditionally have buck beds near by. I don't hunt them many times a year. A few years ago I started wearing my ghillie suit as I walked to my stands along with taking a small seat to sit on. Normally, as I head to my stand, I will walk in very cautiously and in the last few years could have had 2 shots at shooter bucks, both being within 25 yards when they turned around and looked at me. I wasn't ready to take the shot. Now I've practiced a new tactic so I should get a shot off. Also, having the flexibility of a ground assault is great because you can adjust your game plan based on what you see going in and what the winds are doing once you get there. I shot a honker at 8 yards this year from the ground as he worked a scrape. I was in my ghillie suit in standing corn.
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Re: Bow hunting from the ground?

Unread postby BACKSTRAPALIEN » Sun Nov 11, 2018 1:29 pm

mauser06 wrote:I spent 3 days doing it the week of Halloween. I was bear hunting but ultimately could have killed bucks every day.


Image


Image

I had the drop on him 2 different times. For the area, he's on the higher end of antler class. He was with a doe and had I wanted to arrow him, I think I could have.

This time of year I absolutely think it's a viable tactic with a bow. Especially during the wet/windy days when you have noise coverage.


I'm no still hunting expert but I'm learning and getting better each time. You can cover more ground...and I use it to hunt/scout new areas marking sign and such on the GPS as I go. Beauty of it is if you get to smoking hot sign, you can find a spot to sit.

I did a day with the stand on my back. I wanted to stand hunt but the spot didn't look like i hoped once I got back in there so I kept on sneaking. I covered about 3 miles that day over 5-6 hours...with my straps and waist belt, it really wasn't horrible..but you have the stand to make extra noise, bigger outline, harder to shoot etc.

If you're truly still hunting go slower than you think you need to. That's what I'm learning. Instinct is you scan an area and "there's no deer there" and you wanna walk through that area fairly quickly since it appears deerless. With every step, your view changes. Last week, I spent more time scanning and stationary than I have in the past and was definitely more successful. I could have gotten an arrow into atleast 5 bucks and several doe. Not bad IMO. And the Intel on my GPS is priceless. That big buck I have 2 of his beds marked as well as his scrape.


Your point about setting up on smoking hot sign is a good one. In hindsight if Dan or someone who is better at interpreting sign than I had gotten into that area they would likely have set up before bumping deer. There was doe crap, which is a huge deal because there were also many rubs and the leaves were coming down so fast the poop had to be very very fresh. Add to this that the area was so thick with blow downs and yeah obviously the sign was telling me what was in there. Your point about slowing down beyond what we think is slow enough is also a huge deal. I need to slow down and digest what the sign is telling me.
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Re: Bow hunting from the ground?

Unread postby BACKSTRAPALIEN » Sun Nov 11, 2018 1:42 pm

greenhorndave wrote:
BACKSTRAPALIEN wrote:I'm beginning to truly understand how hunting is done with your feet and your eyes and the stand is just a tool to help you get the shot off. I think if someone wanted to speed the learning curve they could leave the stand behind. I know I learn way less in a tree than I do on the ground.


This is where my head’s at too, only exception being what you can learn from an observation sit in a tree. Can see so much more.

But I’m in agreement with your overall point being new to the ways of the Beas myself. I specifically did not take a stand with me when hunting near a scrape yesterday. One, I had a huge risk of getting silouetted in a lone tree and two, I thought there might be more activity elsewhere on the property. I was able to cover three areas in a relatively short time much quicker that I would have if I had been setting up and tearing down a stand. Unfortunately, the private I was on is more of a transit property when beans are in the fields around the lone thick spots, but I’ve learned that by moving around and not clinging to the permanent stands that some guys use on the property.

So I will go out on foot tomorrow in new area and/or swamp with a focus on learning.



I feel like when I have a stand on my back I'm just trying to get to a spot as quickly and quietly as I can while not really absorbing the details of my surroundings. Very much the way I used to approach fixed stand locations. Dan has said many times that you need to hunt hot sign when it's hot. I need to do a better job of recognizing that sign, and I think a great way to train myself to look more thoughtfully at sign is to hunt without a stand or a destination. Just go find them.
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Re: Bow hunting from the ground?

Unread postby BACKSTRAPALIEN » Sun Nov 11, 2018 2:10 pm

The Silence wrote:In the past I've hunted primarily pre-hung stands in areas that traditionally have buck beds near by. I don't hunt them many times a year. A few years ago I started wearing my ghillie suit as I walked to my stands along with taking a small seat to sit on. Normally, as I head to my stand, I will walk in very cautiously and in the last few years could have had 2 shots at shooter bucks, both being within 25 yards when they turned around and looked at me. I wasn't ready to take the shot. Now I've practiced a new tactic so I should get a shot off. Also, having the flexibility of a ground assault is great because you can adjust your game plan based on what you see going in and what the winds are doing once you get there. I shot a honker at 8 yards this year from the ground as he worked a scrape. I was in my ghillie suit in standing corn.


