Hey everyone. I am just getting into archery with hopes as long as I am comfortable to do some Whitetail hunting next year. I live in Eastern NC. I was wondering for ground hunting on the east coast what camos and ground blinds should I look at for the budget minded hunter? Any advice will be greatly appreciated

If solid earth-tones are such lousy camo, why are Elk so hard to see??

There is no better camo than sitting still, but JMO, the designer camos are the worst. I like old-school Predator; a lot of guys like ASAT. Big, contrasty plaids are good, as are (IMO) Milsurp woodland and chocolate chip. Cabelas outfitter looks pretty good, too, but I’m not a huge fan of the brand.

But word has it that NOTHING compares to a decent ghillie.

And of course, if you’re inside of a blind, you can wear your damn birthday suit and it won’t matter! LOL

Showell, Welcome to the intoxicating world of bowhunting. When bowhunting from the ground, (without a blind that is), it is hard to beat Predator or ASAT camo attire. Guillie outfits appear to be catching on as mentioned above, but my reluctance to don one is due to the bulkiness that, (to me), would interfere with my shooting style, but they actually have been around for years. As for blinds, “Big Mike” blinds have the best height to accomodate traditional bows of most any length as well as the most versatile window configurations on the market. This is just my opinion of course, but my bowhunting is probably 90% hunting out of blinds. If you have never bowhunted out of a blind, one would best be served to practice out of the blind often. You will need a quiet, comfortable chair and again practice with the complete setup you will be using and wearing when you actually take the field. One last bit of advice would be ALWAYS wear total black when using blinds. Best of skill in your endeavors.

Stay Safe/Shoot Straight. MT

Just wonder why not a ladder stand, or tree stand? Hunting from the ground fun, but very hard to defeat a deer's senses. Good luck, even from a tree stand killing deer with any bow, modern or traditional is very tough, from the ground, you have to be very lucky to do it with any regularity.

"There is no better camo than sitting still".

Agree with statement 100%.

Camo is way over rated and usually just makes they wearer feel good...like wearing masks in a pandemic. :o) But to each his own.

Regards

Camo is over rated. In fact any camo that looks good to your eyes is likely very ineffective in actual use. Earth tones or camo patterns that use large blocks of color work best on ungulates (deer). So old military woodland camo, old Treebark, the pattern most wool camo clothing come in, solid earth tones, ASAT, Predator, earth tone plaids, etc. Forget MossyOak and Realtree. They are sold to fool hunters out of their wallet. I'm not even really a fan of Sitka Gear, Kuiu, etc type patterns. If you have to start from scratch check out the Traditional Bowhunting and Wilderness Podcast on Youtube. He has some videos on hunting clothing that are down to earth and sensible.

Stay still, don't fidgit. Pay attention to the wind and your scent. That's more important than the latest camo pattern.

agree with everything mentioned so far about camo, elevated stand hunting and sitting still.

Reality is you will have far more options to draw down on a deer after sitting still in an elevated stand than you will sitting still on the ground regardless of whether you're wearing camo or not.

Camo doesn't overcome movement and scent, being elevated has a mitigating effect on all three.

I bowhunt from the ground a lot and have for decades, but not when the main goal is to put venison in the freezer. Its the same with the choice to bowhunt for squirrels vs 22 or shotgun. If I want to have fun and maybe kill one or two I'll bowhunt them, if I want to make a meal for the family I'll take a gun.

My advice is figure out an elevated stand system that works for you, spend some time learning the woods, deer movement, stand placement, etc. Kill a few then blend in a ground game to mix it up.

I started sitting in my turkey chair this year and killed my best bow buck ever at 10 yards. If you are going to hunt ground then here are some things I recommend:

1. Know the wind. All the gadgets, sprays, etc still won't work like hunting the wind IMO. Get to know the layout of the land and if it has hills(like it does in eastern Ohio) then learn how the wind moves and what direction in the area you are hunting. If it is coming out of the south in flat ground, it may not in the hills is what I mean. Go to your hunting areas and chart it out of season with different winds to have a better understanding. Lot of work but worth it. Plus you will be outside anyways seeing nature. :)

2. Backdrop: Find something to break up your outline. I had more deer walk right up to where I was sitting this year than ever before because I made sure to A. find a stump or B. brushed in behind me. IMO it's more important to have something behind you verses in front of you.

3. Learn to see out of the corner of your eyes. Watch for movement from your peripheral vision. Keep movements to a bare minimum. Hard to do so make sure you have a comfortable seat. You will never eliminate all your movement. Being an older guy I have to pee more than you young guys and I was busted twice in one hunt this fall taking a relief break. HA.

