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Natural vegetation ground blind for deer

Autumnrider

Autumnrider

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2015
Messages
1,328
Location
Northeast Mississippi
I'm planning on doing a little ground blind hunting useing natural vegetation to build my blinds....I'm planning to add tops by useing natural stuff also..
How many of you do this regularly and have good luck? What man made materials ( not counting pop up blinds) have you used to help build and what is the distances that you like to be from the trails/crossings while using bow?
 
I've hunted on the ground a few times with my ghillie suit when there were no trees where I had to be. All you have to do is break up your outline with stuff in the area. Mine were very thin. Once I was against a brush line on the edge of a corn field and just broke branches from the brush making me a hole under a bush to sit in and put a few branches in front of me, stuck in the ground, that extended higher than me sitting in my chair. Left a few vertical slots to shoot through. Done the same against a tree in swamp with some driftwood piled up in front of me, but thin just to break up my outline. If it was thick it would stand out unnatural. If its gonna be a blind to use all year, you could make it thick out of anything. They will get use to it. But if you are hunting on the fly, I find less is more. Looks more natural. Just have to watch your movements.
Also clean out the floor to bare dirt so you can be quiet. If you could dig out a hole, you could dig out a lil bench shelf to sit on and a hole for your legs to drop in. You could really disappear like that!
 
I too hunt with a ghille at times and as Swamp stated less is more sometimes. It really comes down to breaking up that outline, reducing movement, and most importantly playing the wind. Natural blinds have also been a favorite ground strategy of mine. I truly think though that you need to play the same strategy as if your presetting trees for the upcoming season. It should be done early enough in the season so that the deer get used to it and except it. Plus how many shows I have seen and how many guys I have stumbled by hunting out of ground blinds still use natural veg to cover the already camoed blinds. However I still will always say that if you don't set it up far in advance it looks like somebody just piled a bunch of debris in the middle of the woods overnight. Plus if you get them done early they will always be there for the upcoming seasons.
 
Zip ties...
I have found they are all I need to make a ground blind last for a season. Occasionally just add a few more pine branches as it loses vegetation.
 
If you can use some chicken wire to surround the blind, you can pile or stack natural material against it and keep it from encroaching into your space. Digging a hole about 1-1/2' deep to put your feet so you can just sit on a cushion on the ground will keep your profile lower too.
 
I hunt from the ground all the time and I tell ya, you don't need a ghillie suit or ground blind. You just need a bit of brush or cover to hide you from being completely open. Sitting down is the best as I've noticed. Deer aren't used to seeing what people look like sitting. They only see people when we are walking tall. One of the best things about hunting from really close to the ground is that the wind doesn't hit you as much so you'll put out less scent downwind. Another advantage is that you can set up on deer in areas that there isn't good trees for a stand. If you don't like sitting on dirt then a hunting stool is a nice option as well.

Here's a video where I took a buck coming from down wind. Taken a lot of deer on the ground and one of my favorite ways to hunt.
 
Nice video a different kind of presentation then what you normally see. Thats some thick stuff. I do a fair amount from the ground as well however a ghille is not necessary but I prefer it because I can tuck in anywhere.
 
I hunt in Wisconsin. Here is another video of a ground hunt in the standing corn. Look at my camo when I am about to take the shot! The biggest thing I have taken away from hunting on the ground is know where the deer will be coming and going...and don't sit where deer will look.

I hope this helps some of you guys that want to hunt on the ground. Might have to make a video in the near future about other tricks I use to ground hunt.
 
I've been doing a lot of reading and watching videos about stalking deer in standing corn. I am very intrigued. I have been trying to find the book to accompany this video, but even used, people want a fortune for it.



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iKato said:
I hunt in Wisconsin. Here is another video of a ground hunt in the standing corn. Look at my camo when I am about to take the shot! The biggest thing I have taken away from hunting on the ground is know where the deer will be coming and going...and don't sit where deer will look.

I hope this helps some of you guys that want to hunt on the ground. Might have to make a video in the near future about other tricks I use to ground hunt.
Click to expand...
Nice camo

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Ground hunt from opening weekend. Deer eventually made their way to ten feet in front of the foreground grass. Unfortunately my arrow released oddly after I stood up and I made a complete miss. Always a lot of fun to get that close to deer without them busting you.
 
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