Hunting from the ground

[Brokenarrow1980]

I have gotten to a point physically that I can't utilize tree stands anymore so I purchased a M300 millennium tree seat and I'm trying to incorporate the beast style hunting advice I found here. My fear is most of my setups are more of what would be tree stand appropriate and I'm not sure if ground sets will work. Being I'm hunting extremely pressured land if I build a blind in these areas a tree stand will pop up in September I'm going with a ghillie suit and head to toe camo. I am shooting a crossbow due to my limitations so it will be easier to restrict moving. Are there any other ground hunters out there that can give me some pointers on what tricks if any I can employ on the ground. Thanks in advance!!!

[ThePreBanMan]

The hunting public guys do a lot of ground hunting. I would check out some of their videos. I've hunted from the ground and have had encounters. But no success. Deer seem to pick me off pretty easily, even in full camo. I bet if I could get into some better cover I could make it work though. It's a tool in the tool belt for sure, and underrated I think. I'm sure a lot of guys walk right past some good sign just because there are no suitable trees and end up out of place. I have a few times....

[Wannabelikedan]

Here’s the one in the all time best threads. Should give you plenty of ideas on what could work best for you.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=29460-

[Cchez]

I would look into Jim Brush. Hes killed lots of deer using a bow from ground hunting, and i think even has a hunting museum in Wisconsin.

Another guy ive seen ground hunt with a bow i think eas called deer ninja on youtube. He has some cool videos of deer kills up close.

As far as your setups, back cover is what id look for. You using a crossbow will at least take out the draw factor, so that will help.

Hope you tag one this year! If you do id love to see the pics and hear how you did it!

[Dpierce72]

Check out “Bow Hunting Ninja” on you tube. THP guys and threads above also great...

[Horizontal Hunter]

I have gotten to a point physically that I can't utilize tree stands anymore so I purchased a M300 millennium tree seat and I'm trying to incorporate the beast style hunting advice I found here. My fear is most of my setups are more of what would be tree stand appropriate and I'm not sure if ground sets will work. Being I'm hunting extremely pressured land if I build a blind in these areas a tree stand will pop up in September I'm going with a ghillie suit and head to toe camo. I am shooting a crossbow due to my limitations so it will be easier to restrict moving. Are there any other ground hunters out there that can give me some pointers on what tricks if any I can employ on the ground. Thanks in advance!!!

I’m in the same boat and have been ground hunting with a crossbow (Excalibur) exclusively for many moons.

These are some of the things I have come to realize about hunting on the ground.

1. You need far less cover than you think you need. Break up the shoulders and cover the face and hands. They are uniquely human and will give you away like nothing else. I sit in a low chair so I don’t have to rely on a tree for my setup and wear a predator kill suit, face mask, and gloves. I did add some sneaky leaf to the kill suit to break it up a little more but it is probably overkill.

A little cover in front and back is all you need. A few thin branches with leaves in front and back is all you need. I very rarely go to the trouble of making a ground blind. This keeps me mobile and I can hunt the fresh sign.

2. Scent will get you busted in a New York second. I use milkweed and hunt the wind. I don’t bother with the scent free stuff but I do use UV killer.

3. Sit still. Scan with your eyes turning your head as little as possible.

4. Be prepared as opportunities on the ground happen fast. Really fast, when compared to a tree stand because your vision is a lot more limited on the ground. This is especially true during the early season.

5. I sit in the “high ready” position. My walking stick doubles as an adjustable monopod for shooting. My crossbow rests on the monopod pointing toward the sky so all I have to do is shoulder it and fire.

I have tried all manner of slings for my crossbow and this home brew “sling” is by far the best I have come across. It attaches to the front sling stud of the crossbow and the bungee hook goes over the chest strap which carries the weight. Adjusted properly it will stretch allowing you to shoulder the crossbow to fire should an opportunity arise.




I also bought a hitch hoist as I have had to find other ways to get things done. They are pretty reasonable during the off season.