4. Learn something new from every hunt and enjoy each one for what it was. Somedays are just better than others. This past fall I hunted one night in late Oct and saw 10 different bucks chasing does. The next night no bucks and only 2 does. Chart your hunts: how many deer you saw and what sex, weather, air pressure, moon and wind patterns. It is interesting to go back and use this information. I have learned after hunting my farm over the last 18 years that the week before Nov 1 is a great time for bucks to be chasing but it's usually smaller ones. Rarely see a mature buck until the first two weeks of Nov. Just how it is on my place.

5. Find an archery club and shoot regularly. A. It's fun and shooting with other guys and puts some pressure on you which happens when you get ready to shoot a deer. B. A range should help you begin to learn your effective shooting range and practice different shot angles.

That's way long-winded but if you have any other questions pm me and we can talk on the phone if you'd like.

North mountain gear or all predator.com sapper suit for the budget minded. Rancho Safari if money isn’t a problem. They break up the human outline. Find a comfortable chair that allows you to sit still. I personally don’t like ground blinds for deer but turkeys don’t care. Oh and yes tree stands are easier but guys on here kill deer every year from the ground.

Camo only fools the human eye

Designer camo is for the stylish look, that’s personal. All above good information.

staying down wind is the first thing you want to do, secound is sit still no rubber necking are swatting masquitos. camo is opptional not needed but can help, it is more important to have something like trees and brush behind you also so your not sky lined . good luck and . gray and Lt. brown are the best colors to where. as squirls , coyotes ,deer they all blend in so well.

just to show what camo is best guy on left with new camo, same guy on right camo not doing any good?

Good photo. If most guys would think about stuff like that and not hunting their stands when the wind is wrong they would kill a lot more deer.

That’s not camo; that’s Brushed In.

And as noted, it works just as well when it’s behind you as in front, unless (like the guy in the photos) your chosen pattern turns you into a dark, man-shaped blob against a lighter background.

And why is he sitting out there in the sunshine?? Duh.

All of the “Digital” stuff cracks me up. It’s just a high tech fashion statement to go with high tech clothing, some of which is probably actually pretty good stuff, if you can afford it. Military Digital is at least supposed to be engineered to thwart tech like NVGs.... But I’ve never seen a deer wearing them. Of course, I don’t own any digital camo, so maybe they just saw me first and sneaked around me instead??

Ghillie suit. They don’t get stolen. Deer where I hunt won’t come near a blind and if they are out very long they get stolen

Anything will work, but if you're more comfortable in commercial camo, just buy what you like and can afford. None of it is magic, and the movement, or lack thereof is the key.

I won't tell you not to hunt from the ground, it's very rewarding and yes, it is harder, but that's the point of traditional bowhunting for some of us....not to just do everything the same with a different weapon. Putting the challenge of pursuing deer or any game from it's level is exciting versus perching in a tree like a hawk and then pouncing on an unsuspecting prey. Learn to hunt from the ground with a bow and you can always buy a stand if you want to go that route. Nothing wrong with either method but I find groundhunting much more satisfying.

Welcome, by the way.

Movement is your enemy. Kind of camo doesn't matter. When you're on the ground, that's your enemy compared to sitting in a tree. I've killed whitetails and mule from the ground, but I can't tell you how many times I put my tree stand in the wrong place and saw where it should be, because I was in a stand. Moved it and scored.

I like killing. From the ground does not trump a tree stand for me.

Bowmania

Fear of failure keeps many from hunting from the ground...that's something you have to get past, or just use a stand.

Choice of camouflage clothing is about number 2 or three from the bottom of the list of things to consider when aspiring to be a successful bow hunter.

So much so that it is a waste of time to even discuss until you become proficient in a lot of other things unless you are just making conversation.

Showell, welcome and best of luck to you this coming season!

I live and hunt in PA and have worn all types of camo or lack thereof for the 36 years I've been archery hunting. I killed my first buck with a bow on the ground at 4 yards when I was 14 wearing a Treebark T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. I prefer a leafy suit or Predator camo for the hunting I do now. I can't comment much on commercially made ground blinds as I've only hunted out of them a few times.

You've got some good answers from some above on the questions you asked and some who like to go off on tangents of ground vs. tree etc. It's the internet after all and I'm sure you can decipher the folks who are answering your questions.

Get out and hunt, learn and enjoy!

