Bowhunting whitetails from the ground

[Nick87]

Who does it successfully? My grandparents farm has some good deer. But it is a bitch to hunt. We used to have a lot more trees. But it's a big marsh and several floods have killed a lot of those trees. And now it's overgrown more than ever (it's mainly abandoned pasture ground mixed in with tillable). I love hunting from a treeestand but it's just not productive to do anymore. I absolutely hate pop up around blinds so I'm not going that route. Anyone have any tips or setups they like? I know it looks like a gimmick but im totally considering giving the ghost panel blind a try. Would keep me mobile. Just makes it tough when.you can't see them until they are in your lap. Gun hunting here ive always just sat on the ground with a good backdrop but that's a lot different than bowhunting.

 

[ccc23454]

tripod? i have had great luck in high grass/brushy areas cutting 10-12' tripods right into tall brush and when i stand up i effectively pop out of top of brush to shot, just have benefit of minor elevation to improve shooting lanes. you just have to sit REAL still at prime time as your slightly skylined.

 

[Nick87]

tripod? i have had great luck in high grass/brushy areas cutting 10-12' tripods right into tall brush and when i stand up i effectively pop out of top of brush to shot, just have benefit of minor elevation to improve shooting lanes. you just have to sit REAL still at prime time as your slightly skylined.

I think bowhunting would still suck a little without the backdrop. Gun hunting would be great.

 

[RealMuddyboots]

I enjoy bow on ground especially in areas where wind direction all over the place. You can move immediately if wind direction changes. I used climbers a lot until back surgery said nope. I killed first several deer on ground with recurves before compounds came out. Yeah, I know you saw my cave wall drawings.

What I have learned over this millenium:
Wind direction along with deer direction of travel enormous factor in setting up for deer on ground. I like a deer to be past me in their line of sight and travel with good wind in nose. Harder for deer to detect movement.

I don't sit on ground, too much movement IMO. I use camo stool so its a nice level draw cycle giving great angle shots into kill zones. Minimizes movement a lot. Shot quality much better on ground IMO. Match the hatch with your camo. Use good background cover no different. I like deadfalls that you can blend into better with trees part of deadfalls.

Not every location will be great ground spot. Cannot force a spot if terrain, wind direction, direction of travel, lack of good cover don't add up. Just move along line of travel to find best opportunity.

I have used big oaks to "follow" the tree to keep deer vision blocked. Just clear out base so no potato chip leaves and slide around tree as deer moves. Crazy how good this works.

I have killed deer from 2yds to 35 on ground. I don't hunt in spots that do not have sufficient cover for deer to feel safe.

I think on the ground is one of the best highs you can get with the bow. Even at 76, someone keeps shaking bow when deer walk in until control kicks in.

 

[WVmike]

The first whitetail I harvested with my bow was from the ground. A doe came from west to east following a trail then decided to cut down the hill some and came into a small draw and I was along the trail about 15 yards from the top of the hill. As soon as she came into view at around 25 yards, I sent one her direction. It happened pretty fast and had I not determined my shooting lane and drew back once she was in the draw it never would have happened. I think scouting is super important in general but even more so from the ground because if you set up in the wrong spot, it's not like you can shoot them hundreds of yards away like you can with a rifle. I've only been successful archery hunting from the ground and have only drawn on a deer from a tree stand twice.

 

[ccc23454]

I think bowhunting would still suck a little without the backdrop. Gun hunting would be great.

i have had a ton of deer walk right next to tripod and never flinch, they don't expect danger where i am i think. 2 years ago i had a buck rubbing a sapling dinging one of the tripod legs as he did it. its all about just sitting still and waiting expecting them close. That's particularly why i like it, i need the seat to keep still. Movement matters more than anything else when your that close. i have shot a lot of deer with a bow including many off the ground, i have learned often the hard way its much more effective to not be on the ground, but its a fun challenge.

 

[Nick87]

i have had a ton of deer walk right next to tripod and never flinch, they don't expect danger where i am i think. 2 years ago i had a buck rubbing a sapling dinging one of the tripod legs as he did it. its all about just sitting still and waiting expecting them close. That's particularly why i like it, i need the seat to keep still. Movement matters more than anything else when your that close. i have shot a lot of deer with a bow including many off the ground, i have learned often the hard way its much more effective to not be on the ground, but its a fun challenge.

Well I'm gonna need a shit load of tripods lol.

 

[ccc23454]

Well I'm gonna need a shit load of tripods lol.

One of these years you should meet me down south and try a hunt in the land with few trees. Don't worry we have a shitload of tripods, ladder stands and shooting houses...lol

 

[Nick87]

One of these years you should meet me down south and try a hunt in the land with few trees. Don't worry we have a shitload of tripods, ladder stands and shooting houses...lol

Would love to.