Being at full draw at 8yds at eye level is about as intense as it can get! That's an accomplishment.
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Re: Bow hunting from the ground?

Unread postby mauser06 » Sun Nov 11, 2018 7:54 pm

You guys are getting it.


For me, that's a big part of the learning curve of this style of hunting (hunting buck beds..)You have to recognize when to climb a tree or when to press on. It's often the difference in a hunts outcome.


Last week when I ended up still hunting with my stand on my back, I struggled with that. I had a doe tag kinda burning a hole in my pocket that day. So I was looking to hunt deer as well...every time I recognized a spot as one Id wanna climb a tree, I'd spot deer or bump them out. It was tough terrain..


When I'm going in with a stand, I'm looking for sign...but I'm also keeping in mind where I know bedding is or I suspect it to be. That's what helps me determine when to start climbing. Sometimes that's unknown. Sometimes they aren't where they should be.

I have some areas where if the sign is there and it's heavy, I'm probably late. Hard to not hunt it because it's there...but I run into that from time to time.

The important thing is keep an open mind. Pose questions to yourself and find the answers. Learn something from every hunt or scouting mission. That's what turned me from a turkey hunter to a turkey killer. I was determined. I kept at it and trying new things. Pushing my luck. Theres been a couple seasons I didn't pull the trigger but learned more than I ever could by tagging out.


Still hunting and tracking are to me, the ultimate form of hunting. Just something about it. I didn't do it hardly ever...now in recent years I'm finding out how enjoyable it is and how rewarding it can be. I have a desire to learn new ground etc. It just really works for me.

Later this week I have a out of state public land deer/bear hunt planned if I get my truck back in time. It'll be soley still hunting/tracking. I've never even drove through the area let alone hunted it....most guys would think that's a crazy waste of time. I don't. Grab my rifle and head out and HUNT for a deer...or bear. All the while, plotting points on the GPS for the future.
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The Silence
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Re: Bow hunting from the ground?

Unread postby The Silence » Mon Nov 12, 2018 4:15 pm

Love using the ghillie suit. Image
Image
My first mature buck. 8 yard shot from the ground while set-up in standing corn. He was working a scrape. October 11th. 4:50 pm. First day of the year when temps went below freezing at night. Overhead/underfoot moon.
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greenhorndave
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Re: Bow hunting from the ground?

Unread postby greenhorndave » Tue Nov 13, 2018 1:43 pm

That’s awesome Silence. Great deer.

That corn idea is a great one. I’ve considered it, but somehow doubted that I could pull it off. I was wrong, so thanks for showing me it can be done.
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Re: Bow hunting from the ground?

Unread postby G-Patt » Wed Nov 14, 2018 6:46 am

I love to still hunt and prefer it on very cold days. Still hunting keeps me warm and cover a lot more ground. My method is to target an area where I think deer will likely be (but not knowing for sure). After accessing the area, I like to move in the direction of the wind hoping to keep the target area quarter-wind to crosswind of where I am. This way the deer can move with the wind to their advantage but I stay out of their wind if my guessing game is right. I seldom move with the wind in my face. I see way less deer that way. Plus, if the deer are on their beds, they will lay with the wind to their back and watch the downwind side. I get sight-busted too much when still hunting with the wind in my face.

I'll sit in some blow downs for about 15 to 20 minutes and quietly move about 40 to 50 yards at a time before I sit again. When I get to the end of the area I've targeted, I will move over about 100 or more yards depending on the terrain and slowly work back parallel of the area I came. I call this "the ratchet." When I'm moving back, the wind is now in my face, but when I sit, I'm facing into the quarter-wind or crosswind for each set up. I generally only set up for 10 to 15 minutes for each sit as I'm working back since I'm usually running out of time. The alternative to "the ratchet" is when I get to the end of my target area, I will circle back through my wind-spoiled area and move 100 yards over from where I originally accessed the target area.

The downside of this approach is that you are no doubt playing a guessing game and occasionally the deer will catch your scent or be on alert when moving. The other downside is you need noise cover (wind, rain) for it to be more effective than tree hunting. Sometimes I do it without the cover depending on my mood and how cold I am. If it's the rut, I'm not too worried about noise cover. I've been successful both with and without wind/rain rain cover. One obvious upside besides seeing and perhaps killing more deer is you get great scouting intel on areas you may have previously ruled out for tree stand hunting. I love both styles of hunting.

I've never had more fun and excitement with any other method, and I see a lot more deer and shot opportunities. If I bump deer, and they don't blow, I will go about 50 to 60 yards downwind from where I bump them and wait for them to wind-check the area again. It's very exciting when or if they do come back. One disclaimer is I almost exclusively hunt large areas of wooded public land, so this method won't work on small private lots or in large open areas. Give it try next time you're in the deer woods.
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Re: Bow hunting from the ground?

Unread postby greenhorndave » Wed Nov 14, 2018 10:27 am

G-Patt... Really appreciate all of that tactical detail. I can't tell you how helpful that is to how I might approach a new area now. I'm thinking of a particular place to try that on Friday if the wind stays as forecasted.
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