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The Official Ground Hunting Thread

3 weeks then I'll be in a turkey chair, camo netting in front of me and a crossbow. Temp next week will be in the low 60's and am getting excited.
 
Nutterbuster said:
The last two years have been a thing-and-a-half with a new job, new kid, and selling a home. Made a promise to myself that this year I would get back to my piney-goat sniping ways.

I've been meticulously organizing my garage. Collected some scentlok over the summer. I have duck, deer, and small game "go boxes" ready to toss in the boat and go. All of my climbing gear stayed in my closet last year except for one hunt. This year it's living at a buddy's house. I've almost fully committed to 100% ground hunting. I had some really awesome moments last year in the turkey seat with a leafy poncho. Got within bow range of two nice bucks, passed on lots of does, and almost got literally ran over by a spike chasing a doe during the rut.

Hoping that this is the last thing several deer see this year. View attachment 119835

It's really impressive how well you blend in low to the ground in a leafy poncho that drapes all the way down to the dirt. Takes next to no time to set up, and it lets you hunt really close to good bedding cover. Also a lot easier on your body/mind compared to climbing.
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This + crossbow prolly >= effectiveness of elevated + compound hunting.

And I do feel ground hunting saps less willpower out you throughout the season, which is at a premium when raising young kids.
 
I think quite a bit of my early season morning sits will be on the ground this fall, especially hunting feed trees. From my experience it is very difficult to approach a feed tree in the dark without alerting deer. They are usually there feeding. I think most of the time they will filter off a short distance shortly before or past daylight and bed down to chew their cud and sleep, but will remain fairly close to the feed tree if there is adequate cover.

I like to go in about a half hour after daylight and stalk in to the tree carefully and set up on the ground. My feeling is that by that point the deer will be laying down. If I stay low to the ground, the chance of them seeing me is greatly diminished. If I attempt any sort of climb, my chances of being seen go up a lot, regardless of the method.

If they feel they have been left alone and nothing has entered the area they will often get up between 10 and noon and return to the tree to feed again. Early on, I used to hunt dark to 9:30 or 10, climb down having seen nothing, and then see deer on their feet while driving around 11 to one. I think this is the pattern I was seeing.

I went out Tuesday and scouted a loop of new to me ground. I saw 3 deer on the hoof, with two of those encounters being what I would call actionable. By that I mean if I had been hunting, I feel like I could have turkey called to them to give them that doubt about what disturbed them. Then I could have set up right where they were on the ground and had a good chance of that deer returning within the next four hours to the same spot and getting a shot. I've done that and had them back in 5 minutes. It pays to set up fast and quietly and get ready.
 
gcr0003 said:
@Nutterbuster you went full on suburbanite if you traded your crocs for some Birkenstocks!

Let’s see that organized garage and totes. I’ll show you mine if you show us yours :tearsofjoy:
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These are $19.99 Birkenknots from Target, sir.

Ironically, the place needs cleaning after a busy weekend. But you get the gist.
Screenshot_20250828_125719_Gallery.jpg
 

I think I’m gonna try this for a chair, if I don’t like it I’ll either use it for camping. Or return it. Seems like a nice cheaper option than the Helinox and similar chairs.

Also think I’m gonna try the Roger Turkey seat XL to compare. Both r cheap
 
Nutterbuster said:
The last two years have been a thing-and-a-half with a new job, new kid, and selling a home. Made a promise to myself that this year I would get back to my piney-goat sniping ways.

I've been meticulously organizing my garage. Collected some scentlok over the summer. I have duck, deer, and small game "go boxes" ready to toss in the boat and go. All of my climbing gear stayed in my closet last year except for one hunt. This year it's living at a buddy's house. I've almost fully committed to 100% ground hunting. I had some really awesome moments last year in the turkey seat with a leafy poncho. Got within bow range of two nice bucks, passed on lots of does, and almost got literally ran over by a spike chasing a doe during the rut.

Hoping that this is the last thing several deer see this year. View attachment 119835

It's really impressive how well you blend in low to the ground in a leafy poncho that drapes all the way down to the dirt. Takes next to no time to set up, and it lets you hunt really close to good bedding cover. Also a lot easier on your body/mind compared to climbing.
Click to expand...
Ya got a link to that poncho buddy?
 
Hey just seen this for the ground hunters looks interesting.
 

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True but I felt the same way about the pack seat. I just finished watching a video about it and it's interesting to say the least.
 
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