Ground and Pound

Discuss deer hunting tactics, Deer behavior. Post your Hunting Stories, Pictures, and Questions/Answers.
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Billdogge!
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Ground and Pound

Unread postby Billdogge! » Fri Mar 31, 2017 2:31 am

I'm interested to hear some tricks, success stories/pictures from those of you getting it done on the ground. Thanks in advance.


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Re: Ground and Pound

Unread postby Peeps22 » Fri Mar 31, 2017 2:43 am

Lockdown comes to my mind with the ground and pound. I have seen some big deer from the ground but just havent been able to get a shot off on a big buck from the ground.

Its definitely an overlooked tactic for sure. Alot of guys avoid areas where they dont see trees...
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Re: Ground and Pound

Unread postby Kokes » Fri Mar 31, 2017 3:32 am

Lockwood and JoeRe have gone to great detail on the topic if you look up their posts or Joe's podcasts they share a wealth of knowledge, you will not be disappointed...
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Re: Ground and Pound

Unread postby Billdogge! » Fri Mar 31, 2017 3:51 am

Thanks guys. Where do I find the podcast. Newbie on this forum. Thanks
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Re: Ground and Pound

Unread postby Jonny » Fri Mar 31, 2017 4:11 am

Billdogge! wrote:Thanks guys. Where do I find the podcast. Newbie on this forum. Thanks


viewforum.php?f=295

They are also on youtube, just search hunting beast podcast. Otherwise when you are on the main page of the beast, scroll to the bottom and there is a category called podcast
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Re: Ground and Pound

Unread postby Peeps22 » Fri Mar 31, 2017 5:19 am

Dont be afraid to use the search function on the site too. You can get into some good stuff from years ago.

Heres a good one that i have bookmarked myself...

http://thehuntingbeast.com/viewtopic.ph ... nd+hunting
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Re: Ground and Pound

Unread postby Lockdown » Fri Mar 31, 2017 4:31 pm

The Success From the Ground link that peeps posted is full of info from a BUNCH of killers. I also started another thread about what to look for in a natural ground blind. Between the two they should help get your creative juices flowing 8-)
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=35082&p=568059&hilit=what+to+look+for+in+a+natural+blind#p568079


There is one way to get REALLY good at hunting from the ground: By trying it, failing, and trying some more.;) it's tricky but you can absolutely do it. Anyone can.

If you have any questions on anything in particular, fire away! Sometimes when we post links up like this it ends some "would be" creative discussion.
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Re: Ground and Pound

Unread postby Cuzzinfish » Fri Mar 31, 2017 9:02 pm

Billdogge! wrote:I'm interested to hear some tricks, success stories/pictures from those of you getting it done on the ground. Thanks in advance.


I've taken every deer I've killed from the ground. Actually, just bought my first treestand. Here's my latest from this past season.Image

Here's a cool pic of a button buck I had fun with at around 5:30am back in October. Less than 6 feet away.
Image

I'll just share a couple things that have helped me, especially the last couple years. When possible, I like to find areas with low canopies where treestands can't go. It eliminates a lot of the pressure. I don't notice many other guys without treestands on public.

I'm not sure a ton of guys know about it, but if you live in an area that has Osage orange (some call them hedge trees) deer eat the leaves after they begin falling off the trees. Since moving to Ohio, I've had success hunting them in mornings. Its a pretty great transition area when they but up against oak trees.
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Re: Ground and Pound

Unread postby Billdogge! » Fri Mar 31, 2017 10:13 pm

Thanks for th links and tips. I'll be reading through them and get the mind thinking.
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Re: Ground and Pound

Unread postby JoeRE » Fri Mar 31, 2017 11:20 pm

Bill, yea Lockdown's thread that was just bumped up has a ton of info in it. Good luck man, hunting from ground level is a lot of fun and can be high odds in a lot of situations.

Hunting from the Ground
http://thehuntingbeast.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=29460
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Re: Ground and Pound

Unread postby pewpewpew » Sat Apr 01, 2017 12:39 pm

I'd also love to hear more expertise on ground hunting. I've read the existing threads 10x over.

I've selected about a dozen sites for next year, and it turns out 3/4 of the sites don't even have suitable trees for a stand anyway.
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Re: Ground and Pound

Unread postby Lockdown » Sat Apr 01, 2017 1:45 pm

I think the biggest thing is to try not to get discouraged when you get busted. It's going to happen. You just have to ask yourself WHY it didn't work, and do your best to correct that mistake on your next set. Hunting from the ground opens sooo many doors. It isn't easy but killing one from a tree doesn't compare to a kill from the ground. It's a rush.

Another thing is be open minded when selecting your hiding spot. You can hide almost anywhere. A clump of almost anything will work. Any patch of cattails or thicket will work well. You can build a ground blind from basically nothing... Pile a bunch of brush and logs up and sit in the middle of CRP if you have to. Just look at what JoeRE does. I never would have dreamt up something like that, but I knew as soon as I read his posts that it was a legit tactic and he's got the kills to back it up. His tactic was just from a different angle than I've ever tried. Due to his teachings I killed my 2015 buck. There was a lot of angled/horizontal limbs in that spot, so I knew standing next to one of the deadfalls would be cover enough. It broke up my outline. At one point that buck was 10 yards away with literally not a twig between us (came in from the worst possible direction) and I was STANDING. Prior to that encounter I thought any deer in that opening would mean game over. Not the case.

Just stay still. Wait until they're focused on something before you move if they're close quarters. With the above mentioned buck, I watched him out of the corner of my left eye and turned just fast enough to not lose sight of him. When he lowered his head to push through a wall of brush, I swung and drew on him simultaneously. He saw it but didn't know what I was, took a few bounds, and luckily stopped for a thread the needle shot at a short 20 yards.

