Ground pound vs. Treestand hunts

[Jackson Marsh]

6 hunts. 3 from tree, 3 from ground. Only deer seen on the ground. Total deer seen: 3 does, 1 buck. Could have shot 2 does and 1 buck. All from the ground. Over the course of the season I'm in a tree at least 75% of the time....probably more.

[Stingray713]

Bow season 70/30 stand/ground, Gun season 70/30 ground/stand

[BRoth82]

Bow season 70/30 stand/ground, Gun season 70/30 ground/stand

Interesting, are you hunting the same locations?

[Stingray713]

Bow season 70/30 stand/ground, Gun season 70/30 ground/stand

Interesting, are you hunting the same locations?

For the most part. Bow season runs until Halloween, then Muzzloader for two weeks then firearms season until New Years.

Bow season the areas I hunt are usually too thick to set up on the ground, and for the first 3 weeks I’m looking for a deer at first or last light and being up in the air buys me a couple minutes on both ends.

Gun season I prefer to be on the ground especially once the leaves drop. Need to stay mobile, still hunt a lot, go find em. Our rut is during gun season and the later part of it is during dog hunting season. Gotta be ready to make moves.

[briar]

I haven't hunted on the ground in several years

[Wihunter95]

So far this year, 3 in my stand, 1 in my saddle, 3 on the ground.

[Trout]

Only 1 sit so far this year and it was in a tree. Last year I would guess I was 60-70% in a tree, but all three of my kills and another I shot and lost were shot from the ground- 2 bow, 2 gun.

[mipubbucks24]

I don’t keep track and I really don’t care, I hunt whatever the situation dictates. But my last 6 or 7 buck have been from the ground and most were within 10 yards. I seem to miss more from a tree.

[Wlog]

It varies for me but I’d much rather be in the tree when I’m bowhunting if I can. I get picked off on the ground a lot more and so I just never feel real confident about it. That being said, I’ll hunt on the ground if that’s what I need to do to be in the right spot.

[E72]

Used to be around 75% tree and 25% ground in farm country . Now I hunt majority on public hill country near thick clearcuts . A lot of good ground setups , especially in thick cover with elevation changes . So I’d say last year it was closer to 50/50 saddle / ground sets .

[Nick grider]

In Michigan, a crossbow from the ground is a pretty lethal tactic in my area.

[BRoth82]

It sounds like the majority of guys are hunting out of treestands the majority of the time.

When you guys are hunting out of a treestand is there an option for a ground set that would work as well? I'm just curious, around me if I hunt in the farm groves the under brush is so thick early in the season that you wouldn't be able to shoot without cutting a bunch of lanes. But on the ground you can shoot under it. Now late season after the leaves drop that's usually when I try to get off the ground more.

[Brokenarrow1980]

My season hasn't started yet but i plan on hunting exclusively on the ground. It is ultimate for wind shifts being i can move and reset in very little time. Most guys like to be above the line of vision tho.

[Andr3wxmma]

So far every hunt has been from a tree stand for me. Even when I spot a good area for a ground sit i never have a chair with me, and while I don't mind being uncomfortable and on the ground I'm just not very good at sitting perfectly still without one so i walk by those spots to find a tree setup. Once we get some more leaves on the ground and I can hear deer coming I will probably end up ground sitting more often.

[A5BLASTER]

It sounds like the majority of guys are hunting out of treestands the majority of the time.

When you guys are hunting out of a treestand is there an option for a ground set that would work as well? I'm just curious, around me if I hunt in the farm groves the under brush is so thick early in the season that you wouldn't be able to shoot without cutting a bunch of lanes. But on the ground you can shoot under it. Now late season after the leaves drop that's usually when I try to get off the ground more.

Some of my spots? Yes.

Most of my spots? No. Reason being is it is either way to thick to get a shot off on the ground. Are when down on the ground your wide open.

I do have a few areas I hunt from the stand, but the stand is inches of the ground, I usually hit those kinds of spots when I hit some freakishly fresh hot sign and I was headed for a diffrent spot. So I swing for the fence and do what I have to do.