bowhunting...no stand

[ca2pa]

i was wondering if anybody bowhunts without being up in a tree. is there any way to get close enough to a deer (undetected) and get a shot off? from what ive seen so far, most people have stands of some sort,,just wanted to see what yall think...

[Dredly]

yeah you can without a doubt, the most effective way is to use a blind, you can either make your own out of limbs and other natural cover or buy one.

either way make sure you get it up more then 2 -3+ weeks before the season or the deer may notice it and be unhappy with you

[ca2pa]

hmm..well that does make sense, after reading some stuff on here, i probably wouldnt feel too comfortable paying for a blind and leaving it out in the woods for some jerkoff to take..and you are sayin that if i buy a blind and set it up the day i decide to hunt, it will spook the deer? have you ever hunted on the ground?

[Buckster]

Hunting from the ground implies all the same techniques as stand hunting. You need to scout alot to know where the deer are going to be traveling so you dont get caught sitting right in their path. You need to be down wind for sure, and I know where I hunt being able to see for any range more than 30 yards is almost impossible from the ground. Using a blind will hide your movement but may spook deer if its new to the area. And I may be wrong but I thought blinds cannot be made of natural material like branches and rocks as doing so will disturd the environment so it has to me artifical however you can hide behind small pines, trees and large rocks for concealment. I have hunted from the ground before but I dont recommend it. good luck

[Dredly]

Hunting from the ground implies all the same techniques as stand hunting. You need to scout alot to know where the deer are going to be traveling so you dont get caught sitting right in their path. You need to be down wind for sure, and I know where I hunt being able to see for any range more than 30 yards is almost impossible from the ground. Using a blind will hide your movement but may spook deer if its new to the area. And I may be wrong but I thought blinds cannot be made of natural material like branches and rocks as doing so will disturd the environment so it has to me artifical however you can hide behind small pines, trees and large rocks for concealment. I have hunted from the ground before but I dont recommend it. good luck

depends on if its public land or private but you are correct... you should not damage anything on public land and can be fined for doing so.

You can setup the blind the day of, just make sure it is scent free and covered, also it had better be in a good spot or else you probably will get spotted.

[Coop650]

I didn't start using a tree stand until 2004. Up until that point every deer I killed with a bow was off the ground. Having a good backdrop is much more important than what's in front of you. If the deer can silhouette you, it's over. You have to be much more aware of the wind and your movements when on the ground. But honestly the doe I shot at 4 yards (yes 4) on the ground is still my most memorable hunt.

Also it's only turkey hunting that the blinds have to be all artificial material (page 33 of your hunting digest). For deer it can be made of natural materials. But if you are caught cutting trees or brush on public land you can face fines. But using brush and/or branches already down is perfectly legal for deer.

[P89]

Ghili suits work...have had doe poke their nose on the end of my arrow.
Deer are smart enough to know something is up but courosity gets the best of them.

[JIMMYC308]

I've hunted from the ground for many years and only occassionally scamper up a treestand. What everyone is saying is good advice. A natural or pop-up ground blind work great I've also taken many deer just sitting on the ground with my back against a big tree. One of my most memorable hunts was when I took a doe with my flintlock while kneeling in a hole made by a tree excavator, just my head and arms were above ground. The deer gave me a good long look but never really figured it out until it was too late. The moral of my story is yes you can take alot of deer sitting on the ground.

[JIMMYC308]

Also practice shooting your bow from a kneeling and sitting position. Much different than shoot it standing and leaning over like in a treestand.

[NP1724]

Also practice shooting your bow from a kneeling and sitting position. Much different than shoot it standing and leaning over like in a treestand.

what he said. I hunt from the ground about half the time, but mainly during gun season because I don't have to move much to get ready to fire. It's tricky with a bow because there is so much more movement involved, and the deer are closer so I try to use a stand during archery.