As a way to increase the challenge and more importantly hunt some thick cutover/crp areas I'm going to put in more of an effort to shoot some deer from the ground. I recently got a good deal on a Millennium G100 and for my somewhat bad back this really seems to be a great set up and I like the swivel aspect of it too. Im not using pop ups, our deer freak out with them. Im going to be using natural blinds that Ive been setting up along with my regular tree stand sets that I do this time of year as well as on the fly scout/set ups once bow season gets in.

Thought I'd post to see what kind of advice/tips other stickbow guys have......

Move SLOW, keep your eyes OPEN and have a great hunt. I wish you success.

What’s behind you to break up your outline is as important or more so than anything you use to cover up your outline in front of you. I use large trees or natural blow downs for cover, especially behind me.

If you are going to build a ground blind, do so several weeks before you plan to hunt it. Deer seem to be very sensitive to changes in landscape in their home range.

Try to keep all movements of hands and arms inside the outline of your body. Deer are great at picking up movement. Hands and arms outside the outline of the body are much easier to see.

Because of the deer’s eye location some feel they can see up to 270 degrees— so pretty much every thing except that which is directly behind them.

It’s fairly easy to watch and move when one deer is present. Two or more in the same area is a real challenge.

I find it helps minimize movements to have my hand on my bow or very near it all the time. You’ve got a great seat in the G100. It may sound a bit silly, but try to use just your toes to swivel the seat. And make very small, slow movements when you do.

The slow and small strategy for movement should be used all the time. I’ve been busted many times when I sit back and relax and stretch a bit believing no deer are present, but then hear one snort and see movement nearby.

Take for granted the deer will often win the battle of the senses. They are beautiful and awesome animals with instincts that go far beyond anything we humans can muster. Every time you are busted should be seen as another learning opportunity to be studied. Pretty soon, you’ll have added to your own instincts and become a better hunter.

Pretty much common sense. You are closer to their eye level, so movement has to be slow and cautious. Other than that, it's learn as you go where you hunt. It's not the mystical thing that some would have you believe....just get out there and learn.

Had to look that one up... Looks like a durn La-Z-Boy! Not sure I have the gumption to cart one around, but it's really just whatever works for you... Some places aren't big enough to hunt from the ground unless you stay put all day....

The Rules for ground hunting are simple: you get caught moving, and you're pretty much Out. So before you move so much as a step, you have to make sure that nobody's watching, which means that you need to get some good binocs and you just have to pick things apart as carefully as a Mom checking for head-lice on a fair-haired six-year-old.

Other Best Trick is to learn how the wind behaves where you are hunting. When there is a breeze, there's usually air moving toward open areas; where there is moisture, there is usually a tongue of current carrying scent down-hill. Sun-lit hillsides always create a thermal, and those will pull some air from both sides of the ridge - you have to learn each ridge in your area to get a feel for how all of those factors will interact, but a milk-weed seed pod will teach you an awful lot in pretty short order...

And the main thing... it's more important to have plenty of brush BEHIND you to break up your silhouette; brush in front of you just cuts down your shooting lane.

And my best trick....

If you bump an animal that's headed your way, you need to move FAST, quartering between the animal and down-wind. That way when things settle down and the animal circles down-wind of where you were, it'll walk right into you. If you scared the hell out of it, you may have spoiled your hunt for the day, but if the deer is 50 yards out and you bump it hard enough to push it back another 30-40 yards or so, you can get low and sprint up to a good ambush spot.

Good to know the local trails and wind conditions so that you have a spot in mind, but Hunting is sometimes all about improvisation. Got one of my best-looking bucks that way at about 10 paces with the .54.... Probably looked like a scene from Last of the Mohicans making the dash, but he circled around and walked right into me...

I like to hunt the edge of really thick cover. I cut a narrow shooting lane to the edge, and just enough of a spot to sit and shoot from inside the cover without interference.

Not only is good cover needed around you but my belief is over head cover is just as important. I make my ground blinds up so it is like I am sitting in a dark cave the best I can using only natural materials. I use a self bow or long bow so I can't use the modern pop up type blinds.

It is mystical to me,,,,, there is no better way to hunt, to drink in all of the colors and smells of fall, than to bathe yourself in the woods, and sit among the conifers,,,,,,,

you would have to hunt the western UP to understand that,,,,,,,,

GF,,, good stuff

"I like to hunt the edge of really thick cover. I cut a narrow shooting lane to the edge, and just enough of a spot to sit and shoot from inside the cover without interference."

This has been very effective for me hunting whitetail in Michigan.

"I like to hunt the edge of really thick cover. I cut a narrow shooting lane to the edge, and just enough of a spot to sit and shoot from inside the cover without interference."

This has been very effective for me hunting whitetail in Michigan.

""you would have to hunt the western UP to understand that,,,,,,,,""

The UP is beautiful and I would love to hunt it sometime. That said, we have plenty of huge acres of wild land here in Pa, some state forests as large as 450 square miles, so there is more than one place to get that mystical feeling when ground hunting. Nothing like it though.

I like hunting among the conifers. I don't have thick stands of them just small patches. They provide good cover and reasonable protection in the rain. I have a Millennium tree seat but mine doesn't swivel.

If you can see a deers eyes he/she can pick up movement. Broadside not good enough. Set up your blind for quartering away shots. Great way to hunt, especially for the older, less mobile hunter.

George you would be welcome anytime,,,,,, the UP is the "center of the universe"

The UP is unlike anywhere else I've been. I could move there and live happily ever after. Marquette and west but not on the Wisconsin boarder. Copper Harbor was probably my favorite town there but that is a tough call.

