Tips for Hunting on the Ground

[kaizen leader]

I did this for 2 years before I got my climber…
First piece of advice - get a climber lol. It's not too late, they're readily available (used on FB or this forum if money is a limiting factor). I've seen 10x as many deer from a tree than I did on the ground.

Anyway, to answer your question. Comfort is key. Being at their eye level, you can't fidget. Whether that means a cushion on the ground or a chair up against a tree (what I did), you have to be comfortable or they'll see you before you see them. I would always set up against a tree wider than myself (both for comfort and to conceal silhouette). I would try to have some cover in front of me as well, but couldn't be blocking my ability to shoot. It's tough off the ground. People are far more successful than I was, but it is possible.

Good advice but if you don't want to use a pop up those cheep ground blind fences are good. They fold up small. I use a turkey ground chair backed up to a large tree and stake the fence in front of me. Works good but you still must move very carefully. Those ground turkey/deer chairs are very comfortable. I need to sell my climber. To much of a hassle for this old guy.

 

[Ski]

Just go do it is my advice. Start aggressive and you'll soon find out what you can and can't get by with. You'll be surprised. Every situation is a little different but often times you can be very close to deer without them knowing it. Being a predator is built in to you. You'll naturally be better at it than you might think.

 

[Jdd65]

Wow! I am so grateful for all the responses. All great info abs really pointed out some big mistakes I'm already making. I appreciate this community so much and I thank you all for the feedback. Can't wait to put all the info to good use.

 

[WTNBowHunter]

I would play the wind, like you mentioned, and setup how I would when turkey hunting. Would spend a little money to get a stake blind to cover movement and well as a turkey seat…something like camo netting that you can place around you to help hide movement and still allow you to shoot over the top of the net. Deer are trying to stay alive and will pick up on movement at eye level so anything you can do to hide your movement and stay comfortable to sit longer. Those are my thoughts.

 

[WTNBowHunter]

I just remembered this, funny looking back on it but was mad at the time. Had pics of a trespasser walking by my camera several years ago that me and a buddy nicknamed Harry Potter. This fella wore what looked to be an oversized cloak into the woods. We assumed he was using it to cover his legs once he sat down. Halloween is coming up so if you see any camo or drab colored cloaks online you better order it quickly.