I hope that some of this is useful.

Bob

[may21581]

As we all know already ground hunting brings on new challanges and obstacles while also amplifying the rush of the hunt. With my personal experience I have had 3 opportunities while ground hunting.

1. Using natural vegetation on field edges to conceal yourself and shooting the deer as they enter the field to feed. Shot a decent buck 5 years ago like this. You must know where they enter from though.

2. Ground hunting during the rut. Sometimes those bucks just get stupid for awhile and you can get away with alot more. Walking to my stand last year I had a good 8 pointer walking off a ridge which I could of shot. I stood at the bottom of the hill behind a pine and let him work his way down. When he got to the bottom he was 20 yards from me and we stared each other in the eyes for a few moments. He then turned his head and continued on his way without a care in the world.

3. Late season can be a killer time around a corn field. Throw an observation sit or stand at it and see where they enter from. After you have determined where they come from and travel to set up inside the corn several rows back and wait for your shot. Again this year I capitalized on an observation stand and watched a good 8 pointer do this. I held back though because I wanted to let him grow another year. However I set up at another location to shoot a doe but a hunter looking for coyotes showed up last minute and ruined my setup. He was on the edge of the corn and they busted him when he made a small move. He had no idea I was there until I got up to leave and walked out the back way.

I find ground hunting to be extremely enjoyable and rewarding. It is amazing how much different it feels and the rush you get from ground hunting. It brings on it's new challanges while opening the doors to new opportunities and experiences. Shooting an animal while being that much closer just really makes the hunt more personal. To look an animal in the eyes that close or being able to see every detail of their body just makes things feel much more native so to say. Give it a try, I think you may find this to be rewarding as well!

[Dpierce72]

I have gotten to a point physically that I can't utilize tree stands anymore so I purchased a M300 millennium tree seat and I'm trying to incorporate the beast style hunting advice I found here. My fear is most of my setups are more of what would be tree stand appropriate and I'm not sure if ground sets will work. Being I'm hunting extremely pressured land if I build a blind in these areas a tree stand will pop up in September I'm going with a ghillie suit and head to toe camo. I am shooting a crossbow due to my limitations so it will be easier to restrict moving. Are there any other ground hunters out there that can give me some pointers on what tricks if any I can employ on the ground. Thanks in advance!!!

I’m in the same boat and have been ground hunting with a crossbow (Excalibur) exclusively for many moons.

These are some of the things I have come to realize about hunting on the ground.

1. You need far less cover than you think you need. Break up the shoulders and cover the face and hands. They are uniquely human and will give you away like nothing else. I sit in a low chair so I don’t have to rely on a tree for my setup and wear a predator kill suit, face mask, and gloves. I did add some sneaky leaf to the kill suit to break it up a little more but it is probably overkill.

A little cover in front and back is all you need. A few thin branches with leaves in front and back is all you need. I very rarely go to the trouble of making a ground blind. This keeps me mobile and I can hunt the fresh sign.

2. Scent will get you busted in a New York second. I use milkweed and hunt the wind. I don’t bother with the scent free stuff but I do use UV killer.

3. Sit still. Scan with your eyes turning your head as little as possible.

4. Be prepared as opportunities on the ground happen fast. Really fast, when compared to a tree stand because your vision is a lot more limited on the ground. This is especially true during the early season.

5. I sit in the “high ready” position. My walking stick doubles as an adjustable monopod for shooting. My crossbow rests on the monopod pointing toward the sky so all I have to do is shoulder it and fire.

I have tried all manner of slings for my crossbow and this home brew “sling” is by far the best I have come across. It attaches to the front sling stud of the crossbow and the bungee hook goes over the chest strap which carries the weight. Adjusted properly it will stretch allowing you to shoulder the crossbow to fire should an opportunity arise.




I also bought a hitch hoist as I have had to find other ways to get things done. They are pretty reasonable during the off season.



