A crossbow or gun make it easier to ground hunt. Permission to shoot whatever steps out also makes it easier. But...I'm curious if you feel like your transition away from a vertical bow was a factor in your transition to the ground? It looks like a change in weaponry has allowed you to use a less stealthy method (during the kill) to change things up? Not that I blame you just curious what lessons I can take from your season. I killed my buck this year tethered in on the ground but I also tried to sit on the ground a couple other times and was busted by deer I was passing on.
After a full season of it, I don't feel like a compound bow or passing deer is as hard as I would have judged prior to the experiment.