 

[Hunting Wife]

So I’ve only started bow hunting over the last 2 years so I don’t know much, but I’ve learned a little and it’s been 100% on the ground. I’ve been busted a few times, passed a few opportunities, and killed 3 now. Two I killed by spot and stalk/intercepting them. One I was just sitting in cover, and that’s also how I’ve had most of my opportunities. My favorite setups in cover have been downed trees or clumps of bushes where I have large shapes in front of and behind me, along a travel route where they cross in front of me. If those dead trees are on the ground, you might be able to find an ambush point?

I’ve been tempted to try setting up in the cattails by the trails where I know some of these bucks go lay around all day. Get in early and try to catch them coming back to bed. Maybe a complete waste of time but I guess I won’t know until I try.

It’s been a blast though learning something new. You should just go give it a whirl!

 

[Nick87]

So I’ve only started bow hunting over the last 2 years so I don’t know much, but I’ve learned a little and it’s been 100% on the ground. I’ve been busted a few times, passed a few opportunities, and killed 3 now. Two I killed by spot and stalk/intercepting them. One I was just sitting in cover, and that’s also how I’ve had most of my opportunities. My favorite setups in cover have been downed trees or clumps of bushes where I have large shapes in front of and behind me, along a travel route where they cross in front of me. If those dead trees are on the ground, you might be able to find an ambush point?

I’ve been tempted to try setting up in the cattails by the trails where I know some of these bucks go lay around all day. Get in early and try to catch them coming back to bed. Maybe a complete waste of time but I guess I won’t know until I try.

It’s been a blast though learning something new. You should just go give it a whirl!

Deadfalls are my favorite place to setup gun hunting from the ground. Almost all these dead trees are still standing somehow. The more I think about it im gonna try it this year. Its either that or sit in one of the trees far away and know your not getting a shot. Toughest part is close quarters when they catch you off gaurd.

 

[jimh406]

You don't need a blind as tall as you unless you are moving. I'd plant some cover or pile some brush or tie some brush in a few places since it sounds like it's private land. It can be helpful to have your silhouette blocked so having a tall backdrop will help. Essentially, you will be building semipermanent blinds.

 

[glennw89]

I bowhunt exclusively from the ground. I hunt areas with very rugged terrain in a thick cover big woods environment. This usually means I can use terrain to set up in an elevated position from where I expect to see deer, giving me many of the advantages associated with a tree stand. Aside from that, my hunting is very mobile as I tend to still hunt a lot to find sign concentrations. Pretty easy to tuck into a deadfall or thick conifer stand and hunt from the ground once hot sign is found.

 

[rookieforever33]

The ghost blind is scary good. But a chair so you can be comfortable enough to not move could work just as well.

 

[Gellar]

There is great advice already in this thread.

Don’t expect to see as many deer from the ground because if you are sitting where you can see a huge area you are to visible.

You can absolutely disappear into a big cedar tree. I like to carry pruners with me and carve out a spot. You are out of the wind. The cedar needles suck so fully cover your skin.

Use the terrain. I have a spot on a field edge where the one side of the fence is like 3 feet lower then field. It’s like a baseball dugout. I sit in back of a briar patch that’s on the level of the field and will have deer 2 or 3 feet from me walking the fence line. In the opposite I have a few spots where a logging road was bulldozed into a steep bank. The deer love to walk the logging road and I can be 15 feet above them and still on the ground.

For my late season muzzleloader hunting im going to start using a waterfowl layout blind.

Get comfortable shooting your bow through small windows. Pick your spots where you can draw your bow before you need to.

Hunting from the ground, seeing a deer so close you can touch it gets me excited about deer hunting again.

 

[TN2shot07]

I’m not much of a bow hunter but have done it a fair bit from the ground. If you’re in some kind of set up with a chair it’s not a big deal but if you’re on your knees or just sitting on the ground practice drawing and shooting like that. You can end up drawing from strange angles and it’s difficult if you’re used to just standing and shooting your target

 

[Nick87]

The ghost blind is scary good. But a chair so you can be comfortable enough to not move could work just as well.
View attachment 410329

How is it getting drawn?

 

[Northwoods]

I’ve shot one buck and a couple of does with a bow from the ground. As I get older I’ve been doing it more for various reasons. Ghillie suits may seem ridiculous, but I’d consider at least the top. A mature whitetail buck is arguably the most difficult animal to draw a bow on. Drawing from the ground is tough. I will probably get a crossbow in the near future. Crossbow haters can say what they want. Bow hunting from the ground with a crossbow is more “fair chase” then being 30’ up in a tree with a vertical bow.

 

[Nick87]

Crossbow haters can say what they want. Bow hunting from the ground with a crossbow is more “fair chase” then being 30’ up in a tree with a vertical bow.

Maybe, guess it woukd depend on how you're doing it from the ground.