If you wanna see deer - walk ... if you wanna kill deer - sit still. Bowhunting from the ground ( stalking or a blind ) never prevented a kill, and a treestand never guaranteed one. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

Camouflage suits are like fishing lures. They are made to fool the hunter and get you to buy them. You probably already have decent hunting clothes in your closet. Camouflage is more than just a color pattern. You must break up your outline and blend into the surroundings. You must cover any flashy or reflective surfaces. Think "earth tones" and avoid black when you can. Keep yourself and your gear as clean as possible to avoid heavy scent contamination. Noise is obvious. Your hunting clothes need to be soft and quiet in the woods. You wouldn't want to hunt in a green nylon windbreaker. Even Carhartt jackets can have a hard surface that can be noisy in the woods. Many guys hunt in blue jeans and a flannel shirt in fair weather. One thing I am a proponent of is face and hand camo. They can stick out like a neon sign in certain circumstances and highlight you. Some simple face cream and a light pair of cotton gloves fixes that quickly. As was said before. The best camo is to sit still. To do that for long periods requires a soft surface for your rear end. Get a good foam pad to sit on if you plan to sit on stand. They are light and can be carried in to the woods easily. I hunt in grey or green jogging pants and a grey zip up jacket. I stay in the shadows and mind the wind. I am a low-budget hunter by necessity and I just make do with what I have. That's all you really need.

Sitting/ hunting on the ground is not as hard as it may seem. I've been doing it more and more the last few years. The last 3 bucks that I have taken were from the ground at 15 yds. I still use a few ladder stands but mostly now I enjoy being on the ground a lot more. Nows a good time of year to go out and start constructing some ground blinds out of natural materials. If you're in a wooded area, start with some larger branches as a support base and start building from there. Nothing plum and pretty, but as messy and natural looking as possible. I usually try and place them 15 to 20 yds off of a trail or from the edge of the woods. Make sure to have some kind of backdrop also to cover your human form. (i.e. your head sticking up) And wear some type of face paint or a pulled up neck gaiter. You can be wearing the newest best whiz bang kind of camo out there, but if your face is sticking up and shining like a full moon, you might as well be pointing a flash light at them.. I make and use a "T" stool to sit on out of a 2X4 base and a 1X6 for a seat. Will cost you about $3 to make. Put a couple of corner brackets at the joint for added strength. Attach a 4' piece of an old rachet strap to carry it over your shoulder and you're good to go. Check out Asbell wool for reasonably priced clothing. They sell wool in different thicknesses and weights. He has also written in his books excellent advice on ground hunting. Pick up a copy.

I been using old surplus WWII camo for 45 years, the same stuff and its still holding up fine and should finish my life out with it. Its been alot of fun

Thank you all for the info you have given. Was not expecting so many responses. I did notice after watching people like Clay Hayes and Fred Bear hunt some in videos that they both mainly just wore regular clothes more or less. So it does seem nice to have but not necessary to hunt with as long as I have the right knowledge of the other aspects of the Hunt.

I think everyone should read PIRA Dad’s post above and take it to heart. A lot of good information there with no inert ingredients. Great post.

If your planning on hiding from the human eye then realtree or mossy oak will work just fine. If you want to hide from animals then ASAT leafy suit is the way to go. I was out the other day and had a small doe walk in on me at ten yards, she never knew I was there. Also, a head mask/cover is a must when your on the ground.

The only piece of clothing that I make sure I have on are my BDU pants. Not so much for the camo look but for the cargo pocket space for my stuff, glove, hat etc. My top has to be quiet so I have camo fleece clothing for that.

I think more important is what you wash your clothing in and NEVER use a dryer to dry them. I try an use scent free soap but I don't think there is such a thing as everything has a scent to it and I always rinse with vinegar in my water. My hunting clothing is hung out side to dry. After I come in from the field if the weather is right I hang my clothing on the line. At my cabin I made a wing off my outbuilding that contains just my hunting stuff so I can keep it away from odors the best I can.

You can hunt in your blue jeans and a t-shirt if you hunt the wind.

Great thread. Hope more will share their tips and wisdom. Don't have to be a new hunter to be unsuccessful!

Jon, try Charlie's Soap...rinses residue free and it is what Teresa Asbell recommends for wool.

On the label "Charlie's Soap cleans all the way to the fiber leaving nothing but the good old-fashioned sweet smell of clean. If you want flowers, go pick some."

Join North Carolina Bowhunters Association. You will have a chance to meet and hunt with a lot of fellow NC Bowhunters.

My advice is to find a "good" mentor who is a successful ground blind hunter in your area. He will save you time, money and get you going. If there are no successful ground blind hunters around I'd be looking for a treestand mentor.

Who needs camo? Wool is as good as it gets as long as you can sit still. If you can't sit still get a blind or every deer that comes by will bust you.

Welcome and enjoy the journey.

I would sagest watch bow ninja on Utube. He hunts onthe ground and his shots are under 10 yards. He knows how to get close to deer. I think you would get some ideas from watching his video. Good luck and good hunting, stay safe, God Bless. Buckhunter

Pretend you Broke your foot. Get a walking boot like you had one. Then hunt every step. One of my best seasons. :))

Lots of great tips my favorite is “ there’s no better camo than sitting still” All I could add to all the great advice to you Showell is to keep asking questions!

2X Graig. Chuck Adams killed a lot of animals with blue jeans,and a plaid shirt staying still, and the wind in his favor.

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