The UP is unlike anywhere else I've been. I could move there and live happily ever after. Marquette and west but not on the Wisconsin boarder. Copper Harbor was probably my favorite town there but that is a tough call.

Hunting on the ground is not as hard as some think it is.

After a couple decades of the commercial treestands being on the market, ground hunting became to be viewed as something almost impossible to acheive, inspite of the fact deer were taken from the ground for centuriesbin the past.

You will learn to know when to draw your bow and how to to blend in with the terrain.

As mentioned above, movement and scent is crucial but it's also crucial in a treestand

All good advice above. I would only add that you also need to be aware of and plan for where the shadows will be in your particular blind set up for the time of day you'll be hunting.

Also if you set up on a trail that has a bend in it, consider setting up on the inside of the bend so that the deer's line of vision isn't looking directly at you. As was mentioned above you have to see them before they see you.

Just do it. You will develop your own style and within a few years have dozens of natural blinds all over the place. The best thing is that other hunters will walk right be the them and never realize they are there. No one is going to steal a blowdown. My blinds are free and if the wind shifts I can adapt in an instant. I poke around all day until late afternoon and then start looking for a thicket or blowdown. The hardest part is learning how to get off a shot with a deer so close you can just about touch him and you are shaking like a leaf. Learning to relax is part of the game.

Wow, thanks, some good stuff so far!

I agree TGbow, kind of funny how fast we have turned into a treestand or nothing mentality. I always get a charge out of getting things close but being on eye level with any wild critter is pretty special!

Thinking I may have to think about a removable bow quiver to make getting into position easier????

Yohon, I usually used darker fletching, not fluorescent colors, when hunting on the ground. A removeable bow quiver would be a good idea I believe. I have shot a few deer at 4 yards on the ground. My worse experience was with bright fletch that I feel the buck I was trying to shoot spotted. No shot.

yep Im having a bow built for the ground.

56 inch

and possibly a kwickie 3 mount

went scouting Sunday I cant wait till fall

John, That is all I do now is hunt the ground and took several very close range. I have always looked for blow downs and get close to the root ball if you can. I have hunted in the past 7 or 8 years on several farms that had some of the best blow downs near trails. My latest buck was from the ground and I was in my huntmore 360 and had a root ball to my right side . He came in from behind that root ball at 7 yards quartering and I had a small holly right beside that root ball that I clipped a window out of so I could see deer moving in and it helped cover me as well. Had back cover and I brushed in some front cover to shoot over and used some of that camo burlap that I rigged up on stakes to carry in and out but I leave it out most time. I also have a ground quiver I am making to leave at my ground blind so when I get there I just remove arrows from my bow quiver and slide in there with out removing quiver from bow. I'll text you a picture of it. I can tell you eye level is very exciting and I do it cause of the rods and screws in my back from back surgery about 10 years ago.

Lot more simpler hunting on the ground.

I like treestands but I just don't like foolin with all the extra stuff.

PECO,,,,, I know a great house for sale on tepee lake, with 10 acres, right south of Kenton,,,,, talk about being in the central hub,,,,,,, close to Octanogon, and Houghton, and to the west bergland etc,,,,,,

I've noticed over the years I am most successful when I can't be blindsided. It is so helpful to have your back to a "no fly zone". Hunting on the ground requires so much alertness, having to only be aware of three sides is a huge advantage. I don't know why this doesn't come up more often, it's a big deal. Remember, deer walk under you in a treestand. They walk over you on the ground.

I use a Mini-Catquiver, with a single arrow holder on the bow itself. This way when I have an arrow knocked there's nothing on the bow. The Mini-Cat goes over the shoulder like a back quiver and when I do sit on a log I take it off and set it off to one side. I prefer this kind of setup for ground hunting.

Hey Ground hunter, I don't ever remember seeing a house on Teepee lake. I love that area.

Baraga and Houghton counties get the nod also, I have a camp near the Sturgeon River Gorge area.

Anyone ever use a ghost blind? nybubba

I would think that ghost blind would work pretty good, but too heavy and bulky to move with all day,,,,, I can see applications for it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I think it would work well out on the grass lands, with no cover

Two things I won't go hunting with out. Hand and face camo and a good wind indicator. I have been busted more often than not with a bare white face. Had deer come in for a look when I was in full face camo. Not the WWF indian warpaint either. Full camo cover, face, ears neck etc. Wear camo gloves too. Use a wind indicator and watch in the direction the wind is going. Deer like to circle down wind to try to figure you out.

GH, I concur certain applications would be great for the ghost blind. Trying to carry that thing would be a pain.

I carry a section of that camouflage burlap in my day pack. Stretch it out using small bungee cords then put some branches on it to break up the outline. I use various sizes of the black springy office clips for that. nybubba

Pre-season scouting this time of year helps I always do this as soon as the seasons over. Sunday I found a great place for next year. A downed tree with lots of cover right of a trail I will be working on a blind over the next month

Remember (Ive found) that less is more. Sometimes deer get spooky with large piles of brush with black holes(windows)

Hiding in plain sight is sometimes better (back cover and enough front cover to hide your lower half and some movement)

Been hunting from the ground for years and still learned a few things here, good stuff guys. I like to sneak around a new area with a light seat in my pack and when I come across a heavy trail going into heavy cover, look for a white pine or blow-down to slap a stick/log blind against. Had deer bed just inside the cover nearby. During the rut I've had bucks come into scents hung over the trails almost immediately. Now I have spots ready to go after a quick spruce-up in several areas. I still utilize stands, but it's a lot more fun being mobile on the ground. Good luck out there, ya got me fired up to go scout!

If you have already registered, please

sign in now

For new registrations

Click Here