Head down feeding, ears perked looking a different direction, browsing with their head up... All good times to get away with movement. I also like to let them get past me before I draw if possible. If they're looking strait away you can get away with fast movements if needed... They can't see directly behind them.

You would be surprised with how much movement you can get away with if you move slow. Honestly if I've got a deer approaching head on 30-40 yards away I will absolutely grab for my bow if it isn't in my hand, or swivel to where the shot is going to happen. Just do it slowly and fluidly. If they catch you, freeze! Sometimes you have to play statue for 5 minutes. I don't have a ton of encounters with mature bucks on the ground, but you obviously get away with less with them. That goes without saying. I've had does and small bucks stare me down multiple times within a 10-15 minute span and still get opportunities.

Nobody is a pro right off the bat and I still make stupid mistakes, but those mistakes make you better each and every time. I think it's Hunter Mike's saying at the bottom of his posts "the master has failed more than than the beginner has even tried." :clap: I LOOOOVE that quote. Really let that sink in. I've been hunting on the ground since my first year bowhunting 20 years ago. Believe me... I've failed more times than I can count. Learn from your mistakes and try again.
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Re: Ground and Pound

Unread postby Lockdown » Sat Apr 01, 2017 1:59 pm

If some of you are looking to build confidence on the ground, you've got from now till opener to go find a place to sit where you can expect doe activity. Set yourself up 20 yards from a nice doe trail and let them walk on by. If you want you can hide in something thick where you wouldn't even have adequate room to draw your bow. They're not going to see you.

Or you could clear your spot and some lanes and have a real practice run. Go through the motions like you are actually hunting. Pretend to draw your bow and pretend to shoot when it walks into your lane.

Would be good practice! Could kill 2 birds with one stone and do it over a summer soybean field and get some buck inventory at the same time.
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Re: Ground and Pound

Unread postby JAK » Sat Apr 01, 2017 2:09 pm

I killed my first deer from the ground this year in a blind my wife was filming pretty exciting.. so I took time this year to scout some natural blind sets I'm gunna try out.
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Re: Ground and Pound

Unread postby pewpewpew » Sun Apr 02, 2017 4:25 am

Lockdown wrote:I think the biggest thing is to try not to get discouraged when you get busted. It's going to happen. You just have to ask yourself WHY it didn't work, and do your best to correct that mistake on your next set. Hunting from the ground opens sooo many doors. It isn't easy but killing one from a tree doesn't compare to a kill from the ground. It's a rush.

Another thing is be open minded when selecting your hiding spot. You can hide almost anywhere. A clump of almost anything will work. Any patch of cattails or thicket will work well. You can build a ground blind from basically nothing... Pile a bunch of brush and logs up and sit in the middle of CRP if you have to. Just look at what JoeRE does. I never would have dreamt up something like that, but I knew as soon as I read his posts that it was a legit tactic and he's got the kills to back it up. His tactic was just from a different angle than I've ever tried. Due to his teachings I killed my 2015 buck. There was a lot of angled/horizontal limbs in that spot, so I knew standing next to one of the deadfalls would be cover enough. It broke up my outline. At one point that buck was 10 yards away with literally not a twig between us (came in from the worst possible direction) and I was STANDING. Prior to that encounter I thought any deer in that opening would mean game over. Not the case.

Just stay still. Wait until they're focused on something before you move if they're close quarters. With the above mentioned buck, I watched him out of the corner of my left eye and turned just fast enough to not lose sight of him. When he lowered his head to push through a wall of brush, I swung and drew on him simultaneously. He saw it but didn't know what I was, took a few bounds, and luckily stopped for a thread the needle shot at a short 20 yards.

Head down feeding, ears perked looking a different direction, browsing with their head up... All good times to get away with movement. I also like to let them get past me before I draw if possible. If they're looking strait away you can get away with fast movements if needed... They can't see directly behind them.

You would be surprised with how much movement you can get away with if you move slow. Honestly if I've got a deer approaching head on 30-40 yards away I will absolutely grab for my bow if it isn't in my hand, or swivel to where the shot is going to happen. Just do it slowly and fluidly. If they catch you, freeze! Sometimes you have to play statue for 5 minutes. I don't have a ton of encounters with mature bucks on the ground, but you obviously get away with less with them. That goes without saying. I've had does and small bucks stare me down multiple times within a 10-15 minute span and still get opportunities.

Nobody is a pro right off the bat and I still make stupid mistakes, but those mistakes make you better each and every time. I think it's Hunter Mike's saying at the bottom of his posts "the master has failed more than than the beginner has even tried." :clap: I LOOOOVE that quote. Really let that sink in. I've been hunting on the ground since my first year bowhunting 20 years ago. Believe me... I've failed more times than I can count. Learn from your mistakes and try again.


Great stuff, thanks for sharing.

I'm curious about a couple other things. I'm trying to determine what to sit on next season. I've researched cushions, turkey seats, dove seats, tree seats, ect... I was shocked to find hunting cushions for $70, down to your $6 walmart deal. What do you use? Something capable of swiveling? Something with back support? I can't imagine doing an all day sit with a dove seat and nothing to lean against. "Bow hunting Ninja's" video on youtube was a real eye opener. He suggested burying your cushion in the ground if it raises you up to high, and I really found the way he rests his bow against his head pretty interesting.

I also hear about a lot of guys talking about transitioning to a kneeling position to shoot. It sounds awfully tricky. I guess you'd really have rake the ground out to the dirt?


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