Ground pound vs. Treestand hunts

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BRoth82
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Ground pound vs. Treestand hunts

Unread postby BRoth82 » Sat Sep 25, 2021 5:23 am

I've been thinking back to all my hunts the last 3 years and thought about how many were out of a treestand and how many were off the ground. Out of the 20 sits I hunted in state, only 4 were out of a stand.


The land I normally hunt is open CRP fields with sloughs and brush that's maybe 10'-15' tall, very few trees big enough to get into and if you can they're not in the right spots. I have scouted some areas where a treestand will be used but haven't hunted those spots yet.

Question for all of you what % of your hunts are in treestands vs. Ground hunts and what type of habitat are you hunting?


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Re: Ground pound vs. Treestand hunts

Unread postby Lockdown » Sat Sep 25, 2021 5:43 am

So far this year, 2 ground hunts, 1 stand. That was almost a ground hunt too though. Platform was 7’ up.
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Re: Ground pound vs. Treestand hunts

Unread postby szwampdonkey » Sat Sep 25, 2021 6:23 am

So far this year 6 hunts treestand 0 on the ground.
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Re: Ground pound vs. Treestand hunts

Unread postby thwack16 » Sat Sep 25, 2021 6:36 am

I'm not a fan of bowhunting from the ground at all. Just not my forte. Think I sat twice on the ground in KS last year and none here at home. So 2/36 or 5%. If I can get elevation, I'm getting it.
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Re: Ground pound vs. Treestand hunts

Unread postby Grizzlyadam » Sat Sep 25, 2021 6:37 am

3 on the ground, two in the saddle, and one in the climber so far this season. As the season progresses I will be almost exclusively in a tree.
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Re: Ground pound vs. Treestand hunts

Unread postby Swamp Stache » Sat Sep 25, 2021 6:58 am

I'm probably 50/50. Definitely prefer the stand but there's so many times you have to be on the ground to get anywhere close to where the deer you want. More ground pounding every year with all the trees the cut down on the area wma/wpa....sorry had to vent about that a little ha
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Re: Ground pound vs. Treestand hunts

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Sat Sep 25, 2021 6:58 am

100% of my hunts are from a tree stand. Nothing against ground hunting but I just prefer the benefit of being above my prey. Always a good tree in the area I hunt. Now I don’t always get super high. Would say most of my hunts are in the 8-10’ range with lots of cover. I hunt primarily rolling hardwood ridges and fence rows in overgrown pasture.
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Re: Ground pound vs. Treestand hunts

Unread postby Lockdown » Sat Sep 25, 2021 7:17 am

Boogieman1 wrote:100% of my hunts are from a tree stand. Nothing against ground hunting but I just prefer the benefit of being above my prey. Always a good tree in the area I hunt. Now I don’t always get super high. Would say most of my hunts are in the 8-10’ range with lots of cover. I hunt primarily rolling hardwood ridges and fence rows in overgrown pasture.


Plenty of cover with your platform 10’ up means life is good! I like hunting low.
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Re: Ground pound vs. Treestand hunts

Unread postby A5BLASTER » Sat Sep 25, 2021 7:20 am

To situational for me to put a percentage on it.

I let the area tell me what I need to do, I have walked in to some spots that when I got there, I just dropped the stand on my trail and found me a spot to tuck into some brush and I have walked into spots thinking I wouldnt need to get high and when I got there I had to be 24+ feet up to have a chance.

All depends on the spot.
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Re: Ground pound vs. Treestand hunts

Unread postby Buckslayer#13 » Sat Sep 25, 2021 7:46 am

I hunt big woods Louisiana where a lot of trees are climeable with a climbing stand. I average about 18 foot up every sit. Probably gonna try to get up to 25ft or so this year when I can get away with the mid story not covering my shot windows.
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Re: Ground pound vs. Treestand hunts

Unread postby wjung » Sat Sep 25, 2021 7:47 am

Almost all of my hunts in the last 33 years have been from a stand. However, last year I sat on the ground and could have shot a buck that was 10 yds out. Was one of the coolest things! This year, I want to try more. I was out 1 time so far this year, sat in a stand for an hour before deciding to check out some CRP below a corn field. Almost sealed the deal on a lone doe.
The problem I always run into on the ground is I always wind up moving around. I just can't get myself to stay put!!
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Re: Ground pound vs. Treestand hunts

Unread postby BRoth82 » Sat Sep 25, 2021 7:56 am

Swamp Stache wrote:I'm probably 50/50. Definitely prefer the stand but there's so many times you have to be on the ground to get anywhere close to where the deer you want. More ground pounding every year with all the trees the cut down on the area wma/wpa....sorry had to vent about that a little ha


This is very true around me almost all of the WPA's have had any bush or tree cut down. So I end up finding myself hunting more and more from the ground, I would prefer to be elevated, but I'm just as comfortable tucking into a clump of grass or cattails and hunting that way.
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Re: Ground pound vs. Treestand hunts

Unread postby BRoth82 » Sat Sep 25, 2021 7:59 am

wjung wrote:Almost all of my hunts in the last 33 years have been from a stand. However, last year I sat on the ground and could have shot a buck that was 10 yds out. Was one of the coolest things! This year, I want to try more. I was out 1 time so far this year, sat in a stand for an hour before deciding to check out some CRP below a corn field. Almost sealed the deal on a lone doe.
The problem I always run into on the ground is I always wind up moving around. I just can't get myself to stay put!!


That is very true, it's much easier to move around when on the ground, it might burn you at times, but then again you can switch positions really quick if the wind starts to change directions, or to better setup for falling thermals. Plus having deer within spitting distance and not know you're there is heart pounding for sure.
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Re: Ground pound vs. Treestand hunts

Unread postby Sailfish_WC » Sat Sep 25, 2021 10:23 am

Only time I hunt the ground is in a pop up
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Re: Ground pound vs. Treestand hunts

Unread postby brancher147 » Sat Sep 25, 2021 11:23 am

Im probably 50/50 now hunting mature mountain timber. I was predominately ground until I started saddle hunting 2 years ago. A lot of the ground I hunt is so steep being in a tree really isn’t necessary and can be kind of freaky if hunting above cliffs.
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