I hope that some of this is useful.

Bob

What chair have you found to best serve this purpose? I have my eye on a waldrips, but haven’t pulled the trigger and always searching. I primarily hunt elevated, but in some spots a ground attack would be optimal based on cover/trees.

[Horizontal Hunter]

I have been using the Cabelas Ground Hunting Pack the last few years and it works reasonably well. The one thing it is missing is a back rest. Sometimes I set up agains a tree and use that has a back rest but I have the freedom of putting it wherever I want for short sits.

There was a thread on here about hunting chairs.

https://youtu.be/C52aSAAjb24

Bob

[Brokenarrow1980]

Millennium M300 is an awesome tree seat with a back. I used it on a Turkey hunt this year and it's like sitting in a yard chair. I got some alice straps with a waistband and it straps tight to my back. While I was testing it I had it sturdy on a tree a little bigger than a coke can. I love the seat and am positive that I bought a winner, just not confident in setups. I appreciate all the good information everyone is giving.

[cspot]

Dead Ringer makes a hammock seat that is incredibly comfortable for ground hunting. It packs very easily as it folds up small. I have used it a few times for bowhunting from the ground. Very nice when checking out new areas and you don't feel like lugging a stand. Killed a buck last year out of it.

Untitled by cspot12, on Flickr

[Lockdown]

I don’t have much to add other than the only way to get confident hunting from the ground is by actually doing it. There are times I get busted and it surprises the heck out of me that I did, and other times I think I’m screwed and it works out. Deer doesn’t even look my way

Using a crossbow will give you an obvious advantage over a vertical bow. Drawing is the hard part 90% of the time.

You’re going to get busted more often and that’s just part of it. Don’t let it bother you, just ask yourself what your set up was lacking (or what you did wrong) and make an adjustment for the next hunt.

It takes a while to get comfortable, but done right it can surprise you how easy it can be.

[Rich M]

I do pretty good from the ground using a dove stool (weight next to nothing) and have been eyeing those Millennium tree seats - nothing like being comfy.

I use a Primos Trigger stick and think it would work well for you. It'll hold your xbow at the ready without wearing you out.

Hunt fresh/hot sign. Play the wind and the thermals.

You don't need a lot of cover in front of you. I do put a leafy branch or two in the ground in front of me but not enough to have to move my head to see or shoot thru them.

I find the first sit or two will produce the most sightings. So, hit while the iron is hot and expect to see the deer.

Last comment - my wife sees deer whenever she goes with me. She takes a book and a chair and goes for a walk, will usually sit on a transition line where she can see a bit. Deer walk right over to her. Last time I left her standing while I was in-season scouting, came back to find her all but petting a buck. It looked way bigger than her (less than 20 feet away) and she's just standing there waving me over & pointing. LOL! (we let him walk - neat memory)

[Horizontal Hunter]

Last comment - my wife sees deer whenever she goes with me. She takes a book and a chair and goes for a walk, will usually sit on a transition line where she can see a bit. Deer walk right over to her. Last time I left her standing while I was in-season scouting, came back to find her all but petting a buck. It looked way bigger than her (less than 20 feet away) and she's just standing there waving me over & pointing. LOL! (we let him walk - neat memory)

Those are some of the best memories.

I had a doe walk up on me during the BP season. She was 8’-10’ from me when she figured out something was wrong and started the head bob. I turned and said “boo” an she about turned inside out. Laughed my off.

Bob

[Brokenarrow1980]

I think I have the seat thing nailed, I even bought shoulder straps called "sandpiper of California shoulder strap kit" and I swear that strap set was made for the M300 cause it fits like a glove. It seems that the beast members are more about back cover then the so called "pros". How far away from trails do you guys set up? I am anywhere from 5 to 40 with my pre made sets. Also has anyone seen clearing lanes in spring as a deterrent for mature deer being I heard both. Keep in mind I hunt very pressured land in pa.